Go is perhaps the oldest board game in the world. The rules are very simple, and you can learn them in a few minutes – but they lead to a countless number of intriguing patterns and clever maneuvers.

In ancient times Go was considered a martial art and was part of the training of warriors in Japan, China, and Korea. Along with calligraphy, music, and painting, Go was also one of the components of classical education for both men and women. Nowadays there are millions of Go enthusiasts in Asia and throughout the world.

Go offers the business strategist a fascinating metaphor for competitive strategy. The name vSente is inspired by Go. The objective of Go is to control more territory than your adversary. You continually trade profit for influence and engage in strategic and tactical struggles to control territory. The player with sente is the player with momentum. Having sente means you’ve seized the offensive.

One of the best sites on the internet today for ordering Go equipment and purchasing Go books is run by Janice Kim. Janice is somewhat of a legend in her own time having entered the professional dan ranks in Korea in 1987, the only Westerner ever to do so. Janice teaches Go and has regular columns in US and Korean publications. In 1997 she created Samarkand, a mail-order catalog of Go and game equipment and accessories. Janice has helped us out from time to time and I highly recommend purchasing her series of books on how to play Go. Click here to visit her site: Samarkand

Another web site that provides a comprehensive look at Go is Jan van der Steen’s Gobase. Designed for both the beginner and veteran player, Gobase is a comprehensive resource including articles, books, research, software and tutorials.

If you want to play Go on the internet try IGS – the Internet Go Server. IGS is a facility that allows many people to log on and play Go, watch Go, and talk about Go. It generally has from 250 to 1000 players through out an average day, from 9 dan professionals to 30 kyu, and beginners. IGS is a great place to play Go on a competitive basis. I have played a few thousand games on IGS and am on almost every evening. I play under the name vsente. Ping me if you’d like a game. This is the IGS web site: IGS

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