Mixer      07.03.2020

Classic board sizes for go. Go kits Bottle of stones

A good set of Go game significantly raises the level of the game. This seemingly strange feature of Go is easily explained.
In Go we spend 90% of our time contemplating the position and analyzing it. At the same time, the activity of the brain, which literally consumes all visual information, is as high as ever.
In order to effectively make decisions in Go, one cannot be in a state of permanent concentration. Usually the human body can concentrate for about 15-20 minutes. After that comes an irresistible desire to relax. Therefore, Go masters constantly alternate periods of concentration and relaxation in order not to get tired. Relaxation takes up to 30-40% of the total time allocated for the game.
When a player constantly sees low-quality counter-stones and a scratched board with crooked, untidy lines in front of him, his brain spends its resources on extinguishing an unpleasant impression. The natural human desire for beauty and harmony is inherent in nature. beauty is external characteristic health and quality. So, a rotting fruit or fruit looks unpleasant. I don't want to get close to him. Studies have shown that elementary improvements in working conditions significantly increase efficiency. Seriously these problems are discussed in ergonomics. In the East, this science is called Feng Shui or the art of harmonious organization of space.
A player who plays on a bad or ugly set cannot relax and therefore plays badly. Moreover, he does not enjoy the process of the game, and this is very important. It is known that if a person does something without pleasure, i. without return, the product of his labor is almost always of poor quality and even harmful. Because it contains the negative emanations of the worker who created it. It is known that in poorly built houses of an ugly shape or surrounded by ugly things, a person begins to become depressed. He can get sick and even die.


A set of brown glazed stones (sprinkling) in a stone bowl.
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). China

Therefore, to play Go, it is necessary to use only high-quality sets that meet the standards. Fortunately, quality standards exist, and they have been in effect for centuries.
Do not be afraid that good equipment is expensive. This is wrong. Kits are different. Of course, it is impossible to get a good, high-quality kit for less than $50-$100. After all, this equipment is not produced in Russia. Anything that will cost less is most likely either a low-quality product from China, or some kind of fraud.
In this article we will tell you about what kits are, what are their differences and what features they have.
It is the duty of the club to know the history of every kit it has.
When contacting a club to purchase a kit, ask to be shown the best kit available. It doesn't matter how much it costs. You should see what kits the club director has. If he has nothing more than $100, then most likely, everything he will offer you is a low-quality product. A serious club always has a premium set from $1000 in its stock. The director of the club, who has never held such a kit in his hands, will not be able to teach you anything good either. So he is not familiar with the roots of Go culture.
You can also often hear the following words: "I'll buy a worse kit, see if I like the game or not, and then I'll buy a better one." It is possible that you will never buy yourself a better kit, because you get tired of the game and do not understand its charm. Having played on a bad set, you will very quickly get tired of wasting time on the next low-grade domino checkers.
When you come to the club for a purchase, be sure to talk to the director about which countries he has been to and where he buys equipment and kits. Find out who his suppliers are, whether he knows the go masters of China, Japan and Korea. Ask to see his photos. You must see where the director of the club you want to leave a large amount of money studied. Be careful when buying a kit.
Classic Go sets are made only in three countries: Japan, Korea and China. China is the origin of the game. Here you can find the most exquisite and unique sets that are sure to surprise you. Japan is the pinnacle of standard and quality. Unique kits can cost up to $500,000. Not everyone can afford equipment from Japan. These are status kits. Korea is a country of democracy in Asia. Sets from Korea are modest, but tasteful. Usually they make up the main range of equipment in clubs in Europe and Russia. Korean standard is popular in Europe. These are kits for a variety of people.

Chinese kits




Kit from China. The board is a single piece of kaya, the bowls are ebony, stylization under the Qing dynasty, stones - black and white agate. Fan with the motto "Sun", Japan.

China is a special country. Here you can buy a breathtaking fake of a genuine set, and of high quality, or you can find a set for 1 yuan, which will hurt to look at. wooden bowls and flat stones carved from an unknown type of limestone. It is impossible to find out the nature of these stones from the Chinese. The elite Chinese set includes a thick board made of solid noble wood. This is either Kaya or other breeds unknown in Russia. The bowls will be made of noble wood or antique. The stones are usually either agate or jasper self made. There is also machine processing of stones.
There are also rare sets in China. So the head of the Go Culture Club "Ascension" Igor Grishin saw Go bowls for $5,000 in China. This is unthinkable money for the Chinese. The seller didn't even want to consider lowering the price. It really was a special set with history. Such unique items can still be bought in China. In Russia, in a private collection, there is a set of stones from the Ming era (16th century), which is completely unusual and stunning in its beauty and shape.

