Product Description

Consider yourself a militaristic genius? Ready to set out for blood to gain territory and crush your opponent? Not so fast... Go, an ancient game of Chinese origin, rewards patience and concentration rather than greed and aggression. The shifting balance of territory and power can unnerve even the most disciplined and intellectual player. Like martial arts, Go is an exercise in concentration, balance, and discipline. One cannot disguise one's personality on the Go board! Go can be learned in minutes, but it can take a lifetime to master. The large board and lack of restrictions allows great scope in strategy and expression of players' individuality. The object of the two-player game is to gain control of territories by alternately placing black or white stones strategically across a large ruled board. While it is easy to learn, this game of beauty and intellectual challenge provides hours of entertainment for players. This is a terrific set for a beginner as well as an Insei! The wooden 12" x 12" board has an elegant blond veneer and two pull-out drawers for holding stones to give the player easier access to their "arsenal." Plastic stones included. **No knobs on drawers as pictured.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5527 in Toys & Games
• Brand: Wood Expressions
• Dimensions: 3.33 pounds

Features

• Our most popular board!
• 12" x 12"
• Playing pieces are included
• Two sliding storage drawers for the playing pieces
• An excellent beginner set!

Customer Reviews

This is a fine Go board.
I would definitely suggest this Go board to an Beginner, an Insei, or anywhere in between. This go board is made out of a nice wooden material, and the drawers are a nice addition. It's less common to bump into other stones on the board, which is a good thing. I wish the board came with glass stones, but it would just ruin this great price(Which I think is a steal, at just 39.99).

Overall, this board is a great for people wanting to start go,
those who need a hobby, great for experienced players, or perople who just want to have a good time.

Picture is misleading
Despite the fact that this item is described as a "set", and the picture shows stones on the board, this board comes with no stones. When my board arrived, the top of the board had rubbed against the cardboard box enough to partially wear away the grid on the board, at least to the point where the item is unsuitable as a gift.

Unsuitable
A go board that is unusable is not a good deal at any price.
First of all, the merchants clearly don't care about the game. The stones should be placed on the lines, not the spaces in between as in the photo. This shows a complete lack of clue about the game of GO. A major clue that you don't want this.

Second, Go stones for a board of this size are hard to use over the course of a long game. Kids will give up in frustration. I have several go-bans at this size, and I can attest they are unsuitable for over the board play.

You can buy a roll-up board and stones kit with regulation 8mm stones for about this same price. Your fingers will thank you. Kids will actually use it.