Hello! I just signed up this evening.

I'm a lifelong board game player, and an on-again/off-again chess player. (I'm not very good, but I am fascinated by the game, its history and its literature.) About 10 years ago, I was drawn into a variety of Asian board games: Go, of course; Go-Muku; Xiangqi; Mahjong; Pai Gow; Luzhanqi; Do Shou Qi. I tried to get into Shogi, but I just couldn't clear the bar--I don't know why.

And, like everyone else, it seems, I was captivated by "Hikaru No Go."

Except for a few visits to the Seattle Go Center (a place I highly recommend!), I've not found anyone to play with face-to-face. I've read several beginner's books, and I've tinkered with some software, playing some games on 9x9 boards.

I was thinking of signing up for online play with real people, but I hesitate, for fear that I would just be wasting the time of more experienced players until I am more certain of the play of the game.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for your consideration!
RMCTSJ

Welcome.

Any suggestions? Yes, sign up. There will always be other weak players and there are plenty of bots online to play so that you can gain a rank and experience. I know KGS has dozens of bots at all levels of play.

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Still officially AGA 5d but I play so irregularly these days that I am probably only 3d or 4d over the board (but hopefully still 5d in terms of knowledge, theory and the ability to contribute).

Thank you! I didn't know that there were bots on KGS. Is there any significant difference between KGS and Pandanet?

I know that in chess, one can learn a lot by playing against a software package such as Fritz. What about SmartGo? (https://www.smartgo.com/windows.html) Would that be a worthwhile investment?

Again, I am grateful for your consideration.

RMCTSJ

Play go lots. You will improve.

Welcome.

Welcome! I would also say to start playing as much games as possible. You will certainly improve. Good luck and most of all enjoy!

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Avatar photo courtesy Judith van Dam/EuroGoTV

Lots of questions! IMO a good place to start is free and easy.

To play against a computer, you can download leela here for free: https://www.sjeng.org/leela.html

To play with people on a server, you can go to http://www.online-go.com and play without having to download anything.

There are lots of other alternatives for both go playing software and go servers, but what is best for you is largely a matter of personal preference. Everyone has an opinion, but the main thing is to find what you like and the way to do that is to get started playing.

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Patience, grasshopper.

Welcome!

As for advice, just start playing. You can find bots on the various servers (especially KGS), but I recommend playing people as well. Not because you can't learn a lot from bots (you can), but because there is something wonderful in connecting with other people through the game. You might not get this with anonymous games on a go server, but removing the inhibitions regarding playing other people is a good first step. Of course, so is participation here.

A good book can also help make sense of the game, if you're so inclined.

Welcome!



You can easily find opponents at your level on many Go servers - you won't be wasting anyone's time. The handicap system also means that getting properly paired isn't that challenging. If you're just starting out PandaNet or OGS seem like fine servers.