In China, it is called “Wei qi.” In Korea, it is called “Baduk.” Japanese called it “Igo.”
But Americans just call it “Go.”
Go is a strategic board game that dates back thousands of years and recently gained popularity in films such as “A Beautiful Mind” and “Mulan.”
Now, the ancient game comes to campus with last week’s establishment of the LSU Go Club.
Jack Breaux, president and founder of the organization, said many students are interested in the game but have no outlet to learn how to play.
Also, because no computer program yet parallels the intellectual and logical skills necessary for game play, the only means to play Go is a one-on-one match.
Breaux started the club to promote the game of Go and to teach students interested in learning the rules and history behind the game.
“Go is simplistic in ways,” Breaux said. “It is incredibly wonderful, in that it’s abstract and gets you to think outside the box.”
Breaux only learned of the game this semester, when taking his introductory Japanese language course, but quickly delved into the history and rules of the game.
He bought a book about the subject and taught himself to play the game about four weeks before going through the process of establishing the club on campus.
After heavy promotion, more than 30 people attended the club’s first meeting last Wednesday.
“I was very nervous; it was like throwing a party and not knowing if anyone would come,” Breaux said. “But, it was a big success, I’m pretty excited about it.”
Breaux’s promotion sparked interest in Gye-Yu Kang, an English graduate student and avid Go player.
“Despite its very simple rules, Baduk [Go] has numberless techniques,” Kang said.
Go usually is played on a board with grid of lines 19X19. Two players use black and white stones, respectively, with the objective of occupying the most area on the board.
Kang said Go is classified as a sport in China, and members of Korean and Japanese Baduk associations are making efforts to have the game included in the Olympic Games.
William Cobb, Chapter Services coordinator for the American Go Association, said the game is involving and interesting because each player’s game gets stronger as the other player gets stronger.
“This makes Go players unusually supportive of each other, and it’s why go clubs are so pleasant to be involved in,” Cobb said.
Breaux said he plans to organize the first Go tournament on campus before the end of next semester.
For more information about the organization, send e-mails to [email protected].