What Go chess reflects in life?

Inside, top Go chess women players are striving for the title. Outside, people of different ages are following the competition.

Between professional and amateur, the love they show for Go chess is all the same.

The 4th World Women's Team Go Championship, held in Tiantai County of east China's Zhejiang province, has featured players from China, South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei. Besides the fierce competitions, the organizers also held a special amateur event, inviting seven local Go chess olvers to compete against a media team.

According to statistics, there are over 40 million Go chess players worldwide as of 2008, mainly from east Asia. As of 2012, the International Go Federation has a total of 74 member countries and four association members.

Go chess is a board game that originated in ancient China more than 4,000 years ago. On a board with a 19*19 grid of lines, players who have surrounded a larger total area of the board than the opponents will be the winner.

The Go chess board is not big, while the philosophy beyond the board is big enough to be reflected in life.

The basic principle of Go chess is that stones must have at least one "liberty" to remain on the board, and the general strategy of Go chess is to expand one's territory where possible, while keeping mindful of the "life status" of one's own groups.

Territory means visible increase in one's area, and life status indicates potential accumulation for the future win.

Generally speaking, one cannot get both territory and "life status" at one time, getting one always means losing the other, thus resulting in an interesting question: how to balance one's territory and "life stauts"?

Is it, to some extent, similar to life, where we need to make some choices between tangible interest and uncertain future?

Some people choose the former as they are foreseeable, while others keep their patience to wait for the better.

Buying stocks is no more than a clear example, where the difference between small and large profit is just a matter of patience.

After seeing a little increase in stock price, some people get small profit by disposing of their stocks. Indeed, they are rewarded small profit, but they may lose more.

On the other hand, some people keep their patience waiting for uncertain future. In line with the risk, there goes a huge profit.

The key for Go chess players to win is that they have surrounded a larger total area than the opponent, making it necessary to exchange some parts for overall win. Compared with the result, a single stone or a territory is just a little case.

The tournament was held in China's Tiantai County, an important destination for Buddhist pilgrims, especially from Japan.

The Tiantai Mountain, located in Tiantai County, is the birthplace of the Tiantai sect of Buddhism. Buddhism always teaches people to keep a balance. Buddhism, to some extent, has similarities with Go Chess.

With the difference of a half moyo, winning is winning, losing is losing. Sometimes, not ruining the opponent's opportunities always rewards a chance to yourself. Similarly, focusing too much on the opponent's weak points always means the ignorance of your own weakness.

Focusing on yourself is the best way to win a Go chess match. Sounds similar to life again? Endi