Boards


The board that you buy in Russia will most likely be brought from China. This is the main supplier of inexpensive boards to our country. A classic Chinese board (up to 2.5 cm thick) is either glued bamboo veneer or bamboo veneered wood. Also rarely come across solid boards or glued together from two or three bars. Sometimes you can find antique boards. Usually it is dark wood or dark veneer and gold lining. All thin boards are lined with silkscreen, i.e. machine. The sizes of Chinese boards vary, usually they are larger than Korean and Japanese ones, since Chinese flat stones are slightly wider in diameter than their counterparts from neighboring countries. On reverse side On the Chinese board, you can often see the markings for Chinese chess - xiangqi. Very rarely come across boards with European chess. The disadvantage of laminated bamboo boards is that they can crack in the drier Russian climate. In this respect, boards simply veneered with bamboo are more beautiful and more reliable.
Elite boards are usually 5 cm thick and thicker. There are glued from two pieces, and there are from a single piece of wood. Whole, of course, more expensive Tree species are different. Basically it's a kaya. There are heavy boards (5-7 kg each), there are light ones. Color range from golden (kaya) to greenish. Not sold separately without stones. Dividing is usually done by hand.
How to determine if you have a manual line? It is enough to carefully study the structure of the lines on the board. If the lines are thin and the star points are barely visible, then this is a sure sign of hand-ruled. Also, if you study the edge of the board, then when manually lining up, the start of the line will be visible. Sometimes the lines go beyond the extreme line. This is not the case with machine cutting. An important indicator of the quality of the board is the thickness of the star point. The thinner the dots, the more expensive the board.
Elite boards are always one-sided, i.e. there are no xiangqi or other markings on their back side. Sometimes the board is signed by the Go master. high level.
The Chinese rarely tint their boards, usually the texture of the wood is visible through a clear varnish. It is beautiful.
The Chinese do not know how to make boards with legs or gobans. All of them are of terrible quality, the lines are crooked and blurry.
There is a newfangled trend in China to make gobans from veneered chipboard or pieces of glued wood. Often the legs are screwed into such a goban with screws. Such "products" of the Chinese industry are best avoided. This is a low-quality fake, aimed at an inexperienced European consumer. A Chinese will never buy such a “set” for himself, and a master who respects himself and his school will not sell it to you.
It is very difficult to buy a board in China on your own. The level of marriage in Chinese factories is extremely high. Almost all boards come with marriage. Therefore, it is better to purchase a selected board in Moscow. At the very least, you can be sure that you actually have a top quality board in your house. Moscow clubs value their reputation.

stones


The stones in China are usually flat, which is different from the lenticular Japanese and Korean stones. Ancient Chinese stones were made in the form of a pyramid-cone. In the course of history, the stones "thinned" and in our time they began to be made completely flat.
The cheapest stones in China are made of plastic. Such stones are not imported to Russia. The next stage is pressed stone chips. Such stones can sometimes be found in our country. Next are stones carved from some kind of limestone. The highest quality flat stones are stones carved from insu (this is the name of this type of stone in China). Distinctive feature insu - black stones in the light are dark green, and white stones are slightly beige.


Flat Chinese stones in wooden bowls, China

All flat stones from China smell of either acetone or some other industrial smell. Before use, they should be washed in a bowl with powder or soda.
The Chinese make stones and glass. They come in a variety of fun colors, from light green to burgundy. They are also flat.
Elite Chinese stones are made from semi-precious rocks such as jasper (jade), agate, lapis lazuli, aventurine, mother-of-pearl and others.


Lapis lazuli and aventurine, China

The imperial sets exhibited in Gugun contain stones made of dark green and white (the most expensive) jade. There are also sets made of agate. They are flat. The set of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di consists of wide flat stones of white and green jade in bowls of different sizes. The bowl for dark stones is much larger than the bowl for white stones. The most ancient stones, made in the form of pyramids, are made of agate and jasper.
Sets of stones from jasper, which is known in Russia as jade, are different standards. Usually the stones are lenticular in shape. Jasper is called yu in Chinese.


A scattering of light stones from a jasper set, China

On one side, the top of the stone is ground off so that it does not move on the board. Jasper happens different shades. Standards are popular: light green and black, light green and dark green. Jasper stones are very beautiful, sometimes simply bewitchingly beautiful. The texture of the stone, veins and crevices are clearly visible on them. Jade is pleasant to the hands and does not irritate the eye. It is also very beneficial for human health. This is a warm set.


A scattering of stones from an agate set, China

Agate stones (in Chinese - manou) amaze anyone who sees them for the first time. This is a luxurious set. Good agate stones are clean water or with gaps, which the Chinese especially love. Color varies. Agate can be transparent (these are light stones) or milky. Dark stones are both black and dark gold. All stones are usually slightly uneven, sliding in the hands and on the board. It takes skill to play them. In their inconvenience lies a hint of the special and skillfulness of their owner. Also in martial arts, the master must do all the techniques with perfect posture, which is difficult.
There are sets of agate with small stones - this is machine processing. Agate stones are usually irregular shape tending to a lenticular pattern.
There are original sets, for example, red and green agate or light beige and dark gold.


Stones: red and green agate, China
Bowls: Ebony, Qing Dynasty
Ascension club collection

Shell stones. The Chinese learned how to sharpen white stones from shells like the Japanese. Black ones are made from some strange stone with a greenish tint. The thickness of the shells varies, we will talk about it in the section of Japanese sets. In general, Chinese shell stones make a weak impression. They are made of poor quality. This is due, apparently, to the foreignness of the standard.
The stones are not sold separately from the bowls.

bowls


Chinese bowls come in different qualities and different shapes. Straw bowls are very popular in China. They usually store sets of insu.


