All systems Go as players face off across board (From thisisoxfordshire)

All systems Go as players face off across board

3:00pm Saturday 19th January 2013 in News

Buy this photo » Harry Fearnley, left, secretary of Oxford City Go Club, and Tom Baker, secretary of Oxford University Go Club.

IT’S a game that has been taxing minds for hundreds of years. Go is similar to chess and originated in China more than 2,500 years ago.

Going head-to-head at an open meeting at Freud in Walton Street were Harry Fearnley, secretary of Oxford City Go Club, and Tom Baker, secretary of Oxford University Go Club.

The club held the meeting to attract new players.

Mr Fearnley, said: “People from a wide range of professions play Go. In chess you have the concept of a draw. But draws just don’t exist in Go. You win or lose by one point.”

The board is marked with a grid of 19 lines by 19 lines and at the start of the game it is empty.

Two players participate – one with a supply of black stones, the other a supply of white.

The object of the game is for a player to use their stones to surround a larger total area of the board than their opponent.

Once placed on the board, stones may not be moved, but stones are removed from the board if captured.