Go — the oldest board game still played as it was. Getting started, study resources, and equipment guides.
5 articles
Hikaru no Go paired a ghost's genius with a boy's stubbornness and sent real membership numbers up in its wake. What the manga actually did, and how to go from the page to your first game.
The best go boards and sets on Amazon in 2026, from a ~$26 magnetic 19×19 with 4,600+ reviews to a full bamboo set with bowls — board sizes, stone counts, and what's worth paying for.
Go's 10^170 positions get quoted in every go vs chess debate, but the numbers don't answer the real question. An honest comparison of how the two games differ, and which one fits how you think.
Go's rules take ten minutes; getting better takes a plan. A first-months roadmap: when to move from 9×9 to 19×19, the three study habits that work, and how ranks and handicap stones help you.
Go, baduk, and weiqi are three names for one game you can start in about ten minutes. A plain-English guide to the rules, komi, ranks, board sizes, and where to play free online.