Do You Play "Go" - A Game That Resembles Life?

English: weiqi-qi (go-qi) 中文: 圍棋的氣（以黑子為例說明，圖中 X 為黑子的氣。） (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I first learned playing board game Go (Chinese 围棋, pronounce as Wei Qi) during my college years. I played a lot in my 20s, during which I had lots of free time. I was absolutely obsessed with this game. After I came to America, life as an immigrant became a survival struggle, I had no time for such luxury. Starting from recent months, as my general life condition gets better, I again indulge myself in this game.

The rule of the game is very simple: two opponents face an empty board with 19x19 grid (alternatives are 13x13, or 9x9, etc.), one side holds black stones, another white, place stones on board alternatively, each time one stone. The objective of the game is to occupy more space than your opponent when game finishes. Of course, there is certain rules of life and death, which means the stones on board have to stay alive, otherwise the space of dead stones would belong to opponent.

For The Love Of Game

Playing go, from The game of go, the national game of Japan book. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My passion to "Go" (Wei Qi 围棋in Chinese) revived recently. For over three weeks, I've been play this game whenever I had time, whenever my physical condition permitted. Some time I played all day long. I even wonder, if my brain is strong enough, I wouldn't mind to be a professional go player.

Fact is, my brain is not as strong. Playing too much Go gives me headache. So I have to rest. I hope it is just due to the fact that my current physical condition restricts me from using my brain too much (reading also brings me headache).