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Guide to Go Pages
on the Web
Go Link
Explorer: See also this extensive list of go pages.
What's
New?
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New In Go: A collection of more
than forty articles on a wide range of offbeat subjects -- everything
from a six-group seki to how people without arms play go. Written and
compiled by John Fairbairn and T. Mark Hall, the authors of the GoGoD
Encyclopedia and Database, a much larger compendium of such essays on
CD.
Coffee Break Go: A different
problem "almost every working day", from the authors of the GoGoD
Encyclopedia and Database.
The International Go Fourm: This
newsgroup is hosted in Russia.
"GOAMA" International Newsletter:
A free weekly newsletter from Russia. Includes attachments.
GoDiscussions.com : A moderated,
hence more civilized, place to discuss all matters related to go.
Guo Juan's Internet Go School:
Lessons by e-mail, online teaching games and game analysis from the
Amsterdam-based author of The World of Chinese Go
(Kiseido).
World's largest game: Talk about
big moves! Played in a Japanese field with stones the size of bicycle
wheels.
Hutch's Go Pages: Craig
Hutchinson offers his unique perspective on the game.
Random Proverb Generator: Get a
different silly proverb every time you hit this site.
Flashmedia presentation: A
colorful, easy-to-follow review of the basics, featuring the so-called
"Strasbourg Rule".
Ben's Cafe: A Tokyo club for
English-speaking players.
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Getting Started
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The Way to Go: Thousands of
American players have learned the basics from this brief but complete
introduction.
Video Go Tutorial:
This four part series for the serious novice runs a little under two
hours. Click on the name to view Part I, Part II, Part IIIA and Part IIIB.
Flashmedia
Introduction to Go: by Mindy McAdams.
Flashmedia presentation: Another
colorful, easy-to-follow review of the basics from the French Go
Association, highlighting the so-called "Strasbourg Rule".
Pacific Go Monthly: This emerging
community of young players in the Pacific Northwest publishes a
website/newsletter with lots of good information for beginners.
The Magic of Go: This series of newspaper articles by Richard
Bozulich and Rob Van Ziejst takes the reader from the beginning to a
complete understanding of the basics. There are 426 installments in the
series. Click here to browse or download
them.
IGS Introduction to Go: The
Internet Go Server offers a nice basic description of the rules. An ftp
site -- to download, right-click and "Save to Folder."
The Capture Game: A simple
instructional method, especially good with children. Click here to
download more detailed material on this method.
Commented Games for Beginners:
This page contains four commented 9x9 game records and an "ideal" 19x19
game, all by American master teacher Yi-lun Yang 7-dan. In sgf, a
standard format that most game review software can read.
Interactive Go Tutorial: Hiroki
Mori's huge online teaching machine.
Go-Red: An attractive,
well-written essay for the complete beginner.
A Beginner's Introduction to Go:
Basic information from John Bate, a Canadian player.
Hutch's Go Pages: Craig
Hutchinson offers his unique perspective on the game.
Introduction to the Game of Go: From the British Go
Association's website.
Tutorial on the Rules of Go: The
rules demonstrated on a 5x5 board.
The Fun Way to Learn Go: An
English-language tutorial in English from the Japan Go Association.
Tradgames.org.uk: The origins of
Go and many other classic games are described in this set of linked
pages.
Tel's Go Notes: A series of links
pages packed with everything a novice needs to know.
Shape Up!: An easy-to-read
introduction to the elusive concept of "shape."
Power Point Slide Show: Use these
12 attractive slides to back up a talk for complete beginners.
Virtual Museum: This brief discussion of the game is part of
a much larger, highly informative discussion of the Meiji Restoration
and the emergence of modern Japan.
Go Sensei Project: The Go-Sensei Project teaches Go using the Adobe Flash program
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Getting
Serious
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Guo Juan's Internet Go School:
Lessons by e-mail, online teaching games and game analysis from the
Amsterdam-based author of The World of Chinese Go
(Kiseido).
Egoban: View, share, upload,
search, tag and comment go game records.
GoBase Database: Game records from
top pro tournaments, historical essays, instructional articles,
collections of corner sequences, full-board openings, and much more!