Wicker bowls, China
Stones: Korean faience

There is a special Chinese standard for bowls that differs in shape from the Japanese standard. Since Chinese rules prescribe not to take prisoners, the lids of the bowls are always flat. Only modern bowls began to be made with notches in the lids, as in Japanese bowls. Ancient sets convey to us intricate shapes of bowls. For example, the imperial set in Gugun is represented by bowls with special handles on the lids.
The standards and shapes of bowls in China varied from dynasty to dynasty. The bowls of the last Qin dynasty look very harmonious, the lids of which look like drops.


Four Seasons of Qi bowls, handicraft, Qing Dynasty
Stones: selected agate, China

Simple bowls are made from various types of wood, while elite bowls are made from either ebony or kaya. Sometimes the problem with simple bowls is that the lids dry out in the Russian climate. Elite sets are not subject to such metamorphoses.
There are unique examples of bowls made from a single piece of bamboo or a piece of stone.


Solid stone bowl with graphics
Stones: collection of sets from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
Private collection, Russia


Bamboo bowl, carving, 20th century PRC
Stones: selected agate


Bowls: red lacquer, classical carving, PRC
Stones: selected agate

Fans


The fan is an accessory of the master. Fans are different. I haven't come across Chinese fans yet.

Japanese kits



Go game set with samurai coat of arms, 17th-19th century, Japan.
The stones are white and red agate.

Japan, since the 17th century, dictates the style in Go. Japanese kits, by definition, are not bad. This is impossible. A curious historical detail is the fact that the Japanese faced a difficult problem: they could not find identical materials for kits in order to completely copy the Chinese standards. In Japan, there is neither jasper nor agate. For this reason, Japanese craftsmen began to carve stones from shells and basalt.
The white shell of Hamaguri from the Hyuga shallows repeats the stains and stripes of agate. Black basalt is similar to black jasper. Stone standards in Japan have changed. The Japanese have always tried to carve as thick stones as possible, imitating Chinese sets. Sometimes the material for stones was bought abroad.
In the art of making tables for the game - gobans, Japanese masters surpassed everyone. The Chinese have never paid attention to the blackboard. A stump or stone could serve as a playing field, on which silk or leather with board markings were spread. The main thing in Chinese sets is stones and bowls. The Japanese, on the other hand, have focused on making amazing boards.
The Japanese belief in Go is the envy of all Go masters around the world. In beauty and grace, they surpass any analogues. The Chinese fan has always been large and bulky. Japanese fans are very small, almost invisible. The higher the level of the master, the smaller his fan.

Boards


Japanese gobans are always of excellent quality. You can distinguish a good goban from a fake by the sound of hitting the surface of a stone board. The sound from setting the stone should be deep, soft, melodic. If the goban is thick, then the sound will be high, if thin, then low.
All Japanese boards are lined by hand. On expensive gobans, the lines are cut with a katana. This is an ancient tradition.


The master marks the surface of the board with a katana

Plain boards from Japan are usually foldable. And they themselves are glued from the bars of some noble tree.


Board from a beech bilateral, folding, Japan.

Japanese boards are always of high quality. And they are not cheap. It is impossible to buy a Japanese goban in Moscow. Goban can be ordered through a club director who has direct links to Japanese Go clubs. This operation will cost several thousand conventional units, and it will last for several months. Any goban brought from Japan immediately becomes a legend and acquires many stories. Ordering a goban is an adventure.
Elite boards and gobans are usually signed by a high-level Go master.


Takemiya Masaki (9th dan) signs the goban.

The goban has a special recess on the bottom side, it is made so that the goban does not lead from time to time and changes in humidity. In Japan, they say this: "My grandfather sawed wood, my father dried it, I made goban."
The most expensive gobans in Japan are made from 700-year-old kaya. It's almost impossible to buy them.

stones


The Japanese standard for stones is black and white. Due to the poverty of natural materials in Japan, such a radical version of colors has established itself in Go.
Classical Japanese stones are carved from the shells of the Hamaguri clam from the Hyuga shallows and black basalt. However, for several decades the Japanese Go stone industry has been buying shells in Mexico, as the Japanese mollusk has become unsuitable due to environmental changes for turning stones from it.


Hamaguri shell from Hyuga Shoal.
Ascension club collection

All modern inexpensive shell and basalt stone sets are made from Mexican shell.
Stone standards vary.
The main varieties of stones are two varieties: yuki (snow) and hana (flower). The yuca variety is distinguished by more frequent and thin stripes. In stones of the Khan variety, the stripes are rare and thick.


Variety "Snow", on the left and variety "Flower"

There are three main gradations of stones in thickness and three gradations in quality.




Stone thickness options The most expensive are the fattest (up to $370,000)

The stones presented in the figures with a thickness of more than 37 mm are made only from Japanese shells. Usually these are antique sets and their cost is tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

bowls


Japanese bowls differ in shape from Chinese ones. They are more round. Lids in Japanese bowls with a notch for captive stones. Usually, mountain chestnut, kaya, walnut and other valuable tree species are used as material for bowls. The most expensive bowls are made from mulberry wood.


