Life In 19x19

Image you know how to play Go but there is not yet a name for this wounderful game. You would have to give it a name.

What would that be???

Here's my take:

Surround & Conquer

(I realize that there are probably already a bunch of games with this name. But as we are talking about the oldest of all, this is kind of irrelevant.)

Actually, considering the game has different names in the three countries where it is the most popular I'd like to re-propose a composite name: Weigoduk.

Tic-Tac-Thumb?
180 Men's Morris?
Grids? (vs. checkers)
Chess?

Probably it would have a name that doesn't mean much any more.

"Territorial Pursuit"

Assuming the same age and just placing the origin in the West, "Stones" would be my guess. Or possibly WMS's suggestion of "Grids", but my guess would be that naming would concentrate on the pieces instead of the board. That's assuming you'd still call the pieces "stones". If it were really western it would probably be wooden pieces and we'd call it "Pawns" or something like that. Or, if coming from a Greek tradition (which is probably the most likely if we look for a time and culture that would really appreciate Go, but that would make its origin more like 500 BC), maybe "Phalanx". Or, changing the metaphor to a more city/state centered one instead of warfare directly, maybe "Walls".

Actually "Walls" probably makes the most sense. The (a) goal of the game is to build a structure that can defend the most open space, which would resonate pretty well with ancient Greek thinkers and their constant warfare with neighboring cities, and literary traditions like the seige of Troy and the long walls, combined with their love of pure geometry.

Author Robert Jordan actually did rename go just "stones" in his fantasy world (it took me years after reading some of his books to realise this).

Personally, I'd name it 'surrounding chess', to avoid making it sound brand-name-y. Yeah, not the most original . Maybe stones is good.

Followup because I'm a nerd:

Τείχη (pronounced "Teehee" or "Teechee" more or less)

So for English speakers it'd be some weird round trip through Greek and Arabic probably (presumably Alexander the great would bring it to the Arab world and from there to the West during the Crusades (it could come through Rome but Rome wasn't ever much for cerebral... anything ) before finally making it to English.

"Othello"

Clack
Menace à la terre
Ellbogen
Blackpool
Jeux d'Alsace
Fortellini
lõug

wms wrote:180 Men's Morris?

zusammenbauentabellespiel

aokun wrote:zusammenbauentabellespiel

Sorry. Zusammenbauentabellespiel

Tavolone

War.

"Point Control".

This makes most sense to me as the goal of the game is to control more points than the opponent.