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It's because Go is a much better game. Shogi is inferior though to Chess because it takes too long to play with the pieces being returnable.

pmontra 3y ago
That's debatable. Maybe shogi is superior to chess because it's a longer game and pieces can change side. Or maybe Chinese chess are better because they are a faster game with less pieces and more movement. Go is definitely better than all of them though, at least for me, and yet it's less popular than any game of chess in any country.
- zht 3y ago
  What? Go is not less popular than Chess in China or Korea
  - pmontra 3y ago
    Anecdotally I saw many people playing Chinese chess on streets all around China but I never saw anybody playing Go/Weiqi. I saw people playing Mahjong and games of cards (long thin cards.) I don't know which game of chess is popular in Korea, western or Chinese ones? Or is there a Korean variant? About the popularity of Go/Baduk there I was told that it was because of the three years of mandatory military service and the availability of go boards in the barracks.
    - zht 3y ago
      what I mean is that in China, Chinese chess > go > western chess in popularity Korea has its own variant of Chinese chess, with some interesting rules like the Elephant being allowed to cross the water. Go (Baduk) is absolutely more popular than Chinese/Korean Chess in Korea and definitely more than western Chess
- rtpg 3y ago
  I don't understand why people compare Go with Chess or Shogi like this. It's not a competition, they're entirely different kinds of games, and for the most part there's loads of people who play both anyways! Real "Trek vs. Wars" nonsense
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
falsandtru 3y ago
It is painful to spend long time chasing in chess after a few pieces in the endgame.
- Pxtl 3y ago
  By that logic Xiangqi would be the best because the king is least mobile and so there's basically no chasing.
  - kenhwang 3y ago
    That's why my dad never got into chess. He said the openings were all really routine/reactive, and the endgame was way too much chasing. To him, it was fairly obvious who was going to win after the midgame if it isn't evenly matched, but you're still spending most of the time repeating the same moves to advance pawns and pretty much waiting for mistakes in the endgame. Xiangqi has a much more tactical opening, longer more varied midgame, and usually the game ends pretty quickly if someone has an advantage coming out of midgame, but otherwise at least the endgame doesn't get repetitive. But also because no matter how far behind you are in the endgame, you're still a threat because of the flying general rule so it doesn't feel as bad being on defensive.
    - nwienert 3y ago
      Most anyone just resigns if they know they're in a losing position, there's no rule forcing you to play it out.
      - Pxtl 3y ago
        Still, that it can get stuck in a moribund state and depends on the losing player to fold for it to be "fun" is a flaw.
        nwienert 3y ago
        No, not really. Compared to just about any game I’ve played it rarely gets stuck, and when you are up decisively it usually ends quickly. Also most everyone plays time controls that completely avoid this. Feels like people are reaching for reasons to dislike it here. It’s the most balanced and fun game I’ve found, and these issues ring totally hollow I think to anyone who plays it regularly. There are some other issues you could point out, but they mostly exist entirely in classical time controls, or perhaps if you enjoy a less rigid and punishing game.
kadoban 3y ago
As much as I enjoy Go and personally consider it a better game, it's not what's holding chess back in Japan. Go isn't _that_ popular there.
29athrowaway 3y ago
Drops increase the complexity of the game.
jokoon 3y ago
Inferior? It's just different. Why do people always put things in hierarchy or in better/worse? Just give your opinion, apples are not better than oranges. I don't even play chess or shoji.

pmontra 3y ago

That's debatable. Maybe shogi is superior to chess because it's a longer game and pieces can change side. Or maybe Chinese chess are better because they are a faster game with less pieces and more movement. Go is definitely better than all of them though, at least for me, and yet it's less popular than any game of chess in any country.

zht 3y ago
What? Go is not less popular than Chess in China or Korea
- pmontra 3y ago
  Anecdotally I saw many people playing Chinese chess on streets all around China but I never saw anybody playing Go/Weiqi. I saw people playing Mahjong and games of cards (long thin cards.) I don't know which game of chess is popular in Korea, western or Chinese ones? Or is there a Korean variant? About the popularity of Go/Baduk there I was told that it was because of the three years of mandatory military service and the availability of go boards in the barracks.
  - zht 3y ago
    what I mean is that in China, Chinese chess > go > western chess in popularity Korea has its own variant of Chinese chess, with some interesting rules like the Elephant being allowed to cross the water. Go (Baduk) is absolutely more popular than Chinese/Korean Chess in Korea and definitely more than western Chess
rtpg 3y ago
I don't understand why people compare Go with Chess or Shogi like this. It's not a competition, they're entirely different kinds of games, and for the most part there's loads of people who play both anyways! Real "Trek vs. Wars" nonsense

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

falsandtru 3y ago

It is painful to spend long time chasing in chess after a few pieces in the endgame.

Pxtl 3y ago
By that logic Xiangqi would be the best because the king is least mobile and so there's basically no chasing.
- kenhwang 3y ago
  That's why my dad never got into chess. He said the openings were all really routine/reactive, and the endgame was way too much chasing. To him, it was fairly obvious who was going to win after the midgame if it isn't evenly matched, but you're still spending most of the time repeating the same moves to advance pawns and pretty much waiting for mistakes in the endgame. Xiangqi has a much more tactical opening, longer more varied midgame, and usually the game ends pretty quickly if someone has an advantage coming out of midgame, but otherwise at least the endgame doesn't get repetitive. But also because no matter how far behind you are in the endgame, you're still a threat because of the flying general rule so it doesn't feel as bad being on defensive.
  - nwienert 3y ago
    Most anyone just resigns if they know they're in a losing position, there's no rule forcing you to play it out.
    - Pxtl 3y ago
      Still, that it can get stuck in a moribund state and depends on the losing player to fold for it to be "fun" is a flaw.
      - nwienert 3y ago
        No, not really. Compared to just about any game I’ve played it rarely gets stuck, and when you are up decisively it usually ends quickly. Also most everyone plays time controls that completely avoid this. Feels like people are reaching for reasons to dislike it here. It’s the most balanced and fun game I’ve found, and these issues ring totally hollow I think to anyone who plays it regularly. There are some other issues you could point out, but they mostly exist entirely in classical time controls, or perhaps if you enjoy a less rigid and punishing game.

kadoban 3y ago

As much as I enjoy Go and personally consider it a better game, it's not what's holding chess back in Japan. Go isn't _that_ popular there.

29athrowaway 3y ago

Drops increase the complexity of the game.

jokoon 3y ago

Inferior? It's just different. Why do people always put things in hierarchy or in better/worse? Just give your opinion, apples are not better than oranges. I don't even play chess or shoji.