Weiqi is one of the oldest board games in the world. It is said that it originated in China more than 2000 years ago.

① Specifications and rules of Go.

Weiqi is called chess in ancient times, and the chessboard composed of chessboard and chess pieces is called "game" in ancient times. It is a coordinate diagram composed of 19 vertical and horizontal straight lines. The intersection of the line * * * of 19 has 36 1 points, among which 9 intersections with obvious black spots are called "stars". A star in the center is called Tianyuan, and there is a star in its upper, lower, left and right corners. These coordinates of Weiqi chessboard are very similar to Luo Shu in China's ancient Yi-ology. Its 36 1 intersection, 8-azimuth stars and 72-intersection points on four sides correspond to 360 days, eight diagrams and 72 phases in ancient astronomical geography, indicating that the chessboard also contains ancient astronomical geography concepts. There are black and white pieces in Go, symbolizing Yin and Yang, among which the black spots 18 1, Bai Zi 180, ***36 1.

The ancient chessboard was not like this. In the "Records of Arts and Literature" written by Wei Han Danchun in the Three Kingdoms, it is recorded that: "There are 289 vertical and horizontal chessboards 17, and black and white chessmen 150." In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Zhen Xuan's "Grandson Shu Jing" in the Northern Zhou Dynasty recorded: "There are 19 chess games today." 1954, a stone chessboard from the Eastern Han Dynasty was unearthed from the Han Tomb in Wang Du, Hebei Province, with the chess game of 17. 197 1 The chessboard unearthed from the Tang Tomb in Xiangyin, Hunan Province was 15. It can be seen that before the Han Dynasty, 15, 17 and 19 coexisted.

The basic rule of Go is that the player who holds the black hand goes first, makes a move at the intersection, and can't move after making a move. Then make moves from scratch, and both sides take turns to make moves. Only one move can be made, not a "forbidden point". At the end of the game, the number of intersections occupied by black and white will determine the outcome. Heisheng will occupy more than 184 intersections and Bai Sheng will occupy more than 178 intersections. The process of playing chess can be divided into three stages: layout, middle game and formality.

② The history of Go.

At present, the earliest recorded information about Weiqi is the Book of the World during the Warring States Period, which mentioned: "Yao made Weiqi and was good at Weiqi." Later, it was also recorded in Zuo Zhuan's Twenty-five Years of "xianggong": "About Ning Xiyan, Ning promised. Uncle Wen Zi heard about it and said, "Now Zi Ning thinks you might as well play chess. Why not?"? The player was indecisive and finally got right, but what was the situation? This will be inevitable. " "Wen Zi used Weiqi as a metaphor to establish a monarch, indicating that Weiqi was already a familiar thing at that time. The "Yaozao Weiqi" mentioned in Shiben is just a legend. Weiqi should not be made by one person, but should be gradually formed and perfected through long-term accumulation and the wisdom of many people.

Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there have been more and more historical records about Weiqi, and many historical relics about Weiqi have been discovered constantly, showing us the development process of Weiqi in that period.

The first chess player named in history was Qiu Yi mentioned by Mencius during the Warring States Period. According to Xijing Miscellanies, the Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang and his wife also liked Go very much. The book also records Du Fu Zi, a master of Go in the Han Dynasty: "Du Fu of Ling Du knows how to play chess best. Or scoff at its cost. Sunday:' those who are good at their reasoning can greatly benefit the holy religion.' "Du Fuzi's unique insight into Go can be said to be the earliest discussion on the function of Go.

By the Eastern Han Dynasty, theoretical works about Weiqi began to appear, such as Huan Tan's New Theory and Ban Gu's Zhi Yi. In the new theory, there is a Go in the world, or Sun Tzu's Art of War. On the other hand, the superior is far away from chess, and the meeting is left and right, thus becoming more and winning. If you win, you will never hide the importance of your affairs, and you will seek benefits by arguing. So the outcome is in doubt, depending on the number of people. The next person, guarding the corner, is often a coffin, born in a small place, but not as good as it will be. " Huan Tan compared the technology of Go with the art of war of Sun Tzu, and divided the theoretical level of chess players into three levels: upper, middle and lower. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Ma Rong, a famous Confucian scholar (AD 76 ~ 166), wrote a book "On Fu Weiqi", which summarized some Weiqi techniques such as "following the four paths first, protecting the corner, covering the edge and always being right". Huang Xian, who was very famous during the reign of Emperor Huan, commented in his book "On Machines": "The machine of the game is only empty and real." Yin Wenzi, written in the Eastern Han Dynasty, specifically talked about the strategy and tactics of Go. The book says that "those who are wise, such as playing chess, advancing and retreating, attacking and retreating, are also in my hands", and clearly puts forward the problem of striving for the initiative of "first hand". Ban Gu's Zhi Yi expressed the concept of Go at that time. It is an authoritative work on chess and is regarded as a classic by chess players.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao of Wei played chess frequently and at a high level. His sons Cao Pi and Cao Zhi are also Go lovers. According to Bao Puzi and Lu Wu, Yan Ziqing and Ma Suiming of Wu were called "chess saints", and Yan Ziqing's Weiqi was called one of the "Eight Wonders" in Wuzhong at that time.