Japanese kaya bowls on a mahogany stand.
The stones are shell and basalt.
Private collection, Russia.

All bowls and boards come in special wooden boxes. It's branded Japanese style. Even Go diplomas are issued in obligatory wooden boxes.


Japanese classic Go set


Mountain chestnut bowls, Japan.
Stones - Mexican shell and basalt, Japan

Fans



Go fan, Japan

Japanese fans are the most common both in Russia and in Europe. Usually these are either fans from tournaments, signed by professionals, or themed Go fans, made to order for a particular Go master.

Mikhail Emelyanov, teacher at the School of Go "Ascension", Assistant to the President of the Go Federation, 2006


Thinking and Winning: Go Game for Beginners Grishin Igor Alekseevich

CLASSIC GO BOARD SIZES

Figure 16-1

Diameter of dots of star points (hoshi) on the board: 3–4 mm. Line thickness: 0.7–1.0 mm.

The set of Go comes from an abundance of people and for people who are many around you. He comes by himself, Go brings him to you, If you communicate with Go, Hear his whisper, Pass his whisper to others...

From the book Knife Throwing Instructions author Kasyanov Tadeush Rafailovich

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From the book Knife Throwing Instructions. author Kasyanov Tadeush Rafailovich

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From the book Think and Win: The Go Game for Beginners author Grishin Igor Alekseevich

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CLASSIC SEQUENCES - JOSEKI The art of form is reflected in the theory of joseki, or the theory of "equal result". In Chinese game theory Japanese word joseki is replaced by another term - dinshi, which means "to determine the form." Usually joseki

Probably, many people thought about how to make a goban at home with minimal cost effort, money, and time. There are actually a lot of options, an impromptu goban can be made from anything, for example, from a piece of old linoleum, plywood, cardboard. But,
such gobans do not look very aesthetically pleasing, moreover, they are short-lived. Despite the fact that I am the happy owner of a board bought back in the times of the USSR, which, by the way, is perfectly preserved, I still have an obsession with making the goban myself. Unfortunately, I do not know when I will have enough time to implement this idea, but I have already decided on the goban manufacturing technology for myself and offer it to your attention.

So let's start with a list necessary tools and materials. I advise you to prepare everything in advance, so that later you do not run around the apartment in search of the most elementary tools and do not come up with a new use for household items.

Materials and tools needed for work:

1. MDF fibreboard.

Dry-process fibreboard: MDF (MDF - medium density fiberboard) is a material with a uniform internal structure that allows milling without chipping, hairiness, opening of internal pores and sanding with sufficient surface quality of the product. MDF boards are widely used for the manufacture of furniture parts, especially furniture embossed facades..

2. Colorless varnish good quality. You should not save on varnish, it is better to buy a small jar of expensive varnish containing polyurethane.
3. Foam brushes or a small foam roller.
4. Small skin "zero".
5. Sharp construction knife.
6. Long metal ruler. A second T-shaped ruler will also help a lot.
7. Pencil, eraser.
8. High-quality permanent black marker pen thickness 0.5mm.
9. Hairdryer.

Project for the production of works (PPR)

1. Cut out a board of the required size from our MDF board. Recommend cut circular saw- then the cuts will be even and smooth. If you plan to cut with a jigsaw, then I have to disappoint you - no matter how hard you try, the edges of the board will be uneven. Some craftsmen advise temporarily attaching a guide bar to stop the jigsaw, but this option is not suitable for us for two reasons: firstly, we do not want to spoil the board with the bar fasteners (there will be traces of the screws), and secondly, even if we fix the bar - the saw cut will still turn out to be uneven, since the course of the jigsaw file is several millimeters, and on a thin board such an error will be striking.

2. The cut blank for our goban must be carefully sanded. For sanding, we use the smallest skin "zero". To avoid too strong removal of fibers in places of pressure with your fingers - fix the skin on a small even block, or on a special grinding block. I like it when the edges of the board are sharp, so we will not process them with a file, for the same reason we only sand the end sides of the workpiece with a bar!

3. We prime the workpiece with the first layer of varnish. I repeat, we do not save on varnish, we always make sure that the varnish is with polyurethane. For a primer layer, it is advisable to add a little white spirit to the varnish - this will make the varnish more liquid and it will better saturate the board. Lacquer should be applied with a foam brush or roller. If you use a regular brush, the hairs will inevitably get on the surface of the board. If small bubbles form on the surface of the board when applying varnish, this should not scare you, the bubbles should theoretically disappear on their own, but I recommend that you dry the board a little after painting with a regular hair dryer.

