go board
A real-life go board is a 19x19 grid of lines [2], and the grid isn't square but rectangular (about 8% longer than wide). This compensates for foreshortening when you look at the board.
The go stones are played on the intersections. They may be played on the edge of the board - the outer line, or in the very corners where two edges meet.
Note that there are traditionally small markings at nine of the 'points' (the star points or hoshi). The central point is called tengen (Japanese) or tianyuan (Chinese) - the Korean word is chunweon.
Some wonderful pictures at http://www.goban.co.jp/koutei.htm show the traditional art of these boards' construction.
How to apply the lines:
http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~rozan/memori.htm
How to carve the "gardenia" legs:
http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~rozan/kodawari.htm
Various finished Gobans:
http://www5e.biglobe.ne.jp/~rozan/gobannmihonn.htm
A special home made goban :
http://yfh2.chez.tiscali.fr/goban.html
See also:
- What is Go
- Go Terms Used for Go Equipment
- Board Geography (lists the names of points and areas on the go board)
- Different sized boards
- Material Goban
- Unusual gobans
- Goban Self Made
[1] The word "goban" has no special, unusual meaning and probably need not be used if there exists an equivalent word in your native language. (To give advice, unless you're certain your audience will understand the word, you should probably use a native word that, for instance, doesn't need a wiki page to define it.) If someone follows a wiki link to this page from elsewhere, it's almost certainly an example of burdensome use of jargon.
[2] Other sized go boards exist. Commonly used alternative sizes include 9x9 and 13x13 boards.