---
title: Going
old_url: http://hans.gerwitz.com/library/go.html
categories:
- personal
content-tags:
- go
---

Go is a strategy game, arguably the oldest played by humans.
I spent many years thinking "I'd like to play that someday," but after seeing it played in [Pi][1] and [A Beautiful Mind][2] in 2001 finally set to teach myself.  I learned the basics online (at [Yahoo Games][3] and [Sensei's Library][4]), talked a few friends into playing, and even attended a few [public gatherings][5].
Will and Steve have long since surpassed me, and I hover around 24 kyu on [Dragon Go][6] and rarely win games on [IGS][7].  As I write this in mid 2004, I'm just beginning to realize that I only have enough practice to understand life and death, and do not yet have any of the intuitions I need to grow.  Experience comes from experiment, with quickly-played games.  So, I've ordered some 9x9 boards to keep at home and office and resolve to visit [goproblems.com][8] more regularly.

   [1]: http://imdb.com/title/tt0138704/
   [2]: http://imdb.com/title/tt0268978/
   [3]: http://games.yahoo.com/games/helphub.html?page=go
   [4]: http://senseis.xmp.net/?BeginnerStudySection
   [5]: http://www.net-soup.com/go.html
   [6]: http://www.dragongoserver.net/userinfo.php?uid=1952
   [7]: http://www.pandanet.co.jp/English/
   [8]: http://goproblems.com/
