Don't Go Broke

I was in the middle of typing up “Guide to Go Equipment for Beginners,” when I realized it’s probably more important that I first clarify the issue of your Go budget. You don’t want to go broke (or worse… into debt) buying up all the Go books and equipment you think you might need.

In other words, unless your bathroom is equipped with the following…

Source: California Literary Review

Make sure you read this before buying anything else.

Many of you will think that the most important thing to getting better at Go is learning joseki and all the various theories. And the fact of the matter is, you are wrong. As odd as that sounds, it’s critical that you realize that the most important aspect to starting off your journey to Go is: money.

I know I know… we all hate talking about money. And I know this is not a financial advice blog, but I have to warn all players getting into Go that if you are not careful you will spend a LOT of cash. That’s why I’m devoting a large number of posts solely to ensure that none of you fall into that trap. Let’s face it, I don’t care how much you love Go, but if you end up in debt because of it… I’m pretty sure you’ll have more things to worry about then knowing whether your stones are alive or dead or whether the 3-3 point is a better opening move than the 4-4 star.

The fact is when it comes to getting yourself equipped with Go arsenal, you better know how much you’re able to spend. Secondly, you want to make sure that the equipment you get is actually solid quality and will last a while. (There are tons of terrible Go equipment out there). To address financial situations across the board, I’ll be creating guides for each one of you so that you’ll get the right equipment at the right price.

Also, it is important that I mention that these guides DO NOT apply to those with a large budget looking to also collect Go boards and stones for ornamental purposes as well. These guides are purely designed to give players quality and proper Go equipment which is in their price range while keeping in mind the type of player they want to be.

If you are curious which type of player you are, here’s a brief explanation:

  • Casual Player - just looking to play at clubs and with friends (aka not too competitive)
  • Serious Player - looking to play pretty well but not planning on devoting a huge amount of time
  • Hardcore Player - looking to aim for the highest rank possible and compete
    So be on the lookout for the following guides:

  • Go Equipment for the Casual Player

    • The “Don’t Want to Invest in Anything Yet” Budget
    • The $50 and Below Budget
    • The $100 Budget
    • The $250 Budget
  • Go Equipment for the Serious Player
  • Go Equipment for the Hardcore Player
    • The $100 Budget
    • The $250 Budget
    • The “Unlimited Resource” Budget

Note: If there is a budget you’d like me to address that I forgot about, please let me know!