Not currently on display at the V&A

Go

Board Game
1977 (published)
Place of origin

Design: polished wooden board marked with 19 black lines in each direction and 9 small dots.
No. of squares: 361
Squares illustrated: n/a
Square numbering: n/a
Squares titled: n/a
Subject of starting square: n/a
Subject of ending square: n/a


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 25 parts.

  • Box
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Board
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
  • Game Piece
Titles
  • Go (manufacturer's title)
  • wei-ch'i (manufacturer's title)
Brief description
Boxed wooden game board and plastic playing pieces for GO made in England by Just Games in 1977
Physical description
Design: polished wooden board marked with 19 black lines in each direction and 9 small dots.
No. of squares: 361
Squares illustrated: n/a
Square numbering: n/a
Squares titled: n/a
Subject of starting square: n/a
Subject of ending square: n/a
DimensionsSize: 17¼in x 18¼in
Object history
An old game with probable Chinese origins but adopted extentively in Japan. It is a revel to chess, however, the aims are different with the players competing to secure as much of the playing surface as possible.
The game is played on the intersections of the squares not in the squares.
Board is usually called Go-Bang and other simplier games can be played on it.
Historical context
Rewards: n/a
Forfeits: n/a
No. of Players: 2
Equipment required: two sets of stones:- 181 black, 180 white

Rules:
The board is marked with 361 intersections, with the intersections of the fourth, 10th and 16th lines in each direction marked by spots and known as handicap points

OBJECTIVES - By the positioning of his stones on the board, each player aims to surround more unoccupied territory and enemy stones than is opponent.
ORDER OF PLAY:
Players take alternate turns. The opening move is usually made by the player with the black stones. (Players take it in turn to play black unless there is a known disparity of playing skill) - see handicapping section. A turn consists of placing a stone on an unoccupied point. Except in the `ko situation' a stone may be played on any vacant point. Once in position the stone is not moved again during the game unless it is captured, in which case, it is removed from the board.
HANDICAPPPING:
The player taking the first turn is at an advantage. Black (opening) normally alternates between players. If one player wins three consecutive games, the weaker player may be allowed to keep the black stones. If further handicapping is necessary, the weaker player may place two or more of his stones on the dotted handicap points before the game starts and the opening move then goes to the player with the white stones. Should the stronger player continue to win, the number of handicap stones may be increased (there is a special table for this from 2 to 9 stones)
PLAYING PROCEDURE
At the beginning of the game the board is empty except for any handicap stones. Stones must be placed on the points (line intersections) and not on the squares formed by the lines. Each player places his stones to form connected groups or chains in such a way as to surround as many vacant points and opponent's stones as possible. Should allthe points adjacent to one or more stones be occupied by stones of the other colour, the former stones or group of stones is captured and removed from the board. Adjacent points are those that are linked directly to a point by a line and not diagonally. It is possible to win a game without capturing any stones, since the objective is territorial gain.

END OF PLAY:
The game ends when both players agree that there are no further advantages to be gained by either side. If only one player considers the game to be over, his opponent may continue to make moves until he too is satisfied that no points or stones remain to be secured. The first play er may continue play, of he wishes, until both players agree that the game is over. But he may not resume play once he has actually missed a turn.

Scoring: At the end of play all stones left in enemy territory are ruled captured. These captured stones are removed from the board and added toeach player's collection of captured enemy stones. Any vacant points in neutral and seki situations have stones placed upon them to discount then in the scoring. Either player may use his unused stones for this purpose.
In order to facialitate counting, black places all the white stones he has captured on vacant points in white's territoy and white placesall the captured black stones on vacant points in black's territory The number of vacant points left in each territory is counted.
RESULT
The winner is the player with the larger number of vacant points left inhis terrioty. He scores the difference between his own and his opponent's count. The game is tied if both players have an equal number of points.

Rules placement: general rules apply
Production
just games trading co ltd
Collection
Accession number
MISC.120-1977

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Record createdMarch 4, 2000
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