American Go E-Journal

Bao Yun’s “Blind Go” Challenge

Tuesday March 26, 2013

Beat Chinese amateur 6-dan Bao Yun and you could win a million RMB ($160,000 USD). There’s a catch: you have to beat him blindfolded. Famous in the Chinese weiqi community for being able to play  blindfolded, Bao has not lost a single game when both sides play blindfolded. His opponents have included professional players and now he’s extending his challenge to the whole world. Bao has played as many as four boards simultaneously blindfolded, and when he visited Singapore, he won against a Singapore 5 dan who was not blindfolded, in a game that lasted 220 moves. Bao says that his strength when playing blindfolded is about one stone weaker than usual. A Korean baduk station recently broadcast a program called Dark Room Game, in which two professionals play blindfolded up to 100 moves. If any side makes an illegal move, they lose a point; after 100 moves, they take off the blindfold and continue regularly. Click here for two games a blindfolded Bao played simultaneously against two players, a 4-dan and a 3-dan.
– translated from a Chinese news report by Zhiping You

Categories: World
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