Sensei's Library: A huge
communally maintained archive of nearly 3000 pages on every conceivable
go-related topic.
BruGo.BE: Online Joseki
Dictionary.
Sanrensei opening. Is it a good
choice for you?
GoProblems.com: Thousand of
problems you can sort by type and skill level.
Go World Index: Archival listings for the premier
English-language go source. Analysis of top level play, how-to articles
for all levels and much more, listed in detail. Some back issues are
available from the publisher, Kiseido.
Samarkand's Gamebase: Review
thiry pro games online
Jigo: Download the Gamebase
software including software, and thousands more games for review.
Go Teaching Ladder: Free analysis
of your game record, or look at other reviewed amateur games.
My Friday Night Files: Jan Van
Rongen offers a huge archive of over 1300 Cho Chikun game records,
along with other collections, including all the pro games used in the Hikaru
No Go anime.
13x13 handicaps: The Cambridge Go
Society's system for handicapping 13x13 games between players of
different ranks. CGS runs a yearly 13x13 national tournament in Great
Britain using this system.
Drennen 13x13 System: Drennen
Consulting's site offers another set of guidelines for handicapping
13x13 games between players of different ranks. No info available to
support the accuracy of this system.
Go4Go: Detailed news of big Asian
tournaments and 1000's of pro game records, mostly from 2000 onward,
easy to sort by player or event.
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Getting
Strong
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BIgo Assistant: OCR
"Info-donationware." Scan games and send them, and the authors send
back sgf files and keep copies of the games. They also sell their
archive of 700,000 (mostly amateur) games and offer review/recording
software.
Game Records from the British Go Journal:
sgf files based on material from the magazine.
Go Base: Online go dictionary
with many features, including a vast array of instructional materials,
many commented pro games, and records from all major international
tournaments. Some downloads require that you register by sending an
e-mail to account@gobase.org.
Jigo: Game review software,
including Java source code, or just download 200+ pro game records in
sgf format.long with many free commented games.
Joseki Tutor: Tell the tutor the
sequence you're thinking of, and see if it's any good. Online (requires
ShockWave) or for Pocket PC
MasterGo: Pattern-based searchable
database of 12,000+ professional game records. Downloadable demo
includes 800 games that contain the san-ren-sei (three star point)
opening.
Momoyama's Go Scene: Player lists
and game result for dozens of Japanese, Chinese, Korean and
International tournaments, with downloadable game records.
My Friday night files: Over 1300
games of Cho Chikun in sgf format, along with other interesting
collections (e.g. game records from Hikaru No Go)
Screen saver: Replay games from
your collection or use the internal games to put a little more go in
your life.
Sensei's Library: Informative
pages on almost 1200 go-related topics.
The Teaching Ladder: Free review
of your games by dan-level amateur players.
Samarkand Gamebase: More game
records from Korean professional players.
Go Game World: Commented
professional games.
Kogo's Joseki Dictionary: Thanks
to Gary Odom of Portland, Oregon for creating this free database.
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Go
Terms
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Go Term Dictionary (incomplete but
useful)
The Internet Go Dictionary
Glossary Of Japanese Go Terms
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Problems
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Problem of the Week: Minoru Hirada
has been posting two new problems per week -- one elementary, one
intermediate -- since 1996. The archive of more than 600 problems is
also available for review.
Problem of the Month: Steve Bailey's problems are more
advanced. You may need the whole month to solve some of them! Archive
of problems posted since 1996 available for review.
Problem of the Day: These life
and death problems are generated by "GoTools", a computer program
intended for use studying and solving life and death problems.
Coffee Break Go: A different
problem "almost every working day", from the authors of the GoGoD
Encyclopedia and Database.
Perfect Tsumego Play: Dave Dyer
says his program plays "perfectly", if the pattern is in the program'
database.
GoProblems.com: Thousands of
problems of all kinds sorted by level of difficulty.
Go Tools: A computer program
intended for use studying and solving life and death problems.
Picture Problems: Is it go or is
it art? Japanese amateur enthusiast Tanaka Takayuki makes problems out
of shapes that resemble real objects.
