Fun Go Facts

    Keywords: Culture & History

This page is intended to provide tidbits of information to help entice the slightly curious, or casual peruser, to look a little further. If you have a fun Go fact, please add it.

You may also enjoy Great Quotes.


  • Go is the oldest game in the world still played in its original form. Some estimates are as high as 4000 years, but certainly 2500-3000. [1]
  • Go is the second most played game in the world, behind Chinese Chess.
  • Go is called Igo in Japan, Baduk in Korea, and Wei-qi in China.
  • Top go players can earn nearly one million US dollars a year. 2004 tops was Cho U, 9p from Japan who won $1.04 million US.[2]
  • Go is simple enough for a 4 year old to learn, but too complex for a computer to beat a human who has studied for only a few months. [3]
  • It is believed there are more possible game variations than atoms in the universe.[4]
  • Just like the Golf channel in the US; Japan, China, and Korea all have cable TV channels devoted entirely to Go.
  • Go players take their game seriously. You can purchase what is basically a 42cm x 45cm x 18cm (17"x17"x7") square block of wood for $127,000 US.[5]
  • There is a historical story that in the 17th century, the rule of Tibet was once decided over three games of Go.[6]
  • Go is strongly believed to stop or reverse common senile dementia in the elderly. Additional information is coming that it may reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's.[7]
  • Go has an immense impact on the mental development of children, particularly in the area of reasoning.[8]
  • Chess is primarily a left brain game. Go actively stimulates both the right and left sides of the brain.[9]

[1] Discussion of the age of go and other games has been moved to the Fun Go Facts/ Discussion.

[2] As referenced by the AGA E-Journal, 1/17/05, citing a Go Game World article. See Fun go Facts/ Discussion for a full list.

[3] Discussion of young children learning go has been moved to the Fun Go Facts/ Discussion.

[4] See the discussion about this at Fun Go Facts/ Discussion. There is a better discussion at Number of Possible Outcomes of a Game.

[5] [ext] Korye Myengban

[6] From John Fairbain's Go on the Roof of the World, published in Go World 59, Winter 1989. Condensed version at [ext] Mindzine

[7] Please see Milton Bradley's website for further information at [ext] Milt's Go Page scroll towards the bottom. Also see [ext] Brain Workout Study for Board Games

[8] I cannot stress enough the benefits of Go in developing a child's mind. If you are a parent or deal with the young, I strongly recommend [ext] Milt's Go Page. Teaching your child Go will have a lifetime impact, please take the time to read Milt's site.

[9] See Mental Activity/ Discussion for further information.


This is a copy of the living page "Fun Go Facts" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2005 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.
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