Rikugo-A path, where the six sides come together from Moin9

This article has the purpose to encounter the reader with a topic, which could create a deeper view towards the game. But before i will start to explain this topic, we have to take a step back to one aspect of the game, which is an essential part for this topic. The Fun of GO! Go is a beautiful game and one fact makes it so special. The fact that each person,despite age and gender, can take the stones into their hands and then are able to play a game. This fact can not often been seen by other games. For example in Table Tennis/ Tennis, the majority of the fans can't play like a professional immediately or they can't even start the action on the court, while on a Go board you can start playing with something like Atari-Go. Go Beginners can place a stone on the board, just like a professional and even a relative beginner can place nine stones on the board to make a game out of it. We have to look with more freedom towards the game, so that we can have more fun and open our mind for the following concept: Rikugo-The six sides combined! Rikugo is a word from ancient China and has more than one meaning. On the one hand it is meaning “six” and on the other hand it is meaning “meet/join”, literally it can be seen as “ six sides joined together”.(1) But wait a minute? Six sides? Maybe the majority of the readers will now think:” the Go Board has only four sides. What does he mean with six sides?”. Well, it is true, that the Go board has only four sides,but that is also a narrow point of view, which looks only on the surface of the GO board. The four sides of the board are the first sides of this concept, because they include the territory aspect of the game. After all, the player with the most territory will win at the end of the game. The last two sides include the Thickness and the weight of stones. The stronger part of the readers will start to understand here. For those of you, who want to get stronger, please be aware of the last two sides. These two sides bring a deep dimension towards the game. Thickness brings Power and how the Power is used depends on the individuality of each person(Invasions,safety extensions and so on)! Weight can bring advantages (if you manage to give your opponent a heavy group) or disadvantages (if you struggle yourself with a heavy group). So take into account both ways. Look what is readily apparent on the surface (such as territory), but do not forget what is in another dimensional aspect (such as Thickness or potential). Every stone should harmonize all six sides and be exactly suited for the requirements/needs of the board situation. So the move, which we want to play has to achieve certain conditions. For example, we can ask ourselves how our move: makes our group stabil makes a certain amount of territory gives influence instead of territory put pressure on the opponent makes good Balance with the whole board Rikugo wants to bring Harmony between such conditions, therefore a player tries to achieve with one move as much conditions as possible. So Rikugo can be found in a lot of other (mental) advices,too.(2) That is Rikugo - The path where the six sides come together! (1)(Vgl. Go Seigen; A way of play for the 21st century;S.9) (2) vg.l. The proverb: „killing two/three birds with one stone“