Go, War and Sun Tzu

Just to what extent do we agree that a Go game is actually a war?

Chess is a battle, Go is a war. I am not suprised if every Go player in the world has heard of that saying. I previously dismissed any relationship between Go and War, thinking that Go was just a game and nothing more. Just what benefits thinking of Go as a war will bring? 

But then, I knew too little of Go and nothing of War.

It was only yesterday that I started to appreciate the similarity in the basic stategies employed in both arenas. Here I would like to draw out some strategies in the Sun Tzu’s Art of War book that I bought last Sunday and relate them to Go.

 

If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him.

In context of Go, this means that if the opponent does not have weak groups, we must be prepared for his invasion or attack. Hence, a defensive move from the opponent can actually indicate that attack is imminent.

For the latter, it is fundamental to play away from opponent’s thickness or wall. In fact, Go players must play away from thickness, whether it’s his or the opponent’s. Playing near one’s own thickness is inefficient, whereas playing near opponent’s thickness is just asking for trouble.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battle. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat.

Do you know why you pincer? Do you know why you play on the fourth line instead of third and vice versa? Do you know why the opponent makes a sacrifice or create a ko? Go players are much luckier than warring generals as all the answers are on the board and need only be read. But how many Go players care to spend a few seconds to read before making a move?

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.

He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated.

Territorial balance is extremely important in Go. Equally important is power balance. Go players need to play maintaining these two balance while waiting for a chance to take lead or control of the game.

The amount of mistakes in amateur Go is tremendous. Know to estimate territory, know to judge power and have good eyes at detecting mistakes and you will be a high dan player.

In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory.

In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack – the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of manoeuvers.

Sun Tzu placed great emphasis on indirect attack, something that is normally overlooked in a Go player’s plan. The keyword here is “combination”, both attacks must work together. The lack of skill in carrying out indirect attack is why I always attack ineffectively.

My worry with indirect attack is this:

1. Indirect attack ends in gote, and opponent has the time to fix the weakness in the other group.
2. Indirect attack strengthens the group unnecessarily.

For me, it needs braveness and a lot of confidence to execute an indirect attack. 

Akira Ishida too regarded indirect attack or leaning attack highly.

Leaning attacks like these are the essence of go. The satisfaction of toying with an enemy group – not attacking it directly but circling around it, away from it, and forcing the enemy to concede stones and territory while protecting it – can be just as great as the satisfaction of killing it through brute force. – Attack and Defense, Elementary Go Series.

I believe it is great injustice to carry writing so succinctly like this. The resemblance in strategies between Go and War is astonishing. For myself, reading Sun Tzu’s Art of War had given me a new understanding of the game of Go. It will prove worthwhile to any Go player to take a look at Go in a new perspective i.e. WAR.