Igo Discussion: Share your Go stories.

[Facesforce]

So, like the title says, tell me your experiences playing Go, Igo, Weiqi, Baduk, whatever name you personally use for the game with the white and black stones.

My story on how I learned it is pretty simple: I quit my job at 20 and took off over to Japan with 3k in my pocket. Within 2 months of my 3 month stay, I was broke and heartbroken after falling for a innkeeper girl and finding out she was already in a relationship. So I took off from Tokyo to Kyoto, and then to Osaka by the cheapest bus.

While roaming the broken streets of Tenzoukuten, trying not to get robbed of what little I had (Rough part of town), I came across a small Igo parlor on a rundown shopping street filled with homeless and drunks. I watched the old men play inside, and a old timer came out and offered to let me play with him for free, even bought me a coffee.

I had no idea what I was doing, but I learned by him correcting me everytime I made a illegal move. His english was poor (As was my japanese), but we must have played 4 games back to back that day. I remember him pretty well, he was a WW2 veteran from the japanese side who was sent up to fight against russia, and well that did'nt go well for him. When he came back, he pretty much just became this wanderer who would drift from job to job, playing Igo as his main hobby.

At the end of our playing, he thanked me for my time and I never saw him again.
After coming back stateside, I picked up a cheap go board and mostly use it to make chinese parents happy when I'm hosting them to stay over these days. (My wife is chinese, so lot's of chinese families with thier kids come by.)

 

[Otosou]

I have a pretty awesome memory about igo: once upon a time I played against a person who is an actual professional at igo nowadays - in Japan even. Oh, the game? I was steamrolled, pwned, downright slaughtered, on that day I decided not to play igo anymore, some just have the aptitude for it, some don't - and I am positively in the latter group!

 

[Bluewyne]

I got into Go after discovering Hikaru no Go in Shounen Jump. I was already invested to board games manga through Yu-Gi-Oh so I discovered it at a very impressionable and receptive time in my life. I love how deceptively simplistic the game appears, but despite the high skill ceiling, I've never found it frustrating to play like I do chess.

I used to play it online for awhile in middle school. According to the game client, I managed to reach a 1st dan rank.

I wish I could find an English language app for mobile or on PSP/Vita or NDS or something. I've been craving playing again lately.