Go

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Anyone here play Go?

I recently picked it up and started playing 9x9 vs the computer. It whooped me for a while but I'm getting the hang of it, though 19x19 would be way harder to handle. It's about 100x better as a war simulation than chess, since you actually form your troops into battle lines and have to plug gaps and such. Ofter ends up with a nifty pattern too:

https://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8783/gogame.png

[Motep]

19x19 is badass. I was undefeated in my japanese class for 6 months, and then Maiko-Sensei finally got me. It's a great game, though the fact that we didnt have actual boards and pieces (paper cutouts) made playing a long game with a friend hard to manage, as conversation brings one of us to laugh at some point, and the board is literally blown away. It's fun, though!

[HopAlongBunny]

Its a great game.

Used to play my brother when I was at Uni, and get regularly beat :p
Playing large board his openings and response never made sense, until about halfway through the game.

Think about the whole situation, have a plan, be proactive not reactive; enjoy :)

[Sasaki Kojiro]

Yes! First win against the AI without a handicap. Though I still went first and only won by one point.

https://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7418/gowin.png

I kind of bungled the end and let them pick up a few points.


19x19 is badass.


Playing large board his openings and response never made sense, until about halfway through the game.

Yes...I imagine when I switch up the opening will be hard to handle.

[Beirut]

Anyone here play Go?

I recently picked it up and started playing 9x9 vs the computer. It whooped me for a while but I'm getting the hang of it, though 19x19 would be way harder to handle. It's about 100x better as a war simulation than chess, since you actually form your troops into battle lines and have to plug gaps and such. Ofter ends up with a nifty pattern too:

https://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8783/gogame.png

There was a History Channel show about Sun-Tzu and they said his strategies were more from Go than from Chess.

That's it. Just thought I'd mention.

(I guess you can find Go on a free download, eh?)

[Sasaki Kojiro]

There was a History Channel show about Sun-Tzu and they said his strategies were more from Go than from Chess.

That's it. Just thought I'd mention.

(I guess you can find Go on a free download, eh?)

Yeah I can see that. "only move diagonally" isn't a good war plan ~D

I'm using igowin which is a free program:

http://www.smart-games.com/igowin.html

[Pannonian]

That site also links to a mahjong solitaire game. Which reminds me. I'd like a game of Mahjong where I play against 3 AIs, preferably configurable with different rulesets.

[Beefy187]

I prefer Japanese Chess (Shogi). That I am pretty decent at.
I can barely win against the AI in Go at 9x9:sweatdrop: (Won once, lost six times)

I won a couple at online though but that was back when anime called "Hikaru no Go" came out and everyone said "hey Gos cool! Lets all play" so half the people had have just started playing.

[pevergreen]

I prefer Japanese Chess (Shogi). That I am pretty decent at.


I'll beat you one day! I swear it!

[Motep]

Yes...I imagine when I switch up the opening will be hard to handle.


Very much so. But that is part of what makes it so badass, you can be seemingly random, throw your opponent off guard, and slice your way into a victory.

[Togakure]

Thanks for the link. I'll have to give this a try after I complete my move back west.

I played a lot a chess as a young adult and enjoyed it, though it did stress me out because I'd over-analyze everything and like just about anything I do, I tended to take it too seriously (though I never did research how to play it well; I just played "off the cuff"). I haven't played much in my later adult life.

I became aware of Go after reading Shibumi by Trevanian. I even bought a nice board and pieces. The problem was, I couldn't find anyone to play with. When I moved out here to Jersey I gave the set away. But now, thanks to the link, I have the means to pursue my curiosity further when I can afford the time. Thanks again.

[Veho Nex]

I don't understand the rules, but I found a way to win no matter what. I just make a arrow pointing away and it always ends after I place the second marker.

[Beefy187]

I'll beat you one day! I swear it!

I did lose shogi against a hardcore chess guy in his second try...
I was :wall:ing for a few hours.

[Pannonian]

Yes! First win against the AI without a handicap. Though I still went first and only won by one point.

I kind of bungled the end and let them pick up a few points.

Yes...I imagine when I switch up the opening will be hard to handle.
12 kyu is where handicaps stop. 9 kyu is the best I can reach, with my best result there being a loss by 2. My starting strategy is to secure 2 corners on the 3rd rank, with a piece between them, 1 rank in front, which sort of occupies the centre while being within easy reach of the corners. Then I progress with Knight moves where possible, blocking when I see a threat, or throwing out an outlying piece to gain some time elsewhere. I never see as far ahead as the AI though, so the AI's scattergun approach usually works better than my scattergun approach. For better learning, save your games, especially the ones where you're not sure how you lost, and read through them in Drago (http://www.godrago.net/en.htm).

[Csargo]

That site also links to a mahjong solitaire game. Which reminds me. I'd like a game of Mahjong where I play against 3 AIs, preferably configurable with different rulesets.

Do you know a good website that I could go to, so I could learn how to play? I'm having trouble finding one if you could help I'd appreciate it. :help:

[Pannonian]

Do you know a good website that I could go to, so I could learn how to play? I'm having trouble finding one if you could help I'd appreciate it. :help:
Try this (http://www.lacobie.org/Mahjong) and this (http://www.japanesemahjong.com/reachmahjong/intro.htm). I learned it from watching, and referencing parallels to card games like poker - runs, sets of three, etc. It requires knowledge of the Chinese/kanji characters for 1-9, and the four compass directions, but that's not a lot to memorise.

Played igowin earlier on 11 kyu, and sacrificed 1 piece in order to take 10. Rather proud of that. Copy into a text file, rename it as a .sgf file, then open in Drago. Move 45 is the sacrifice.


(;GM[1]FF[4]VW[]AP[Igo for Windows]SZ[9]ST[1]KM[0]RU[Japanese]
HA[0]PW[Igo for windows]
PB[Human]
C[Human strength is 11 Kyu. Computer playing at level 3]
;B[dc]
;W[cg]
;B[de]
;W[be]
;B[bc]
;W[eg]
;B[fe]
;W[fh]
;B[he]
;W[bh]
;B[gc]
;W[cd]
;B[cc]
;W[gg]
;B[hf]
;W[hg]
;B[ig]
;W[ih]
;B[if]
;W[hi]
;B[gf]
;W[ff]
;B[ef]
;W[dd]
;B[fg]
;W[dg]
;B[ff]
;W[ed]
;B[ce]
;W[bd]
;B[ec]
;W[fd]
;B[gd]
;W[fc]
;B[fb]
;W[ac]
;B[bf]
;W[bg]
;B[cf]
;W[af]
;B[ab]
;W[eh]
;B[ee]
;W[df]
;B[ae]
;W[ad]
;B[ae]
;W[ag]
;B[bd]
;W[tt]
;B[tt]
)