History Main / Go

* KyuAndDanRanks: Go players are ranked according to their playing strength. Complete beginners are ranked at roughly 30-35 ''kyu'' (30-35k), and as they improve, their rating ''reduces'', so a 10k player is stronger than a 15k player. This is because ''kyu'' ranks are based on the number of handicap stones players would need to win half their games against a First Dan player (See PVPBalanced below), and the stronger player needs a smaller handicap. After winning promotion to First Kyu (1k), the highest ''kyu'' rank, the next step is Shodan or First Dan (1d), and ''dan'' ranks ''rise'' with greater strength from First to Ninth Dan, the highest amateur rank. Professional players have their own ranking system, rising from First (1p) to Ninth (9p) Dan.
** Go was the first game or sport to use this system.

* OlderThanFeudalism: The origins of Go are ShroudedInMyth. The oldest surviving ''written'' reference is in the Analects of Confucius (c. 500BCE) by which time the game was well-known. Archeology suggests an origin somewhere in the 2nd millenium BCE.
** Probably OlderThanDirt as well.

** Japanese rules require the handicap stones to be placed on specific points, the first nine of which are normally marked on the board as the ''hoshi'' (star) points. Japanese rules specify patterns for handicaps of up to seventeen stones, but various unofficial patterns have been published for handicaps of up to ''forty-one'' stones, the traditionally-accepted difference between a complete beginner and the strongest amateur player.
*** Note, however, that in most cases if the amount of handicap would be larger than 9 stones, the usual alternative is to play on a smaller board (13x13 and 9x9 being by far the most common sizes). Handicap stones have a much greater effect on a smaller board (a common rule of thumb is that one handicap stone on 13x13 is approximately equivalent to three in 19x19) and hence the game can be played evenly without the need for so many of them, making the playing more sensible.
** Chinese rules allow free placement of handicap stones, so potentially there is no limit to the size of handicap that could be given.

*** Note, however, that in most cases if the amount of handicap would be larger than 9 stones, the usual alternative is to play on a smaller board (13x13 and 9x9 being by far the most common sizes). Handicap stones have a much greater effect on a smaller board (a common rules of thumb is that one handicap stone on 13x13 is approximately equivalent to three in 19x19) and hence the game can be played evenly without the need for so many of them, making the playing more sensible.

Not to be confused with the 1999 film Doug Liman film ''Film/{{Go}}'', the short-lived early '80s [[Series/{{Go}} television game-show]], or the travel-themed family board-game published by Waddingtons.

** In Ancient China, a Go game that ended badly ''started a war'': the Crown Prince of Han invited his cousin over to play. When he lost he [[{{Ragequit}} threw the goban at the cousin]], killing him (perfectly possible; a traditional goban can weigh as much as twenty kilos (forty pounds)). The cousin's grieving father declared war over the [[SacredHospitality breach of hospitality]].

** Punned by the British Go Association (in the late 80's-early 90's at least). The Japanese for 2 dan is Ni-Dan. 2 dans who lost all six games at a national tournament/meet/etc were mock-entitled to refer to them-selves as "weak-knee dans".

** Also, a little trick for those bored in class: take a math notebook page, mark the borders of the board on the page’s square, take two pencils and erasers to mark the stones and score, and voilà, instant classroom Go!

** Japanese rules require the handicap stones to be placed on specific points, the first nine of which are normally marked on the board. Japanese rules specify patterns for handicaps of up to seventeen stones, but various unofficial patterns have been published for handicaps of up to ''forty-one'' stones, the traditionally-accepted difference between a complete beginner and the strongest amateur player.

* PronounTrouble: When writing about Go (in the abstract rather than when referring to specific players), it is customary to refer to one player as "he" and the other as "she". Unfortunately some believe black should be male, and white female, while others appeal to ancient [[{{UsefulNotes/Taoism}} Taoist yin/yang tradition]] and argue for the opposite.

