Arthur Smith

Arthur Smith is identified in major library and public-domain records as the author of The Game of Go: The National Game of Japan and as living from 1870 to 1929. That book, first published in the early 20th century and later reissued, is the work he is most clearly associated with today.

In the book’s own preface, he explains that he meant it as a practical guide for English-language readers who wanted to learn Go more seriously. He also notes that there was little available in English on the Japanese form of the game at the time, which helps explain why the book became an important early introduction for Western audiences.

Reliable biographical detail beyond that is hard to confirm from the sources I found, so it is safest to remember him primarily as an early interpreter of Go for English readers rather than to overstate his life story. His reputation rests on clarity, usefulness, and a genuine effort to bridge cultures through a demanding and beautiful game.