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AGA News!
 THE GAME OF DIPLOMACY GETS A NEW BOARD IN OBAMA GIFT TO HU: (11/20/2009) When U.S. President Barack Obama met with Chinese Hu Jintao this week, he presented Hu with a go set that included an American-made go board and a set of Chinese jade stones contained in glass bowls from the West Coast of the United States. Beyond the simple political symbolism of an ancient asian game seamlessly melding Chinese and American craftsmanship, the choice of a go set – rather than, say, a Chinese chess set – gently raises timely geopolitical issues. “Perhaps Obama’s use of a game with simple rules and a level playing field is hinting that Chinese-American relations should move to more of a relationship between equals,” suggests American Go Association President Allan Abramson. “Or that the traditional Western competitive model has room for the cooperation and balance so prized in go and China.” Whatever the political, diplomatic and economic ramifications, the gift set the world go community abuzz as word s pread this week. Invented in China over 2,500 years ago, go is the world’s oldest continually-played board game, played by nearly 30 million worldwide. Considered one of a handful of classic board games – along with chess and checkers – go was included in last year’s first-ever World Mind Sports Games in Beijing, and the high-profile presentation of a go set by an American President is seen as a watershed moment in the history of the game in the United States. The board was handmade of Hawaiin koa, selected and crafted by North Carolina master carpenter Frank Salantrie – a 3-dan go player and longtime member of the American Go Association -- and has the presidential seal engraved on the back, along with President Obama's signature. The jade weiqi stones included in the President's gift were donated by professional go player Feng Yun, the former a member of the China National Weiqi (go) Team, who is now a United States citizen. The stones were presented to her many years ago in recognition of her contributions to the team in China, and she said she was “honored to give them to the President to present to President Hu and the Chinese people as an expression of continuing friendship between the United States and China.” Feng Yun is a former women's world champion, one of only three women ever to be awarded a 9 dan title, the highest rank in professional weiqi. Feng Yun teaches weiqi in the United States to players of all ages, and in the summer takes American players to China to study together with Chinese students. Feng Yun currently resides with her husband and two children in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The bowls containing the stones were made by a West Coast glass blower who is a favorite of the Obama family. - Chris Garlock; photos by Peter Armenia | |
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