Harry Fearnley's Weird Go Problems: More than thirty offbeat
and oddball problems.
Cyclic Go configurations:
Animated illustrations of six illegal "ko" positions.
Repeating Go Positions: Another animated playout of six
repeating positions, some different from the above.
Matthew Macfadyen's Bestiary:
Molasses ko, ko/seki, non-removable threats and the "time-waster."
Brain-busting bestiary: Sixteen
more oddities.
Multistage Kos: Zippers, Wheels,
Loops, etc. You may not see these in a game, but they are fun to look
at just the same.
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History &
Culture
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Fairbairn's Historical Essays:
John Fairbairn tackles twenty important historical topics, from
analysis of an ancient Tibetan game to the history of newspaper
sponsorship of go tournaments, with downloadable records of important
historical games.
History of Go: Links to pages
describing the role of go in Chinese, Japanese and Korean society
through the ages.
Sensei's Library: User-maintained
coverage of historical go. Spotty but there is some interesting stuff
here.
Tales from Go History: Anecdotes
involving Iwamoto, Albert Einstein and others.
Bob High
Memorial Library: Contains articles on the origins of go and
its relationship to ancient Tibet, Chinese poetry and philosophy,
Buddhist philosophy and other subjects.
New In Go: A collection of more
than forty articles on a wide range of offbeat subjects -- everything
from a six-group seki to how people without arms play go. Written and
compiled by John Fairbairn and T. Mark Hall, the authors of the GoGoD
Encyclopedia and Database, a much larger compendium of such essays on
CD.
Internet Go Filmography: Many
films, TV shows and anime containing go equipment are listed.
The IGS Art Gallery: The Internet
Go Server site includes an extensive collections of nearly 100 Japanese
and Chinese works of art featuring a go theme.
The Pinckard Collection: William
Pinckard was an avid collector of go art. Highlights from his
collection can be seen at this page maintained by Kiseido, the
Japan-based purveyor of books and equipment to the Western world.
AGA Archives: The American Go
Association maintains one of the most extensive collections of Western
go materials in the world.
Go Song Archive: many European
song parodies.
rec.games.go: A freewheeling,
unmoderated forum for discussion and debate.
Visit this ftp site to read FAQ's that
will help you get started.
GoDiscussions.com: A moderated,
hence more civilized place to to discuss all matters related to go.
The International Go Fourm: This newsgroup is hosted in
Russia.
"GOAMA" International Newsletter: A free weekly newsletter
from Russia. Includes attachments.
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Go in the United
States
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American
Clubs and AGA Chapters: Over 100 active groups of players
throughout the US are listed.
The American Go Foundation:
A tax-deductible foundation that supports the growth and development of
American go.
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International
Go
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The International Go Federation
The worldwide governing body of national go associations.
The International Mind Sports Association
Formed by the international associations for backgammon, bridge, chess
and go, in order to promote a worldwide mind sports competition and
"further realise the inclusion of the mind sports in the Olympic
Movement."
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Rules
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A Note to Beginners
Yes, at least six rule sets are in use today in various parts of the
world, but don't worry. You don't have to learn them all. In fact, if
you know how to play, you don't even have to know which rules you use!
Just so you and your partner agree beforehand on a few issues like
komi, handicap, and whether territory is vacant spaces only or stones
and spaces.
Some players become more interested in the fine
points of various rule sets as they become stronger. Go is so
profoundly simple and yet complex at the same time that the quest for a
"perfect" rule set fascinates them. These links are largely by and for
them - and you, if this applies to you . . .
AGA RULES
The Concise AGA Rules of Go: The
official rules of the the AGA.
The Complete AGA Rules of Go: A more thorough discussion of
the unique characteristics of the AGA Rules.
Commentary/Clarification of the AGA Rules of Go: Further
comments and analysis written and compiled by AGA Rules Committee
member Fred Hansen.
AGA Rules Committee Memorandum Regarding Change in Komi: What
is the value of the first move? "Komi" refers to the practice of
compensating White for permitting Black to make the first move. This
memo reviews recent changes in the Asian system and their implications
for Western go.
