♟️ Go vs. Chess

Jim Story, 4/3/2025

Obviously, avid Go players and avid Chess players will have their own opinions. I, personally, have played both games seriously (for example, I’ve played in both Go and Chess tournaments). I am currently the Organizer of the Omaha Go Club and, in 1994, was the President of the Memphis, TN, Chess Club. However, if you’re considering starting either a scholastic Go or Chess club, I suggest a Go club, for the following reasons:

🧠 Go uses more of the brain

fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) studies show that Go uses more of the brain than Chess.

⚖️ Handicapping system

Unlike Chess, Go has a simple handicapping system that allows adults to play with kids and experts to play with beginners, without changing the “feel” or “flavor” of the game. This allows a close exciting game in which both players have an equal chance of winning, whatever their skills levels.

🧒 Go is easier to learn

The rules of Go are simpler than the rules of Chess, so it’s easier to learn. This is especially important for younger children. For example, in Go, there is only one “piece”, the stone. Stones are placed on the board one at a time and, once placed, are not moved. By comparison, in Chess, there are five pieces: king, queen, bishop, knight, and rook, plus the pawns. All move differently. And, there are many special rules, like castling, en passant capturing, pawn promotion, and, while pawns move forward, they can only capture diagonally. Go, by comparison, has only two easily-understandable special rules: You cannot make a move that results in either the capture of your own stones, or one that duplicates that previous position.

🌌 Eventual greater complexity

Go can be played on different sized boards. The larger the board, the longer the game takes and the more complex is the interaction between different battles on the board. This is what makes it both exciting and challenging. On the tournament board (a grid of 19 x 19, which is five times the size of a Chess board), Go is estimated to be four times as complex as Chess. You can play a quick and simple game of Go on a small board (e.g., on a 9 x 9). But, as Go players advance, they like to play on larger-sized boards, which makes for a more complex and, therefore, more challenging and exciting game.

🏁 In conclusion

Hopefully, you can start both a Go and a Chess club at your school. However, if you can only start one, I strongly suggest starting a Go club. Lastly, if you don’t start a Go club, then, by all means, please start a Chess club.

Jim Story

Last modified on 2025-06-10