Hand Conversations and Chinese Go

In China, go is also referred to as”hand conversations through which players communicate with each other. In other words, they”talk”through the placing of pieces on the board The metaphor originated with Zhi daolin(. 314-366),a Buddhist master of the Jin Dynasty(265-420).

While scholars of his time often indulged in philosophical debates on life and the universe, Zhi daolin preferred to play go, which he believed was full of the hows and whys of life In general, go-player pairs are usually appreciative friends Only well-matched players are able to inspire each other. This is why master players sometimes lament the lack of worthy”inoculators Ma Xiaochun(b. 1964), an established contemporary go player, once said, “When I play with someone who is able to appreciate me, I experience silent pleasure through every piece

Therefore when playing go, one invites not an opponent but a kindred friend Starting with an empty, open board, the two deploy the pieces together. They must cooperate in order to play a good game because one thoughtless move could spoil all the enjoyment. The philosophy of go is also a philosophy on competition in general, as well as a philosophy on life as a whole

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