Why Chinese players of Go aren’t winning any more

“When a nation’s fortunes rise or fall, so too do its fortunes in Go.” So said Marshal Chen Yi, a soldier in China’s civil war. He was a keen player of the ancient board game, where opponents capture territory by placing black and white stones on a 19-by-19 square grid. His observation rings true. In the second half of the 20th century, an economically vibrant Japan dominated international Go competitions. Over the past two decades, as China boomed, its Go players took home many of the most important trophies.