Can we get to know you?
I’m Atakan Çal. I was born in 1998 and I’m from İzmir. I work as a First Officer at Turkish Airlines, flying in the Airbus A320 fleet, and I’m also a Go player.
When did you join the company?
I joined Turkish Airlines in December 2022. The initial phase of my training, which lasted about a year, included a Type Rating along with the company’s required safety, operations, and procedures courses. I started flying in December 2023.
What is your educational background?
I studied at Bornova Anatolian High School in İzmir and later graduated from the Department of Pilotage at Okan University. I’ve never really had another career path in mind — aviation has been my goal and passion from the very beginning.
When did your passion for Go begin? How did you first discover the game?
My introduction to Go dates back to 2011. At the time, I was practicing Aikido, and there was a senior student at the dojo named Güçlü who used to teach Go to beginners. He mentioned the game to me, saying he thought I might find it interesting. Following his suggestion, I attended a meeting organized by the İzmir Go Players Association. That’s where I learned to play, and I was instantly hooked. I’ve been playing regularly since early 2012, so it’s been about thirteen years now.
Thirteen years is quite a long time — would you consider yourself a professional player at this point?
I wouldn’t call myself a “professional”; I see that title as something deserving of deep respect. In Go, player levels begin at 30 kyu and move upward as you improve, with 1 kyu being the highest before reaching the dan ranks, which go from 1 dan to 9 dan. The dan levels indicate mastery, insight, and a long history of experience. I’m currently at the 7 kyu level. Go is a lifelong journey — it doesn’t take long to learn, but it can take a lifetime to master.
For readers who may not be familiar, could you briefly explain what Go is?
Go is a 4,000-year-old strategy game played on a 19×19 grid, a board with 361 intersections. It’s played with 181 black stones and 180 white stones.
Why are there 181 black stones?
There are 361 points on the board, and black always makes the first move. Because of that move, black receives an extra stone. Beyond the mechanics, the colors also carry symbolic meanings that have accompanied Go throughout its long history: black represents the side that starts the battle — youthful, bold, sometimes inexperienced — while white stands for wisdom, strength, and peace.
Could you walk us through the other rules of the game?
The game is based on the rule that a stone remains “alive” as long as it has adjacent empty points, called “liberties,” connected vertically or horizontally. If the opponent’s stones surround all of a stone’s liberties, it is captured and removed from the board. “Suicide” moves are forbidden, meaning a player cannot place a stone in a position where it would have no liberties. There’s also a rule called “ko,” designed to prevent infinite repetition: after capturing a stone, a player cannot immediately recreate the same board position and must first play elsewhere. However, the goal of Go is not to capture stones but to claim territory. Scoring is based on the number of empty points a player surrounds, plus the number of opponent stones captured during the game.
Is there a special meaning behind the 361 points on the board?
According to stories about the origins of Go, boards once came in different sizes such as 17×17, 21×21, and 23×23. One legend has it that an ancient Chinese emperor commissioned his aides to create a strategy game to train the mind of his crown prince and prepare him for a career in command. In this context, Go was imagined as a symbolic battlefield, a simulation of two armies fighting over an island or land. The 361 intersections are said to represent the 361 days of the Chinese calendar from that period, and the four corners symbolize the four seasons. There are also nine darker “hoshi,” or star points, believed to correspond to the nine celestial bodies revered by astronomers of that era. The point at the very center of the board is called “tengen,” a Japanese word meaning “the center of heaven.”
What makes Go different from other strategy games?
In Go, all stones are equal in value, and there are no pieces of varying strength like in chess. Gaining an advantage doesn’t come from having more powerful pieces but from creating strong formations and thinking strategically. Every stone and every intersection can become a point; the difference lies entirely in your strategy. Besides its mechanics, Go also stands out due to its ancient origins, its profound influence on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cultures, and the rich world of legends that has developed around it over thousands of years.
What are the names of Go in different languages?
The game is called by various names around the world: in Japan, it’s called “Go” or “Igo”; in China, “Weiqi”; and in Korea, “Baduk.” They all refer to the same game. When you look at the kanji—the Chinese-Japanese characters used to write “Go”—you can see how the symbols for stone, board, and enclosure come together, serving as a reminder that, at its core, Go is a game about enclosure.
How has Go influenced your career and mental growth?
First, Go introduced me to a community: the İzmir Go Players Association. That community played a key role in my career choice. As a child, I didn’t even realize that being a pilot was a possible profession. One of my mentors there, with whom I used to play Go, is now a captain pilot. Through him, I learned about aviation and chose this path. That’s the most tangible way Go has influenced my life.
In daily life and my profession, Go taught me to ask: “What does this move cost me?” Every decision involves sacrificing another possibility. It helped me develop the habit of thinking several moves ahead. In the cockpit, I watch with admiration as our captains anticipate how a single decision will affect the flight and the aircraft minutes later; Go has brought me closer to that mindset. It opened the door to living with greater awareness and intention.
