Go Play

Every week in a drawing room in Vasant Kunj,there are battles fought over tiny pebbles on square boards. Called Go,this board game traces its ancestry to China and Japan,over 5,000 years ago.

Russell Crowe played it in A Beautiful Mind. Now,one of the oldest games in the world,Go,finds followers in Delhi

Every week in a drawing room in Vasant Kunj,there are battles fought over tiny pebbles on square boards. Called Go,this board game traces its ancestry to China and Japan,over 5,000 years ago. It continues to be a demonstration sport at the Olympics,says RS Tiwari,a founder of the All India Go Society. Word-of-mouth publicity clearly helps. From virtual anonymity in Delhi,Go now has a 100-strong following at present. And everyday,I get 10 calls from students and elderly professionals who want to learn it.

Among the newest members are 40-something Anil Kumar and his friend Bansi Bishnoi from Mayur Vihar who have been playing for six months. Go takes a few minutes to learn and becomes an addiction for life. There are only nine basic rules and the stones,once placed,arent removed,unlike chess, says Anil.

Adds Sunil Kumar,a student at St Stephens College: Its a mind game and the war is fought as much on the board as in your head. I can never leave a game unfinished. When you lose,you analyse the reasons even as you sleep,when you win,its a high as if youve won a real war.

At its basic,Go is about capturing as much territory as possible,at its most complex,the game reflects the Chinese philosophy of the dual cosmic forces of good and bad that exist in the universe. The black and white pieces represent the positive and negative forces,and the player with the black stones makes the first move in a game. A game can go on for a few hours,though major tournaments keep to a fixed time limit.

Doordarshan reporter Poonam Dabas was one of the first to introduce her young children to Go around 10 years ago,when the All India Go Society was still a small group which went by the name of Delhi Go Club. I saw a radical change in my sons behaviour. From a restless,indisciplined boy,he became focused, she says.

Her daughter Akanksha Dabas,who has just given her Class XII board exams,is one of Indias best Go players,having won the national-level silver in the mixed category three consecutive times. The whole world is playing Go,not just the South Asian nations. The US,the UK,Canada and Italy to Mexico,Czech Republic and Taipei have Go teams. Even Nepal and Serbia have strong teams, she says.

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While the clubs greatest demand is better infrastructure and,as Tiwari says,a Shah Rukh Khan-like brand ambassador, the memberships are fast filling up,largely because people travel much more now and the game is popular on Internet where one can even play the games best grand-masters. Since the club doesnt have an office,members meet at each others houses. Japanese players in the city frequently hold games on weekends and we gather there to play, says Akanksha,who played a round or two even during her recent exams because though it is a mind game,it relaxes the brain.

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Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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