There is an abundance of go software available to support players of the game of Go

Go (board game)

Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...

. 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

The newest programs can play a professional level game on the reduced 9x9 board size and amateur dan level on 19x19. A more in depth look into Go playing programs and the research behind them can be found in the article on computer go

Computer Go

Computer Go is the field of artificial intelligence dedicated to creating a computer program that plays Go, a traditional board game.-Performance:...

.

Recording

There are several file formats used to store game records, the most popular of which is the Smart Game Format

Smart Game Format

The Smart Game Format is a computer file format used for storing records of board games. Games currently supported are Amazons, Ataxx, Backgammon, Byte, Chase, Chess, DVONN, Exxit, Focus, Gess, GIPF, Go, Gobblet, Gomoku+Renju, Hex, Hive, Hnefatafl, Jungle, Kropki, Kuba, Lines of Action, Neutron,...

 (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

Databases

Electronic databases can be used to study life and death situations, joseki

Joseki

In Go, are studied sequences of moves in the corner areas of the Go board, for which the result is considered balanced for both black and white sides. Because games typically start with plays in the corners, players often try to use their understanding of joseki to gain local advantages in the...

, fuseki

Fuseki

Fuseki is the whole board opening in the game of Go.-Less systematic:Since each move is typically isolated and unforced , patterns for play on the whole board have seen much less systematic study than for Joseki, which are often contact moves which require specific and immediate responses...

and games by a particular player. Programs are available 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. Such servers also allow easy access to professional

Go professional

A Go professional is a professional player of the game of Go. The minimum standard to acquire a professional diploma through one of the major go organisations is very high. The competition is tremendous, and prize incentives for champion players are very large...

 teaching, with both teaching games and interactive game review being possible.

The first Go server that started operating is the Internet Go Server

IGS Go server

The IGS, short for Internet Go Server, also known as Pandanet, located in Tokyo, Japan, is a server that allows players of the game of Go to observe and play against others over the Internet. Started in 1992 by Tim Casey, Chris Chisolm, and Mark Okada, it was the first server of its kind...

 (IGS), which began service in 1992 and is still active today. Several other servers, all with the same basic server-client architecture, followed. Such servers required players to download a client program, and many such programs were therefore developed for a wide range of platforms. Around 2000, Kiseido publishing started the Kiseido Go Server

KGS Go Server

The KGS Go Server, known until 2006 as the Kiseido Go Server, is a game server first developed in 1999 and firmly established in 2000 for people to play Go. The system was developed by William M. Shubert and its code is now written entirely in Java...

 (KGS), which allowed players to play without downloading a client by utilizing a Java applet

Java applet

A Java applet is an applet delivered to users in the form of Java bytecode. Java applets can run in a Web browser using a Java Virtual Machine , or in Sun's AppletViewer, a stand-alone tool for testing applets...

 in the web browser

Web browser

A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...

. This server quickly became popular and still is today. IGS and KGS are currently (2007) the most popular real-time go servers for the English speaking audience Online Go Server (OGS) and Dragon Go Server (DGS) are currently (2011) the most popular turn-based go servers.

External links

• List of Go playing programs on Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library is an internet website and wiki, dedicated to articles about, and discussion of, the game of Go. It is one of the largest and most active wikis outside of the Wikipedia project on the internet. Sensei's Library was started in September 2000, by the Go players Morten Pahle and Arno...
  
  .
• List of game record editing programs on Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library is an internet website and wiki, dedicated to articles about, and discussion of, the game of Go. It is one of the largest and most active wikis outside of the Wikipedia project on the internet. Sensei's Library was started in September 2000, by the Go players Morten Pahle and Arno...
  
  .
• List of Database programs on Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library is an internet website and wiki, dedicated to articles about, and discussion of, the game of Go. It is one of the largest and most active wikis outside of the Wikipedia project on the internet. Sensei's Library was started in September 2000, by the Go players Morten Pahle and Arno...
  
  .
• List of game record editing programs on GoBase.
• List of internet Go servers on Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library is an internet website and wiki, dedicated to articles about, and discussion of, the game of Go. It is one of the largest and most active wikis outside of the Wikipedia project on the internet. Sensei's Library was started in September 2000, by the Go players Morten Pahle and Arno...
  
  .
• List of internet Go servers on the AGA website.
• List of teaching services on the BGA website.
• Free Go Software
• GoKnot, a Windows solution open for developing
• Alejo's Tenuki Video-reviews and analysis on database analysis programs.
• Freed Go, board with generic topology
  Topology
  Topology is a major area of mathematics concerned with properties that are preserved under continuous deformations of objects, such as deformations that involve stretching, but no tearing or gluing...
  
  
• GoNote Browser-based go boards in a number of different sizes.
• GoChild Web2.0 site designed for learning how to play go efficiently.

User Interfaces

These programs provide graphical interfaces on a variety of platforms, performing various combinations of the services listed above.

• CGoban - Linux / Unix
• Drago - Windows
• gGo - Java based
• glGo - Linux / Windows; a prototype for a 3D goban display
• Goban - Mac OS X
• GoGui - Java based
• Jago - Java based
• qGo - Linux / Windows / Mac OS X ; also a IGS client
• Quarry - Linux, GTK+-based
• Ruby Go - Linux, Unix, Windows, Tk-based
• Stonebase - Windows; a FREE multiple-function software designed for supporting GO study, including a 170MB database with Go games / books.