One story has it that go was invented by the Emperor Yao(ruled 2357-2256 B.C.) as an amusement for his idiot son . A second claims the Emperor Shun(ruled 2255-05) B.C created the game in hopes of improving his weak-minded son's mental prowess . A third say that one Wu , a vassal of the Emperor Chieh(ruled 1818-1766 B.C.), invented go as well as games of cards. Finally , a fourth theory suggests that go was developed by court astrolgeres during the Chou Dynasty(1045-255 B.C.).

In any event , it is generally agreed that go is at least 3000 to 4000 years old which makes it the world's oldest strategic board game .

Go has not always enjoyed its current status as the world's most challenging and intellectually stimulating board game . In its infancy , go was said to have been used by astrologers to divine the future . Later , according to Chinese classics such as The Analects of Confucius , Tso-chuan , all of which wew written no earlier than the sixth century B.C . , it became the pastime of gamblers and other idlers .

While there might have been even the earlier references to the existence of go in ancient China , the books that contained were probably burned during the reign of Ch'in Shih Huang Ti , who in 221 B.C , ordered that all books be burned .

Begining around 2000B.C., go and poetry enjoyed golden age in China , until about 600 A.D. . Whatever its sources and early reputation , by this time go obviously occupied a prestigious position . For example , in the second century A.D , the poet Ma Yung is said to have made himself famous by celebrating go in his verses . Of the many anecdotes about go that have survived from ancient China , the two most popular are these .

Sometime during the late third or early fourth century A.D , a go player named Osan gained historical immortality for his amazing ability to replay entire games(consisting of anywhre from 150 to more than 300 moves) from memory , move for move .

Today , of course , all professional go players and many strong amateurs can do the same . In fact , the customary teaching techique used in Japan is for the teacher to reconstruct-play by play-games played with his students in order to criticize their moves . Nonetheless , this anecdote demonstrates that strength in go and a powerful memory go together .

The second anecdote illustrates the esteem in which go was held during its golden age in China . During the Chin Dynasty(265-420 A.D) , Hsieh An was at war with his nephew Hsieh Hsuan . After many bloody but inconclusive battles , these two warlords decided to spare their remaining soldiers and instead to allow the outcome of their war to be decided on the go board in a game played between themselves . Unfortunately , the result of this contest was not recorded.