#Fancy goban boards full

Playing on these ancient wooden boards is like placing your bets on a solid foundation of unyielding, impersonal time! Truly a perfect arrangement.

It is hardly surprising that in traditional way of playing this game even the direction of the wood grain and tree-rings matters: These slabs are patiently dried for more than 15 years and display perfectly the wood grain and tightly-packed tree-rings of considerable age. And not just any wood, but the beautiful ancient Kaya wood, some slices being 500 years old. Kuroki's Go-Cart' to lift it off the floor, displays perhaps the most interesting way of playing - smacking your stone pieces (with a satisfying click) on a very thick slab of wood. The following go-board (or, 'goban'), which comes together with the 'Mr. Other ancient boards display a variety of styles shown here are Japanese boards made from ancient wood, and some of the earliest pots with sets of stones: Here is one of the oldest discovered boards (AD 595 years left image below), found in Zhang Sheng tomb, in Anyang County, Henan Province, China: These holy structures are called 'obwo' and in many ways they are similar to 'go' boards, though no one knows what are the origins of this sacred tradition. The origins of the game are obscure and hidden deep in the past: even today, there are certain tribes in Mongolia (for example, around Hargyaz-Nuur lake) which engage in a sacred activity of placing little stones on a larger stone plate. with less victory in end than in other strategic-domination games This is the essence of 'Go': a long, passionate duel. (a Shinto priest and an actor dressed as a government official image credit: Okinawa Soba, via)

(left: modern 'goban' Go-board right: no, this is NOT how you play this game)

#Fancy goban boards full

Today we are going to see the most profound examples, full of ancient wisdom and delicate craftmanship - the full range of styles, from the most ancient ones, to fancy electronic boards from the 1980s. The 'go' boards traditionally used in this game are no less fascinating. 'While the Baroque rules of chess could only have been created by humans, the rules of go are so elegant, organic, and rigorously logical that if intelligent life forms exist elsewhere in the universe, they almost certainly play go.' - Edward Lasker, chess grandmaster Everything is premeditated, everyone begins with an empty board and with no limitations, all moves are visible to all players, and (similar to chess) you can only blame yourself for your faulty strategy and subsequent loss. there is no dice or any other provision for intervention of chance. Interestingly, this is a 'no-chance' game, i.e. Death - your stone group can be either 'alive', 'dead' or 'unsettled') - but also it is a game without a set ending - it will continue for as long as your opponent is willing to fight and not throws down the towel. This game is truly fascinating: not only did it appear in the mists of time (more than 2,500 years ago), the rules of it are deceptively simple (to surround the larger area and capture more 'stones' than your opponent), and the terminology of the game is epic and profound in scope (Life vs. Send us your topic ideas, suggestions, etc.Īncient Chinese and Japanese 'Go' game: territorial conquest, subtle strategy, deep reflection and exquisite style