Have you just learned about an ancient game loved around the world called Go, and you want to learn more about it? Or have you heard about Go but don’t know how to play? In this article, Kubet will learn together how to play Go, including history, rules, strategies and playing experience.
History of Go
The history of Go (English: Go) was recorded thousands of years ago in China and then spread to other countries such as Japan and Korea. Go is a two-player intellectual game in which players use black and white stones to occupy multiple positions on a square board.
Go is said to have originated in China during the Warring States period (476-221 BC), however, there is no official evidence of this. According to some sources, Go became a popular game during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Here, the game is called Weiqi and China has organized big tournaments with big rewards for good players.
After Go was introduced to Japan, the game was renamed Go. Here, Go becomes a very popular game and is considered an art. During the 17th century, Go was introduced into Korea and became an important game in the country’s culture.
Throughout the history of Go, the game has been considered an integral part of the culture and arts of China, Japan and Korea. It has appeared in many literary works, such as the novel “Four Pillar Princess” by Lieu Trai Tu, as well as in films and television shows.
Currently, Go is still one of the most popular intellectual games in the world, with millions of players everywhere. When playing Go, players must concentrate highly, use strategy and thinking to defeat their opponents. Additionally, Go has also become an artistic subject for many artists and designers, with works such as paintings, ceramics, and furniture created with the Go theme.
In short, the history of Go has spanned thousands of years and has become an important part of Chinese, Japanese and Korean culture and art. This game is still popular and is considered one of the most popular intellectual games in the world.
Rules of Go
Chessboard
The Go board consists of a square board measuring 19×19, with small square lines forming a grid. The chess pieces are numbered in rows and columns, from A1 to T19.
Chessman
Each player has 181 chess pieces: 1 king (general), 2 artillery pieces (horse pieces), 2 rooks (rook pieces), 2 knights (bishop pieces), 2 bishops (dragon bishop pieces), 5 pawns (pawn pieces). . The general is the most important piece and can only move within a range of 9 cells.
How to Move Chess Pieces
- General: Once placed in the center square, the general can only move within a range of 9 cells.
- Knight: The knight moves in an L shape and can jump over other pieces.
- Rook: Rook moves horizontally or vertically, can pass through squares without pieces.
- Trooper: Trooper moves diagonally, only moving on tiles of the same color as it.
- Bishop: The dragon bishop moves in a long diagonal and can jump over other pieces. The green bishop moves in a short diagonal direction and cannot jump over other pieces.
- Pawn: Pawn moves horizontally or vertically, can only advance the first few squares.
Rules of Fighting
The object of the game is to capture the opponent’s king by attacking and capturing the opponent’s pieces. The person who captures the opponent’s king wins is the victor. However, Go also has some special rules:
- The general cannot move out of the 9 square range.
- Two dragon bishops cannot stand on the same diagonal.
- When the pawn reaches the front row of the chessboard, it will be promoted to a queen (dragon bishop) or a rook.
Tactics and Experience in Playing Go
Go is a thinking game that requires players to think before moving the pieces. Below are some strategies and experiences in playing Go:
- Don’t let the general be checkmated. Checking can lead to quick defeat in the game.
- Always place a general between two rooks to protect it.
- Use rooks and cannons to control horizontal and vertical lines on the board.
- Do not open the pawn in the central column. Instead, open the pawns on the side columns to create a path for the rooks and artillery.
- Appreciate keeping space between your pieces. When we have pieces too close together, we are vulnerable to attack.
Benefits of Playing Go
Playing Go is an ancient game, dating back to China’s feudal period and widely popular in Asian countries. However, not only does it have cultural and historical value, playing Go also brings many benefits to players.
- Helps improve thinking and logic skills: Each move in Playing Go requires players to think and predict their opponent’s next moves. Therefore, playing Go helps improve the player’s thinking, logic and judgment skills.
- Develop tactical and directional skills: Playing Go requires players to master their pieces and know how to use them to attack, defend and dominate the board. This skill is very useful in everyday life when players are faced with complex situations and need clear direction to solve problems.
- Increase concentration and patience: To defeat opponents in Go, players need to concentrate highly and be patient to wait for opportunities to attack or defend. These same skills will also help players be able to concentrate better in daily life and be patient in achieving their goals.
- Helps entertain and relieve stress: Playing Go is not only an educational game but also helps entertain and reduce stress for players. When playing Go, players will not only defeat their opponents but also see their own progress through each move.
