Gifted and talented children from across the north west learned the ancient Oriental board game ‘Go’ at Greenbank Preparatory School in Stockport on a day devoted to stretching the region’s most inquiring young minds.
Greenbank is a centres of excellence for the teaching of Gifted and Talented children and had 30 of the region’s brightest young brains come to their school on Heathbank Road in Cheadle Hulme for an introduction the the 3,000-year-old Chinese game of cunning and strategy.
Roger Huyshe, a British Go Association committee member, came to introduce the children to the game that “takes little time to learn, but a lifetime to master.”
The rules appear breathtakingly simple – black plays white, placing stones on to the chequered board. The board starts empty and gradually fills up as the stones cannot be moved once placed, though a player can remove stones by surrounding them.
“The art,” said Roger, “is a balance between defence and attack, between ying and yang, working out through planning, prudence and logic when to attack and when to defend.”
Local residents Martin and Helen Harvey have started a number of Go clubs in Cheshire including one at Greenbank School.
Greenbank Headmistress Janet Lowe said: “It is a privilege to be chosen by the North West Gifted and Talented Association to run these master classes and a great pleasure for us as teachers to help develop such natural talent.
“Go has tested, teased, challenged and I dare say frustrated many players for thousands of years and these children were immediately enthused and engaged by this new challenge.”
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