The Jin Dynasty was the heyday of Weiqi, and it was also the first development climax in the history of Weiqi. Sima Yan was a famous Go lover in the Western Jin Dynasty. It is said that he ordered an attack on Wu in front of the chessboard. In The Book of Jin Jia Chong Biography, it is recorded that Han Mi, the nephew of the queen, often goes in and out of the imperial palace to play chess with the prince. Emperor, prince, spouse, etc. Everyone likes to play Weiqi, which can explain the popularity of Weiqi inside and outside the court in the early years of the Western Jin Dynasty. During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, rich and powerful aristocrats promoted the development of Go at that time with their special social status. At that time, the famous king Wang An and his family all liked Go. According to the biography of Wang Dao in the Book of Jin, Wang Dao often plays chess with his son Wang Yue. Wang Dao's second son, Wang Tian, is "ZTE first, versatile". At that time, besides Wang Dao, Wang, Zhi Daolin and Lu Xun were all obsessed with Go.

According to records, when Yuan Qiang was playing chess with people in Jiankang (now Nanjing), he was asked to explain the Book of Changes. Yuan Qiang was "ready to answer and never stopped playing Go". Lu Xun's "Chess Cao Li" was once the secretariat of Guangzhou, which promoted the development of Go in Guangdong.

Weiqi was regarded as an elegant "elegant play" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Liu Yilong, the Emperor Wen of the Southern Song Dynasty, liked Go very much. He not only played chess in the palace, but also sent experts out to play games, and then made a chess score to study. The five volumes of Qipin written by Liang Xiaogang established a Qipin system, which is the first time in the history of Weiqi. The so-called "chess quality" is to evaluate the level of chess. There was a "chess game" in the Southern Dynasties, and the chess skills were divided into nine categories from high to low. "Thirteen Chess Classics" said: "Beyond the ninth grade, you can't play tricks, you can't qualify, and you are no longer a floating cloud." This fully embodies the grand occasion of the popularity of Go in the Southern Dynasties. During this period, there even appeared a special Go organization. The "Weiqi City" established by Ming Di in the Southern Song Dynasty is an institution specializing in the management of Weiqi activities, and it is also the earliest Weiqi institution established in China.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Weiqi spread to Japan, Korea and other places, which promoted the development of Weiqi in the world. Wang Bo, a famous writer in the early Tang Dynasty, likes playing chess very much. It is said that he can write a poem every four words. In the Tang Dynasty, the system of waiting for imperial edicts was established, and professional players were officially appointed, which further developed the activities of Go. It has been recorded in the Book of the New Tang Dynasty, that there are 8 doctors in the Tang Dynasty 1 person, including 5 people who study classics, 3 people who write essays on historical subsets, 2 people who write regular script, and Zhuang Lao, Taiyi, seal script, law, singing, flying, book calculation and chess1person. Their tasks are as follows. It is also recorded in the book that the Imperial Academy has imperial edicts for the emperor to use, including "Ci, couplet, Buddhism and Taoism, divination, art and calligraphy". Dr. Chess and Mr. Chess Saint are both professional chess players. Wang was the most famous chess awaiting imperial edict in Xuanzong period of Tang Dynasty. He is not only good at chess, but also has three volumes of chess tactics, namely, Jinguyuan Nine innings 1 Volume and Fengchi 1 Volume. In addition to Wang, there were Wang and Gu Shiyan in the middle and late Tang Dynasty.

During the Northern Song Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty, the system of chess waiting for imperial edict continued to be implemented. The selection methods of "recommendation and make-up" and "make-up examination" were implemented in the Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, Liu Zhongfu and Li Yimin were the most famous chess players, waiting to be summoned. From Gaozong to Xiaozong in the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D.1127 ~1189), Zhao E and others were famous chess players.

