Strategy. Logic. Understanding your opponent’s next move before they even know what to do themselves. These are all thoughts that come to mind when I think of Go, a 3000-year old Chinese game. Still growing evermore popular today, Go encourages its players to think with an open, yet very analytical, mind, and has become the reason behind fierce international competitions, such as the final round of The 8th Ing’s Cup International Go Tournament that we had the awesome chance to witness the first ten minutes of today. The competing champions were Tang Wei-Xing and Park Jung-Hwan, from China and South Korea, respectively.
While I did not quite know the rules behind Go at the time of watching the tournament, I could still certainly feel the intensity behind each thought and action carried out by each competitor. From where I was standing, I had a very clear view of Tang Wei-Xing, and the amount of time he took before each of his meticulously premeditated moves was enough to show me just how big of a deal Go really is. Both Tang and Park had huge personal stakes in this finale, and the energy in the room from this inspired me, making me excited to start learning how to play the game myself.
After watching the tournament, we all visited China’s Go House, where our very informative tour guide, a professional Go player himself, told us all about the origins of Go and its expansive influence in the everyday lives of everyday people, such as how those who play Go, even if just as a casual hobby of theirs, are better at making rational observations. Following our tour of the Go House, we got to try our own hands at Go. My first game of Go ever was with Chloe, who proved to be a very formidable opponent. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to finish the match, but we’ve agreed on having a rematch soon, which I look forward to!