4. Apply the mesh to the goban blank. To do this, with a sharpened pencil, we draw the first line along the entire perimeter of the board (we get a square). Be sure to check the corners - they must be strictly 90 degrees! The formulas proposed by Filin on the forum will help us correctly determine the size of the sides of the square Kido:

Horizontal size: 18 cells wide (d+1mm), plus (0.7d) per side

Final formula:
L horizontal=18(d+1)+0.7(d+1)+0.7(d+1)=19.4(d+1)

Vertical size: the same as horizontal, but add 3 mm already (the goban should be slightly elongated to create a visual effect of an even square)

Final formula:
Lvert.=18(d+3)+0.7(d+3)+0.7(d+3)=19.4(d+3)

d - stone diameter (measured with a caliper)


After drawing the first line, we apply all the rest, carefully monitoring the dimensions. When all the lines are drawn with a pencil, we need to outline them with a black marker (pen thickness 0.5mm). Inaccuracies, errors in the lines drawn with a marker are wiped with a sharp construction knife. After drawing the lines, do not forget to mark the star points, for this it is best to use a stencil ruler. The diameter of the dot should be within 2-3 mm, otherwise it will look too large.

5. After drawing a grid and star points with a marker, you must repeat the procedure
applying varnish 2-3 more times, each layer of varnish must be thoroughly dried. Dry the workpiece in a dry, dust-free place.

6. These are approximately the gobans obtained if you follow the above instructions:




In addition to the article, see:

Crafts from stones can be made from a variety of pebbles: construction, ordinary street, sea.

They go well with shells, pasta and other materials, but even in a pure stone version, the craft will look original and interesting. And you can take stones to create it different sizes and shapes, and most importantly, colors.

By the way, if you have multi-colored stones, you can combine them so that you don’t even have to paint the craft.

bottle of stones

An ordinary wine bottle can be turned into an original piece of decor if you decorate it with thin pebbles.

However, if you have certain skills and sharp tools, existing stones can be cut into thin plates and even give them a shape.

In addition, colorful natural material you don’t even need to paint, but even if you need colors that are not there, you can paint the stones and get a beautiful

.

For example, gouache...

It will not be waterproof, but if the craft will decorate the interior, you can opt for it.

What will be required:

  • wine bottle;
  • plasticine gray color;
  • thin plates of stones or bulk stones;
  • beads;
  • rhinestones.

So, first we take a bottle, we clean it well from dirt and dust. Of course, we remove the label in advance and the layer of glue that could remain on the surface.

You can use stone crafts both in the interior and in landscape design. After all, such beauty does not require much effort and spending money!

Go is played by two (there is an option for four players - rengo, where the allies play in the same color, a pair for a couple, as well as one-color or "white" Go, where both opponents play only white stones, relying entirely on their own memory). The game is played on a single-color board, lined with vertical and horizontal lines. The game set also includes stone chips (180 white and 181 black) and bowls for their storage. In addition to the large tournament board 19x19, the standards are the "old" board 17x17, the "etude" 13x13 and the student's 9x9. In an informal setting, players can take a board of any size - 5x5, 7x7, 11x11, etc. up to 37x37 - neither the rules nor tactics will need to be changed, although the strategy may change dramatically.


Chips in Go are traditionally referred to as "stones" (Jap. "ishi"). IN ancient China they were indeed carved from precious and ornamental stones, bones, horns, and also made from glass and ceramics. Ancient stones found in burials are almost always green and red or brown, not white and black, and their shape is cone-shaped. Stone bowls were made from ceramics, porcelain, stone, bamboo and expensive woods. The fields were often made of cloth, leather, although wooden and stone boards were also in use everywhere.


Japan is poor in minerals, and local craftsmen have found replacements for ornamental stones in the form of black basalt schist from Wakayama Prefecture and shells of the hamaguri bivalve mollusk (Meretrix lusoria) from Hyuga Shoal (although in the picture above, it seems to me, tridacna - D.S.).

A massive, very thick board-table is also becoming the standard - usually made of kai wood (nut-bearing torreia). It is in Japan that the game acquires its characteristic recognizable golden-black-and-white asceticism.



New materials led to a change in the shape of the chips, and then the entire game set. The stones, which in China were traditionally made with a flat base, in Japan became biconvex, lenticular.



Playing with such convex stones is a special skill, which also serves as an indicator of skill. There is a correct set of movements, including taking a stone from a bowl and a special interception of it with the index (bottom) and middle fingers (top), which allows you to put the stone at any point on the board with one blow without sweeping the others - such a grip and movement, according to the Japanese, resembles sword strike.


In competent execution, all this looks like one movement (Japanese tradition generally pays a lot of attention correct sequence actions, whether it be a tea ceremony, martial arts or Go). A confident, practiced blow with a stone forms a small hole on the goban, in which it remains to stand (the trick is that the kai wood is elastic, and after a while the hole straightens itself out).

The main cost of an elite set for Go is white stones, bowls and goban (basalt costs almost nothing, except for the work of a stone cutter).
Stones are classified by thickness into 7 types - the thicker, the more expensive. The diameter of the black stones is half a millimeter larger than the white ones, since the black color visually reduces the size of the object, and the white stones look slightly larger with equal sizes. In addition, white stones are sorted according to the pattern of mother-of-pearl layers: straight “yuki” are most valued, then evenly curved “tsuki”, and finally, asymmetric “jitsuyo”. On one side of the stone from the shell, the pattern is usually denser, on the other - sparse. Curiously, this Japanese tradition, in turn, influenced China - among the local stones, opal stones are especially valued, whose striped structure resembles a shell. Elite Chinese sets can be extremely beautiful, although these slippery stones are difficult to play with.



