The Passion of Go

Rose Duke came around to the Club (still, after all these years, “the Club”, sounds so goddamned Victorian) last night. Played against South Africa’s current representative to the World Amateur Go Championship, a 3-Dan.

I must admit I felt a certain amount of glee as I watched Rose Duke carve up a player who, if the truth has to be told, usually carves me up. I dunno, revenge by proxy, I guess.

Anyway, that wasn’t the really cool thing. That was the game commentary afterwards; Rose Duke brings the game of go alive. Strategy on a global level, offering alternatives to opponents, emotion and tension played out. And, the shape…oh, the shape. I go into rapture.

In comparison, my usual games seem, well, drab. Exciting, yes. Crude, sure. Maybe it has something to do with passion combined with deep understanding. I’m passionate about the game, but I’m no where near as passionate about it as I would be if I actually understood even a little bit of it. Rose Duke understands enough to have rocket-ship passion, and it shows. And that, boys and girls and boys who will be girls, is what the game is all about, passion and desire.