Go is perhaps not a game for everyone, but I love it, and have been playing for many years. Tonight I stumbled across the Sunday Go Lessons YouTube channel, which has some actual games  with commentary.

In this game, we get to see one of the all time great go professionals Cho Chikun playing a weaker opponent Tanaka Nobuyuki. At various points in the game, we see Cho Chikun mumbling to himself about his own “terrible moves”. There is also commentary – the two commentators go through variations and alternatives to add colour to the match. If you set the video to “subtitles”, there are English captions which appear translating the commentary as well as Cho Chikun’s mumblings.

From the point of view of a weakling amateur player, it’s fantastic to watch players of significantly greater strength. There are some passages in this game in which it is difficult for me to understand why certain moves and sequences are made and others that seem beautifully simple.

Even if you don’t know Go, you might enjoy this unusual theatre.