Introduction igo

Go is a strategic board game for two players. Also known as igo (Japanese), weiqi or wei chi (Chinese) or baduk (korea). Go noted for being rich in strategic complexity despite the simple rules.

Like a chess game played by two players who alternately place black and white stones (play fruits, now usually made of glass or plastic) at the intersection of a box of empty 19 × 19 rows. The purpose of this game is to control a larger portion of the board than your opponent. A stone or group of stones that were captured and removed if it does not have an empty adjacent intersection, the result is completely surrounded by stones of the opposite color.

Placing stones close together helps them support each other and avoid capture. On the other hand, placing stones far apart creates more influence on the board. Part of the strategic difficulty of the game comes from finding a balance between conflicting interests like that. Players strive to serve both defensive and offensive purposes and choose between tactical urgency and strategic plans.

Go originated from ancient China over 2,500 years ago, and although it is not known exactly when the game was created, in the 3rd century BC it had become a popular hobby, as indicated by the reference to the game in the Analects of Confucius. Archaeological evidence indicates that the initial game is played on a board with 17 × 17 grid, but at the time that the game spread to Korea and Japan at approximately the 7th century to the board 19 × 19 grid has become the standard.

The most popular game in East Asia, but has gained some popularity in other parts of the world in recent years. A conservative estimate places the number of go players in the world at around 27 million. Go to reach the West through the Japanese, which is why it is generally recognized internationally by the Japanese name.