This is an excellent starter Go set for the money.

Board is birch plywood measuring 11-7/8 inches square. The playing field is silk screened in black with a "full sized" 19 x 19 line grid. There are 360 thick plastic "stones", 1/2 inch in diameter.

Also included is a nice little 23 page instruction book prepared by Lester and Elizabeth Morris under the auspices of The American Go Association which gives a good introduction to the game.

There are 9 simple rules:
1) The board is empty at the beginning of the game.
2) Black makes the first move, then players alternate.
3) A move consists of placing a stone on an empty line intersection.
4) A player may pass at any time.
5) Stones or sections of stones are captured and removed from the board when they are completely surrounded by opposing colord stones.
6) No former board postition can be recreated.
7) Two consecutive passes end the game.
8) At the end of the game, any stones that cannot avoid capture are taken as prisoners.
9) A player's score is the number of vacant points surrounded minus the number os prisoners lost. High score wins.

According to Jason in our Fashion Mall Store, he's had a Go set for years, but never enjoyed the game until he read this book. "Even my wife can play, now!" This set contains everything you need to get started on the game of go. New in 2002.

Clear instructions, great illustrations, rules, of course. But also situations to evaluate with solutions on following pages. Further strategy and tactics. Building forts, sacrifices, handicapping, and more. Bonus: recommended Internet sites and study problems.

Comes with a two-sided, heavy card stock board, plastic playing pieces. Chips are 1/2 inch diameter.