ING "SST LAWS"
Ing's SST Laws of Wei-chi: Rule set developed and promulgated
by Taipei-based philanthropist and go aficionado Ing Chang-ki.
Translated by James Davies.
Spaces + Stones = Territory: Further discussion and
clarification of the Ing rules by Janice Kim, Michael Simon and Phil
Straus.
JAPANESE RULES
Japanese Rules of Go: The current Japanese rules were adopted
in 1989. Translated by James Davies.
World Amateur Go Championship Rules: Similar to the 1949
Japanese rules.
CHINESE RULES
Chinese Rules of Weiqi: Modern Chinese rule set described in The
Go Player's Almanac by James Davies.
NEW ZEALAND RULES
New Zealand Rules of Go: Similar to Ing rules, with a few
minor differences.
Simple Rules: A simpler description of the essence of the New
Zealand rules.
The Tromp-Taylor Rules: Another description of the New
Zealand rules.
OTHER RULE SETS
Ancient Korean Rules: Click on
"Korean Rules" for a brief discussion of a rule set used in Korea more
than 1000 years ago.
Tibetan Rules: How go was played
in ancient Tibet on a 17x17 board.
IGS Rules: Rules of play on the Internet Go Server.
Survivor Wins: Probably the shortest description of the rules.
Proposed International Rules:
Robert Jasiek's unofficial proposed rules for international use.
ANALYSIS OF RULE SETS
Comparison of six rule sets: The British Go Association
offers a comparison chart and extended discussion of the six distinct
rule sets - AGA, Ing, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and New Zealand.
Basic comparison of rules: Another comparison of six rule
sets -- omits Korean rules and includes IGS rules and a "Simple Rules"
description of the New Zealand system.
Comparison of Four Major Rule Sets: David Fotland includes
four rule sets in his program Many Faces of Go
AGA, Ing, Japanese and Chinese. Here he compares and contrasts these
methods.
Gnarly problems: A collection of
propositions, mostly unlikely to appear in a real game, but certain to
confound various rule sets.
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Variations
and Unusual Rule Sets
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Go Variants: Some unusual things to do on a go board.
Other Go Variants: Some
additional games you can play using standard go equipment.
Still More Go Variants: Another listing of variants from the
user-maintained "Sensei's Library" site.
Elwyn
Berlekamp's Coupon Go: In this streaming video, the prominent
combinatorial game theorist descibes his attempts as a mathematician to
measure the exact value of go moves, culminating in the creation of
"Coupon Go."
Berlekamp
Q&A: Dr. Berlekamp answers questions from the UC
Berkeley faculty following his "Mathematics and Go" lecture.
FiveGo-like Games: Additional
variations on the theme of territory.
Gess: Played by placing stones in the squares on an 18x18
board . . .
A Round Goban: Download and print out your own round go
board. No corners -- every intersection connects to four other points!
FreedGo: Twelve functional, computerized three-dimensional go
boards.
Pente: A patented game resembling go-moku, played on
almost-a-go-board. You can play Pente online here.
Abalone: Chinese checkers-type game using round black and
white pieces.
DiamondGo: Henry Segerman has invented equipment forplaying
three-dimensional go..
3DGO: More on how to play go in three-dimensional space,
including a number of suggested board configurations.
World's largest game: Talk about
big moves! Played in a Japanese field with stones the size of bicycle
wheels.
Conversion Go: An Othello-like variant -- captured stones
change color and remain on the board.
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Go
in Print/Film/Video
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AGA Annotated
Bibliography: The complete listing of go books available in
English, briefly described.
AGA Go Filmography: Briefly noted appearances of go in film
and on TV and video.
David Carlton's Go Bibliography: Detailed descriptions and
impressions of many English language go books.
Download Three Go Books: The Wings Go Club offers annotated
games of Go Seigen and a translated series on "How to Play the Stronger
Player" for download at no charge, courtesy of the AGA. Click "Books"
on menu on the left hand side of the page.
Hikaru No Go: Fabulous story from Japan depicting a young
man's coming of age in the world of go. Read the manga, view the anime.
If you download, you may be violating copyright laws. Click
here to download a Hikaru No Go poster
for your personal use.
