S5.17 - Unscripted: How the "Hane Board" Could be a Game Changer; a Conversation with Creator João Figueira | Go / Baduk / Weiqi

This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China.

Travis speaks with João Figueira, creator of the Hane Board, a portable Go board whose intersections rotate between empty, black, and white positions. João explains that he developed the board after struggling to transport a conventional Go set when meeting a friend to play in coffee shops and other public places.

The conversation explores João’s extensive prototyping process, including 3D printing, cast-resin stones, the board’s clicking mechanism, grid-line challenges, durability, accessibility for blind and low-vision players, and possible repairable or modular designs. João also shares the enthusiastic response the board received at the Lisbon Go Open and through the r/baduk community.

Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources:

https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/hane-board-portable-go-board-joao-figueira/

Join the All Things Go Discord community:

https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J

Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC

• The latest r/baduk post on the Hane Board
• Kickstarter page for the Hane Board

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Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com

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