Go Quotations

‘A game of Go is often a dazzling experience.’ Stijn van Dongen

‘You can't advance by yourself-it's got to be as part of a community. Go is the accumulation of thousands of years- millions of hours- of insight into the game. To try to recreate that from scratch just by studying the board with stones on it would be impossible.’ James Kerwin 1P

Today, September 9th of 1978, I hold in the palm my hand a single one of the 361 stones used in the astrological game of Go, that other chess of the Orient. It is older than the oldest writing, and the board is a map of the heavens. The endless variations of these stones, black and white, white and black, grind and polish the tedious hours. Men may lose themselves in Go for days, as though it were love. Today, September 9th of 1978, I, who am so ignorant of so many things, find myself unknowing one more thing, and thank the spirits of my unknowing for this revelation from a maze I have not yet entered. J L Borges

‘The rules of Go are so elegant, organic and rigorously logical that if intelligent life forms exist elsewhere in the universe they almost certainly play Go’ Edward Lasker

‘No game of Go has ever been repeated in human history’ Wang Ni 1050 A.D.

‘The most complete intergenerational and multicultural family learning event the Museum has ever hosted’ Education Officer, Imperial War Museum

‘Go is to Western Chess what philosophy is to double entry accounting’ From Shibumi by Trevanian

‘Go uses the most elemental materials and concepts- line and circle, wood and stone, black and white- combining them with simple rules to generate subtle strategies and complex tactics that stagger the imagination’ Iwamoto Kaoru 9 dan

‘The subtleties of this game are beyond the reach of the lazy, its triumph too exquisite for the vulgar and materialistic person’ Herbert A. Giles

‘Studying Go is a wonderful way to develop both the creative and logical abilities of children because to play it both sides of the brain are necessary’ Cho Chikun

‘Go is the second most played strategy game in the world, after Chinese Chess’ Sensei’s Library

` ‘When I was young I wanted to be the world’s best Go Player’ Bill Gates

‘The Department is committed to helping all young people to fulfil their potential. Study support forms a crucial component of this strategy, and opportunities to learn thinking skills or pursue particular interests like playing Go, are integral to study support’ Jean Macintyre Department for Education and Skills

“The board must be square, for it represents Earth's laws. The lines must be straight for they embody the spirit of pure virtue. The pieces are white and black, and so are divided into the Yin and the Yang. Paired and set out in order, they represent the patterns of the Heavens. Once these four symbols have been deployed, it is up to Man to use them to make the moves. In short, this is kingship. Success or failure, good or evil, like benevolence, depends on ability within oneself. This is sitting straight in the face of danger” ‘Essence of Go’ Ban Gu AD

We play to participate in a fascinating process, one that is enjoyable regardless of the outcome, regardless of whether we win or lose or even if the game is unfinished. Ultimately, life, like Go, is not about winning and losing…... The process of living can be quite fascinating, though, just like Go. William Cobb, AGA

“…the tactic of the soldier, the exactness of the mathematician, the imagination of the artist, the inspiration of the poet, the calm of the philosopher, and the greatest intelligence.“ Zhang Yunqi

“ If, as G.H.Hardy wrote: ’Chess problems are the hymn-tunes of mathematics’, a game of Go is a cantata………" Bruce Schecter, author of ‘My Brain is Open: The Mathematical Journeys of Paul Erdos’

ZEN MACHINE are Accredited Providers for YG&T, and can provide workshops on Go for learners of all ages, with up to 100 participants in each workshop. There is a contact form on the ZM website, or you can ring Peter and Sheila on or We have considerable teaching experience between us, and understand your needs and priorities. We look forward to hearing from you!