Mentions of Go in UK Media

Mentions from previous periods: 2000 to 2009, before 2000.

2017: Google DeepMind's AlphaGo v Ke Jie Coverage - see below

2016: Google DeepMind's AlphaGo v Fan Hui and v Lee Sedol Coverage - about 100 mentions

Items labelled "*" are not currently in our collection.

Web News/Magazines

Magazines
  • 12/11/22 Economist - "Going home early" about Chinese pros not winning anymore
  • 13/11/21 Economist * How the game of Go explains China’s aggression towards India
  • 28/04/18 Radio Times * "Eggheads" quiz question on indentifying Go
  • 21/10/17 Economist - Going Places - The latest AI can work things out without being taught
  • 18/10/17 New Scientist * AlphaGo's AI upgrade gets round the need for human input
  • 05/15 Focus (BBC) * Small article on Go and computers
  • 12/05/14 Wired * "The Mystery of Go, the Ancient Game That Computers Still Can't Win"
  • 26/10/13 Economist - Picture of Go in park in article about Korea
  • 11/2012 Linux User & Developer 119 * four page article on Go and AI research
  • 2012 Make: Vol 28 * Go Twitch - description of Radka Haneckova's livewire Goban
  • 22/11/11 Ariel (BBC) - Alison Bexfield at IAPGC
  • 09/11/11 Private Eye - Go mentioned in article on mind sports
  • 2011 The Bloxhamist - Report on Go Club/BYGC in Bloxham School magazine
  • 21/05/11 Economist * No Go on Kissinger and China
  • 08/05/10 Daily Mail Weekend - "Why Go?" (review of radio programme with photo)
  • 08/05/10 Guardian The Guide * review of radio programme "Why Go?"
  • 20/01/10 Private Eye * "In the City" about John Bender refering to Go as hardcore Chess

Local Papers

Some of the names of local papers may be incorrect.

Radio
  • 05/11/19 BBC Radio 4 - "The Life Scientific" on Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and AlphaGo
  • 02/07/19 BBC Radio 4 - "The Distrupters" on Demis Hassabis, DeepMind and AlphaGo
  • 24/12/18 BBC Radio 4 - "Game Over, Humans" about gaming and AI including Go
  • 14/11/18 BBC Radio 2 - Gerry asks Go questions in "Midnight Mastermind" feature of OJ Borg show
  • 19/10/17 BBC Radio 4 - Today - report on AlphaGo Zero
  • 22/06/17 BBC Radio 4 - "The Bottom Line" brief Go mention in "When Robots Take Our Jobs"
  • 27/05/17 BBC Radio 2 - Report on Alpha Go v Ke Jie match result on 16:00 News Bulletin (and short mention on Radio 4 News)
  • 21/05/17 BBC Radio 4 - "Desert Island Discs" with Demis Hassabis mentions Go
  • 21/02/17 BBC Radio 4 - "The Rise of the Robots - Series 1, Where is my mind?" mentions Go
  • 06/05/14 BBC Radio 2 - Story on "Today" on Chinese power struggles featuring an analyst laying Go stones out
  • 04/04/13 BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire * Michael Redmond visit (Matthew Macfadyen interviewed by Vic Minett)
  • 06/03/13 BBC Radio 2 * Mark Radcliffe on The Folk Show talked to Billy Connolly about Bert Jansch, who played Go with John Renbourn between takes of the biopic "Accoustic Routes"
  • 23/10/12 BBC Radio Leicester * KPMC (Toby Manning interviewed by Ben Jackson)
  • 15/05/10 BBC Radio 4 - "Why Go?" (30 minute documentary on Go)

