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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 At sixteen, Tang Tianyuan left school and moved to Beijing to train as a professional Go player. He looks back on the long days inside a Chinese Go dojo, repeated attempts to qualify, and finally earning professional status in 2020. He also shares how he thinks about direction of play and why he has gravitated toward teaching and commentary. Tang also explains why he suspected AI assistance during games against another online Go creator, and why he decided to speak publicly. In a closing segment, Eric (Jobless Baduk) talks about returning to Go and creating BadukTeacher.com, which connects students with Asian Go teachers through real-time translation. ResourcesBadukTeacher.com — Eric's platform for Go lessons with real-time translation. promo code ALLTHINGSGO2026 which gives 20% off to both new & old students from Oct 25 – Nov 30, 2026 only.Tang Tianyuan's teaching profile — Tang's background and lessons.Tang Tianyuan on Bilibili — His Go commentary and live streams.Tang's introduction on Reddit — Connecting with Go players internationally.SmartGo One — Episode sponsor.BadukPop — Episode sponsor. Full transcript, episode notes, and more: https://allthingsgogame.com/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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. Recent updates include direct OGS support, plus a new feature that can turn a photo of a Go board or book diagram into an SGF file. You can also read the Go books Relentless and Shape Up! for free inside the app. Find SmartGo One in the App Store or at SmartGo.com.

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 Travis explores two very different sides of what makes Go endure. First, game designer and researcher Cameron Browne shares ideas from his written interview about the history and evolution of games, the Digital Ludeme Project, why Go may sit in a rare strategic sweet spot, what he learned while designing the three-dimensional Go variant Margo, and why superhuman AI does not make human play less meaningful. The second half turns to the physical side of the game with Kuroki, a Japanese Go-equipment artisan who works for Mitsuishi, the company behind Kuroki Goishiten, and who asked to be identified by family name only. He explains how traditional clamshell stones are made, why black stones are slightly larger than white, how kaya boards age, what grain and tachi-mori grid lines can reveal about an old board, when restoration is worthwhile, and what owners should avoid doing if they inherit traditional Go equipment. ResourcesCameron Browne - Game design, research, publications, and projects.Digital Ludeme Project - Research into modeling and reconstructing traditional games.Ludii Portal - Playable database and general game system developed from the project.Margo - Cameron's three-dimensional Go-inspired game.Gonnect - A connection game combining ideas from Go and Hex.Kuroki Goishiten - Traditional Go stones, boards, bowls, and equipment from Japan.The Tale Behind the Go Stones of Kuroki Goishiten - Background on Hyuga clamshell stones and Go-stone production.How to Choose a Go Board - Guide to Go-board materials, grain, and construction.The Art of Board Making with Naoki Kumasu - Related All Things Go episode on traditional Japanese Go-board making. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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. Recent updates include direct OGS support, plus a new feature that can turn a photo of a Go board or book diagram into an SGF file. You can also read the Go books Relentless and Shape Up! for free inside the app. Find SmartGo One in the App Store or at SmartGo.com.

Travis closes the five-part New to Go? series with a practical look at how to make Go a sustainable part of your life. He discusses finding teachers and useful feedback, building community in ways that fit your personality and schedule, deciding what you actually want from the game, handling plateaus without letting rank define your progress, and learning to appreciate Go beyond wins and losses. The episode ends with a reminder that a long-term relationship with Go can change over time: periods of intense study, casual play, breaks, and returns can all be part of the same journey. This is the fifth and final episode in the five-part New to Go? beginner series. Full transcript, episode notes, and more: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Show your support here Email: [email protected]

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 Gunnar Dickfeld, the publisher behind BOARD N'STONES, joins Travis for a wide-ranging conversation about how Go books get made and why he has spent more than two decades bringing Go literature to German- and English-speaking readers. Gunnar traces his path from discovering Go as a teenager and studying Sinology to teaching beginners, writing his first books, and eventually building a small publishing operation around the game. They talk about the practical side of publishing in a niche community: deciding which books are worth translating, working across Japanese, Chinese, Korean, German, and English, navigating licensing, and knowing when a project simply is not worth pursuing. Gunnar also discusses recent titles including Ueno Asami's Play Like the Hammer Princess, Shin Jin-seo's My Go Journey, SEVEN, How to Play Go the AI Way!, and Cosmic Go. The conversation broadens into the future of Go books, the growth of digital teaching, the limits of volunteer-driven Go communities in the West, and Gunnar's view that the game itself is not the problem. What matters is the infrastructure around it: places to play, ways to learn, and communities that help people stay connected to Go. Resources BOARD N'STONES - Gunnar Dickfeld’s English-language Go publishing catalog, including books on professional games, AI, tsumego, Go history, and instruction.Play Like the Hammer Princess - Ueno Asami’s book on fighting Go and attacking large groups, whose English edition led Travis to discover Gunnar’s work.My Go Journey - Shin Jin-seo’s personal account of his development as a Go player, including commentary on games from his remarkable Nongshim Cup run.How to Play Go the AI Way! - Yamada Shinji’s introduction to modern AI-influenced Go, which Gunnar discusses as one of the books he is particularly proud to have published.Cosmic Go - Takemiya Masaki’s classic exploration of his center-oriented “cosmic” style, brought back into print in English by BOARD N'STONES. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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.

