In the modern world, Japan spends millions of dollars for tournaments publishes articles on this game on the daily Go columns of the newspapers. Players from other countries like Taiwan and Korea have travel to Japan to join the tournaments. Now there is professional competition in these countries. An annual competition called the China-Japan Super Go is held. There are Chinese players that received Government-salary play against Japanese players who play in a very intense professional tournament.
Professionals dedicate themselves to study the game full-time under a master from their childhood.
They continue their intense study until they reach their early twenties. Go is an art and the beauty of Go appears when it is played in its highest level. The popularity of the game really shines when you find out that more than 25 million people play Go. There are about 100,000 players in Europe. There is also an annual World Amateur Go Championship where more than 30 countries participate.