From East to West: The evolution and future prospects of board games

This paper employs comparative historical analysis to construct a three-dimensional framework encompassing dissemination paths, game mechanics, and cultural symbolism, conducting a comparative study of chess and Go. The analysis utilizes theories of cultural transmission and path dependency. The study shows that chess and Go originated from different cultural backgrounds. The development of chess is a continuous evolutionary process, constantly reshaping itself as it spreads through different cultures. Go, on the other hand, has a relatively stable development path, emphasizing cultural continuity and internal deepening. Despite these differences in development paths, both board games stem from humanity's shared need for intellectual competition and entertainment.