All Things Go

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: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.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
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: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com
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.

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: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com

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: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com

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: AllThingsGoGame@gmail.com