Hello

Trying to decide between these to boards.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000Y94K30/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&m=A39SD9LCF1K5LH

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000JMD5NI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&m=A39SD9LCF1K5LH

At this price level does it purely come down to preference.

For the stones i am looking at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001FHSAGI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?ie=UTF8&m=A39SD9LCF1K5LH

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0026KAIDG/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=A39SD9LCF1K5LH


I am concerned that the Single Convex stones will be difficult to pick up.


Andrew

I'd choose the first (shin kaya) board and the double convex stones. It's a matter of personal preference but the shin kaya is softer than the laminated bamboo and I like the color and appearance better. For me the double convex stones are easier to pick up and, I think, look nicer on the board, again personal preference.

Agreed that it depends on how you are going to use it.

Personally, I love the golden color of the YMImports Shin-Kaya (Tibetan Spruce) board and the thickness is decent; not too thin and not *too* thick for taking somewhere (though for portability, I'd get a folding, slotted, or magnetic-join board).

The stones/bowls you've chosen are one of the least expensive way to get bowls, though those stones are plastic. You may want to try separate bowls.

On the price of board you're looking at, Yunzi or glass seem like a very good way to go.

Advantages of single convex: can use upside down for demo/alternate scenarios in teaching, more stable on board, Chinese standard

Advantages of double convex: more aesthetically balanced, Japanese and (I think) Korean standard, easier to capture (pick up three at a time)

If you want to just "get by" with bowls, any lidded container about 0.6L or so will likely fit those size stones.

I own many sets of the "Hi-tech" double convex stones from YMImports (our club standard), and I've played with the double convex Yunzi from YMImports, and own a set of Korean 10mm. My preference is in the order listed, though I'll probably get a slightly thinner (9.5-9.8mm) glass set at some point.

And of course, I agree with other responses, this is personal preference.

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I have the bamboo board, and I like it. Mine is a bit darker than the pictures. I dislike the yellow boards because where I grew up, people revarnished furniture with a sick looking yellow when they didn't have so much money. So, it is your personal preference. Have you played different thicknesses in real life?

I disagree about personal preference as far as the board is concerened. Though some may consider the bamboo board more beautiful or what not, you stand a good chance of the board warping. I have heard any such accounts. Also its freaking heavy.

As for the stones, do you need bowls more or nice stones more. I think having the bowls is nice, but the yunzi stones are pretty sweet too. I don't know if ymiimports is a potential retailer for you but check these out.

Full set: http://www.ymimports.com/p-1591-bamboo- ... bowls.aspx

Higher Quality full set : http://www.ymimports.com/p-1480-shin-ka ... sible.aspx

One reason why single convex stones is sometimes preferred by beginners is because they make studying go problems easier.
You can mark the moves you made by flipping over the stones. Then you can take off the flipped stones and easily try other variations. It makes it easier for beginners to study when their reading ability is still at a low level.

When you find yourself much more interested in go, you can start lusting after some of the beautiful equipment shown in the go sightings section of my blog

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A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

Go is a game in which, as Kajiwara says, you put your soul into every move. You should not have to pick up stones very often. Play them once, play them right, and when your opponent resigns you can sweep them off the board en masse.

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Thanks for all the replies, i am looking at the above set. Have asked YMI for the shipping cost to the uk. YMI dont have there full range on amazon uk.


I like the set at the top of the home page lovely bowls

That's a good all-around first set that should last you a long time.

Personally I prefer glass over yunzi and would look for some glass stones.

Our go clubs has a range of boards and stones - some from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Yunzi-Single-Co ... 775&sr=1-2

One member, far more experienced than I prefers these single convex yunzi:

The glass stones do "reflect light and tire the eyes" (his words). Yunzi feel cold in summer and hot in winter. The single convex stones make a nice snap.

