This thing called Go
Unless you're acquainted with Japanese culture, then go is anything but a sports. In the Orient, Honinbo Shusaku is associated with Go.
Go is a board game for two players, and like chess, strategy is significant despite its relatively simple rules. The players alternately place white and black playing pieces, stones as they are called, on vacant intersections (points) of a grid of 19x19 lines. One must use one's stones to surround a larger total area of the board than the opponent's. Once placed (on the board), stones may not be moved unless captured. Players continue in this fashion until neither players decide not to make another move. When the game concludes, the territory is counted along with captured stones to determine the winner.
Go originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago. Archaeological evidence showed that early games were played on a board with a 17x17 grid. Then the game spread to Japan in about 7th century AD, which by then, boards with a 19x19 grid became standard. (The game became popular in Korea too. It started in about 5th century AD.)
By the middle of the nineteenth century, Go reached the height of its popularity, which could be called its golden age, and it was during this period that Shusaku became popular. He was born on June 6, 1829 in Innoshima. He was son of a merchant, but it was only through Asano Tadahiro, the lord of Mihara Castle, that he had the opportunity to hone his game. (He was under the tutelage of Hoshin, Lord Asano's trainer, priest and Go player of professional level.) His rise was meteoric, gaining fame and respect along the way. But a cholera epidemic swept Japan in 1862, where Shusaku was one of the unfortunate victims. He died at a young age of 33.
Shusaku is considered Go's greatest player. He was credited with an opening using the black stones, a strategy he perfected. Known as the Shusaku fuseki, this was proven effective, still used by modern-day professionals. Shusaku was also remembered by the Shusaku number, representing the distance between a player and Shusaku, measured in Go opponents.
Go may not have attained the popularity of chess, but the game is more than a fad. In 1982, the International Go Federation (IGF) was formed, aimed to promote the Go throughout the world by connecting the various Go federations around the world. (KÅichirÅ Matsuura, former Director-General of UNESCO, is the current president.) The World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) began in 1979, with China's Nie Weiping beating fellow Chinese players Zu-De Chen and Jia-Rui Chen for the title. It wasn't surprising that China dominated the event, past winners included Zhi-Jian Qiao, Bao-Xiang Bai, and Yu-Ging Hu. There were other greats from Japan, after Shusaku, such as Fumiaki Imamura, a three-time champion. But the grip by these two Asian nations may end soon; South Korea's Hyun-Jae Choi is the 2013 world champion, with Artem Kachanovskyi finishing third. Both players are favored to rule this year's edition.