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 unscripted episode, Gazza White of the Pro Go/Baduk/Weiqi podcast joins Travis for a wide-ranging look at recent professional Go. They break down the 2026 World Pair Go Championship and what makes Pair Go strategically different, check in on Shibano Toramaru's 3-2 lead over Ichiriki Ryo in Japan's Meijin title match, follow Shin Jin-seo's run to the 49th Korean Myungin final and its unusual face-to-face online format, and unpack the Kisei's league-and-stepladder system. The conversation also looks at Ueno Asami's historic promotion to Kisei League B, her "Hammer Princess" nickname and attacking style, and the challenges of following professional Go across Japan, Korea, and China. Resources World Pair Go Championship 2026 - official results and game information from the international Pair Go event discussed in the episode, won by Fujisawa Rina and Ichiriki Ryo.Pro Go / Baduk / Weiqi Podcast - Gazza White’s podcast covering professional Go tournaments, players, and news from across the international Go scene.Ueno Asami — Nihon Ki-in Profile - the official profile for Ueno Asami, including her rank, titles, career record, and recent results.Play Like the Hammer Princess - a book featuring Ueno Asami’s games and aggressive playing style, which inspired her “Hammer Princess” nickname. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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.

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: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Show your support here Email: [email protected]

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 GoGoD Online — John Fairbairn and T Mark Hall’s enormous archive of professional Go games, along with information about John’s books and historical Go research.How Strong Was Go Seigen? — John Fairbairn’s recent book examining Go Seigen through his games, opponents, and the historical context surrounding his dominance of Japanese Go.The Story of GoGoD — the history of Games of Go on Disk/Download, including how John Fairbairn and T Mark Hall built the database and preserved tens of thousands of professional game records.T Mark Hall — the British Go Association’s profile of John’s longtime GoGoD colleague, whom John credits heavily for building the database discussed in the episode. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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.

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: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Show your support here Email: [email protected]

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 Al Tang Named AGF Teacher of the Year — a profile of Al Tang, the youngest-ever American Go Foundation Teacher of the Year, including his work teaching Go to children, running camps and after-school programs, and adapting his teaching for different kinds of learners.The Kids Go Server — For learning the basics of the gameGo-General on YouTube — videos from Go-General about Go and his experience with the game. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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.

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: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Show your support here Email: [email protected]

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: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode SponsorsBadukPop - 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.

New to Go? This is the first 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 first episode, I talk about why I think Go is worth your time: as an antidote to the distractions of modern life, as a creative and personal game, and as something that can offer a lifetime of depth and discovery. This is #1 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: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Show your support here Email: [email protected]

Season 6 begins with an unscripted catch-up after the summer break. Travis reflects on the summer and the U.S. Go Congress, shares the results of a listener poll about whether the unscripted episodes should continue, and talks about how the All Things Go Discord has become a useful home for conversations and smaller ideas that do not always fit into a full episode. He also looks ahead at some of the projects taking shape for the new season, including beginner-focused content, upcoming interviews, and conversations reaching farther into the international Go community, including a recent chat with a dan-level Go player in Africa. It is a look at where the podcast has been, what has been happening behind the scenes, and what is coming next for All Things Go. Full transcript, episode notes, and more: https://allthingsgogame.com Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Show your support here Email: [email protected] Episode Sponsors 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.

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 explores how AI is reshaping elite professional Go, including the tension between standardized openings and renewed creativity. He also highlights a handmade Go mat, ancient board history, Edward Lasker’s famous extraterrestrial Go idea, community outreach, and early research on Go and cognition. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/ai-changing-professional-go-ancient-boards-research/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC AI is rewiring how the world’s best Go players think | MIT Technology ReviewDustin's posts on making awesome Go mats, first Go club experiences, and moreAdam's Grant's podcast with an astrophysicist about intelligent life in the universe (this made me think of the Edward Lasker quote about Go and intelligent life elsewhere)Cool ancient Go board historyThe All Things Go interview with Jake Kim Show your support here Email: [email protected]

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 introduces the more sustainable All Things Go Unscripted format and recounts an in-person café game with his friend Adam. He reflects on live versus correspondence Go, recording a game on OGS, playing publicly, and why the podcast will remain primarily audio-first rather than moving fully to YouTube. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/all-things-go-unscripted-in-person-go-youtube/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC The four-piece board I used at the coffee shop for my game with Adam Show your support here Email: [email protected]