# Any Go players here? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 17, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774 "2009-05-17T19:24:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/1 "2009-05-17T19:24:59Z")
Also known as Weiqi or Baduk. ISTR one or two people mentioning (in passing) that they played. Maybe we could get a game going here. (Do I need to ask permission from the mods for this?) Or perhaps I could do online teaching (I’m amateur 3 dan). Any takers? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/2 "2009-05-17T20:35:58Z")
Sadly life is too short for both Go and chess. But I’ve had several chess games here (as you suggest, I cleared it with the Mods first). Can you display the game for spectators? ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/3 "2009-05-17T20:44:42Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Can you display the game for spectators? I was intending to, but I need to think about how best to do this. Go doesn’t really lend itself to algebraic notation, but I don’t know how to post graphic diagrams here, or if it’s even possible. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/4 "2009-05-18T02:39:26Z")
> [@glee](#): > > Sadly life is too short for both Go and chess. > > But I’ve had several chess games here (as you suggest, I cleared it with the Mods first). > > Can you display the game for spectators? Next, glee is going to tell me that he has played Shogi. I have bought a book on Go, understand the premise, but I don’t think I have actually ever played a game. Same for Shogi, for that matter. \*I bumbled through 3 games of Shogi in clubhouse games for the Nintendo DS, but, not a fair pass at it. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/5 "2009-05-18T02:41:12Z")
This link seems to fit in here: www.zillionsofgames.com ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/6 "2009-05-18T09:20:40Z")
> [@Meeko](#): > > Next, glee is going to tell me that he has played Shogi. I’ve only played a couple of games of Go (I read a book on it and discussed it with a club player). I’ve never played Shogi (though … I’ve read a book on it!) I’ve played chess variants (Kriegspiel, Losing chess) and even invented one (Madrasi chess). ---
**Author:** ![MindWanderer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@MindWanderer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindWanderer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/7 "2009-05-18T09:30:20Z")
I’ve played Go a very little bit, but I have no understanding of it. It’s a very confusing game to me. I played GNUGO against the computer, and Go computers are pretty bad, from what I’ve heard, but I got crushed :). And I played Go on Yahoo a couple times, but one of my opponents thought I was throwing the match or something (I wasn’t) But nonetheless, Go is a fascinating game to watch good players at. I find the spacial structures of Go to be very interesting. Go seems to require the ability to see the big picture to a very large extent, while also keeping the tactics in mind as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/8 "2009-05-18T11:56:09Z")
I do! Or did. I haven’t played in uh, years. \>.\> I was ranked about 12 kyu in the UK though. I played on KGS, although I’ve stopped for a good while now. Actually it’s rather easy to keep a record of a Go game, it’s just hell to keep up if you don’t have a board. 😛 I honestly wouldn’t mind a teaching game, but I’m afraid I’d be too rubbish to even begin! ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/9 "2009-05-18T12:09:48Z")
Well here we go! [Sensei’s Library](http://senseis.xmp.net/?OngoingGame) has a very useful “ongoing game” section, where two people can play a game and have it displayed in graphical format! Incidentially, I love Sensei’s Library. Just thought I’d let you know. EDIT: Of course, there’s no need to have the game linked to the “ongoing game” page. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/10 "2009-05-18T12:20:15Z")
I’ve played Go and Shoji. I’m really bad at Go, though. I need a 3 stone handicap to beat the computer on a 9\*9 board. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-go-players-here/496774/11 "2009-05-18T15:02:57Z")
> [@MindWanderer](#): > > I played GNUGO against the computer, and Go computers are pretty bad, from what I’ve heard, but I got crushed :). > > And I played Go on Yahoo a couple times, but one of my opponents thought I was throwing the match or something (I wasn’t) Gnugo is quite good, as Go programs go. I would expect it to crush a beginner. I can beat it, though. Any dan player ought to be able to. As you say, Go programs aren’t very advanced yet. As for Yahoo, it’s got a bad reputation among Go players. Too many obnoxious kids and too much general rudeness. > [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > I do! Or did. I haven’t played in uh, years. \>.\> > > I was ranked about 12 kyu in the UK though. I played on KGS, although I’ve stopped for a good while now. > > Actually it’s rather easy to keep a record of a Go game, it’s just hell to keep up if you don’t have a board. 😛 > > I honestly wouldn’t mind a teaching game, but I’m afraid I’d be too rubbish to even begin! I can give you 9 stones if you like. We could play on SL. Interested?