* BrokenBase: Despite its antiquity, the rules of Go are mostly the same everywhere, but there ''are'' technical differences between the rules used in China, and those in Japan and Korea, mostly concerning the way the score is calculated, but also how a few very rare situations are handled.

** Anymore?

Not to be confused with the short-lived early '80s [[Series/{{Go}} television game-show]], or the travel-themed family board-game published by Waddingtons, which used the same name.

* PronounTrouble: When writing about Go (in the abstract rather than when referring to specific players), it is customary to refer to one player as "he" and the other as "she". Unfortunately some believe black should be male, and white female, while others appeal to ancient Taoist yin/yang tradition and argue for the opposite.

* BrokenBase: Despite its antiquity, the rules of Go are mostly the same everywhere, but there ''are'' technical differences between the rules used in China, and those in Japan and Korea, mostly concerning the way the score is calculated.

* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: Some famous games have exotic titles like "The Ear-Reddening Game", and probably most famous of all, "[[ExactlyWhatItSaysontheTin The Blood-Vomiting Game]]".
* KyuAndDanRanks

** In a game between players of different strength, the weaker player takes black, and ''komi'' may be reduced or eliminated. If the difference in strength is sufficient, black may also be allowed to place a number of "handicap stones" on the board before the game begins, to give him a head start. The idea is to allow both players to share an enjoyable game, so the size of the handicap is adjusted to their respective playing strengths. This leads to differences in playing strength being expressed in terms of "stones", as in: "Ben is four stones stronger than Bill".

* ArtificialStupidity: The best Go-playing computer programs are roughly on a par with amateurs. Most experienced players will have no trouble beating a Go computer.

Go originated in China more than 2,500 years ago, and although it is not known exactly when the game was invented, by the 3rd century BC it was already a popular pastime, as indicated by references to the game in the Analects of Confucius. Archaeological evidence indicates that the early game was played on a board with a 17×17 grid, but by the time that the game spread to Korea and Japan in about the 7th century, the 19x19 board had become standard. The game is most popular in East Asia, but spread to other parts of the world. A conservative estimate places the number of Go players worldwide at approximately 27 million.

* OlderThanFeudalism: The origins of Go are ShroudedInMyth. Some form of the game was already being played about two generations after RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms took place.

* OlderThanFeudalism: The origins of Go are ShroudedInMyth.

** In Ancient China, a Go game that ended badly ''started a war'': the Crown Prince of Han invited his cousin over to play. When he lost he [[{{Ragequit}} threw the goban at the cousin]], killing him (perfectly possible; a traditional goban can weigh as much as twenty kilos(forty pounds)). The cousin's grieving father declared war over the [[SacredHospitality breach of hospitality]].

** In Ancient China, a Go game that ended badly ''started a war'': the Crown Prince of Han invited his cousin over to play. When he lost he [[{{Ragequit}} threw the goban at the cousin]], killing him (perfectly possible; a traditional goban can weigh as much as twenty kilos). The cousin's grieving father declared war over the [[SacredHospitality breach of hospitality]].

Go is a [[StrategyGame strategy]] board game for two players, noted for being rich in strategic complexity despite its simple rules. It is known in Japan as 碁 or 囲碁 (''Go'' or ''Igo''), in China as 围棋 (''Weiqi''), and in Korea as 바둑 (''Baduk''). Go reached the West through Japan, which is why it is commonly known internationally by its Japanese name, and much of its technical vocabulary is Japanese.

Go is a board game for two players, noted for being rich in strategic complexity despite its simple rules. It is known in Japan as 碁 or 囲碁 (''Go'' or ''Igo''), in China as 围棋 (''Weiqi''), and in Korea as 바둑 (''Baduk''). Go reached the West through Japan, which is why it is commonly known internationally by its Japanese name, and much of its technical vocabulary is Japanese.

* ArtificialStupidity: Due to its extreme complexity relative to chess, the best Go programs are on par with amateurs. Most experienced players will have no trouble beating a Go computer.

* BadassNormal: Every one of a player's stones is identical. There are no special pieces or moves.