Folding, Magnetic or Solid Wood? Choosing a Go or Shogi Board by Where You Will Play

Most people who start go or shogi outside Japan meet their first board in one of three forms: a board that folds in half, a small magnetic travel set, or a solid block of wood. They are not better and worse versions of the same thing. Each is built for a different place to play.

This page compares the three and suggests an order to move through them.

The short answer

• A folding board (ori-ban, 折盤) is a board that folds in half (check the grid and piece size in the listing). It is the practical choice for a table at home, a club, or a bag.
• A magnetic set holds the pieces or stones in place with magnets. It is for trains, cars, waiting rooms and children: anywhere the board might tilt or get bumped.
• A solid wooden board gives you the weight, the sound and the feel of the wood. It is for playing at home, sitting down to a long game.
• A common path is folding or magnetic first, then a tabletop wooden board, then a legged board once you know you will keep playing.

What a folding board is

A folding board is cut across the middle and joined so it closes like a book. Opened out, it is a normal playing surface. Closed, it takes half the space and slides onto a shelf.

These are not toys. Nintendo, better known abroad for video games, still sells go and shogi equipment in Japan and lists a folding board for each game in its current range under the same name: “二つ折 新桂 5号” (futatsu-ori shin-katsura 5-gō). That label is worth decoding, because you will see the same words on many boards:

The Nihon Ki-in (Japan Go Association) notes that go is now often played at a table, and that flat boards which are easy to put away and carry are widely used, in paper, rubber and wood. A folding board is the wooden version of that idea.

Kyoto Ōishi Tengudō, a long-established maker of go and shogi equipment, ranks board materials roughly from kaya (finest) through hiba, hinoki and ginkgo, to shin-kaya and katsura (mid-range), with composite boards as the everyday tier. Shin-katsura, the material on Nintendo’s folding boards, is not on that list (it is agathis, not katsura), so read the material on any label rather than assuming it.

What a magnetic board is

A magnetic set puts magnets in the board, the pieces, or both, so the pieces stay where you put them. You can tilt it, pause a game in a bag, or play on a moving train.

Many magnetic sets are made compact for travel, so check the board and piece sizes in the product description before you buy. For learning the rules, for children, and for games on the move, they do the job well.

What you give up, and what you gain

The difference many players notice is the sound and feel of placing a stone or piece. On a solid board that depends on the wood and its thickness, so compare boards in person at a shop if you can.

The fold line on a folding board is a seam across the middle. For casual play it does not matter much. If it bothers you, that is a sign you are ready for a one-piece surface.

Choosing by where you play

• Commuting, travelling, waiting for appointments: a magnetic set.
• Playing with young children: a magnetic set or a folding board. Magnets save tears when a game gets knocked.
• A club, a class, or a kitchen table you need back afterwards: a folding board.
• Studying go: a folding 19×19 board at full size, so what you see matches books and real games. If you are just starting, smaller grids help; see 9×9, 13×13 or 19×19?.
• Long games at home, guests, a set you want to keep for years: a solid wooden board, tabletop or legged.

If you play both games, remember the boards are different sizes. Tengudō gives the standard (hon-sun) size of a go board as 1 shaku 5 sun × 1 shaku 4 sun (about 45.5 × 42.5 cm) and a shogi board as 1 shaku 2 sun × 1 shaku 1 sun (about 36 × 33 cm). One board does not serve both.

Upgrading: an order that works

1. Folding or magnetic board. Learn the game, find out whether you enjoy it.
2. Tabletop wooden board. A solid board of a few centimetres sits on a table, sounds better, and has no fold.
3. Legged board (ashi-tsuki-ban, 足付盤). The Nihon Ki-in calls the legged board the classic go board, suited to a Japanese tatami room. It is for playing at floor level and is heavy, so it needs a permanent place.

For the jump from step 2 to step 3, thickness is what changes most; see Go & Shogi Board Thickness.

You do not have to throw anything away. Many players keep the folding or magnetic set for travel after buying a wooden board for home.

Looking after whichever you choose

The basics are the same for any wooden board, folding or solid. Tengudō’s care page says to wipe the board dry after use, and never to use a cloth dampened with water. New boards are often finished with a thin wax film; Tengudō recommends wiping it off the playing surface with a soft dry cloth before first use.

Store the board flat, out of direct sun, somewhere moisture does not build up. Do not seal it away at the back of a closet. Also avoid spots where wind blows straight through, or where air conditioning or a heater blows on it. More detail is in Caring for a Go or Shogi Board.

What comes with the board

A board is only part of a set. For go you also need stones and bowls; a standard set is 180 white and 181 black, 361 in all (Nihon Ki-in), though the count in a given product can differ, so check the description. For shogi you need 40 pieces, 20 per player (Japan Shogi Association). See The Equipment You Need to Start Go and The Equipment You Need to Start Shogi.

FAQ

Folding or magnetic: which should I buy first? If you will mostly play at a table, a folding board. If you will play on the move or with small children, a magnetic set.

Does the fold affect play? It leaves a seam across the middle. For casual games it is minor; if you notice it every game, consider a one-piece wooden board.

Is a wooden board necessary to get stronger? No. The rules and the thinking are the same on any board. A wooden board makes sitting down to play more satisfying, which helps many people keep going.

Can I play serious games with magnetic pieces? They are fine for learning and casual play. For full-size games, standard pieces on a standard board are easier to read at a glance.

Where do I find these? Specialist go and shogi equipment shops carry folding, tabletop and legged boards and can suggest a combination for home and travel.

Sources (checked 21 October 2026): Nihon Ki-in — 囲碁雑学 (table play and flat boards in paper, rubber and wood; legged boards; 180 white and 181 black stones) / Kyoto Ōishi Tengudō — 碁盤・将棋盤の等級・サイズ表示の見方 (1 sun = 10 gō = 3.03 cm; standard board sizes; material grades) / Kyoto Ōishi Tengudō — 棋具のお手入れ方法 (dry wiping, no wet cloth, wax on new boards) / Nintendo — 囲碁 and 将棋 product lists (“二つ折 新桂 5号”) / Japan Shogi Association — 駒の並べ方 (40 pieces).