It’s all go at St Mary’s first inter-school Go Tournament

St Mary’s School played host to an exciting new event last week: its first ever Go tournament, which attracted 22 young players from across local schools. 

Pupils from St Faith’s, Milton Road Primary School and The Leys, amongst others, joined St Mary’s students for an evening of learning, strategy, and competition centred around Go, the ancient East Asian board game that continues to captivate players worldwide.

The event welcomed players of all abilities, from complete beginners to those ranked as high as 6 kyu in the classification system to show skill level. While some were introduced to the game for the first time, others came with some experience to share and, regardless of skill level, the atmosphere was one of excitement and inclusiveness, as children exchanged ideas, discussed tactics, and encouraged one another across the board.

Adding a high-tech twist to the centuries-old and highly traditional game, a Go-playing robot was also on hand to challenge students. The robot, programmed with AI, demonstrated its capabilities on the board, at a game which, from a robot’s perspective, is harder to play than chess! It gave a useful and highly relevant demonstration of a future where technology and strategy increasingly working together.

St Mary’s School, which actively encourages strategic thinking, analytical skills, and healthy competition as part of its educational ethos, was the ideal setting for such a unique event. The Go tournament perfectly aligned with the school’s commitment to nurturing intellectual curiosity and resilience through both academic and co-curricular opportunities.

The event was supported by Paul Smith from the Cambridge Youth Go community, a dedicated local group that is part of a global network of enthusiasts keeping the centuries-old game alive. An experienced 2-dan player, Paul provided invaluable advice, refereed games, and shared his passion for Go with our new generation of players.

Elizabeth Peck, event organiser and teacher at St Mary’s, hailed the event as a resounding success, both in terms of participation and enthusiasm:

“It is wonderful to see so many young people from different schools come together over such a thoughtful and rewarding game. As well as being lots of fun, Go is such a brilliant way to develop concentration, patience, resilience and respect for others.”

The success of the event has certainly sparked interest, with Go proving to be the perfect game to bring young minds together, and this inaugural event at St Mary’s is all set to become an annual event.

Congratulations to Andrew V. and Tomasz K. for wins in the intermediate section, and Oliver T. in the lower section.  Fane D. and Max V, both only eight years old, put in strong performances in the top section of the tournament while Agustin B. deserves a special mention as the youngest player of the evening - we hope to see you all again next year!
 

See more photos of the event here