Under the rule of Mongols in Yuan Dynasty, the status of Weiqi declined sharply and spread to the lower classes of society, and the development of Weiqi stagnated during this period.

In the Ming Dynasty, Weiqi activities became active again. Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Judy, prime ministers Liu Bowen, Yang Yiqing and Li Dongyang are all Go lovers. It is said that Zhu Yuanzhang lost to Xu Da at the Chess Building in Nanjing Mochou Park today. Thirteen chess classics were printed in the Ming Dynasty's engraving "Household Necessities", indicating that Go had been popularized as common sense at that time.

The Qing Dynasty was another peak of the development of Weiqi. During the 50 years from the end of the Ming Dynasty to the early years of Kangxi, a large number of players emerged in the chess world, such as Sheng, Wang Hannian and Zhou Donghou. At that time, the heroes competed for hegemony and showed their abilities, until Huang Longshi suddenly emerged, conquered the heroes and dominated the chess world. Yan Ruoqu, a famous scholar at that time, called Gu, Huang Zongxi and other people with high social prestige, profound knowledge and respected by the world as "Fourteen Saints", and Huang Longshi was also honored as one of them, which showed the degree to which he and Weiqi were respected. After Huang Longshi and Xu Xingyou, two chess saints appeared in Qing Dynasty: Fan Xiping and Shi Xiangxiang, both of whom were from Haining, Zhejiang Province and dominated the chess world for more than 40 years. They compiled Chess in Peach Blossom Garden and Yi Li Gui Zhi, which had a far-reaching influence on later generations.

As a traditional cultural phenomenon in China, Weiqi is not only a category of board games, but also an intellectual activity that embodies people's way of thinking, interpersonal relationship and social and cultural atmosphere, and embodies the essence of traditional culture in China.

Weiqi is a special expression of China's ancient philosophy of Yin and Yang. Black-and-white players have changed a lot in the chess game, and they have interpreted various mysteries. His chess theory itself is the expression of China's ancient philosophical wisdom.

Weiqi also has special cultural taste and aesthetic taste. It emphasizes the combination of life, chess and nature, and pays attention to the realm of "the unity of man and nature" and "the unity of all things", which can make people fully understand the mysteries of the universe and life. Like the excellent traditional culture of the whole Chinese nation, Weiqi pays attention to the harmony between the universe, nature and human life.

2. Chess

Chess is also a traditional form of chess game in China. Chess has a very long history in China, and is deeply loved by the public.

① The specifications and rules of chess.

Chess consists of chessboards and pieces. The chessboard is rectangular and consists of 9 straight lines and 10 horizontal lines, and * * * has 90 intersections. The place where there is no straight line in the middle of the chessboard is called the "river boundary", and the part of the "m"-shaped square with oblique crossing lines in the middle of the upper and lower ends of the chessboard is called the "nine palaces". The two sides of the game are bounded by the river, each with 16, one for the general and one for the handsome, one for the scholar (official), two for the elephant (photograph), two for the horse, two for the car and five for the pawn (soldier). For the convenience of recording, the upper and lower sides of the chessboard are marked with one, two, three ... nine and 1, and two, three ... nine from right to left respectively. Each chess piece is called up when it advances, down when it retreats, and flat when it moves horizontally. There is also a "Seven Songs" in China's chess, which makes the characteristics and action rules of each piece very clear: "Generals don't go out of the nine palaces, but scholars only follow; Like flying to the four corners, the horse is running step by step; The cannon must be fired every other child, and the garage will go straight to Ren Dongxi; But the pawn can only take one step and cross the river without a trace. " In the next game of chess, red moves first, and both sides take turns to take one step, which is called a round. Whoever can corner the opponent's general (handsome) at any stage of the opening, middle and endgame will win. If neither side can force the other to death, it is a draw.

② The development history of chess.

There are different opinions about the origin of chess in China, and there is no conclusion yet. Some say that chess originated from Shennong era, some from Huangdi era, and some from Warring States period. In fact, the development of chess is a process of gradual change and perfection, and it is the result of continuous creation in the long-term development process.

