Learn to play Go (if you like!)

[Ufostrahlen]

What is Go?

Go is a board game involving two players that originated in ancient China more than 2,500 years ago. It was considered one of the four essential arts of a cultured Chinese scholar in antiquity.

Go (game) - Wikipedia

But why learn, you might ask. Well, there are several reasons:

* Have fun, improve your strategic abilities as well as your focal skills
* It won't cost you any money, alot of learning material is online for free.
* You can play it with simple computers/tablets, no fancy graphics card required.
* Play with thousands of differently skilled Go players from all around the world for free.
* Legal Positions: | Go: 10^171 | Chess: 10^47 |
* Possible Games: | Go: 10^360 | Chess: 10^123 |

To give you a quickstart:

Rules:

Interactive Go rules introduction in 35 languages: Play Go Online Game - Cosumi
Beginner puzzles: Play Go at online-go.com! | OGS
Free Go lessons for 20 kyu – 10 kyu players: https://www.youtube.com/user/nicksibicky/
Live pro games: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTji1kQNoWIH85dB_Vxka9g
Inexpensive, but still relevant starter book (buy it used): Kim, Janice; Jeong, Soo-hyun (1994), Learn to Play Go, Good Move Press, ISBN 0-9644796-1-3
Useful pattern search: Waltheri's go pattern search - find position in pro games

Server:

Free HTML5 game server (my favorite, due to the many options and benefits, highly recommended): Play Go at online-go.com! | OGS

Free game client for Win/OSX/Linux: Pandanet: GoPanda2
Free game client for iOS/Android: http://www.gentgo.be/tetsuki/
Another free Go server account (oldest Go server on the Inet): Pandanet

Go wiki (look up terms and everything related to go): Starting Points at Sensei's Library

Well, that should do it for now, plenty of starting points for learning Go without investing any $$$. Have fun!

 

[ouro]

I have learned a lot playing go - after learning the fundamental concepts I recommend "life and death" by James Davies to improve. I never got to the point of studying fuseki but I bet Davies' other books are as effective and concise.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

I've been learning the Go game on and off and I am eager to begin reading this basic book about the fundamental understandings and principles of how Go connects / relates to life / death. What inspired me in the first place was this scene from Pi.. also attached the book I have currently on the subject matter.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

I have learned a lot playing go - after learning the fundamental concepts I recommend "life and death" by James Davies to improve.

Yes, tsumegos are definitely recommended after you learned the fundamentals.

Most professional players and top amateur players agree that solving tsumego is the best way to improve[3].

Tsumego at Sensei's Library

Sensei's Library, page: Tsumego, keywords: Life & Death, Go term. SL is a large WikiWikiWeb about the game of Go (Baduk, Weiqi). It's a collaboration and community site. Everyone can add comments or edit pages.

senseis.xmp.net

Here's the book, seems to be a famous one:

Life And Death - the book at Sensei's Library

Sensei's Library, page: Life And Death - the book, keywords: Life & Death, Books & Publications. SL is a large WikiWikiWeb about the game of Go (Baduk, Weiqi). It's a collaboration and community site. Everyone can add comments or edit pages.

senseis.xmp.net

What's your rank ouro? I know Go for some years now, but I started reading books and playing online for a month now, so I'm only 17 kyu.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

I've been learning the Go game on and off and am eager to begin reading a basic book about the fundamental understandings and principles of how Go connects / relates to life / death. What inspired me in the first place was this scene from Pi..

Yay, more Go playing Nexians!

 

[Cognitive Heart]

:thumb_up: Thanks for sharing the knowledge!

 

[Ufostrahlen]

What's your rank, CH, if I might ask? Great scene by the way. I remember watching Pi, but this scene is new to me, I only remember where he drilled a hole in his head

 

[Cognitive Heart]

How is rank determined? And yes, great clip and film. That scene where he drills himself is quite intriguing and profound. I recommend Pi to anyone with an interest in Go.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

How is rank determined?

You will start somewhere between 30 and 20 kyu. As your ability progresses, your rank will go up in steps to 1 kyu (Japanese term - in Korea gup, in China Ji?). After that comes 1 dan, the first amateur 'expert' level (Korean dan, Chinese duan); and eventually 7 dan, which is the highest generally-recognised rank for amateurs.

