The Surrounding Game

Go is the oldest game still played in its original form. In east Asia, it is hailed as one of mankind's greatest cultural achievements and considered both ancient art and national Sport. At the very top, an elite cadre of professional Go players battles for dominance, broadcast to millions of fans - and remaining virtually unknown to the West. Now, for the first time, a small but determined band of American players enters the fray, launching their own professional system and struggling desperately to bring Go into the mainstream. Everything depends on the genius of the young competitors as they explore the endless complexities of the game. In the end, 'The Surrounding Game' is a story of obsession: a search for meaning beneath the patterns.
Born from the simplest rules, the ancient game of Go is the most complex and elegant game ever discovered. For thousands of years, masters and disciples have passed the game down as a window to the human mind. Now, for the first time, a group of Americans enter the ring, in search of a prodigy who will change the game forever.