Travis
14 September 2026
45m 46s
S6.3 - The History of Ancient Go Boards & Giving Back to the Go Community | Go / Baduk / Weiqi
00:00
45:46
All Things Go
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
- The Origins of the Sandalwood Goban — a deep dive into one of the oldest surviving wooden Go boards, its craftsmanship, and the debate over its origins.
- Some Historic Star Point Designs — examples of Korean flower points, Chinese designs, Sunjang Go boards, and other historical variations.
- Classical Board Games Review — the broader collection of historical board-game research.
- Shōsōin Treasure House – Sandalwood Goban — the official Japanese collection page for the historic board referenced in the research.
Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources:
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Email: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
Episode Sponsors
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