Go Servers
Keywords: Online Go
This page gives an overview of online go servers.
| Table of contents |
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Introduction
Internet Go servers can potentially deliver the following benefits.
- Endless supply of players of all ranks 24 hours a day
- Play people from just about any country in the world
- Choose any time settings you like, from games that last less than 10 minutes, to 45 minutes, to 3 months or more
- Watch strong Dan players any time you want
- Watch real weakies as much as your lil heart desires
- Many tournaments, chats, and lessons are available
- Autosave games, ease in replaying a game, ability to create variations
There are three basic types of servers.
- Real-time go servers in which two players play on line simultaneously just like over a real goban. Games usually last from 10 minutes to one and a half hours
- Turn-Based go servers allow you to post a move to a website, and check back later for your opponents response. Games usually last from a few weeks to many months.
- Play by Email allow you to email your move and play at a similarly slow pace
Currently it appears that the favorites for Americans and Europeans are KGS, IGS, DGS and OGS; however, all of the following servers have different features to recommend them. Pick your favorite!
Users should practice basic Internet security when using these Go servers. See also Internet Security / Go clients and servers for specific information on using Go servers.
Listed hereafter are real-time servers; see Turn-Based Go Servers for the other variant.
The descriptions of the go servers are intentionally kept short; please discuss at the page of the server itself or at Go server reviews and reports if the server doesn't have its own page.
See also:
- /Games servers that also offer go for games servers that offer go as one of their many games.
- /Goservers that don't support English for specialised go servers that don't support English (yet)
- /New and Defunct Go servers for Go servers that are in development or are not there anymore
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Most Popular Go Servers
As a convenience for visitors to this page who are looking for a place to play Go on the internet, we have listed the most well-established Go servers at the top of the page. Because of their popularity, these servers can offer richer features and a broader variety of opponents. Popular Western servers are servers on which English is a common, or the most common, language; popular servers are the most popular servers the world over, although here East Asian languages are spoken almost exclusively; popular turn-based servers offer correspondence play at a more leisurely rate than the real-time servers.
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Most common servers
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IGS - The Internet Go server (![[ext]](images/extlink.gif)
http://www.pandanet-igs.com/)
- English and Japanese (origin) languages or {Chinese, English, Korean, Japanese} ?
- The official and probably most current client is PANDA-glGo and is one of the nicest for any server. Additionally, it was originally telnet based, and there are a ton of older clients for all kinds of platforms that still work.
- Other clients (Windows, Macintosh, Linux , Android) include qGo and GoPanda.
- IGS has one of the broadest selection of players from all over the world.
- IGS is the grandfather of internet go, starting in 1992, it is still one of the most popular
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KGS - KGS Go Server ( http://www.gokgs.com/)
- English (origin) and a bunch of other languages? {English, Catalan, Czech, German, Spanish, Basque, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Turkish, Swedish}
- The KGS client is cGoban (Windows, Macintosh and Linux; can also connect via web browser without a client)
- Has a strong North American and European following, but still does well world wide.
- The ability to create "rooms" for clubs or countries has been a big draw for many. Plenty of chat.
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TygemBaduk - Tygem English language Go server ( http://www.tygembaduk.com/)
- details to be added
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Alphabetical list
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BadukWorld ( http://www.badukworld.co.kr/)
- Korean (origin), English languages
- Java web based
- The server seems to be oriented towards Korean expatriates
- Playing fee is $10 per year. Claims "Board and stones are the most beautiful in the world".
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BKGo? ( http://www.red-bean.com/bkgo/)
- English language
- not sure this is active, web page has a 1999 copyright, looks pretty old
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FunNode ( http://www.funnode.com/go)
- English
- Totally free (no premium / pay to play garbage)
- Easy signup (although you don't need an account to play!)
- Completely HTML5 / CSS3 / Javascript; works on many mobiles/tablets
- Play Humans or Bot(s)
- 9x9, 13x13, and 19x19 Boards
- Handicaps from 0 to 9
- "Undo Move" and "Offer Draw" requests available
- Waiting Queue
- Personalized Player Pages to keep track of Ratings
- Fully functioning Review System
- All games Saved and Reviewable
- Chatting allowed Globally, In-Game, while Spectating, and while Reviewing
- private chatting also available
- No annoying site admins, advertisements, or other nonsense
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go9dan.com ( http://go9dan.com)
- English, Chinese, Korean, Japanese
- No client necessary; runs in browsers
- Requires registration to play
- Voice counting, lectures, rankings and more
- Ongoing tournaments that award real cash prizes
- Unique teaching game auction system
- Frequent pro games
- Various functions and higher membership levels cost money
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GOmatches.com? ( http://www.gomatches.com)
- Focused on turn-based matches
- Web-based; no download required
- Strong computer opponent available
- Very user-friendly interface
- Uses the official EGF rating system
- E-Mail notifications
- Advanced player profiles
- And many more features
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GoShrine ( http://goshrine.com)
- An easy to use live go server.
- Simple, clean interface.
- Firewall friendly
- No Java or other plugins or downloads required.
- Play against GnuGo
- Rankings
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Internet Go Room? ( http://www.playgogame.com)
- English and Chinese languages
- (Note: As of April 2013, the website appears to be Chinese-language only)
- A Go Server build by Lyu shuzhi.
- copyright is 2001, doesn't look very up to date
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Kaya Go Server ( http://kaya.gs)
- A new server currently in development.
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KGS - GoKGS ( http://www.gokgs.com/)
- English, Chinese, Japanese, Belgrade, Spanish, Korean, Italian, many more.
- The client download is on the KGS homepage.
- No national predominance known.
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LGS - The Legend Go Server ( http://www.lgs.taiwango.net/)
- Chinese (Taiwanese origin), English (sort of) languages
- The client download is on the LGS homepage. Unconfirmed that many IGS clients will be compatible. port 9696
- Primarily Taiwanese players?
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No strive Go (www.wuzheng.me)
- Unsure whether this is an real time or turn based go server
- No time limits
- Free
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Go Center of Second Life ( http://www.notabene-sl.com/slgc/)
- Support for other languages in the SL client works, sort of.
- At the Vineland region is an area dedicated to go. The 3d boards handle all sizes, komi, free and static handicap placement.
- Has a membership board, and a rating system.
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Tygem ( http://www.tygembaduk.com)
- English, Korean, Chinese, Japanese languages
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WBaduk ( http://www.wbaduk.com/) (was OroBaduk)
- English, Korean (origin), Chinese, Japanese languages
- The client download is on the WBaduk
- Most populous contingent is Korean, but plenty of Chinese, Japanese, and Thais
- Client is for Windows only? But works with wine.
- This may be the largest server with an English client, as many as 25,000 people on line at one time.
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WING - World-wide InterNet Gokaisho ( http://wing.gr.jp/indexe.html)
- Japanese (origin) and English languages
- Real Time server
- Java and IGS / NNGS interfaces
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