Distributors of Go Books, Equipment & Software
Books: The three vendors listed below have published, among them, more than 200 volumes of go instruction in English, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the aspiring Western player go player. Each offers a wide-ranging and unique inventory of books, equipment, software and accessories. Click here for a complete annotated bibliography and links to more information about these books.
- Kiseido
Publishes original English-language instructional material, including the quarterly Go World magazine; lots of equipment; original go art. Its Kiseido Digital arm offers Go World and other products on DVD.
- Slate and
Shell
A growing catalog of translated and original works, some especially for newer players.
- Yutopian
Enterprises
Publishes many translations of Asian go classics for all levels of play; lots of Chinese books; large software inventory; unique equipment and other items. An interesting art gallery.
Equipment: Go playing equipment varies widely in quality. You can get a good basic set, including board, stones and bowls for under $50, or you can spend thousands of dollars for a top-quality kaya floor board with legs, and stones made of slate and clamshell.
Getting the right equipment will make the game much more enjoyable. The "right" equipment means a board with a pleasant neutral background, and stones that are properly proportioned, neither too large nor too small for the board. Unfortunately most equipment manufactured and sold in the United States American manufacturers, does not meet this standard. For an example, look here.
Much better, comparably priced equipment is available from the American vendors listed below, who sell equipment manufactured either in Asia or in accordance with Asian standards.A number of other producers and distributors offer books and equipment for sale, including some items not available elsewhere.
- Yellow Mountain Imports -- Vendor of boards, stones, and bowls from Yunnan, China. Carries genuine Yunzi stones and a variety of boards made from kaya, shin kaya, and bamboo.
- Shodan Imports -- Importer of Japanese handmade boards and fine equipment. Offering discounts to AGA members.
- WorldWise Imports: Go Boards, Go Bowls, Full Go Sets, Travel Go and Stones in glass, wood and urea. Call their TOLL FREE number 1 (866)643-6355 with their member number and we will extend them the 10% discount on all our catalog even non Go products.
- Chessngames: A wide selection of equipment; 10% discount for AGA members! Place your order by phone and give your AGA membership number for your 10% discount.
- Mingzhou Oriental Importing Company Boards for as little as $5; wooden bowls for as little as $20. Some unusual boards, attractively priced. Create an account and see their wholesale prices (minimum order $100 to get the wholesale rate), or become an "affiliate" and create your own store where you sell things from their store at a profit. Only single convex yunzi stones available here.
- Kurokigioshi -- sometimes has outstanding deals on high quality equipment.
- Amazon Go Store Books and equipment on an Amazon-powered store site
- Korye Myengban: Very expensive Korean inlayed grid boards (yes, those four-to-six figure prices are in dollars)
- Japan Go Imports: As the name suggest, high quality Japanese equipment at reasonable prices.
- The Trading Centre This British site is the only place on the web to purchase and download Michael Reiss' Go++.
- Schaak en Go Winkel het Paard: Go vendor based in the Netherlands.
- NEMESIS Enterprises -- Bruce Wilcox's "Instant Go", NEMESIS Go Master for Windows or Macintosh, and several books that are hard to find elsewhere.
- Go-gamestore.com -- Another source for double-convex yunzi (Chinese) stones and other equipment.
- Algorithmic Artisan -- semi-precious go stones for the serious collector..
- Hilltopgo.com -- T-shirts with offbeat slogans like "Free the Handicap Nine!," as well as mugs, hats, etc. with go themes.
- GoFigure -- Featuring unique boards and matching bowls made from beech. A German company, prices are in Euros.
- Refrigerator Go -- Why not turn your refrigerator into a demo board for $30? Perfect for classrooms and after-chool programs -- lightweight, adheres to any metal surface.
- Shogun's Gallery -- Specializing in antiques from China and Japan; they also sell go equipment.
- Ki Press: Vendors of Bruce Wilcox's Go Dojo, a Windows-based computer instructional program, EZ-Go: Oriental Strategy in a Nutshell and Ego, a Windows-based computer opponent. Email brucewilcox@bigfoot for more information.
- Wings Go Club has published two books in conjunction with Yi-lun Yang, . Wings also offers free downloads of other books translated into English, but not available in print.
- Go-Mind -- The Israel Go Association's store offers a variety of books and other materials to players around the world.
- Prints for sale: High quality reproductions of six classic images.
- Prints and originals for sale: Go art collector and enthusiast Erwin Gerstorfer has a vast assortment of stunning original ukiyo-e and other works.
- GoClubsOnline: Integrated online tools for managing your club's tournaments, registrations and memberships.
- MasterGo: Searchable database of 1000's of games.
- Smart Games -- Author David Fotland offers Many Faces of Go and a joseki dictionary for PDAs.
- Smart Go: An advanced study tool: record, replay, study; print book-quality diagrams; play against the computer; study 1000's of professional games and a huge library of problems.
- The Game Supply is strictly a family oriented board game store, and we have many great quality and fairly priced games, including our nice Go game selection and supplies.
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Other Options for Buying Stuff
To find go equipment, look for shops that specialize in Asian gifts or arts and crafts. Some games stores and quality toy stores sell low-cost go sets. Look around and ask for go, baduk, or wei ch'i (weiqi).
Go books can also be found in some Asian bookstores and newsstands, although there may be few in English. Some larger U.S. bookstores carry some go books (look near the chess books). The AGA's list of go books in English will get you started on your reading.
Go software provides a decent, and very patient, opponent for beginners. See the AGA's list of go-playing computer programs for details.