Internet Go Filmography: A comprehensive list of films and
other visual media references to go.
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Computer
Go
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Go-Related
Software: A complete list of dozens of programs that play and
teach go as well as software for other functions like creating game
records and pairiing tournaments.
Mick's Computer Go Pages: Detailed information on
international computer go tournaments.
Go Servers: Thousands of people are playing Go online right
now! Here's where to find them.
Samarkand's Software Selection: includes many commercial
go-playing programs and an extensive selection of Zhu-jiu Jiang's
instructional CD-ROMs.
Yutopian Software Center: Another
good collection of playing and instructional software.
OpenGo: A workbench for programmers interested in writing
automated playing software.
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Go
Vendors
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Makers and distributors of books and
equipment
Click here to find playing equipment and instructional materials
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Go
People
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Feng Yun's Go School: This former World Women's Champion, one
of only 2 female 9-Dans in history, lives and teaches actively in the
New York area, and offers online lessons.
Alexander Dinerchtein: A
Russian-born 1P in the Korean system who teaches online in Russian,
English and Korean.
Harry Fearnley's Homepage: A vast store of links, information
and oddities.
David
Mechner's Homepage: A former insei
offers advice on getting stronger.
Milt's Go Page
John
Fairbairn
Terri
Schurter
Steve Bailey's Go Pages
Henry Segerman's three-dimensional go board
Jun's collection of Takemiya's games --
over 60 games in the collection
Waller's
World of Go
David Dyer's Computer Go Pages
Jay Burmeister's Go Pages
I am Dosaku: The life of the
first great go genius (1645-1702), who remains one of the great players
of all time. With game records from his famous matches.
Jasiek's Go/Baduk/Weiqi Home Page:
Lots of information about rules, and a few other things.
John
Tromp's Go Page: Another rule-oriented set of pages.
Daniel
Bump's Go Page: Daniel and Reid Augustin have written a
program to convert sgf files to tex format.
Yuki Shigeno's Italian Diary: The
European-based professional reflects on this and that.
Sven Tissot's Go Pages
Matthew MacFadyen's Go Pages: One
of Europe's top players offers instruction and other materials.
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Go
Blogs
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Mr. Ooijer blogs: Friday Night Files author Jon Van Rongen
poses as the Dutch player in Hikaru no Go, sort of..
Chiyodad Learns Go: A massive collection of material,
including links to instructional videos for beginners.
NannyOgg's Shodan Challenge: A beginner discovers a quest for
excellence.
Maruseru No Go: Another "journey into the infinite depths of
go/baduk/weichi." (In English.)
Snakeeater On Go: Need we say more?
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Related
Links
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Web site archive: Search for
www.usgo.org to view snapshots of how we used to look, as far back as
1997..
Shogi.net: Links and information
concerning the Japanese chess antecedent.
Xiangqi:
The Chinese ancestor of Western chess.
Liubo: Xiangqi evolved from this
even more ancient game.
Korean Chess: Very similar to
xiangqi, but with slightly different rules.
Hex: Black and white stones on a
go-like board with hexes instead of squares. The object is to create an
unbroken chain of stones from one side of the board to the other.
Invented by John Nash, the brilliant, erratic subject of the
Academy-award-winning film A Beautiful Mind.
Pits: Learn the rules of the
5-player card game that has become a popular side attraction at Go
Congresses in Europe and the US.
Liar Dice: Another game often
played at Congresses and go events.
Daoqi: Go variant in which the
edge of the board is eliminated.
Amazons: Part chess, part go.
Konane: "Hawaiian checkers" can be
played on a standard go board.
Random Proverb Generator: Get a
different silly proverb every time you hit this site.
Renju International Federation:
Renju (Go-Moku) is a "five-in-a-row", tic-tac-toe-style game played
using go equipment. The RIF site includes over 2000 pages on various
aspects of this deceptively simple-looking game.
Mind Sports Organization: Although
not updated since March of 2001, this site contains lots of good
information on Asian and international tournaments, as well as many
downloadable game records and several interesting articles -- an
interview with Go Seigen, a description of go in North Korea and so on.
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