Magnetic Folding Go Set
A folding 19×19 board with flat magnetic stones for travel, lessons and the sofa.
We have not pinned this to a single listing we have checked by hand, so both buttons open a search for this type of set rather than one seller’s page.
- Game
- Go (baduk, weiqi); 19×19, folds to a case
- Pieces
- 361 flat magnetic stones (some sets ship 180 + 180)
- Piece size
- About 15–18 mm diameter, flat
- Material
- Plastic board with steel sheet, plastic magnetic stones
- Includes
- Folding board, stones in trays, carrying case
Piece dimensions are the common nominal figure for this type of set and vary by a millimetre or so between factories.
What this set actually is
Magnetic go sets exist for one reason: a real set does not survive a car journey or a cat. The board folds in half around the stones and the stones hold to the steel sheet underneath, so a game can be paused and moved.
The compromises are feel and size. The stones are flat discs around 16 mm rather than 22 mm convex stones, the grid is smaller than a table board, and the magnets make a late-game board fiddly to clear. None of that matters for learning or for a hotel room, and most players who buy one keep it alongside a proper set rather than instead of it.
Check that the listing counts 361 stones or 181 plus 180; some travel sets ship 180 of each colour, which is one short for a full board but never matters in practice.
What sets it apart
- Stones stay put on a train or a lap
- Small enough for a bag; opens to a usable 19×19
- The cheapest way to own a complete go set
Who should buy it
Learning, travelling and playing somewhere the stones might get knocked.
Not sure which game to start with? Read our guide to go, xiangqi and shogi.
Other sets worth a look
