9×9, 13×13 or 19×19? Choosing a Go Board Size, and the Grid Measurement Nobody Mentions

Go boards are named by how many lines run across them: 9-ro, 13-ro and 19-ro in Japanese (路, “ro” = lines). The rules of go are the same on every size. What changes is how long a game takes and how much of the board a fight can spread across.

The question most beginners ask is which one to buy first. The short answer is often “a 19×19”, but there are good reasons for the smaller boards too. This page sets out the differences and then a second point that is rarely explained: 19×19 boards do not all have the same grid spacing, and the grid has to suit your stones.

The short version

• 9×9, 13×13 and 19×19 differ in the number of lines, which means the size of the playing area.
• 19×19 is the standard board. Professional title matches and other official games are played on it.
• 9×9 is for learning the rules; games are short and you can play many in a sitting.
• 13×13 bridges the gap between 9×9 and 19×19.
• If you are an adult starting alone, one 19×19 board is usually enough: you can play 9×9 or 13×13 on a corner of it.
• The grid and the stones work as a pair. If they come from different sources, check one against the other.

The three main sizes

Stones are played on the intersections, not in the squares. A 9×9 board has 81 intersections (and 64 squares). A full set of go stones has 181 black and 180 white, 361 in total, which is the number of intersections on a 19×19 board.

These are the three common sizes, but not the only ones. Even smaller boards, such as 6×6, are used for teaching.

9×9: for learning the rules

With only 81 points, a 9×9 game is short; some finish in a few minutes. That lets you go through the basic cycle of placing stones, capturing and surrounding territory again and again.

For children and complete beginners, short games also mean quick results, which helps people keep going. Because each move matters so visibly on a small board, it is easier to see why you won or lost.

9×9 is not only for beginners: the Nihon Ki-in (the Japan Go Association) has run a 9×9 tournament for women professionals.

13×13: the bridge

13×13 sits between the two. When 9×9 starts to feel cramped, it is the natural next step. It lets you experience how stones work across a whole board and how to build larger frameworks, without the length of a full 19×19 game.

Moving straight from 9×9 to 19×19 can feel overwhelming. A spell on 13×13 makes the jump smoother.

19×19: the standard board

19×19 is the board on which professional title matches and official games are played, and anyone who continues with go will end up on it. A fight in one corner affects the situation on the other side of the board, and that whole-board play is what the smaller sizes cannot give you.

Which one to buy

Practice boards printed with 9×9 on one side and 13×13 on the other are also common, used alongside a separate 19×19.

The measurement nobody mentions: grid spacing

Two 19×19 boards are not necessarily the same size. The grid is not made of perfect squares; it is conventionally slightly longer front-to-back than side-to-side, and the overall dimensions vary between products.

This matters when you put stones on it:

• Small stones on a wide grid look sparse.
• Large stones on a narrow grid knock into each other and overlap.

Japanese clamshell and Nachiguro stones are made to a standard diameter (about 21.9 mm white and 22.2 mm black); their size number (gō, 号) refers to thickness, not width. A Japanese board and Japanese stones therefore usually go together without trouble. The risk comes when you mix a board and stones from different sources: stones made elsewhere, or glass and plastic sets, do not necessarily follow that diameter. Treat the grid and the stones as a pair, and check one against the other rather than choosing each on price alone. How stone sizes work is explained in Go Stone Sizes Explained.

Thickness is a separate question: a very thick stone looks and sounds out of place on a thin tabletop board, and a thin stone looks lost on a deep legged board.

When buying online, check that the listing gives the playing-surface dimensions or the stones it is designed for. If neither is given, you cannot be sure your stones will suit it. For a second-hand board, ask the person listing it to measure the playing surface.

A sensible sequence for choosing

1. Lines: if unsure, 19×19.
2. Tabletop or legged: decided by whether you play at a table or sit on the floor, and by where the board will live.
3. Grid size: does it suit the stones you have, or plan to get?
4. Thickness and wood: this is where the budget moves most.
5. Bowls and stones to go with it.

Steps 1 to 3 are about fit; steps 4 and 5 are about budget. Start from the wood or the price, and it is easy to end up with a board that does not suit your stones.

For reference, at Syogoya, a go and shogi specialist shop in Osaka, a plain 1-sun (about 3 cm) Shinkatsura tabletop go board is 7,810 yen and a 2-sun Shinkatsura legged board is 34,100 yen on its official online shop (tax included, before shipping and import costs; checked on 2026-10-06: tabletop board, legged board). Thickness is covered in Go & Shogi Board Thickness.

FAQ

Can I start straight on 19×19? Yes. It may feel very open at first, so many people find it easier to build a feel on 9×9 and 13×13, which you can do on a corner of the 19×19 board.

Is 9×9 enough to enjoy go? For learning the rules and short games, yes. The full depth of go is on 19×19, so if you continue, move up step by step.

Can one board be used for both go and shogi? No. The number of lines and the dimensions are different. See Shogi Board Sizes, and How They Differ From a Go Board.

What do I need besides the board? Stones and bowls. See The Equipment You Need to Start Go.

Related pages

• How to Choose a Go Board: Wood, Form and Thickness
• Go Stone Sizes Explained
• The Equipment You Need to Start Go
• Where to Buy Go Equipment Outside Japan

This page summarises the general differences between go board sizes (checked October 2026). Playing-surface dimensions and the stone sizes a board is designed for vary by maker and product; confirm the actual dimensions with a specialist dealer before buying. Kayajudo is an independent guide to Japanese go and shogi equipment, and we can also order boards, stones and pieces from makers and shops in Japan for you and ship them abroad — see Ordering from overseas.