I think everyone has made good points--however, it does come down to preference, tempered with utility. It all depends on your needs--whether you are planning to take your new set to a coffee shop, bring to a club, study at home, etc. I own bamboo, katsura, and agathis boards, with biconvex glass stones of varying heights, as well as single convex Yunzi--I choose depending on location and purpose. If I am schlepping to a club, I want to travel lighter, and so would favor a thinner board, preferably made with harder wood that can take a knock or two (either the 3/4" bamboo or the 15mm folding katsura will do). The agathis board stays at home, given its size (2 1/4") and the softness of the wood; from the experience of others I have learned that shin-kaya is also soft, so extra care has to be taken with this wood as well. The choice of board then determines the stones, as the playing grid size varies depending on the country of origin (Japanese is the smallest, next comes Korean, and the Chinese is the largest) and in order for the stones not to be too crowded or look too lonely you should really match them by size to the grid. Japanese stones are usually 21.0-21.5mm in width, Korean stones are 22.0mm, and single-sided Yunzi are 23.0mm; the "exception" to the country-match rule are double-convex Yunzi, which are usually sized a bit smaller so they can fit Japanese or Korean boards. Similarly, YMI carries Chinese shin-kaya boards with Japanese sized grids, so you shouldn't use single-sided Yunzi with these boards. The YMI bamboo boards are Chinese gridded, however, so if you were to get a bamboo board I would strongly suggest single-convex Yunzi in the "large" size (i.e. size 5) for a comfortable fit. As others have mentioned, single-sided is really quite convenient for running through variations (either from a book or when doing a post-game review with others) by flipping the stones over to indicate they are "temporarily placed." If you do get single-sided Yunzi, I would also heartily recommend considering the "jade Yunzi" stones (the "white" stones have a distinct light green hue to them, complementing the dark, dark green of the "black" stones) as they really look cool on bamboo or shin-kaya--plus they are "easy on the eyes" compared with the usual stark white glass or Yunzi. This brings me to my last point--if you are primarily using the equipment in an area with overhead lighting (i.e a library, coffehouse, etc.) I would favor a board and stones that are matte or with low reflectivity, otherwise the glare becomes a major distraction for you and your opponent. Here I would favor Yuniz over glass (or even shell & slate) because both the white and black stones are non-reflective; additionally, my YMI bamboo board has a matte finish, as did the shin-kaya boards (also from YMI) that I have played with at the local club. My Japanese katsura board is even less reflective, as it has nothing but a light linseed-oil finish, and I've heard this minimal finish (wax or oil only) holds for all Japanese boards; however, my Korean board is highly-reflective, given its lacquered surface, so it is best staying in my living room with more indirect light. Sorry to go on like this--thanks for your time and attention, and I hope something I've said is actually helpful!!

I got double-convex and single-convex Yunzi stones recently with shin-kaya board.

I like the double-convex stones more, even though there is a lot to be said for single-convex ones. I own glass stones; I prefer Yunzi. It feels nicer in one's hand (the same goes for double- vs. single-convex).

In my experience, shin kaya feels softer and nicer to put stones on.

I prefer slate and shell on kaya. Shell is swell.

But for my first set when I was a beginner, I bought a cheap ceramic single convex Chinese set.
Therefore if I were to buy my first set again as a beginner, and if I were living in the US, I'd probably pick a cheap set like this YMI one

http://www.ymimports.com/p-1538-beechwo ... tones.aspx

The idea is to play and study with the cheap set and save up for the really good sets from a place like Kurokigoishi

Since you seem to be in the UK, perhaps you might want to check the list of UK retailers listed on the British Go Association site.

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A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

What are your thoughts on folding boards versus solid boards? I'm thinking of purchasing the following from YM Imports:

http://www.ymimports.com/p-1520-shin-ka ... leeve.aspx

My concern is with storage as much as portability. Do you prefer folding over a slotted or magnetic join design?

Thanks!

I'd prefer solid to folding, and slotted to hinged. I just prefer go boards without metal parts which might rust or deteriorate over time.

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http://tchan001.wordpress.com
A blog on Asian go books, go sightings, and interesting tidbits
Go is such a beautiful game.

I also prefer slotted. In my experience, slotted boards join more smoothly, while hinged boards are bit more likely to develop a ridge in the middle (thought it can develop on slotted boards too). Others' experiences may vary.

Its all very helpful, thanks for taking the time to write it.



I did look at http://www.pentanglepuzzles.co.uk/index.html but they seamed expensive.


Thanks for all the new replies, waiting on YMI for shipping costs.

Andrew

Yes, yes it is personal preference. I would never buy a Shin Kaya board, because it looks ugly to me. The bamboo maybe will warp over decades or something, I have had it for more than 6 years and its still super straight. Just don't put it in a basement. The heaviness doesn't bother me.

Just how it is personal preference that I have super thick stones. I have big hands. Small ones are tough for me to navigate.

Oh, another thought just occurred to me! I forgot to mention another option you might have overlooked at YMI: a wooden combination go/chess board that separates in the middle, and is held together with magnets (http://www.ymimports.com/p-1562-wooden-go-and-chess-combo-set.aspx). This is a full-sized set for either go or chess, with wood chess pieces (made in Poland of hornbeam wood) and biconvex Yunzi stones, 9.2mm in height (size 33). I don't know what wood the board is made of, but since this is designed for travel perhaps it doesn't matter

Ironically, I had seen this set on the web at an English website (http://www.thetradingcentre.co.uk/products.asp?recnumber=425) and forwarded the link to Pong (the owner of YMI) to see if he would be interested in carrying something similar, and one year later--viola! From what I can tell, the differences are that the YMI version has black and natural chess squares, the Trading Centre has brown, and the YMI gives you bigger Yunzi stones, the Trading Centre 8mm glass. (For anyone who is curious, the board is also available separately, again from a UK website: http://www.spiritgames.co.uk/classin.php?UniqueNo=640.

You might find this option appealing, and given shipping, "Buying British" might be the cheaper way! HTH,