The Long Road

09/23/2003 Archived Entry: "Go! Go! Go!"

For those who don't know, Go is the oldest and most complex board game in the world; at first glance it seems a lot like a more complex Othello.

For about a week now I've been wanting to buy a Go board. At the mall, I looked in The Bay, Zellers, Dufferin Games, and Athletes World; none of them had a board. Aside from the Internet, I really don't know where else to look for a Go board now.

Why all this sudden interest in Go? Basically because I've been listening to the music from Hikaru No Go; the music makes Go seem like the most EPIC game one can ever play; putting a stone down is like a life changing decision.

Anyways, go here and here to learn more about Go.

Here are some nice quotes about Go that I've pulled up:
"Go was studied by Japan's warrior class and eventually institutionalized in four "Go houses," where families developed and passed down Go techniques in the same way that other Japanese families developed and passed down techniques of sword-making or the samurai code."

"In ancient China, Go was one of the Four Accomplishments that were required of nobility before they could be considered properly civilized, the other three being poetry, painting, and music."

"In China, Korea, and Japan, Go has a respect and popularity on a par with major sports events here. There are magazines, newspaper columns, 24-hour television programming, and professional tournaments with purses in the hundreds of thousands of dollars devoted to the game. Professional Go players enjoy prominent celebrity status."

"In fact, learning to play Go is something like learning to speak a foreign language. You can absorb enough in a few lessons to get along, but it will take years of study to become fluent."

Replies: 9 comments

Now you just have to watch the Hikaru no Go anime =P. All 75 eps of it(only 75 'cause it was cut short)

Posted by Anonymous @ 09/23/2003 12:10 PM EST

Upload some of these epic songs to your website for the masses to hear!

Posted by Dave @ 09/23/2003 02:22 PM EST

Try this one, this one, or this one.

Posted by Rayne @ 09/23/2003 08:01 PM EST

You can play Go on Yahoo Games...

Posted by dAN @ 09/23/2003 09:45 PM EST

It's totally not the same thing. I want the tactile experience, the laying down of the pieces, the capturing of the enemy and all that.

Posted by Rayne @ 09/23/2003 10:08 PM EST

Is it possible to be obsessed with a game before you even get it? Wait, I know that answer - I was obsessed with Silent Hill 2 long before I had it. Anyway, Thai also fits this pattern.

Posted by Romer @ 09/24/2003 01:05 AM EST

It's also true for all forms of entertainment with me: movies, books, comics, girls. Anything, really.

Posted by Rayne @ 09/24/2003 01:48 AM EST

i know i saw one of those go boards in a games store last year ... sure it might be overpriced, but i'm sure they're there

Posted by melpie @ 09/24/2003 04:31 PM EST

YAY! i got a GO board! 45$ from mrs. tiggy winkles! now to actually play it...

Posted by Rayne @ 09/30/2003 10:11 PM EST