Podcast by Travis
01 October 2026
New to Go? This is the fourth of five short episodes designed to help you understand what makes Go special, how the game works, how to get started, and how to keep going.
In this episode, I talk about what to do when you understand the rules and have started playing, but still feel completely lost. I cover some of the things beginners can focus on during a game, how to avoid trying to understand everything happening on the board at once, and why confusion is a normal part of learning Go. The goal is to give you a few practical ways to simplify what you are looking at so you can keep playing, learning, and gradually recognizing more of what is happening.
This is #4 in the five-part New to Go? series. If you're starting from scratch, you may want to begin with #1.
Full transcript, episode notes, and more:
Join the All Things Go Discord community:
Show your support here
Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
00:00
06:38
28 September 2026
This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China.
Episode Summary
This episode takes a slightly different form. Travis sent a series of questions to longtime Go journalist and author John Fairbairn, and John responded in writing. Travis then adapted those responses into this narrated episode while preserving John's language where it matters.
John discusses why he does not really think of himself as a historian, what Western Go players can miss when they separate the game from the history and culture around it, why Go Seigen and other great players learned so much from earlier masters, and why old games can sometimes make strategic ideas easier to see. He also talks about GoGoD, his late colleague T Mark Hall, concepts that rarely reach amateur players, and the major historical Go projects he is working on now.
The episode page at allthingsgogame.com includes the cleaned episode transcript plus John's full original written responses.
Resources
Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources:
Join the All Things Go Discord community:
Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC
Show your support here
Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
BadukPop - Learn the rules of the ancient Chinese board game Go - also known as Baduk (바둑) or Weiqi (圍棋) - with a fun, interactive tutorial. Sharpen your Go skills with daily random Go problems (Tsumego) at your choice of difficulty level. Play games online or with a variety of AI opponents, each with its own unique playing style and strength.
SmartGo One - Your complete app for the game of Go. Learn to play, practice against the computer, study master games, solve problems, and read Go books. Free to download.
00:00
21:42
24 September 2026
New to Go? This is the third of five short episodes designed to help you understand what makes Go special, how the game works, how to get started, and how to keep going.
In this episode, I talk about what to do once you actually start playing. That includes getting games under your belt without making winning the goal, starting on a smaller board, and using a few simple rules of thumb so you have something to work with when you're not sure where to play. I also talk about the differences between playing bots and real people, and why I think new players are better served getting focused feedback from stronger human players rather than relying on AI review right away.
This is #3 in the five-part New to Go? series. If you're starting from scratch, you may want to begin with #1.
Full transcript, episode notes, and more:
Join the All Things Go Discord community:
Show your support here
Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
00:00
10:29
21 September 2026
This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China.
Episode Summary
In this episode, we look at what it takes to grow the game of Go, both by introducing it to a new generation and by building communities in parts of the world where Go is still relatively uncommon.
First, I speak with Al Tang and Paul Barchilon about teaching Go to kids and young players. We talk about what makes a good Go teacher, how to keep children engaged, and how thoughtful teaching and youth programs can help create lifelong players.
Then, in a shorter conversation with Go-General, we shift the focus overseas and explore what it is like to play and promote Go in a place where the game has a much smaller presence: Nigeria. We talk about discovering the game, finding other players, and the challenges and opportunities that come with helping a Go community grow from the ground up.
Together, the conversations look at a question that matters for the future of Go: how do we introduce the game to more people, teach it well, and help new communities take root?
Resources
Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources:
Join the All Things Go Discord community:
Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC
Show your support here
Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
BadukPop - Learn the rules of the ancient Chinese board game Go - also known as Baduk (바둑) or Weiqi (圍棋) - with a fun, interactive tutorial. Sharpen your Go skills with daily random Go problems (Tsumego) at your choice of difficulty level. Play games online or with a variety of AI opponents, each with its own unique playing style and strength.
SmartGo One - Your complete app for the game of Go. Learn to play, practice against the computer, study master games, solve problems, and read Go books. Free to download.
00:00
49:04
17 September 2026
New to Go? This is the second of five short episodes designed to help you understand what makes Go special, how the game works, how to get started, and how to keep going.
In this episode, I walk through the basic mechanics of Go: the board and stones, liberties and capturing, connected groups, the overall goal of the game, and how a game ends and is scored. I also touch on things like who plays first, komi, and handicap stones, giving you enough of a foundation to understand what you're looking at when you sit down to play.
This is #2 in the five-part New to Go? series. If you're starting from scratch, you're in the right place.
Full transcript, episode notes, and more:
Join the All Things Go Discord community:
Show your support here
Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
00:00
09:31
14 September 2026
This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China.
Episode Summary
In this episode, we explore what historic Go boards can tell us about the development of the game across East Asia. The conversation looks at unusual board designs, including historic star and flower points and the mysterious 8th-century Sandalwood Goban, while also discussing the research process behind uncovering these stories and the motivation to contribute that work back to the Go community.
Resources
Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources:
Join the All Things Go Discord community:
Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC
Show your support here
Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
BadukPop - Learn the rules of the ancient Chinese board game Go - also known as Baduk (바둑) or Weiqi (圍棋) - with a fun, interactive tutorial. Sharpen your Go skills with daily random Go problems (Tsumego) at your choice of difficulty level. Play games online or with a variety of AI opponents, each with its own unique playing style and strength.
SmartGo One - Your complete app for the game of Go. Learn to play, practice against the computer, study master games, solve problems, and read Go books. Free to download.
00:00
45:46