Some legends trace the origin of the game to legendary Chinese emperor Yao (2337–2258 BC), who had his counselor Shun design it for his son, Danzhu–supposedly an unruly sort-to teach him discipline, concentration, and balance. Other theories suggest that the game was derived from Chinese tribal warlords and generals who used pieces of stone to map out attacking positions or that Go equipment was originally a fortune telling device.
The earliest written reference of the game is usually taken to be the historical annal Zuo Zhuan , referring to a historical event of 548 BC. It is also mentioned in Book XVII of the Analects of Confucius and in two of the books of Mencius. In all of these works, the game is referred to as yì (?), a name that means "to play Go"today.
