Go Stones
Masters Games recommends avoiding plastic stones, if possible. You can play the game with them but you'll miss the experience!
All Go stones on this page are the standard size for Japanese equipment - around 21.5 - 22mm diameter. There should be approximately 180 stones of each colour in each set. All decent sets have slightly bigger black stones than white.
Glass Stones
For basic sets, glass stones provide an adequate feel and 'click' nicely when being played onto the board.
The disadvantage is that they may have the odd imperfection, the thickness varies slightly and they are more easily chipped than clamshell and slate stones.
None-the-less, they represent excellent value for money and will suit many people just fine. There are two versions with heights approx. 9mm or approx. 10mm. This product contains small parts that represent a choking hazard for small children. Not suitable for children under 5 years old.
Click on the picture to enlarge.
Change to $  Change to  |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Glass Go Stones (9mm approx.) |
£24.60 | £28.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Glass Go Stones (10mm approx.) |
£25.45 | £29.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Clamshell and Slate Stones
For
people wishing to play with the genuine article and succumb to the full
Go experience, only clamshell and slate stones will do. Their weight,
colour, the pleasant feel and the grain of the shell are all highly aesthetically
pleasing.
The black stones sold by us are made from Nachiguro slate minded in Wakayama prefecture. The white stones are made from the shells of Clams harvested near Lower California, Mexico. The thickness and grain pattern of the clamshell determines the price of the set but these aspects are purely subjective and a matter of personal preference.
All these stones come wrapped in neat Japanese 'de luxe' cardboard boxes.
Pictured are Jitsuyo stones. This product contains small parts that represent a choking hazard for small children. Not suitable for children under 5 years old.
Click on the picture to enlarge.
Jitsuyo stones are made from clamshell with an irregular grain which has a slightly more 'natural' look and which is not as clear as the Yuki variety. They are generally preferred by Europeans.
| Change to $ Change to |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Jitsuyo 6.5mm |
£66.30 | £77.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Jitsuyo 8.0mm |
£119.06 | £139.90 | 2 + transit time | Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: 10/07/2008. Email us to be notified when new stock is available. | |
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Jitsuyo 8.4mm |
£136.09 | £159.90 | 2 + transit time | Apologies - out of stock. Date new stock due: 10/07/2008. Email us to be notified when new stock is available. | |
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Jitsuyo 8.8mm |
£159.06 | £186.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Jitsuyo 9.2mm |
£182.04 | £213.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Jitsuyo 9.5mm |
£204.17 | £239.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
Yuki stones are made from what the Japanese consider to be the highest quality clamshell. The grain is clearer and more regular than the Jitsuyo stones.
| Change to $ Change to |
UK pounds (ex.VAT) |
Pounds (incl. VAT) |
Typical ETA in wkg days |
Add to basket |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Slate and Shell Go Stones - Yuki 8.4mm |
£321.62 | £377.90 | 2 + transit time | ||
For an immediate quote and ETA, add to the basket & select your location. |
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The Origin of Go
Wei Qi (also spelt Wei-Ch'i) as it's known in China, Baduk (Paduk or Pa-dok) as it's known in Korea or Go, as it is known in Japan and generally in the West, is considered by most Oriental game experts to be the worlds greatest strategic skill game, far surpassing Chess in it's complexity and scope. Wei-Ch'i means "surrounding game" or "surrounding chess" and the object is simply to capture territory by placing down counters on the board.
Wei Qi is the most perfect of board games from several perspectives. Of all the serious board games, Go has the fewest rules and yet, the game itself is is the most intellectually challenging. No computer program has yet been written which has been able to compete with the best Go players. The mathematical elegance of the rules is complemented by the great beauty of the boards and stones - of all board games in the world, Go has been raised by the Japanese to a pinnacle of aesthetic beauty.
According to Chinese history, Wei-Ch'i was invented by Emperor Shun (2255 - 2206 BC) to help develop the intelligence of his son, Shokin. A alternative version attributes the invention of Go to U, who lived during the reign of Emperor Kieh Kwei several hundred years later. Under non-Chinese history, it is thought more likely that the game originated in central Asia from where it spread eastwards through Nepal and Tibet to China.
The Go board can either be a flat table board or the more traditional floor-board with legs (Go-ban). The wood used, the quality of the grain and how the grain is oriented is of prime importance. Most common are Itame boards in which the grain is bent or irregular. Better boards are Masame which means the grain runs straight across the top of the board. Best of all are Tenmasa Masame boards that have grain running from bottom to top as well as straight across the top.
The best Go stones are made of slate and clamshell and the quality and the grain on the clamshell matters. There are two grades of Go stone based on the white pieces, Yuki - snow white and jitusyo - ordinary. The thickness of the stones varies according to personal taste. There is a knack to playing a stone - it should be held between the index and middle fingers and placed with an audible click. The Go bowls which hold the stones should also be of good quality wood with straight grain.
You can learn more about the History of Go from The Online Guide to Traditional Games.