Home
» City specials
» Hangzhou
World's top amateurs give it a go
By Xu Wenwen |
May 28, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE 31st World Amateur Go Championship is underway in Hangzhou, marking the first time it has been held in China since the event was established 30 years ago.
The competition runs through Sunday.
Considered the world's most representative amateur Go competition, this year's event is co-organized by the International Go Federation (IGF) and China Qi-Yuan, the biggest Go institute in China.
The competition was established by Japan in 1979.
This is the first time it has been sponsored by China.
"To hold an international championship in only one place is disadvantageous to people," says Liu Siming, president of China Qi-Yuan.
Starting this year, China, Japan and South Korea - the three countries where Go is most popular - will take turns sponsoring the event.
The championship in Hangzhou is conducted in accordance with the IGF rules. Players are recruited from every member country or region of IGF. The youngest player is 12-year-old Chen Cheng-Hsun from Chinese Taiwan.
Liu says the World Amateur Go Championship has significantly promoted China's development.
In previous competitions, China's players performed very well: 17 of 30 champions were from China.
Go, weiqi, is an ancient board game that originated in China more than 2,500 years ago. Two players alternately place black and white stones on empty intersections of a grid. Despite its simple rules, the game is rich in strategy.
Go is most popular in East Asia, "as a common heritage of humanity is defined by ancient Oriental civilization," says Liu, "yet the value of the precious treasure has not been found in the world of Western culture. The underestimation of Go is a great loss."
"If it gains greater influence and is better understood worldwide, I believe it will play an important role in the world's harmonious development," he says.
The competition runs through Sunday.
Considered the world's most representative amateur Go competition, this year's event is co-organized by the International Go Federation (IGF) and China Qi-Yuan, the biggest Go institute in China.
The competition was established by Japan in 1979.
This is the first time it has been sponsored by China.
"To hold an international championship in only one place is disadvantageous to people," says Liu Siming, president of China Qi-Yuan.
Starting this year, China, Japan and South Korea - the three countries where Go is most popular - will take turns sponsoring the event.
The championship in Hangzhou is conducted in accordance with the IGF rules. Players are recruited from every member country or region of IGF. The youngest player is 12-year-old Chen Cheng-Hsun from Chinese Taiwan.
Liu says the World Amateur Go Championship has significantly promoted China's development.
In previous competitions, China's players performed very well: 17 of 30 champions were from China.
Go, weiqi, is an ancient board game that originated in China more than 2,500 years ago. Two players alternately place black and white stones on empty intersections of a grid. Despite its simple rules, the game is rich in strategy.
Go is most popular in East Asia, "as a common heritage of humanity is defined by ancient Oriental civilization," says Liu, "yet the value of the precious treasure has not been found in the world of Western culture. The underestimation of Go is a great loss."
"If it gains greater influence and is better understood worldwide, I believe it will play an important role in the world's harmonious development," he says.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
