Go software

There is an abundance of go software available to support players of the game of Go. This includes software programs that play Go themselves, programs that can be used to view and/or edit game records and diagrams, programs that allow the user to search for patterns in the games of strong players and programs that allow users to play against each other over the Internet.

Go playing programs

With the advent of AlphaGo in 2016, computer programs can beat top professional players on the standard 19x19 board. A more in depth look into Go playing programs and the research behind them can be found in the article on computer Go.

Recording

There are several file formats used to store game records, the most popular of which is the Smart Game Format (SGF). Programs used for editing game records allow the user to record not just the moves, but also variations, commentary and further information on the game.^[1]

Databases

Electronic databases can be used to study life and death situations, joseki, fuseki and games by a particular player. Available programs give players pattern searching options, which allows a player to research positions by searching for high level games in which similar situations occur. Such software will generally list common follow up moves that have been played by professionals, and give statistics on win–loss ratio in opening situations.

Internet servers and clients

Many Internet-based Go servers allow access to competition with players all over the world.^[2] Such servers also allow easy access to professional teaching, with both teaching games and interactive game review being possible.^[3]

The first Go server that started operating is the Internet Go Server (IGS), which began service in 1992^[4] and is still active today. Several other servers, all with the same basic server-client architecture, followed.^[5] Such servers required players to download a client program, and many such programs were therefore developed for a wide range of platforms.^[5] Around 2000, Kiseido publishing started the Kiseido Go Server (KGS), which allowed players to play without downloading a client by utilizing a Java applet in the web browser. This server quickly became popular and still is today. IGS and KGS were as of 2007^[update] the most popular real-time go servers for the English speaking audience.^[6] Online Go Server (OGS)^[7] and Dragon Go Server (DGS) ^[8] were as of 2011^[update] the most popular turn-based go servers.^[6]

Notes

^ Lists of such programs may be found at Sensei's Library and GoBase
^ Lists of Go servers are kept at Sensei's Library and the AGA website.
^ The British GO Association provides a list of teaching services
^ Jim Z. Yu A Brief History of IGS, the Early Years - 1992 & 1993 Retrieved on 2007-12-11
^ ^a ^b British Go Association. "Go Servers - A Short History". Retrieved 2007-12-11.
^ ^a ^b British Go Association. "Internet Go". Retrieved 2011-10-01.
^ Online Go Server
^ Dragon Go Server

External links

List of game record editing programs on GoBase.
List of internet Go servers on the AGA website.
Alejo's Tenuki Video-reviews and analysis on database analysis programs.
Free Go Software

[1] Lists of such programs may be found at Sensei's Library and GoBase

[2] Lists of Go servers are kept at Sensei's Library and the AGA website.

[3] The British GO Association provides a list of teaching services

[IGSHistory-4] Jim Z. Yu A Brief History of IGS, the Early Years - 1992 & 1993 Retrieved on 2007-12-11

[GoServerHistory-5] British Go Association. "Go Servers - A Short History". Retrieved 2007-12-11.

[BGAPlayOnline-6] British Go Association. "Internet Go". Retrieved 2011-10-01.

[7] Online Go Server

[8] Dragon Go Server

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v t e Go
Overview	Handicaps Komi Rules
Equipment	Bowls Goban Katsura Kaya Stones Clamshell Slate Yunzi
Terms	Aji Atari Board positions Dame Divine move Double hane Eyes Gote, sente and tenuki Hane Hayago Jigo Joseki Kakari Keima Kiai Kikashi Ko Komi Korigatachi Kosumi Ladder Liberty Miai Monkey jump Moyo Myoushu Nakade Nerai Myoushu Peep Pincer Probe Sabaki Seki Sente Shape Shoulder hit Tesuji Thickness Yose
Strategy and tactics	Capturing race Fuseki Chinese Kobayashi Shinfuseki Shusaku Jōseki Nadare Taisha Ko fight Ladder Life and death Mirror Go Opening theory Proverbs Shape Empty triangle Ponnuki Tenuki Tsumego
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Games and matches	AlphaGo vs. Fan Hui AlphaGo vs. Ke Jie AlphaGo vs. Lee Sedol Atomic bomb game Blood-vomiting game Ear-reddening game The Game of the Century Kamakura jubango Lee's broken ladder game
Art and media	AlphaGo The Divine Move The Girl Who Played Go The Go Master The Go Player Go World Hikaru no Go Igo Hatsuyōron Long Ode to Watching Weiqi The MANIAC The Master of Go Ranka Sensei's Library Shibumi The Surrounding Game The Weiqi Devil
Computers	Computer Go UEC Cup Engines AlphaGo AlphaGo Master AlphaGo Zero AlphaZero Crazy Stone Darkforest Fine Art GNU Go KataGo Leela Leela Zero Zen Future of Go Summit Monte Carlo tree search Smart Game Format Servers KGS Go Server Pandanet Tygem
Organizations	American Go Association Australian Go Association British Go Association China China Qiyuan Chinese Weiqi Association Hong Kong Go Association European Go Federation French Federation of Go International Go Federation Irish Go Association Japan All Japan Student Go Federation Kansai Ki-in Nihon Ki-in Korea Korea Baduk Association Myongji University Mind Sports Organisation New Zealand Go Society Singapore Weiqi Association Taiwan Chi Yuan Culture Foundation
Other	Benson's algorithm Game record (kifu) Games played with Go equipment Go and mathematics Variants Batoo Capture go Sygo
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