Go - on the Radio

[David Sedgwick]

I've received the following information from Toby Manning of the British Go Association:

Tomorrow (Thursday) at 11:30, Radio 4 is broadcasting a Programme called "Why Go". A number of members of the British Go Association were interviewed during the making of this programme. More details at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00s9g0b

[David Shepherd]

Thanks enjoyed listening to the programme - depressing that they kept saying computers couldn't play to a good standard, they seem to beat me when I play on the internet

I used to play at school many many years ago and we hosted the first tournament in what I think was later to become the UK go challenge.

PS What is considered a reasonable standard now in the UK?

[Alex Holowczak]

I've just discovered the "UK Go Challenge", presumably an equivalent to the UK Chess Challenge. The best player in the field was 2kyu, which is pretty good: http://www.britgo.org/results/2009/ukgoc.html

Some players here are up to 4dan: http://www.britgo.org/results/2010/british.html

Also of interest to me, King Edward VI Aston play it to seemingly a very high standard. Yet they don't have a chess team!

[IanDavis]

Yes, no prizes for guessing where the UK Go Challenge got its inspiration The best Computer Go players are of around 1 dan strength (up to about 2100 elo), if you play on a little 9x9 board you will find they are stronger, perhaps 2500 elo. For comparison, I think the current British champion is malingering below just 2600. 2 kyu (which is up to 1900 elo) is a perfectly reasonable standard in the UK - solid club player.
I'm sure I remember playing against a KEA chess team back in the 1980s.... but then I am getting on a bit now.

[David Shepherd]

Gosh this takes me back years - the first tournament on the following link in 1980 was the one I played in (I was board 1 and captain for the home team) and helped to run - makes me feel old http://www.britgo.org/junior/champs.html

[Ben Purton]

David Sedgwick this is a Chess forum, please can we discuss Chess.

Carl , how long are you going to let this thread roll?

[David Sedgwick]

David Sedgwick this is a Chess forum, please can we discuss Chess.

Carl , how long are you going to let this thread roll?

Very droll. I've been wondering whether and when someone would make that point.

I'll give the obvious answers.

1. The connection between Chess and Go is somewhat greater than that between Chess and a general political discussion.

2. There are dozens of political forums where discussions can take place. The opportunities for discussion of Go are somwhat fewer, although I imagine that they exist. (Does anyone know any links?)

[Louise Sinclair]

The principle must apply equally. Go is not connected to chess - neither does politics link to chess. However perhaps I should start a new thread about the wheels within wheels re chess organisation.
Louise

[IanDavis]

I see that I had better get this post in quickly before the thread is locked. The biggest English language one is lifein19x19.com. Shockingly!, they have their own thread on Why Go there which you can turn to instead.

The radio programme makes a few passing references to Chess. Other games of skill mentioned are Ludo, Draughts and something called Bridge(?). One aspect I picked up in the program was the claim made by the two UK Go promoters that Go (unlike Chess) couldn't be played decently by computers. (I wrote that from memory, so forgive me if it's slightly incorrect.) This is a pretty false claim (unless you take decent to mean master standard), but seemingly a damn good promotional line. What hook line do chess promoters go for?

Anyway, it was nice to see Radio 4 running a programme on a strategy game.

[David Sedgwick]

I see that I had better get this post in quickly before the thread is locked. The biggest English language one is http://www.lifein19x19.com

Thank you for the information.

I see that they have an "Off Topic" section for "all non-Go discussions". Perhaps that would be a solution to the controversy which has arisen here. (Carl, any thoughts?)

[Alex Holowczak]

I agree that Go is not related to Chess... but perhaps it should be.

I would imagine lots of mindsports are desperate for government recognition, and desperate for the increased money that would bring. Perhaps the ECF can get together with UK Go and the various other mindsports organisations in the UK to form a united proposal for their recognition?

All mindsports are probably facing the same battle; it would make sense to fight it together.

[David Sedgwick]

I would imagine lots of mindsports are desperate for government recognition, and desperate for the increased money that would bring. Perhaps the ECF can get together with UK Go and the various other mindsports organisations in the UK to form a united proposal for their recognition?

All mindsports are probably facing the same battle; it would make sense to fight it together.

As a result of my position as the ECF's CCPR Representative, I'm in discussions with my opposite numbers in other Mind Sports about this sort of thing. I can't say anything more right now, but I'll post something on the Forum when I can.

It was Toby Manning, the British Go Association's CCPR Representative, who alerted me to the radio programme.

[Ben Purton]

No offence David, but surely more chess people are interested in Politics than Go, which can be shown by the numbers in this forum.

Politics is a potential means to fund Chess.

Go is well.....even less popular than Chess.

Ben

[Alex Holowczak]

No offence David, but surely more chess people are interested in Politics than Go, which can be shown by the numbers in this forum.

To be fair, this was just stating a fact, i.e. alerting us to a Go programme on the radio. I find that far more relevant than chess players' political opinions. Given David's subsequent comment about his links to Go, and how that may or may not involve Chess in future, it increases its relevance.

Indeed, as soon as people complained about the political article being off-topic, those taking part immediately lashed out here as if the pot were calling the kettle black.