PréSentation Anglais Jeu De Go Jerome Salignon

The Game of Go

“Gentlemen should not waste their time on trivial games -- they should play go.”-- Confucius,The Analectsca. 500 B. C. E.

Game is played by two player One player takes black, the

other white Each player takes a turn putting a

stone on the board Stones are played at the

intersections of the lines on the board

Once a stone is played, it doesn’t move

The Rules

The Objective

Objective is to have more points at the end of the game than your opponent

Two ways to make points:Enclose (surround) an area

of the boardCapture your opponents

stones

Making Territory Completely surround

intersections Each intersection surrounded

scores 1 point

Capturing the Enemy

Enemy stones are captured by being completely surrounded Connected stones must be

captured as a group Open intersections are called

liberties Capturing occurs when

liberties are reduced to zero

Ending the Game The game ends when both players agree When a player has no further valuable

moves he passes The other player can either pass or play If both pass, the game ends

Because the board is empty at the start of the game, the stronger player can

give his opponent a “head start” to even things out. Nearly any two opponents can play a game that either of them

could win..

HANDICAP: THE GREAT EQUALIZER

IT’S A BIG CHALLENGEThe number of possible go games has been estimated at 10761 (=361!, OMNI, June 1991), far more than the number of subatomic particles in the known universe.

COMPUTERS CAN’T PLAY!Go is so complex that the best

programs routinely lose to talented children. Computer programmers call it “the last refuge of human intelligence.”

Go exist since at least 3000 years

old, probably much older. No

one knows where it came

from. Some people think the

board and stones were

originally used to foretell the future, or as a

calculator.

THE FOUR SACRED ARTS

During China’s “golden age” (the Tang and Song dynasties ca. 700-1400 A.D.) the cultured person mastered four skills: painting, calligraphy, lute-playing and go.

attributed to Kano Shoei (1519 - 1592)

Go became a common theme in 19th century ukiyo-e prints. Here, Tadanobu, a famous samurai, fights off his enemies with a go board.

Repelling demons while playing go. (1861)

THE “MINISTER OF GO”Tokugawa Ieyesu, the first shogun, established four “houses” to study go and compete in annual “Castle Games” of great national importance. Each year’s winner became the go-doroko (“Minister of go”), occupying a cabinet-level position in the government.

THE MOST POPULAR GAMEIN THE WORLD TODAY

120 million players68 countries / 5 continentsMillions of fans in Japan, China, KoreaTop players earn millionsInternational tournaments pay up to $400K

Go in asia Go originated in South-East Asia, and

the majority of Go players and institutions will be found in that area.

Weiki

In China, the government strongly supports the organisation and promotion of Go.

I-Go

In Japan Go is recognised as an instrument contributing to key elements of human life, such as young people’s education, leisure activities, promotion of culture.

Baduk

In Korea the demand for Go is rising rapidly. A number of Korean youngsters are the top players in the world. In many schools Go is part of the curriculum.

UNIVERSAL RANKING SYSTEMSimilar to martial arts, golfRank yourself by playing ranked opponents (on internet or during tournaments)All serious players know their rankThe rank is going from 30kyus to 1kyu then from 1d to 7d

GO ON THE INTERNETFREE!At least 10000 online any time of day or nightAnonymous play

HIKARU NO GOIn this popular “coming-of-age” story, the ghost of a famous player guides our hero to the pinnacle of the go world -- or does he?

Go in the WestIn the West, the first to

mention go was Marco Polo, back from China.

1881: first western go book, written by Otto Korschelt, a german ethnologist and chess player, who discovered go when travelling in Japan.

1920: the first non-Asian go club was created in New York

1934: foundation of the American Go Association

1957: foundation of the European Championship

Go in France 1968: go arrive in France, some players

meet in the back shop of a Parisian shop 1969: creation of the Parisian go club 1970: creation of the French Go

Association and organisation of the first French Championship

1978: creation of the French Go Federation and the same year took place the first Amateur World Championship