But then the players place down their pieces and you frown, not understanding why the pieces were placed there or what the principle or goal is. The origins of Go are shrouded in mystery, with a popular myth being that it was created by the Emperor Yao around 2250 BC for his son as a mental exercise tool. This is regarded as almost canon in the Far East, but as of the present there is no real historical data to prove this.
Historians estimate that Go originated as one of the tools of the astrologer to foretell the future.
The astrologer would then interpret the toss to the waiting customer and give his advice on the situation at hand. This theory seems to present the most likely origins of Go and also the popularity of it as a strategy game involving a great deal of mental work. Much like chess, the players must think ahead many moves and skill is utmost in obtaining a win. This was a very common game among the people, but only the ones who could devote time and space to such a cerebral game - usually the upper class. The Confucians found the game to be an annoyance, their thread of thought being rational and straightforward - the game was only a way to confuse themselves and others and divert them from thinking about other more important things.