The origin of Go is 4000 years old rooting from China. Go was introduced to Japan just over 1,300 years ago and even though the game originated in central Asia, Japan gave Go the kick needed to really start gaining in popularity.

The Japanese government, in 1612, gave grants to the top Go-playing families, which formed as go schools. Over the next 250 years, the intense rivalry among them brought about a great improvement in the standard of play. A ranking system was set up (Go To Ranking), classifying professional players into 9 grades or dans, of which the highest was Meijin, meaning 'expert'. This title could be held by only one person at a time, and was awarded only if one player out-classed all his contemporaries.

The most significant advances in Go theory were made in the 1670's by the Meijin Dosaku, who was the fourth head of the Honinbo School, and possibly the greatest Go player in history. The House of Honinbo was by far the most successful of the four Go Schools, producing more Meijins than the other three schools put together.

The whole structure of professional Go in Japan was undermined in 1868, when the Shogunate collapsed and the Emperor was restored to power. The Go colleges lost their funding as the westernization of Japanese society took hold. Today, the main organization of professional Go players in Japan is The Nihon Kiin, which increasingly fosters interest in the game throughout the world.

The most important Go playing countries in the Far East are Japan, China and Korea. These all maintain communities of professional players. Major tournaments in these countries attract sponsorship from large companies, and have a following like that of big sporting events here. Until relatively recently, the strongest players from Korea and China tended to go to Japan as professionals. Today, they are more likely to remain in their own countries where they become national heroes. There are perhaps 50 million Go players in the Far East, and many people who don't play still follow the game with keen interest.

Although western travelers to the Far East had described the game of Go in the 17th century, it was not played in Europe until 1880. After that, Go was played in Germany and Yugoslavia. However, the game was slow to spread and it was not until 1958 that the first regular European Championship was held.

Nowadays, Go is played in most European countries. The standard of play is significantly below that of professionals in the Far East, but the gap is steadily closing as more of the top European players are spending time studying the game in Japan. In 1992, a European Go Centre was opened in Amsterdam with support from a Japanese.

"Go" as it is played today is an indoor game, which has no further room for improvement. It has taken roots deep in the life of the people in Japan. The total number of people who play "Go" in the United States is estimated to be about thousands. Its popularity in this country continues to grow more than fifty years after the founding of the American Go Association.

Information from http://groups.ku.edu/~kugo/history.html

Go has not only inspired many great players and thinkers but it almost has its own culture. The following are some art works that have sprung from Go.

This painting depicts two samurai playing a game of Go while one is watching. The two grotesque goblins (at the bottom of the painting) watching are being punished, and from the name of the painting most likely for kibitzing. Kibitzing is where one would watch the game and talk about the game possibly giving away strategic moves. Obviously kibitzing is not a polite thing to do.

Unknown date and artist

Image from http://www.pandanet.co.jp

This painting depicts two women trying to understand the game of Go. If you look at the game that is being played the two woman are trying to figure out if this group has two eyes, meaning that its alive. It appears that the group has two eyes, two internal liberties, but they are really false eyes (kakeme in japanese) because they will be forced to be filled in. The images in the book the woman in front is reading is showing examples of false eyes and real eyes.

Unknown date
Unknown artist

Image from http://www.pandanet.co.jp

This painting has an interesting story attached to it

""Aaiiieeee! Help me, someone, please help me! Curses! curses on those that have put me here, unto the seventh generation, curses! Help me! Help me!"

The pitiful cry reached the God of Fools, in his meditations. He stirred and sighed, "Another one," he mused. He arose and stepped into the netherworld, a dimly lit and lonely place. No sunlight ever reached here, it was lit as if by the moon, but no source of illumination could be seen. He contemplated the nature of this place, then turned toward the crying off to his left. He walked that way and soon came to a place where he saw a demon caught in a web. Bats flitted past the demon, as though mocking it with their freedom. Off to the side, there was an overturned Go board. The demon was cursing those responsible for its condition, but the God of Fools knew what had really happened here. As he looked on, the demon became aware of him.

"Oh, kind God, free me from this place!", cried the demon. "I cannot, you must free yourself," he replied. "What!? I have tried! Nothing I do is of any avail! Others have put me here! Please help me!" cried the demon. The God of Fools stood still, doing nothing. When the demon saw that he did not move, it cursed him, calling down all kinds of vile retribution on him. He turned away, and the demon cried again, "Don't go! Please help me! Free me from this place!"
He replied, "I have already said that you must help yourself, no other can save you from this Hell." As he walked away, the demon alternately pleaded and cursed, but he knew there was nothing he could do. "So sad," he thought, "how certain beings bring about their own ruin." And he passed on, leaving the demon that had cheated at Go caught in the web of its own design."

Unknown date

Unknown artist

Image and story from http://www.pandanet.co.jp