YMI single convex yunzi stones

Comments & Reviews

This review concerns medium-sized single-convex Yunzis sold as 5.7x22mm (YMI item number pYN-SY003-A). The SC Yunzis fit Japanese-sized gobans very nicely; I'd say even better than double-convex Yunzis, because SC stones are closer to typical Japanese stone diameter dimensions than DC stones. (See the article
Comparative measurements of go stones for details.) DC Yunzis may feel somewhat "sparse" on the board, while SC Yunzis feel just right.

In spite of being only 5.7mm thick, the stones are pleasantly heavy in hand. The weight of 5.7mm SC Yunzi stones is about the same as that of 8.8mm DC glass stones (see the above quoted article). The Yunzi stones material and texture is agreeable and provides an excellent grip, which together with their thinness and shape leads to an easy handling (kids love them). SC Yunzi stones should typically slip less than DC glass stones from your hands. Once played, the stones are very stable on the board due to their flat side. The price to pay for the SC design is that the stones are harder to place in adjacent positions next to other existing stones, and harder to pick as prisoners, when compared to DC stones.

Yunzi material makes white stones to be of matte finish and, moreover, of a somewhat grayish  white coulour, providing considerably less contrast between black and white stones (and the board) when compared to the glass or slate and shell stone sets. While this is not much of a problem in bright daylight, in moderate or poor light conditions I found Yunzis to be harder on the eyes (and SC Yunzis harder than DC ones at that) than a typical glass stones set. Depending on your eyes and available light, you may find glass stones more advantageous for this very reason.

Where the SC stones really "shine" (sic) is when used for studying and replaying games. Ever got tired of exploring 30+ moves long variations in a commented game? Not anymore with SC stones. By placing variation stones on the convex side, instead of on the usual flat side, the variation stones look both sufficiently close to the main line stones in order to feel aesthetically part of the same game (when compared to, say, using two different stone sets for exporing variations); yet they look sufficiently distinct in order to get easily recognized and collected back when the study of the particular variation is over. Collecting SC stones placed on their convex sides is as easy as collecting DC stones. (And I would argue it is even easier, because two adjacent stones can be taken out rapidly in a single movement by flipping the stones against each other and lifting them together.) The facility of SC stones in replaying games or studying alternative joseki lines is really excellent.

A great set overall, and a really excellent one for studying.

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