- Create new social relationships: Playing Go is also a great way to socialize and create new social relationships. Players can learn and share experiences with other players, learn and develop themselves.
With the above benefits, Playing Go is becoming a popular game in the community and is increasingly attracting interest and participation from many young people.
How to Start Playing Go
Go, also known as Chinese chess, is a traditional game of Vietnamese and other Asian countries. This game not only helps you entertain but also trains logical thinking, reasoning ability, as well as enhances intelligence. If you want to start playing Go, follow these steps:
Step 1: Know how to place chess pieces
Before you start playing, you need to know how to place the pieces. Go has 2 players, each side will have 16 chess pieces (1 King, 2 Bishops, 2 Knights, 2 Rook, 2 Knights and 5 Pawns) placed on the chessboard.
Step 2: Understand the meaning of each chess piece
After knowing how to place chess pieces, you need to understand the meaning of each chess piece to be able to move them. The King can move in all directions but can only move 1 square at a time, the Bishop can only move diagonally and only within 2 squares of the same color as itself, the Knight moves in an L shape and can jump over other pieces, The rook moves in a horizontal or vertical line and cannot go sideways, Si moves 1 space diagonally and can only move on 2 squares of different colors from it, Pawn moves 1 space forward and can only go sideways when eating army.
Step 3: Start playing
After knowing how to place the pieces and understanding the meaning of each piece, you can start playing. The first turn will belong to the player with the black piece. Two players will take turns moving their pieces to attack and defend the opponent. If one side’s King is in check (i.e. there is an opponent’s piece in an adjacent square and the King can be captured), that player will have to adjust the King’s position to avoid further check.
Step 4: Fight to the end
The game ends when either side checks and cannot adjust its King position. The remaining player will win.
Above are the steps to start playing Go. However, to become a good player, you need to practice your skills and patience in learning and developing your reasoning ability, and practice a lot to improve your playing skills. Wish you have interesting Go matches!
Other Options for Go Lovers
In addition to the traditional way of playing, Go also has many different forms of play such as:
- Play Go online: You can play Go online on websites or mobile applications.
- Play Go on your computer: There are many free Go programs for you to download and play on your computer. This helps players practice and improve their skills easily.
- Play Go through books and videos: Many authors have written books and published videos on how to play Go and basic strategies. You can search these materials to develop your skills.
Good Tips for Beginners
If you are just starting to play Go, follow some of the following tips to help you get the best experience:
- Learn the basic chess pieces and rules before starting to play.
- Concentrate and think before moving the pieces.
- Don’t use movements or actions that are too fast, play slowly to avoid mistakes.
- Play with other players to practice your skills.
- Watch and learn from professional matches to develop your skills.
Comparing Go With Other Games
In Vietnamese culture, there are many traditional games that are loved and popular such as Chinese chess, seahorse chess, crab gourd, cockfighting and Go. Each game has its own gameplay and personality, however, in this article we will compare Go with other games to better understand the differences between them.
First, we will talk about Chinese chess – a familiar traditional game of Vietnamese people. Chinese chess and Go are both fighting board games, however, the way the two games are played is significantly different. While Chinese chess has generals, soldiers, rooks, knights, artillery pieces, net pieces, pawns and kings, Go only has two types of pieces, black and white. However, Go has more complex rules because it involves capturing territory and influencing the terrain.
Next, we come to the seahorse board game. In this game, players will bet on the horses they think will reach the finish line first. Go and seahorse are both fighting games, however, the principles and rules of play are different. While Go focuses on capturing territory, seahorse relies on luck and the player’s prediction skills.
Bau cua is a very popular game at festivals and parties in Vietnam. Players will bet on the animals on the table, then a dice will be rolled to determine the result. Bau Cua and Go also have many similarities, both games have elements of luck and prediction skills. However, Go is more competitive, requiring players to think strategically rather than just relying on luck.
Cockfighting is another game that is also very popular in Vietnam. In this game, players will bet on the chicken they think will win. Cockfighting and Go are completely different in terms of gameplay and nature. Cockfighting is a social, entertaining game and has no antagonistic elements.
Summary
Go is an ancient game but still very popular in many countries around the world. This is a thinking and logic game that requires players to think before moving the pieces. In addition, Go also brings many benefits to players. If you are interested in this game, start learning and exploring to train your thinking and logic abilities.