However, in China, stones are still made in which one side is convex and the other is flat. Classic material for black stones it is viscous glass like smalt, and for white stones it is translucent artificial marble yunzi; such stones are greenish-black and milky-white in the light.The material for this composite comes from Yunnan province, and the recipe is kept secret. The process of making stones, which the locals called "fused dry stone", dates back to the Tang Dynasty, in the 20s of the pastcentury was lost and rediscovered only in the 60s.

You have to be more careful when playing with them. strong blow stress on flat base is distributed unevenly (the finger presses on the center, and the blow falls on the edge), and the stone may crack. The stones are coated with a special mineral oil that adds shine and depth to the matte surface (our people recommend TNK or Johnson's Baby). The stones in the sets can vary slightly in size, which, however, also gives them a certain charm: the aesthetics of Go implies a harmonious balance between the complete similarity of the stones in the set andbarely noticeable differences between each of them individually.
Since the 40s of the XX century, Korea has invaded the Japanese market with faience and viscous glass stones, so successful that Japan completely curtailed its own production of cheap stones, preferring to buy Korean ones for club needs.

Finally, at the beginning of the 21st century, the Taiwanese standard, the so-called. "Inga stones" made of hard rubber - super-vulcanized rubber with a metal weighting core, slightly flattened from the "poles" for better stability, and although they do not look so chic, convenience, strength and low price more than compensate for the shortcomings. Chinese stones are slightly larger in diameter than Japanese and Korean ones, and those, in turn, are larger than Ing ones.
Bowls are traditionally made from rare woods. Antique Chinese cylindrical bowls with flat lids.


In a later tradition, the bowls become barrel-shaped, in the form of an oblate ball. It is customary to put cut stones into a convex inverted lid.


Japanese bowls are not so steep and slightly conical: their base is slightly wider than the top.Along with classic wooden and souvenir stone and lacquer bowls, there are wicker bowls - made of straw or bamboo, and in Lately and plastic.



When playing according to the rules of Inga, where the total number of stones is important, special bowls are used with a movable measuring mechanism in the lid, which allows you to instantly determine whether all the stones are in place or several are missing: they are easy to distinguish by their characteristic hexagonal shape.

The traditional Japanese goban is still lined with a samurai katana - the master makes a series of parallel cuts into which he rubs very thick paint, after which the surface is polished, so the markings of Japanese gobans are always embossed, "mortise" (photo on the left), and Korean and Chinese - flat, smooth (right).

Stones and gobans of old work are very much appreciated, since recently kaya and hamaguri have become endangered species, and gobans are increasingly being made from other types of wood (spruce, beech, maple), which in Japan are called the collective name "shin kaya" - "new kaya ". However, any goban still remains a piece goods, which not everyone can afford, so most players are content with thin boards or bamboo consumer goods.


Stones today are made from the shells of the same mollusk, only from the coast of Mexico (moreover, even here the craftsmen complain that the quality of Mexican shells is much lower than Japanese ones).


All three countries produce portable Go kits made of plastic with built-in magnets and a sheet rubber field of any size and price category - from pocket ones to large wall-mounted, demonstration ones.
Recently, special relief boards have also been produced, which can be played by blind players and people with impaired vision. At the same time, black stones are smooth, while white ones have embossed marks.


Previously, ordinary chess clocks were used to control time in Go. The player is given a certain period of time for the game, after which the so-called"beyomi": 30 seconds are given for each next move . The player has 5 such gaps, so he can let the flag fall 4 times (that is, overstay the time), on the fifth time the time expires and the game is considered lost. As long as the player spends less than 30 seconds on each move and presses the button in time, he can play virtually endlessly. It is customary to press the button with the same hand with which the player places the stone (the clock is on one side of the board, and one player will have an advantage in time if he gets into the habit of placing stones with one hand and hitting the clock with the other).
Today, tournaments usually use"speaking" electronic clock of the Inga system (in the picture, these are similar to a car), with a voice warning function: when the player has the last 10 seconds left, a voice countdown begins: this tradition comes from the control generally accepted in professional Go, when moves are recorded for the player and his assistant switches the clock (he also warns in a voice that the time is running out).

Rules of the game

If the game is not on handicap, the first move in Go is made by black. This is an old Eastern tradition, according to which the black color of the attackers symbolizes aggressive, bad intentions. The traditional drawing of color is called "nigiri" (from the Japanese "kolobok", "lump") and is based on the game of even-odd.

The player who got the bowl with white takes a handful of stones at random and places them on the board at once, at the same time the player with black places one or two stones next to each other. If black guesses the parity of the stones laid out by the opponent, he is given the right to choose a color, if not, this right passes to the partner.

The first move is usually made to the upper right corner of the board (opponent's left corner) - this "move to the heart" symbolizes the good intentions of the beginner. This is a completely optional old rule, but most players traditionally adhere to it. Next, the players take turns placing a stone on any crossroads of the board, trying to build “walls” and enclose as many empty crossroads as possible on the board. Two stones cannot be placed in one move, but a player can pass at any time - such a pass is also considered a move. A stone put on the board does not move any more and can only be cut down and removed from the board if the enemy surrounds it from all four sides with his stones or presses it against the wall.

