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14 years ago I went to my first European Go Congress. Held at Denmark’s Copenhagen University, it was from my Japanese point of view a totally new experience, very different from go tournaments in Japan.
Japanese amateur tournaments usually last only one day during which the participants have to play 5 or 6 games in a big hurry. At the congress on the other hand, only one main-tournament game is played per day. When I heard that the time limit was 3 hours per player, I was shocked: What a leisurely system, I thought. Almost like professional games…
But, taking a second look I think I understood the feeling of the Western go players who invest half a month to take part in a tournament. Together with their families, playing relaxed go during those long European summer days - that is the way go is supposed to be played. In comparison, Japan’s one day tournaments feel more like WORKING than PLAYING the game.
In Western go tournaments, many female players take part. The reason for this is that go is a game enjoyed by the whole family, husbands, wives and children having a good time together. This must surely be the biggest difference in comparison with Japanese tournaments. They say that recently in Japan go is getting more popular with women as well? Still a far cry from what the West is showing us.
13 years ago I visited Italy on a go promotion tour. At the time the Italian go population consisted of 26 players in Milano, 3 in Torino and 1 in Firenze. 30 people altogether. The president of the Milano Go Club at the time was an American by the name of Marvin Wolfthal. A 2 Kyu player, he put together an introductory text in Italian and never tired in his dedication to bringing new interested people to the game.
Now the Italians have reached a stage where they can be host to the go congress, welcoming close to 600 people from all parts of Europe and from the Far East. Someone like myself who has followed the congress over 13 years can not help feeling the powerful changes time brings.
In Japan go is already an old man, so to speak, and will not grow very much any more. Western go is still like a child with all the promise and fond hopes for future growth. At the Nihon Kiin, Michael Redmond was recently promoted to 8 Dan. Sooner or later he will become 9 Dan. If we had 10 Michaels, about one would be likely to enter the Meijin league or the Honinbo league. If we had 50 Michaels, perhaps we might get a blond Honinbo one day. That day might be 20 years from now, or 50 years…
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