Ancient game called 'Go' uses analytical skills

Some people find the game of chess a bit complicated. Now imagine four or more games going on all at once on the same board and you may begin to realize the analytical skills needed to compete at a 3,000-year-old game called "Go" or "Wei Ch'i."

SUNY Brockport President Dr. Paul Yu is rated a very strong player nationally and, with Greg LeFler, the president of the Empty Sky Go Club of Rochester, held a demonstration of the game and its intricacies November 6 at the college.

Over three dozen students, faculty and staff were witnesses to the demonstration of the game, whose rules have "remained essentially unchanged," according to a press release issued by the college. "Mythology has it that the future of Tibet was once decided over a Go board, when the Buddhist ruler refused to go into battle; instead he challenged the aggressor to a game of Go to avoid bloodshed."

Still popular in the Far East, the game's popularity is growing in the United States. The Rochester Chapter will play host to the America Go Congress meeting and tournament July 31-August 7 at the R.I.T. Inn at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Most tournaments average 250 players.

The game itself involves connecting "Stones," "Captures" and "Liberties," "Forbidden Points" and "Life." From the website, usgo.org, to win "a player must secure the greater number of stones-cum-liberties on the board."

For the demonstration, Dr. Yu and LeFler explained the rules and then played against a few of the new players. New players were also encouraged to play each other.

Dr. Yu recently returned from a national competition held this past summer. He is ranked what is called a 4 or 5 Dan - recognized as a very strong player nationally.