At the core gameplay Go is based on three simple principles:


Since the stones in Go are placed not in cells, but at the crossroads of lines, each stone, when placed, borders on a maximum of four free adjacent intersections (on the edge of the board - with three, in the corner - with two). There are no diagonal joints in Go. As long as a stone or a group of stones has contact with at least one free intersection, the stone or group "live", as soon as all contacts are blocked by the opponent's stones or the edge of the board, they "die" and are immediately removed from the board. In Japanese, each such free crosshair next to the stone is called "dame" ("breath"). Putting a stone at a point that does not have "breaths" is prohibited. The environment is the basis of Go, but in fact it is a tactical technique, a threat, a pressure mechanism, and not the goal of the game at all, although it happens that a large group dies surrounded by the enemy (as a rule, when playing equal players, this promises a loss).

2) Building a Fortress.

The stone put on the board does not move anymore (it can only be cut down and removed) and can avoid the environment in the only way - to develop into a large unkillable group. Combined stones can only be destroyed by surrounding them all at once. Each added allied stone increases such a group, it grows, grows loops, tentacles, takes up defensive positions, counterattacks and, if possible, forms closed voids inside itself (the so-called “eyes”), consisting of unoccupied points. An "eye" can have many empty intersections, but if there are no solid separating walls inside it, it still counts as one "eye". A group that has two or more "eyes" cannot die: if the enemy tries to occupy one, such a group has the second, and since "suicidal" moves are prohibited, the enemy as a result cannot attack it at all, even if it surrounds from all sides and lean against the wall. Such an "immortal" group of stones is called a Fortress. The figure shows typical formations in the corners of the board: two double-eyed Black Fortresses (on the left) and one white Fortress (on the right).

3) The division of the territory.

When so many Strongholds form on the board that their walls are touching, and there is no place to build new ones, the opponents actually divide the remaining empty space. This space can be small "eyes" in 2-3 intersections inside the fortresses, winding "corridors" and large "bags" at different ends of the board, as well as huge possessions (Jap. any invasion (the fact is that it is not enough to fence the territory, you need to protect it, otherwise the enemy will land troops, build a fortress inside, and the points will go to him).
At the end, the game breaks up into areas that no longer affect each other. There are no large weak groups that are in danger. This is followed by the filling of neutral points, the exchange of captive stones and the scoring, which determines the winner. Each unoccupied point surrounded by the player brings him 1 point, each captured and killed enemy stone also gives 1 point.
There are situations when two or more groups of stones remain "live" in a state where none of the opponents can make a move on this "section of the front" without fear of being destroyed. Such a situation in Japanese is called “seki” (“barrier”, in the figure on the left), when counting, all the stones in this part of the board are considered live, and the points are drawn.

An amusing controversial moment may arise in the game in the form of a mutual capture of a stone or a group of stones (in Japanese, "ko" - "eternity"; in the figure below). The rules forbid such repeated captures, otherwise they will continue until the stones run out. The player in such a situation can cut down the opponent's stone only after one move, which he must make to any other point on the board, or pass. The enemy must do the same. Co-fighting is a complex tactic when both players choose for "distracting" moves dangerous for the opponent (co-threats), to which he willy-nilly is obliged to respond. In some cases, life depends on the outcome of the ko-fight large groups, but more often this happens at the end of the game, when there is no big advantage and there is a struggle for every point.

The Japanese and Chinese Go rules are slightly different from each other, but the differences relate mainly to scoring and some controversial points. After 1960, several new sets of rules appeared: the AGA (American Go Association) rules, the Ing rules and the simplified Ing rules, New Zealand, as well as the Tromp-Taylor rules. All of them are based on the Chinese scoring system and are characterized by some game subtleties (say, Ing's rules allow "suicidal" moves, which can change the situation when playing some groups).

Previously, only numerical notation was used to indicate moves (13-8, 2-6, etc.), today “chess”, alphanumeric notation is more often used: numbers from 1 to 19 - along the vertical of the board and letters of the Latin alphabet from “a ” to “t” horizontally (however, there is no “i” in this row to avoid confusion due to its similarity to “j”). The graphic record of the game (jap. "kifu") looks like a lined diagram of the board, on which moves are depicted in black and white circles, indicating the number of each.

The circles may not be drawn, in which case the players simply write down their moves and the moves of the opponent with ink of different colors. Both Renju and Go have continuous numbering of moves, that is, the first move (black) is marked as No. 1, the second move (White) - No. 2, etc. No erasures are allowed; if a stone is placed in the place of a cut stone, a mark is made at the bottom of the sheet, say: “123=30” (i.e. move No. 123 is made where stone No. 30 appears on the diagram). Masters and connoisseurs read kifu very quickly, but for a novice player this is a very difficult task, and it is not difficult to understand the very order of moves - the system is intuitively simple, it is more difficult to imagine emptiness in place of stones set later.