Rank at Sensei's Library

Sensei's Library, page: Rank, keywords: Culture & History, Go term. SL is a large WikiWikiWeb about the game of Go (Baduk, Weiqi). It's a collaboration and community site. Everyone can add comments or edit pages.

senseis.xmp.net

But you only get ranks, when you play in a club or online. Mine is 17 kyu on Pandanet. Beat some 16 or higher kyus and your rank goes up.

 

[Cognitive Heart]

Highly interesting.. thanks for the information!

 

[tryptographer]

It's an incredible game, only a few rules but orders of magnitude more complex than chess!
I play now and then but always get frustrated because it's so bloody difficult

BTW, a nice little program to practice is IgoWin.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

Interesting algorithms.. thanks for the information!

It's actually a dumb algorithm, it demoted me back to the beginner level, I'm not 17k anymore. :? Lol. :roll:

I play now and then but always get frustrated because it's so bloody difficult

Yes, I know that feeling. Best strategy is to play lighthearted and not to focus much on winning but on playing solid.

 

[DiMoiTou]

Got to love Go!
I only keep an iPh*ne because there are such awesome Go apps on it. Really can't be compared to what is offered on Android.
-Go Books (many full books converted to interactive format), can't get enough of that. (hackable in-app purchases)
-Smart Go Kifu (thousands of game records, good AI, good practice, problems, tutorials, etc.) very expensive app (if you pay for it ), but really worth it.

If you don't want an Iphone, never ever try these apps!

Then, there's Go Problems, nice app, endless number of problems but some are a bit buggy (though maybe it's coming from my iPhone) and Pandanet to play online.

 

[Ufostrahlen]

Well, I don't play Go on a mobile device, but that's what Sensei's saying:

Android at Sensei's Library

Sensei's Library, page: Android, keywords: Software. SL is a large WikiWikiWeb about the game of Go (Baduk, Weiqi). It's a collaboration and community site. Everyone can add comments or edit pages.

senseis.xmp.net

iPhone at Sensei's Library

Sensei's Library, page: iPhone, keywords: Software. SL is a large WikiWikiWeb about the game of Go (Baduk, Weiqi). It's a collaboration and community site. Everyone can add comments or edit pages.

senseis.xmp.net

Got a rank, DiMoiTou? I'm back to 17k, as a greedy 8k Japanese guy got beaten 2:1 by me yesterday in a 9 stone handicap game. :thumb_up: And I was on 325 µg 25I-NBOH, which was really weird, but probably helpful, because my moves were completely unpredictable and random. A little bit like drunken boxing, only with psychedelics and Go. :lol: Can recommend that!

[YOUTUBE]

Good game:

[YOUTUBE]

 

[Ufostrahlen]

bump due to recent events.

Go Grandmaster Says He’s ‘in Shock’ But Can Still Beat Google’s AI

 

[Ufostrahlen]

[YOUTUBE]

 

[benzyme]

I have my own board. someone taught me how to play while I was on 5g of cubensis.
Go is the basis for other board games like Risk and Stratego

 

[KannaRas]

Go is lekka game , i dont like the way they play it tho on Play Go at online-go.com! | OGS

i think there could be more challange in the game by tryin to close territory's specially on the black dots ..

like they are electicity planets and u cant close them by planting a stone on it

i think they should count as more points if fully protected ,, and even if connected to other zones maybe those zones are worth more to ?

if anyone would like to play there PM me any ruleset is fine really

 

[Ufostrahlen]

I have my own board. someone taught me how to play while I was on 5g of cubensis.

Haha, this sounds intense. Did the Go board talk to you? I normally play sober - okay, sometimes a light Benzo dose improves my gameplay, because it takes away the nervousness - but drugs in general don't add to the gameplay.

Btw, Go is definitely a game for chemists:

Oskar Korschelt - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

i dont like the way they play it tho on Play Go at online-go.com! | OGS

Do they play a different style? Haven't noticed this yet. The reason I prefer OGS, is that it has many more options than other servers (9x9, 13x13, flexible byoyomi). E.g. I haven't played 19x19 for a while, because the 9x9 games were so interesting (you can't win them with your traditional opening theory, so you have to figure out new ways).

 

[Use any name]

I've been following this

I'm pretty bad at go but like to do the problems of life and death.