A striking black lacquered Go board from Baduk Club sparked a spirited bidding war at this year’s
U.S. Go Congress banquet in Austin, Texas. The final, winning bid—$2,200—came from Audrey Wang, assistant treasurer of the American Go Foundation (AGF) and co-director of the 2026 Go Congress in Boston.
The unique board featured 22 historic signatures: all 16 professional players in attendance, the two Congress co-directors, AGF president Terry Benson, and—for the first time ever—the sitting presidents of all three major North American Go associations: Emil Garcia (Mexico), James Sedgwick (Canada), and Gurujeet Khalsa (U.S.).
The one-of-a-kind board now resides in a place of honor in Wang’s home in Boston. “It’s a generous gift to the AGF which will help cover some of the $67,000 spent on this Congress,” said Benson. “We can only support Go if Go players support us—at whatever level they can afford.”
Pictured (l-r): Terry Benson, Solomon Smilack, Audrey Wang, and auctioneer Chris Garlock.