Wéiqí

Go

Go is played on a grid of black lines (usually 19×19). Game pieces, called stones, are played on the lines' intersections.
Years active	prior to Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE) to present
Genre(s)	Board game Abstract strategy game
Players	2
Age range	3+
Setup time	Minimal
Playing time	Casual: 20–90 minutes Tournament: 1–6 hours
Random chance	None
Skill(s) required	Strategy, tactics, observation
Synonym(s)	Weiqi Igo / Paduk Baduk
a Some professional games exceed 16 hours and are played in sessions spread over two days.

Go
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	围棋
Traditional Chinese	圍棋
Literal meaning	surround game
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin  Wéiqí Wade–Giles Wei-ch'i Jyutping
Tibetan name
Tibetan	མིག་མངས
Transcriptions Wylie mig mangs
Korean name
Hangul	바둑
Transcriptions Revised Romanization Baduk McCune–Reischauer Paduk
Japanese name
Kanji	碁, 囲碁 ("surround game")
Transcriptions Romanization Go, Igo

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Wéiqí
Wade–Giles	Wei-ch'i
Jyutping

Go (traditional Chinese: 圍棋; simplified Chinese: 围棋; pinyin:  wéiqí; Japanese: 囲碁; rōmaji: igo; Korean: 바둑; romaja: baduk; literally: "encircling game") is an abstract strategy board game for two players, in which the aim is to surround more territory than the opponent.

The game was invented in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago. It was considered one of the four essential arts of the cultured Chinese scholar caste in antiquity. The earliest written reference to the game is generally recognized as the historical annal Zuo Zhuan (c. 4th century BCE). The modern game of Go as we know it was formalized in Japan in the 15th century CE.

Despite its relatively simple rules, Go is very complex, even more so than chess, and possesses more possibilities than the total number of atoms in the visible universe. Compared to chess, Go has both a larger board with more scope for play and longer games, and, on average, many more alternatives to consider per move.