Go problems on the Web

June 1, 2005 9:05 AM

Go problems database with a slick web interface. Go is one of the most rewarding games I've ever played. You can play games at ItsYourTurn.com, who also have a nice rule summary.
posted by freebird (14 comments total)

nice - I love Go - wish I played more often
posted by soplerfo at 10:10 AM on June 1, 2005

Nice! I would also recommend Dragon Go Server where I play all the time (as jearbear) and little golem for turn based games. If you want a realtime game over the net, try the Kiseido Go Server (my fav), Yahoo Games, The Internet Go Server, and the no name go server. The latter two (and maybe kgs now - I haven't tried it in sometime) can be accessed via OSX using Goban, which also provides single player play using the GnuGo (tons of links to clients for all platforms) engine.
posted by redbeard at 10:29 AM on June 1, 2005

You created a Go FPP without including a link to Sensei's Library? How dare you!

I too love Go, and play in the park on nice days with my friend. The looks that the board gets are priceless. Anyone interested in Go should check out the problems mentioned in the FPP and the learning that goes on at Sensei's Library.
posted by Inkoate at 10:31 AM on June 1, 2005

Yah, I never play as much as I'd like. It's actually been some years since I played a real game, I dug these links up trying to get back to playing.

Let's make a metafilter Go clique! Shoot me an email or post site/usernames here if you'd like to play an occasional online game.
posted by freebird at 10:32 AM on June 1, 2005

Nice link Inkoate! I was focusing mostly on web-based game/problem interfaces, which I'm not seeing in Sensei's Library, but it looks like a rich resource indeed.
posted by freebird at 10:36 AM on June 1, 2005

goproblems.com is great fun -- thanks for the link. I second redbeard's recommendation of Goban -- it's a fantastic client.
posted by precipice at 10:48 AM on June 1, 2005

Playing online is just so unsatisfying compared to holding the stones and clicking them down.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:59 AM on June 1, 2005

For those who don't know what makes go so profound and deeply enjoyable, here are a couple of thoughts:

-- A game of go will show you how you think. The pattern of stones on the board shows you, at a glance, how the thought patterns of two people -- their weaknesses, their moments of grace, what scares them.

-- The game is very, very simple. Aside from a couple of obscure rules and scoring points, you can learn how to play in about 10 minutes. Yet no computer on earth has come within even sniffing distance of professional level, let alone playing the top players more than feebly.

-- Playing well requires a kind of studied intuition. Sometimes (as with go problems) you need to sit and crunch out permutations, but otherwise you need emotional control, boldness, an aesthetic sense, intense concentration, pattern recognition, flexibility of mind and a sense of calm through it all. Since playing go well demands all of those qualities, playing go cultivates those qualities.
posted by argybarg at 12:37 PM on June 1, 2005 [1 favorite]

Internet games definetly have a diffrent intensity. It's much easier to "pick up" the stones so you're more likely to try to take 'em off the board. IRL I think you're more likely to just leave them there when you're convinced they are dead, and you can end up getting bitten in the ass by it....
posted by delmoi at 1:17 PM on June 1, 2005

The first time I played Go was about ten years ago with a German traveller. He had a fairly basic travel kit. We played about four or five games until my first win. I remember how frusturating it was but also how interesting it was to see a game progress. It was great fun but I've never played again.

I've been looking around for a good travel Go board. AskMefi
posted by futureproof at 1:35 PM on June 1, 2005

Thanks for the links. My boyfriend is currently studying game theory, and I've got some catching up to do if I'm ever to give him a run for his money playing Go...
posted by Specklet at 1:41 PM on June 1, 2005

I remember the Interactive Way to Go being mentioned here.
posted by NemesisVex at 1:44 PM on June 1, 2005

I play on the Dragon Go Server (around 24-25 kyu, depending on the weather)--send me an invite if you want a game. My handle there is Prospero, same as here.

This AskMe question that I posted when I wanted to begin learning the game yielded a lot of useful information.
posted by Prospero at 2:59 PM on June 1, 2005

I used to be much more interested in Weiqi (aka Go) than I am now. I lived in Taiwan for eight years, and towards the beginning, I lived a short walk away from a Weiqi-playing hangout. I tried to play a couple times, but everyone there just wanted free English lessons from me. They also smoked and chewed betel nut far too much for my tastes.

The thing that really got me, though, is that, for every board situation I could come up with, they had a perfect answer. "Clearly, you have to go here, because if you don't..." [Insert quick demonstration on the board showing every way I couldn't possibly play.] I got the impression that it was much less about strategy and intuition and figuring things out than it was about memorizing a bunch of standard moves. I also watched a couple Weiqi shows on TV, and they had the same flavor: "Here's the Only Thing To Do for every possible situation". Rote memorization rather than actually figuring things out.

I had a better time playing at the Temple of Earth in Beijing; they still whomped me every time, but at least they allowed me to maintain my illusion of free will.

It probably isn't really like that, and I bet I'd have a much better time playing with people close to my skill level (=people who haven't memorized all possible combinations). But that's still the impression I got from playing in Taiwan.
posted by jiawen at 9:42 PM on June 1, 2005