Tony Goddard

Tony Goddard was a well known British 6 dan player. He learned the game at Cambridge University, reaching dan level within a year. He is rather famous for leaving the United Kingdom for a period of time after Margaret Thatcher took power. He ended his life living in Sheffield, England. Amongst other places, he started a Go club in Belfast.

Selected Tournament Record

• In 1971, 1972 he was runner up to Jon Diamond in the British Championship
• In 1976 he came second in the European Championship, after losing a play off to Patrick Merissert-Coffinieres
• In 1977 he won the Berlin tournament, earning a promotion to 5dan.
• In 2005 he won the British Open
• In 2008 participated in the World Mind Sports Games Men's Team Tournament.

His website is still a good read, for example: WMSG commentary It also offers some insight into his experiences in life in this article.

Tony and other British players are mentioned in the song Some play like Tony Goddard by Brian Castledine, Paul Prescott and others. The first verse runs:

Some play like Tony Goddard,
And they are on the ball,
Some play like Stuart Dowsey,
But that's no use at all.
But the player we all emulate
Is stronger than them all.
He's two dan, three dan, four dan, five,
And his name is T Mark Hall