Likely since the first humans walked the earth, people have enjoyed games. Some of these games were strictly logic-based. The most advanced of these games tended to offer a fair test of each participants intellectual power. Of course all games did not fit this description. Some games involved the use of random variable generators such as dice or cards. These games were geared more to light entertainment than to mental training.
How many tabletop games that do not involve cards, dice, or any sort of random outcomes can you name? If one does not count the plethora of modern mass produced plastic games, one is often challenged to name anything besides chess and checkers. And let’s face it checkers doesn’t have much depth for someone seeking a serious mental challenge. Is chess the only logic game that has challenged kings and commoners through the centuries? Read the following chess joke and see if it introduces you to something new…
The inexperienced apprentice asked her master “What is the deepest game ever invented?” The master responded after a moment’s consideration “It would Chess. Wouldn’t it?” The apprentice interjected “What about Go?” The master responded “Well, Go was already there!”
Notice the mention of the game of Go. Notice that the master naturally assumes that Go is a natural fixture with no date of origin compared to chess which is clearly a creation of man. This joke captures the same spirit as the following quote from Emanuel Lasker, chess world champion (1894-1921). Mr. Lasker said “While the Baroque rules of chess could only have been created by humans, the rules of Go are so elegant, organic, and rigorously logical that if intelligent life forms exist elsewhere in the universe, they almost certainly play Go.”
When you think about the fact that this quote is attributed to a chess champion and not a Go champion, doesn’t it make you wonder? What kind of game could engender this kind of respect? How many people today know what Go is? How many people play Go?
Here are some answers to those questions. It is widely believed that the logic game of Go was born in China about the early 1st or even 2nd century B.C.E. It has been estimated that there are more possible game sequences than there are atoms in the physical universe. In spite of its unparalleled complexity this logic game can be learned in a few minutes. It is the nuances of its play that take a lifetime to master. Close to 27 million people worldwide play Go but it is most popular in East Asia.
Japan has been the main promoter of the logic game of Go across the world and so it is known by its Japanese name to most people outside of Asia. In Japan, Go is sometimes used as a therapy for those suffering from mental illness of various sorts including age-related dementia. If you are looking for an engaging practice that will boost your mental strength in the areas of memory, problem solving, and analytical thinking you may wish to investigate GO, the ancient treasure from the East.
Learn more about logic games. Stop by Stan Barry’s site where you can find out all about the original logic game and what it can do for you.