What’s the story of how Go spread in Türkiye? When did it begin?
The spread of Go in Türkiye actually began with Trevanian’s novel Shibumi. In the book, the main character’s life and struggles are shaped by the philosophy of Go. A group of engineering students at Middle East Technical University (METU), including Alper Kılınç, became curious about the game after reading it. Under the limited conditions of the time, they searched for resources online, ordered books from abroad, and even drew boards on paper to start playing. The spark was lit at METU, sometime around 1994, as far as I remember.
Sadly, Alpar Kılınç passed away at a young age in a traffic accident. The METU Go Community remains one of the most established and active Go groups in Türkiye today. Each year, the Alper Kılınç Memorial Go Tournament is held, bringing together players from across the country and even from abroad. It’s a prestigious amateur tournament, and through it, the Go community continues to honor Alpar Kılınç’s memory every year.
Have you participated in tournaments?
Yes. My first tournament was the 7th İzmir Go Tournament, held in 2012. After that, I took part in tournaments in Ankara, Istanbul, and Eskişehir whenever I had the opportunity.
Could you tell us about Go associations in Türkiye?
I’m a member of both the İzmir Go Players Association and the Istanbul Go Players Association. In İzmir, it all started as the “İzmir Go Players Community” and became an official association around 2008–2009. The Istanbul Go Players Association is a bit older. The oldest one, however, is the Turkish Go Association, originally founded as the “Türkiye Go Players Association.” The Turkish Go Association is a member of the European Go Federation (EGF). The tournaments we organize are officially recorded in the EGF database, which allows our players’ rankings to be integrated with the European system.
Alpar Kılınç’s father, a public official, provided significant support during the association’s founding and assisted the Go community in Türkiye in every way he could. As long as his health permits, he continues to deliver the opening speech at the annual memorial tournament. I’d like to take this opportunity to pay my respects to him.
When can a Go player join a tournament? How do the “Kyu” levels work?
We encourage players to join early. I entered my first tournament at the 25 kyu level — roughly the skill of a one-week-old player who has just learned the rules and has done some basic practice. In tournaments, players are usually matched with others of comparable skill level. In İzmir, we split players into groups by skill level, similar to a league system, where each group competes within itself. This way, both beginners and advanced players can enjoy competing at their own pace.
The President of the Turkish Go Association, Eren Kurter, conducted a PhD study on this subject. The study analyzed players’ heart rates and perspiration changes during games and found no significant difference among players of different skill levels. In other words, since everyone competes against opponents of similar strength, they experience a comparable level of excitement. This demonstrates that Go can remain an equally exciting hobby throughout a person’s life.
How are prizes awarded in tournaments? How are first, second, and third places decided?
There are two types of tournaments: with tiers (“kulvarlı”) and without tiers (“kulvarsız”). In tiered tournaments, for example, if there are five tiers, each tier produces its own first, second, and third-place winners. This makes sense because it would be unrealistic to expect beginners to compete directly with experienced players for the top spot. The goal is to ensure that everyone enjoys the game.
In non-tiered tournaments, the Fighting Spirit Award is quite popular. It’s given to the player who performs best relative to their initial level. In my first tournament (around 2014), I received the Fighting Spirit Award myself, and I still proudly keep it at home.
How do you balance such a demanding profession with playing Go? How do you manage your time and energy?
For me, Go is like a mental sanctuary. During a game, phones, news, and all outside distractions disappear; for two hours, there’s only the board. Sometimes, after a long flight, I still meet up to play Go, and I find myself feeling more refreshed than if I had rested at home. At work, we can request “off days” about a month in advance. If there’s a tournament I want to attend, I plan my schedule around it. This flexibility allows me to keep competing in national tournaments.
Could you tell us about your first experience in a tournament?
My first tournament was the 7th İzmir Go Tournament held in 2012 at Rota College in Gaziemir. I was 14 years old, probably the youngest participant there. What impressed me most was how the intensity of competition during the match turned into a friendly conversation afterward. Everyone put their full mental effort into playing, but once the game was over, they’d gather in the courtyard to chat about everyday life and exchange ideas. That experience softened the “I have to be the best” mindset that often comes with adolescence; it taught me that what truly matters is shaking hands and staying friends after the game.
I also remember a match where, due to inexperience, I didn’t realize the game was over and made unnecessary moves, wasting my opponent’s time. When my teacher later showed me the end position, I felt embarrassed, but it taught me a deeper sense of respect for others’ time.
How does Go influence your decision-making in the cockpit? What has it taught you in terms of Crew Resource Management (CRM)?
Go is essentially a one-on-one game, so at first glance it might seem contrary to the team-based logic of CRM. However, the biggest lesson Go has taught me is to respect others’ perspectives. When your opponent makes a move, you don’t think, “That was a bad play.” Instead, you ask, “They’re an intelligent, experienced player, what message are they trying to send?”