According to the written records of chess, the statement that "there are six books in chess" mentioned in the Warring States "Chu Ci Evocation" shows that chess has begun to be popular among nobles at that time. At that time, the "shape" and "system" of chess had just formed, consisting of chess, chopsticks and boards. Chopsticks are dice and chessboards are square chessboards. There are six pieces on each side of the chessboard, one black and one white. These pieces are carved from ivory or bones. At the beginning of the game, the chess pieces are moved by throwing chopsticks to decide the outcome. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, chess became a game that imitated fighting.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the forms of playing chess became rich and colorful, including six blogs, playing chess, playing chess and so on. Among them, chess is the most popular. There is a record in Ban Gu's "Zhi Yi": "Confucius says there are games. Today, I am rich in the world, but I am unique in the game. Boyi is both broad and thick, and the righteousness is silent. " There is also a saying that "Bo is hanging on the court, but he is not good at it. The superior is unlucky, and the inferior is lucky. Although there are males and females, it is still insufficient. " This makes people constantly improve, so there is a kind of board game called "plug". This is a great innovation of ancient chess, which soon became popular among the people. During the Western Han Dynasty, the imperial court also set up a full-time imperial edict to wait for chess. My Qiu Shouwang is "to be a good king and summon the imperial edict". In the ancient tombs of the Western Han Dynasty, two kinds of chess pieces, the dragon and the tiger, were unearthed, which showed us the concrete forms of ancient chess.

Elephant warfare, a new form of chess, appeared in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. It is liked by people because it is more interesting than Bose, and it doesn't take much time. Yuwen Yong, the Emperor of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, once wrote "Xiang Jing" to summarize this form of chess playing.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Emperor Taizong was a chess fan. He also specially studied the Xiang Jing written by Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Under his leadership, chess became popular again among the ruling class. There are two special stories about elephant warfare in Historical Records written by Niu Senru, the prime minister of Tang Dynasty. Among them, Censhun talks about Baoying chess, saying that the names of the chess pieces at that time were General, CNR, Zi. The chessboard pattern in the "Four Great Artistic Patterns" unearthed from the ancient brocade in the Northern Song Dynasty also shows that there were many similarities between the chess system of the Tang Dynasty and modern chess at that time, and the chessboard was two-way eight-grid.

The Song Dynasty was the period when the shape of chess changed the most, and finally formed the basic shape of chess in China today. Sima Guang, the prime minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, created the "Seven-State Chess", which expanded the chessboard vertically and horizontally to 19 lines for seven players to play. A number of bronze chess pieces were unearthed in Kaifeng. Chessboard vertical 10 road, horizontal 9 road, Jiugong River boundary. Chess pieces include generals, soldiers, horses, cannons and pawns. Chess pieces are flat pictographs, not three-dimensional pictographs, exactly the same as modern chess.

Due to the widespread popularity of chess among the people, chess manuals and some theoretical books have appeared one after another. Hong Mai's Chess Classic and Ye Maoqing's Chess Manual both summarized tactical skills and combat experience in detail. At that time, the most widely circulated were Ten Chess Strategies and Chess Poems. "Chess Poem" mentioned a very practical tactical rhyme, that is, "if you get the son first, you will get the son first, if you lose the son first, you will be defeated, and if you match the horse in front of the car, you will be compensated by cannon".

During the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, chess developed all over the country. Although he was once restrained by Zhu Yuanzhang, the great ancestor of Ming Dynasty, when he became Ming Taizu, he quickly spread in the imperial court and among the people. A large number of chess masters emerged in the Ming Dynasty, such as Li Kaixian, Marco, Wu Juyin and Song Jinzhen. Among them, Song Jinzhen once dominated the chess world for 30 years. His book "Chess Manual" summarizes hundreds of years of chess experience and occupies a very important position in the history of chess in China.

The Qing Dynasty was the heyday of ancient chess in China, and there was a legend that Emperor Qianlong summoned five ministers to play chess in court examinations. At that time, the folk chess schools were divided into nine schools, namely, Piling School, Yanghu School, Wuzhong School, Hongdu School, Jiangxia School, Yiling School, Shuntian School, Datong School and Zhongzhou School. It can be seen that there were many talents in chess at that time, which was unprecedented. During this period, a large number of chess manuals emerged, the most famous of which was Plum Blossom Manual written by Wang Zaiyue. This is an epoch-making global chess score in the history of chess, which summarizes many tactical theories and raises the technical and tactical level of China chess to a new height. At the end of the Qing dynasty, with the corruption of the ruling class and the decline of national strength, chess gradually began to decline from prosperity, but there were still many chess masters among the people.

Because of its profound connotation, China Chess is loved by the broad masses of people in our country, spread to Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries, and widely spread in Southeast Asia.