Life In 19x19

If you're looking for a free good Go AI, I recommend Fuego

http://fuego.sourceforge.net/

You'll want to run it with GoGui, the link is on that page.
It's about 4k or so on the 19x19 I think, at least on my laptop. One advantage to monte-carlo bots is that they scale well with more processors, so Fuego running on a 16-core cluster is significantly stronger than on my little core 2 duo. When people say strongest AIs are around 2 dan, this is typically what they mean.

This is me vs a 17 kyu I am white. I ended up blundering it at the very end. I should have just connected the two eyes. I have to do more life and death problems. I feel like I improved even though I lost. Big difference between the last game I played. All the comments and advice helped. I feel like I was the winner regardless.
Thanks again!

BTW, moves 67 thru 73 were dan level moves. Aspiring to be 8K is beneath you. You should aim for shodan.

Thanks Gosei! What is a shodan? I am guessing it's anything above dan level? or does it mean grandmaster dan?


[sgf-full](;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]HA[3]KM[0.50]TM[1500]OT[5x30 byo-yomi]
PW[paulsim]PB[vital]WR[14k]BR[17k]DT[2010-11-25]PC[The KGS Go Server at http://www.gokgs.com/]AB[pd][dp][pp]C[paulsim [14k\]: hi
]RE[B+35.50]
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;W[qd]WL[1436.06]
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;W[pe]WL[1422.708]
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;W[qe]WL[1414.982]
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;B[]BL[30]OB[4]TW[aa][ba][ca][da][ea][fa][ra][sa][ab][bb][cb][db][eb][fb][qb][sb][ac][bc][dc][ec][rc][sc][ad][bd][cd][ed][fd][rd][sd][ae][be][ce][de][re][af][bf][cf][df][ag][bg][dg][eg][mg][ah][ch][dh][bi][di][cj][ql][rl][sl][sm][rn][sn][ar][br][dr][as][bs][cs][ds]TB[ja][ka][la][ma][na][jb][kb][lb][mb][nb][ic][jc][kc][mc][id][kd][ld][ie][je][ke][le][ig][gh][hh][rh][sh][gi][hi][ii][pi][qi][kj][lj][pj][al][am][cm][an][cn][in][jn][mn][jo][ko][mo][kp][np][qp][iq][jq][kq][mq][nq][oq][qq][sq][gr][ir][lr][mr][nr][or][pr][rr][sr][gs][is][js][ks][ns][os][ps][rs][ss])
(;W[mr]
;B[kr]
;W[ns]))
(;W[kr]
;B[ms]
;W[mr]))[/sgf-full]

Shodan is another way of saying 1dan. First level. Commonly used for both black belt and go rankings.

You're welcome. BTW, "gosei" is not my handle. It is a rank that I earned by posting lots of drivel like this.

oops sorry, Joaz Banbeck