Alexander Rodin, the member of the Go Federation “The meaning of Go for modern Russia”

I’ll try to express my thoughts on the meaning of Go for modern Russia.

To begin with I suggested that we extrapolate Go models on political and economical maps. These maps are very important as the spheres of social life, because the questions that are discussed at political and economical levels touch upon our lives, the lives of ordinary Russian citizens. In these spheres they continue the fierce struggle for life and death; in these spheres rivalry is especially keen and the made decisions define the vectors of our country development.

Let’s imagine a situation if somebody inadequate came to power and set the totalitarian regime! Then all social “dissident” institutions would start dying and so would do the Go Federation as a phenomenon which unifies people with independent thinking. Then it would be inevitable to start “hiding in basements” to keep the organization and set the secret addresses. Under modern Russia conditions such kind of reasoning seems to be mostly fantastic than real. But if we look behind into our history we’ll remember that we have already had this phase of social development and know everything about it.

I am for that only “adequate” people, patriots, must hold power (I mean all its levels: federal, regional, local and busyness elite as well). These people must think independently and it would be just perfect if they were the people who both understand the very notion of strategy and use all the arsenal of strategic tools in their activities, among them – the principles, stratagems and Go philosophy.

Someone can argue: “Who are the patriots who set Japan draughts?” The heart of the problem is not in the fact that somebody sets draughts and even the Japan ones. The matter of fact is that there is a “pacific” model the center of which is the idea of balance and peaceful division of the territory and influence. If some of us can offer something better, so let him rule. In my opinion, it’s the same as to rewrite the Bible or “The Treatise of Military Art” by Sun Tsi.

The Go essence manifests in the state scale in the following aspects:

The first one is historical and cultural. The game has a great history and longstanding traditions. Go is no less than a civil game and with it’s development statehood making in many countries goes hand by hand. Besides, it’s followed by strengthening of spirituality and moral principles of society.

The second aspect is social. Go unifies people, sets friendly relationships between them. Through Go a man manifests quickly, through it s/he can see his/her reflection. Owing to “open spiritual fight” your adversary is likely to become your best friend without saying a word during a game.

The third aspect is educational. Through Go they bring up the grown generations and form their active civil position. Like chess, Go forms and consolidates dynamical stereotypes showing in following behavioral models of people. Penetrating and consolidation happen imperceptibly when sleeping, during the junction of conscious and unconscious.

The fourth aspect is economic. Why are business people interested in Go? Because through the game model a man learns how to manage material and non-material resources. Via the game s/he realizes economical and management notions: market (territory), economical integration, SWOT-analysis (the analysis of weak and strong aspects) etc. Managers start realizing the importance of interconnection and interaction of structural subdivisions ensuring. These subdivisions shouldn’t be isolated from each other. They should work time in time like a well-tuned tuning fork.

The fifth aspect is political. The idea of community in politics is as relevant as the idea of group of stones. When a group is weak there is always a possibility of dividing it and this is a sign for the whole group. When our country, being a federal union of equitable subjects, was going through its stage of making a number of subjects had a wish to use the weakness of this chain. So, in 1992 – 1994 for the first time after the collapsing of the USSR there appeared the first separatist tendencies. E.Rossel, the governor of Sverdlovskaya region, A. Philipenko, the governor of HMAO, claimed the possibility of Ural republic creation. The emissary of Chechen separatists Gokhar Dudaev proclaimed the independence of Chechen-Ingush republic. The detachment didn’t happen but the country paid with blood for it. Nowadays we can see the demonstration of political integration and isolation on the modern political world map. Take a strong unity of the European Union and states-outsiders: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran.

In terms of remaining of the USA’s striving for establishment of world hegemony (from V.V.Putin’s speech at the recent Munich conference), Russia needs the processes of integration and consolidation with other countries aimed at its strengthening. The unified countries have a lot of dame.
Now we can observe the stronger split in the CIS as a consequence of energetic and territorial policy of Russia that uses economical tools to put pressure upon “unfriendly and opposing” countries. Is it good or not? It’s more likely that it’s bad. But there are some positive tendencies: the role of the EurAsEC as a community that is built not on the basis of “strange brotherhood” and the role of Russia in it is increasing. Go is an ideological and spiritual base making us related to the countries of Asia-Pacific region. Go teaches to see and distinguish creative and destroying processes.

The sixth aspect is psychological. The game develops thinking, in particular such processes as analysis and synthesis. It develops the ability of seeing the whole board and its details, the ability of seeing processes proceeding at global and local levels.

The seventh aspect is verbal and lexical or even philosophical. Through studying of the game theory we realize such categories as life and death, territory and influence, reliability, stability, the whole and the parts etc.

So, what is the Go meaning on the country scale? I assume that Go, as philosophy (an ideological and spiritual base), is a very important instrument of upbringing strategic leaders, those who make decisions at high economic and political levels that influence the country’s fate. In Go the idea of peaceful co-existence shows the way to harmony. The most pleasant is the fact the “Go way” doesn’t have an end and here only sky is the limit.