The Asian game of wei-ch'i—known to the Japanese and to the West as go—has been a favorite with Chinese generals, statesmen, and literati for more than 2,000 years. Unlike chess, which is oriented toward the concentration of forces at a point upon the board, in wei-ch'i a player attempts to extend his control of territory; avoiding direct confrontations, he encircles his opponent. The similarity to guerrilla warfare is obvious.

Mr. Boorman provides a detailed description, with diagrams, of the game. He then suggests parallels between wei-ch'i and Mao Tse-tung's strategy against Chiang Kai-shek and the Nationalist armies during the Chinese Civil War, giving weight to political as well as military factors.