ASIA'S BEST KEPT SECRET?
Chris Garlock | Published on 11/5/2026
Why isn’t Go more popular in the West? Despite widespread cultural exchange since Marco Polo first visited the East in 1274, Go remained completely unknown outside of the Orient until the 20th century, and remains relatively obscure.
Global gaming industry analysts say that demand for screen-free social entertainment is driving steady multi-billion dollar growth in the popularity of board games, but go seems to have been left behind. The US Chess Federation has more than 100,000 active members, while the AGA languishes at fewer than 3000.
Some intriguing thoughts on the subject can be found in The American Go Foundation’s newly created AGF Library.In a paper presented at The 2003 International Conference on Baduk, Ulrich Schadler of the Swiss Museum Games argued that it is incongruous with Western preferences for short games involving movement, diverse playing pieces, and themes of hunt, battle, or racing.
Peter Shotwell sees a much deeper divergence, which can be found even in basic differences in the relative structure of Western and Eastern languages. One thing is certain: Westerners who understand and play Go are members of an elite fellowship.
- Roy Laird