Go may very well be the oldest board game in the world. Originally from China, more than 2,500 years ago, Go is also known as "Weiqi", "Wei Chi", "Igo", and "Baduk" in different parts of the world. With 40 million players, it's incredibly popular in Asia and is now beginning to grow in popularity in the western world as well.

Players take turns playing their stones (either white or black) on the intersecting lines on the board, seeking to surround as much territory as they can with their stones to score points. But if one player uses his stones to completely surround one of his opponent's group of stones, then he can kill that group and remove them from the board - taking them prisoner for extra points! Thus, players are continually having to strike a balance between offense and defense and between fighting for survival and staking out new, unclaimed territory.

Go is unique in that it features the simplest rules of any board game in the world - but the gameplay gives rise to a depth of strategy that is unparalleled by any other!

Here are a few interesting facts about Go:

• While the most advanced computers were able to beat human grandmasters in Chess decades ago, it was only recently that they have been able to beat veteran professional players in Go.


• The number of possible games of Go far exceeds the number of atoms in the observable universe.


• In Korea, there are TV networks that broadcast programs about Go 24 hours a day - live games with commentary, game reviews, and strategy lessons. Go and "Baduk TV" are to Koreans what sports and "ESPN" are to Americans!


• Atari, the famous video game company, was named after a term in Go.