Television - News and Documentary
  • 04/09/18 BBC 4 - "The Joy of AI" featured AlphaGo
  • 22/02/18 BBC 1 - Short film during Winter Olympic coverage comparing two stone games liked in Korea
  • 06/05/14 BBC 1 - Story on News at Ten on Chinese power struggles featuring an analyst teaching the reporter Go
  • 09/07/13 BBC News - "What's really going on with the yuan?" - Go played in Chinese park with US and Chinese flag stones
  • 08/07/13 BBC4 - "Secret Knowledge: 4 Walter Scott's Castle" showed the Go scene on the Chinese wallpaper at Abbotsford
  • 02/07/13 Channel 4 "Child Genius" - Oscar Selby visiting Oxford Tournament and the BYGC at Aston, playing various youngsters and winning prize from Tony Atkins
  • 18/05/13 BBC News - "German boat becomes innovation hub" - Go lessons seen at technology festival
  • 30/10/12 BBC1 "Andrew Marr's History of the World" - modern day Chinese play Go on a street
  • 10/02/11 Five "Justin Lee Collins Turning Japanese" - Go on activity poster at old people's centre
  • 19/01/11 Channel 4 News - Old men of China playing Go "traditional game of strategy and patience" in street scene
  • 09/12/10 (repeated 17/12/10) BBC4 "My Father, the Bomb and Me" - pictures of Jacob Bronowski playing Go with his then young daughters
  • 15/03/10 BBC Alba "An La" - Report on Skye Tournament (in Scottish Gaelic)
  • 18/02/10 BBC2 "Newsnight"- Go game graphics used and Go Board shown to illustrate the US-Chinese relations "like cautious players on a Weiqi board"

Television - Quiz/Game Shows
  • 20/10/22 BBC1 "Bargain Hunt" - Two Gobans bought and auctioned (and Go explained) - Episode 63/25
  • 10/01/22 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Question on DeepMind beating Lee Sedol
  • 19/05/21 BBC1 "Pointless" - Go pictured in a round on table-top games
  • 25/01/21 BBC2 "Mastermind" - Question about game in which DeepMind beat Lee Sedol
  • 05/10/20 BBC2 "Only Connect" - Sequence starting with photo of Ke Jie
  • 13/01/20 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Picture round on the start of games played at MSO
  • 01/01/19 BBC2 "Only Connect" - Question linking "AlphaGo Lee" and other programs/beaten champions
  • 15/11/18 BBC1 "Impossible!" - Card game question with answers Uno, Faro or Go
  • 22/10/18 BBC2 "Only Connect" - Picture Question with a green traffic light signifying Go
  • 06/10/17 BBC2 "Only Connect" - Picture Question linking Britannia, Buzz, Go, BMI
  • 02/10/17 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Question on the game Lasker said would be played elsewhere in the universe
  • 31/03/17 BBC2 "Only Connect" - Question picking 4 Go terms from 16 clues (atari, dame, liberty, monkey jump)
  • 27/12/16 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Question on celeb edition about DeepMind's program beating Lee Sedol at what game
  • 22/12/15 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Question on celeb edition about Go got by Tim Bentinck
  • 11/05/15 BBC2 "Eggheads" - Question on Sinquefield Cup being Backgammon, Chess or Go
  • 26/09/14 BBC2 "Mastermind" - Question about ancient Chinese game known by 2-letter Japanese name
  • 03/02/14 ITV1 "The Chase" - Question about game board sizes (Go/Chess/Scrabble)
  • 27/01/14 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Question about the game in Kawabata's "Meijin"
  • 05/08/13 BBC4 "Only Connect" - Question linking "Go: Honinbo Shusaku" and others
  • 22/10/12 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Question about Go, answered by former youth Go player
  • 03/10/12 BBC1 "Pointless" - Go pictured in a round on board games
  • 30/11/11 BBC2 "Eggheads" - Go the answer to a question, Barry Simmons talked about the origins
  • 14/11/11 BBC4 "Only Connect" - Question linking Go, Hex, Kensington, Mastermind
  • 05/05/11 - 09/05/11 Channel 4 "Countdown" - Go teacher Tony Atkins contestant
  • 22/11/10 BBC4 "Only Connect" - Question linking Shogi=30, Go=361, Reversi=4, Draughts=7
  • 16/08/10 BBC2 "University Challenge" - Questions on identifying Go, the Master of Go author and the game named after a Shakespearian tragic hero

Television - Dramas/Comedy

The following episodes of TV programmes have featured Go and appeared recently on TV in the UK:

  • 06/11/16 Channel 4 "Humans" - Go scene in American AI laboratory

Television - Movies

The following movies featuring Go have been on TV in the UK:

  • "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" - two Japanese play Go, later Allison and the Nun try
  • "A Beautiful Mind" - some Go scenes featuring John Nash (played by Russell Crowe)
  • "Pi" - some Go scenes featuring main character and his old professor
  • "Fist of Legend" - two Japanese play Gomoku on a Go ban
  • "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" - Go ban used as table for tea cups
  • "Tron: Legacy" - AI character plays Go

We have a full list of Go on Film

Last updated Wed Mar 01 2023. If you have any comments, please email the webmaster on web-master AT britgo DOT org.