Life In 19x19

The Summer 2012 GoGoD update is now available and already on its way to subscribers, with a total of 72644 games in the Database. This is a landmark issue. We now have exactly 2,000 games featuring Cho Chikun. He beat Cho Hun-hyeon as the first to that mark by a whisker. And since we are in Golden Oldies mood, let us recall and salute Jan van Rongen, who collaborated with us on Chikun's collection in its early days.

There's even more GO stuff on this CD. We found a new Kitani game on the day we went to press, but apart from that there has been a long catalogue of new finds of old masters' games. The most significant perhaps are the three new games by Shusaku which we wrote about in New In Go. Of course the Krypton
Kiddies who only wish to drive their 4x4 josekis are not forgotten. You will find well over 1,200 new games for 2012 alone.

For those who like to take go less strenuously, may we suggest a look at some new 13x13 blindfolded-pro games. We now have pro games at 9x9, 13x13, 15x15, 17x17 and 21x21 (apart from the handful of 19x19, of course).

There have been a number of changes made to the way we sell, which are detailed on the “Buy” page on our website. Basically, we are dropping the subscription system from the end of this year, although purchasers who have already subscribed will get their copies as normal. From now on, all sales will be at the plain vanilla price of £20 or 25Euros or $30. This gives us the freedom to update at different times in the year, when we reach notable targets, for instance.

Best wishes.

TMark wrote:Basically, we are dropping the subscription system from the end of this year, although purchasers who have already subscribed will get their copies as normal.

Does that include the option to get an update at the end of 2012 for those who bought before this past Christmas?

People who have already paid for their subscription will receive their update in December. Anybody who comes now will be buying the current edition without a subscription. Basically, no.

Best wishes.

I don't know if this is the right place to ask, but does GoGoD consists of commented games? I enjoy replaying commented games much more, but on the other side it is hard for me to stumble upon games of players I would like to watch like Kato Masao or Nie Weiping.

There are a few commented games, but the vast, vast majority are not.

aconley wrote:There are a few hundred commented games, but the vast, vast majority are not.

Fixed.

On my CD, which is several years old, the bulk of the commented games are commented by Alexander Dinerchtein and Wang Hongjun, who each have contributed about 120 games. I found it fairly difficult to find games by a specific player, but there's probably a tool for it somewhere on the CD.

daal wrote: I found it fairly difficult to find games by a specific player, but there's probably a tool for it somewhere on the CD.

FYI, I love SmartGo for this.

I found it fairly difficult to find games by a specific player, but there's probably a tool for it somewhere on the CD.

Indeed there is, and always has been - GoLibrary (though only for Windows users). It allows you all the usual database type searches on any sgf category (names, events, dates, handicaps, komi, etc), and categories can be coupled and sorted of course. I use it all the time, and Life, Games and Commentaries of Shuei is one result. (I think you can also use Kombilo but I've never tried.)

I freely admit that reading the instructions is always the last thing on my mind for me, too