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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 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.

I recently found this recording from before All Things Go officially launched. It was essentially a proof of concept: me thinking out loud about what the show might become and experimenting with some early segments. It’s rough around the edges, but I thought it would be fun to share this little time capsule from the beginning of the podcast. Full transcript, episode notes, and more: All Things Go 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. For the Season Five finale, Travis speaks with BenKyo about the mental habits that help players improve at Go. They explore move value, detachment from stones and plans, sunk-cost thinking, whole-board awareness, stronger opponents, and deliberate reading practice. Ben also considers the balance between enjoying Go casually and accepting the discomfort required for faster improvement. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/benkyo-go-improvement-move-value-psychology/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J More episodes coming after a summer break! Stay tuned and connect via the show discord server! Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC BenKyo League & Lessons - link 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. BadukTeacher.com - Book lessons with pro-level players, including top Asian pros, without any language barrier thanks to seamless real-time translation during and outside of sessions. With lessons starting at just $25, you get high-level, dojo-trained Go instruction plus the freedom to message your teacher anytime in your own language.

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 BoardKickstarter page for the Hane Board 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. BadukTeacher.com - Book lessons with pro-level players, including top Asian pros, without any language barrier thanks to seamless real-time translation during and outside of sessions. With lessons starting at just $25, you get high-level, dojo-trained Go instruction plus the freedom to message your teacher anytime in your own language.

This episode is from All Things Go, a podcast about the board game Go, also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China. In this unscripted episode, Travis announces the launch of the All Things Go Discord server and explains his hope that it will foster deeper conversations among listeners without overwhelming the larger online Go forums. He also reflects on what makes a strong Go-learning website, shares his experience commentating at the San Diego Go Championship, and reviews the Japanese film Bushido and the documentary Go Through the Dark. The episode then turns to broader questions about whether Go is truly difficult, whether players have natural limits on how far they can improve, and what makes an effective Go teacher. Travis closes by considering the idea of ethical sandbagging, in which a much stronger player secretly plays weaker opponents for educational content but resigns before taking their rating points. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/go-discord-films-natural-limits-ethical-sandbagging/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC The New All Things Go Discord ServerFilms reviews: Bushido & Go Through the DarkJohn Adulcikas's #5 go podcast on YouTube about Go being easier than you thinkR/baduk posts about a natural limit for Go ability & "Ethical Sandbagging"References to the interview I did with Professor Marc Moskowitz about Go in China 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. BadukTeacher.com - Book lessons with pro-level players, including top Asian pros, without any language barrier thanks to seamless real-time translation during and outside of sessions. With lessons starting at just $25, you get high-level, dojo-trained Go instruction plus the freedom to message your teacher anytime in your own language.

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 Gazza White about PlayGo.gg’s inaugural Battle of the Sexes tournament, which featured Shin Jin-seo, Kim Ji-seok, Choi Jeong, and Kim Eun-ji in an unusually fast double-elimination format. They discuss the quality of the event, the challenge of making professional Go engaging for Western audiences, the importance of English-language commentary and player interviews, and whether formats such as 13x13 or social-media streaming could make Go more accessible. In the second half, Nikola Tsarigradski returns to examine perceived rating quirks on the Online Go Server. He explains how format-specific ratings, player behavior, a limited pool of strong players, and previously rated bots can produce confusing results. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/playgo-battle-of-the-sexes-ogs-rating-quirks/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC PlayGo.gg's "Battle of the Sexes" Tournament YouTube replay 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. BadukTeacher.com - Book lessons with pro-level players, including top Asian pros, without any language barrier thanks to seamless real-time translation during and outside of sessions. With lessons starting at just $25, you get high-level, dojo-trained Go instruction plus the freedom to message your teacher anytime in your own language.

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 Justin, host of the Star Point podcast, about what inspired him to create an audio-first Go show and how he has sustained it for more than 100 episodes. Justin discusses his production process, the importance of consistency, the role of listener mail and Discord in shaping the show, and how he balances structure with a casual, lightly edited style. They also explore the value of Go podcasts, community participation, learning from stronger players, and helping people appreciate the game beyond rank and competition. Full transcript, related episodes, and additional resources: https://allthingsgogame.com/2026/07/27/star-point-justin-go-podcast-content-creation/ Join the All Things Go Discord community: https://discord.gg/uf3jgEAA4J Theme music by UNIVERSFIELD & background music by PodcastAC The Star Point Podcast 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. BadukTeacher.com - Book lessons with pro-level players, including top Asian pros, without any language barrier thanks to seamless real-time translation during and outside of sessions. With lessons starting at just $25, you get high-level, dojo-trained Go instruction plus the freedom to message your teacher anytime in your own language.