IT has tested players’ tactical flair for millennia, and yet Go, the Oriental cousin of chess, is virtually unknown in the West. But devoted enthusiasts in Swindon are determined to keep the time-honoured Go-playing tradition alive in these parts.

“Go is a very accessible game, much easier to pick up than say chess or bridge, but no less of a challenge to play well,” said Paul Barnard, of Swindon Go Club.

“Our goals are simply to provide a forum for playing our game, and to promote it. The club was founded at least 30 years ago. The game of Go is obscure in the West and a club was needed for players to meet and play.”

A game of Go starts with an empty board. Each player has an unlimited supply of pieces called stones, one taking the black stones, the other taking white. The main goal is to use the stones to form territories by surrounding vacant areas of the board.

Legends has it the mythical Chinese emperor Yao commissioned his counsellor Shun to design the game for his unruly son Danzhu more than 2,000 years BC.

Other theories suggest that the game was derived from Chinese tribal warlords and generals, who used pieces of stone to map out attacking positions.

“Go is similar in character to chess in that it is a game of pure skill, there is no chance element,” added Paul.

“Go is accepted as being close to 4,000 years old, and according to legend was invented by an emperor of China to stretch the mind of his son, who may have been a bit on the slow side. It spread to Japan, and has been much developed in recent centuries there, becoming their national game and it supports approximately 400 professional players. The game has only spread to the West this century, but it is steadily gaining in popularity.”

The ten-strong Swindon Go club meets every Wednesday at 7.30pm at the Windmill pub in Freshbrook and on Sunday, at the same time, in the Beehive in Old Town.

Members are always happy to impart their knowledge of Go and newbies are welcome to drop in and discover the game.

“Anyone feeling up to a bit of recreational thinking would be made very welcome and benefit from free tuition,” said Paul. “We are relaxed, informal and all-inclusive.”

There is no formal membership and joining is free. To find out more, go to www.swindongoclub.org.uk, call Paul on 01793 692408 or David on 01793 521625.