Piloting is a profession where ego can easily become a trap. Confidence develops with age and experience, and newcomers often experience an early boost of self-assurance. Go helped me adopt the mindset that “We’re a team here; the pilot next to me may be just as experienced, or even more so. The tower, cabin, and ground crews all know their jobs.” It taught me to act on the assumption that everyone is doing their best and to keep my ego in check.
When you start a game of Go, there are no restrictions; you can begin from any of the 361 points. However, there’s a beautiful tradition rooted in Chinese culture: the player who opens the game places their first stone toward the opponent’s side of the board. It’s a gesture that signifies, “Good game, I respect you, you’re a worthy rival.” Usually, the opponent responds by also placing their first stone toward you. It’s not a rule, just a sign of respect passed down through centuries.
Does the strategic thinking Go cultivates help reduce professional stress?
Absolutely. It trains you to view challenges in all parts of life as chances to solve problems. Playing Go for two hours involves constantly solving problems. Adopting the mindset of “This is a problem, and every problem has a solution” in the cockpit reduces stress significantly.
Where should readers who want to learn Go, begin?
Anyone interested in learning Go, we’d love to welcome them to our meetups. There are Go communities in almost every major city in Türkiye, as well as many universities. As a member of the Istanbul Go Players Association, I can personally vouch for myself and all my friends; we have been teaching the game to everyone who attends and will continue doing so with pleasure.
Similarly, active Go associations exist in İzmir (İzmir Go Players Association), Ankara (Ankara Go Players Association), Adana (Hitit Go Players Association), and several universities like METU, ITU, Dokuz Eylül University, and Ege University. These groups run Go clubs that teach beginners and organize events for them. They not only help new players learn but also expand the community, making tournaments more lively, social, and inclusive. You get to meet people from all walks of life.
It’s also possible to play online, but starting out alone can be challenging. Attending in-person sessions makes overcoming that learning curve easier.
What has been the most significant change Go has brought to your life?
The most significant change in my life was choosing my career. Through the Go community in İzmir, I met people from various professions, which led me to discover the world of piloting. Also, Go taught me the true meaning of civil society work. We visited elementary and high schools to give Go seminars and met people we wouldn’t have met otherwise. Thanks to Go, I was able to communicate with a Chinese player whose language I didn’t even speak, simply by sharing the same board. It has given me amazing people, a profession, and a life philosophy.
Did the samurai have a connection with Go?
Much like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s famous saying, “I like athletes who are intelligent, agile, and moral,” a similar philosophy existed in Far Eastern culture. Samurai were expected not only to be skilled warriors but also competent Go players. This reflected the need for well-rounded development: intelligence, agility, and moral discipline. In both Japanese and Chinese dynasties, princes were taught Go because it was believed to cultivate strategic thinking, composure, and the ability to anticipate an opponent’s moves. I once came across an ancient illustration, approximately 2,200 years old, depicting a samurai using a Go board to defend himself during a nighttime ambush. Examples like this show just how deeply Go was woven into that world, as both a martial and intellectual art.
Finally, could you briefly explain the basic rules of the game and some fundamental structures?
Of course. In the game, the black stone always goes first. The Go board has a total of 361 intersection points, and moves are made on these intersections. Some of these points are called “hoshi” points, and there are nine of them in total.
A stone “breathes” through the four adjacent points directly connected to where it’s placed. These neighboring points are called “liberties.” For example, a stone on the edge has three liberties; a corner stone has two. When an opponent places a stone on one of these liberty points, that liberty is lost. When all liberties are gone, the stone is captured and removed from the board, scoring a point for the opponent.
Go stones have an aesthetic and practical way of being held. The stones are gripped between the index and middle fingers and placed precisely on the desired point. This grip is important for both elegance and maintaining control during play.
In an Atari situation, stones cannot be moved; however, a group of stones can connect through shared liberties, forming a living unit that can survive or be captured together. For example, when two stones form a group, they continue to live as long as their shared liberties remain open. If the opponent closes off all of those liberties, the entire group becomes captured.
One of the prohibited moves in Go is “suicide,” which involves placing a stone on a point where it has no liberties. Related to this is the concept of “ko,” meaning eternity in Japanese. If a move captures an opponent’s stone, the opponent cannot immediately recapture on the same point; they must play somewhere else first before returning. This rule helps prevent the game from getting stuck in an infinite loop.
The primary goal in Go is not capturing stones but to claim territory. Stones surround areas much like fencing off a garden, and points are counted based on the size of the territory controlled. What matters is not the number of stones but the amount of space they enclose.
In summary, the fundamental rules of Go include liberties, atari, capture situations, prohibited moves, and territory development. All strategies and formations in the game originate from these simple principles.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Many stories and legends surround Go. For those interested, I suggest starting with Trevanian’s novel “Shibumi.” It can also be eye-opening to explore the link between the lives of the samurai and the game of Go.