Since black moves first, he is considered to have an initial advantage of a few points. This problem became especially acute at the end of the 20th century with the development of Go theory and the emergence of new openings. It got to the point that only blacks began to win in tournaments of strong masters. To even out the balance, the "komidashi rule" (colloquially, "komi") was introduced in the 19th century, according to which, before the start of the game, White is compensated by 2.5 points. Because of the fractional nature of the Komi, there are no draws in Go: in any case, one player will have an extra half point; A draw is possible either in a student game or by mutual agreement of the players. Over time, the rules have been revised several times, and today the komi is 5.5 points in Japan, Korea and China, 6.5 in Korea (recently), 7 in New Zealand and 7.5 in Taiwan, where according to the rules of Ing. “Free komi” is also practiced, when players arrange a kind of “trade” before the game, increasing the size of the komi in turn, until the opponent agrees. The catch is that the player who offered the highest compensation accepted then plays black.

At the board in Go, a master and a novice player can easily converge. To equalize their chances and make the game harmonious, the handicap that a strong player gives to a weak one is called upon. The simplest is the refusal of a handicap, when a strong player plays white with half-point comei or even with a reverse, minus comei. Increasing the handicap comes down to placing handicap stones (two or more). There is a classic handicap, when the stones are placed in strictly defined “star” points, and a free handicap (colloquially “Chinese”), when a strong player gives a weak player several moves forward, while he himself passes each time. An experienced player usually knows his strength and can calculate how many handicap stones to ask a strong player or give to a weak one in order to play on equal terms.
With such rules, it's hard to believe that Go is considered the most difficult game in the world. The general principles and tactics of Go are simple and uncomplicated, but require constant rethinking in the course of the game. There are no figures in Go, one stone is no different from another, only the place it occupies and the shape that the stones form matters. However, in their collision and interaction, a complex architecture is revealed. Assessing the individual and combined potential of one’s own and others’ formations, revealing and realizing it and preventing the enemy from doing it, setting priorities for attacking, defending and capturing new territories are the most difficult tasks in themselves, and, in addition, they also have to be solved simultaneously.

In such conditions, everyone chooses a strategy “by growth” for themselves: beginners start chasing individual stones, more experienced players build outposts, make sorties and start local battles, but real masters think in larger categories than a banal fight in a corner or capturing a single chip, and already at the initial stage they begin global strategic planning. Basically, Go is a game of kingdom building, where everyone builds castles, draws boundaries, and eventually grabs as much "land" as they can.

Unlike chess or checkers, there are no established “winning scenarios” in Go that allow you to play according to the scheme. The level of high creativity, tactical improvisation, which in chess is available only to true masters, a Go player learns already at the stage of catching his very first pebble. Calculation, of course, is also important, but the true understanding of Go lies on the border between conscious and subconscious perception. In the famous anime "Hikaru and Go" there is a scene when the boy is perplexed: "I won! How did I do it?..”

Even in ancient times, during the To dynasty, the top-ranking Chinese official Osekinin formulated the Ten Commandments of Go, which convey the essence of the teaching. These commandments have not lost their relevance to our days; they are:

1. "He who strives too hard for victory will not win."

2. "If you invaded the enemy's sphere of influence, be more lenient."

3. "Before you attack, look at yourself."

5. "Give a little, take a big one."

6. "If danger threatens, don't hesitate to give."

7. "Restrain, do not scatter."

8. "When the enemy attacks, be sure to answer."

9. "If the enemy has strengthened, strengthen yourself."

10. "If you are hopelessly isolated, choose a peaceful path."

First, the players divide the territory in the corners of the board, then on the sides, and only after that - the center (no one divides the sky without first dividing the earth). It is very important to recognize when one phase of the game replaces another, to catch the moment when the draft section is over and the groups have gained strength - such a player intercepts the pace (according to Japanese terminology - “gets a sente”) and, with the first move to free territory, will stake new possessions behind him. It is incredibly important to understand to what extent you can give in to the onslaught of the opponent, and when it is necessary to resist: an abandoned, unfinished situation in a corner or on the side is fraught with the loss of a group or even a fortress, or even an entire possession.

I will describe a case from my practice. I taught a ten-year-old girl who could not grasp the principles of Go and instead of redistributing spheres of influence, arranged endless tactical fights. Imagine, I told her, that there is a delicious cake from which a piece has been cut off for you. You ate some and suddenly saw how your rival climbs into your saucer with a spoon and steals pieces. How to fix the situation? The first answer was, of course, to protect your piece, the second was to eat off a piece of your girlfriend in revenge ... But to cut off another one from the cake big piece it never crossed her mind!
The analogy worked. Indeed, to divide, not to quarrel - this is the principle of Go. Sooner or later, the player realizes that he is losing because of the desire to take the apple core from his opponent. Mastery comes with a deep understanding of the general nature of harmonious constructions, skills of development, optimization of efforts, planning and arrangement, which ultimately extend to any life situation. And when the players begin to share the “basket of apples”, and by the end of the game there are only “apples” on the board, not cores, and the difference is half a gram, this is Go. As a consequence, where chess ultimately produces a kshatriya, an uncompromising fighter and commander, Go brings up a wise ruler and organizer.
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(c) Dmitry Skyryuk