So I'm teaching myself to play Wei Ch'i. Well, that's the Chinese name. Around here, it's called Go. It's described as the most difficult game ever devised; a title it's held for somewhere between three and four thousand years, it's also a contender for the title of oldest game still played in its original form. The only possible exception to the latter is backgammon (although it's arguable that the romans played it in the same way that it's played today).
The game is played on a 7x7, 13x13 or 19x19 board, depending on how long you want the game to last and how good you are. Supposedly the masters can play games on a 19x19 board that can last for days before anyone wins.
I'm not that good.
The rules of the game are actually remarkably simple, the strategy is exceedingly complex. It makes Chess look like Tic-Tac-Toe. Legend has it that the Chinese emperors would make their generals learn to play to improve their strategies. I can see why.
But I gotta say, it's a lot of fun.
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2 comments:
I thought nine men's morris was supposed to be the oldest game played in original form? Maybe it isn't played enough. They have found the board-lines etched into places of worship from thousands of years ago, which goes to show that some things never change . . .
Backgammon is supposedly five thousand years old (although there's a lot of argument as to whether the ancient romans actually played the game as it's played now); Wei Ch'i has been played for somewhere between three and four thousand years...
So to answer your question, I don't know.
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