GNU Go

GNU Go is a free go-playing program (engine). It can be compiled on many platforms.

It can be used with or without a GUI. Without a GUI it can be used in ASCII mode. GNU Emacs users can install the gnugo package to play against it (and other GTP engines).

Table of contents Binaries GNU Go at go servers History[1] Developers GUIs capable of running GNU Go Remarks

Binaries

• Windows
  • (GNU Go 3.8):
    • (32-bit) https://gnugo.baduk.org
    • (64-bit) https://cygwin.com/packages/summary/gnugo.html
• Mac OS X
  • (GNU Go 3.7.11): https://www.sente.ch/software/goban3/#Download
• Symbian
  • (GNU Go 3.6): https://gnugos60.blogspot.com

GNU Go at go servers

Another way to play against GNU Go is to log on to one of the go servers below and challenge one of the many GNU Go instances.

• KGS has many GNU Go instances, see KGSBots.
• GNU Go at DGS
  • White Robot (whiterobot) (v3.8)
  • Kôkaku kidôtai (magubot) (v3.7.12)
• Legend Go Server (LGS) (see go servers)
• WING

History^[1]

• 2010-December: GNU Go 3.9.1 development version released
• 2009-February: GNU Go 3.8 released
• 2008-December: GNU Go 3.8 announced
• 2008-December: GNU Go 3.7.13 development version released

• 2008-April: GNU Go 3.7.12 development version released.

• 2007-Nov: GNU Go 3.7.11 development version released.

• 2006-May: GNU Go 3.7.10 development version released.
  • 2006-May: GNU Go 3.7.10 wins the 2006 Computer Olympiad.
  • 2006-Oct: GNU Go 3.7.10 takes second in the 2006 Gifu Challenge behind KCC Igo.
  • 2008-Aug: GNU Go 3.7.10 takes first at the 2008 North American Computer Go Championship

• 2004-Nov: GNU Go 3.6 released. Somewhat stronger than 3.4, and probably of comparable speed (though perhaps slightly slower). At KGS GNU Go 3.6 instances are usually rated at 12k or 13k.

• 2003-Jul: GNU Go 3.4 released. Around two handicap stones stronger than 3.2 and is approximately as fast as 3.2. At KGS its rated at strong 13k.
  • 2003-Nov: GNU Go 3.5.2 wins the 2003 Computer Olympiad with a perfect score.

• 2002-Apr: GNU Go 3.2 released. About three handicap stones stronger than 3.0, uses less RAM, and about as fast. At KGS its rated at 13k.

• 2001-Aug: GNU Go 3.0 released. About four handicap stones stronger than 2.6. At KGS its rated at strong 16k.

• 2000-Feb: GNU Go 2.6 released. At KGS its rated at 17k. My guess is that if 2.6 and 2.4 were playing against opponents that knew well their weakness, 2.6 would be rated higher.

• 1999-Sep: GNU Go 2.4 released. At KGS its rated at 16k.

• 1999-Apr: GNU Go 2.0 released. At KGS its rated at 18k. This can probably give more than 9 stones to Liberty 1.0, but against humans difference compared to Liberty 1.0 is just 6 stones.

• 1999-Jan: Liberty 1.0 released (based on date on files). This could be considered a version between GNU Go 1.2 and GNU Go 2.0. At KGS its rated at 24k.

• 1995-Nov: GNU Go 1.2 released. At KGS its rated at 30k. Its clearly significantly below 30k.

• 1989-Mar: GNU Go 1.1 released. GNU Go 1.1 was posted to comp.sources.games March 13 1989.

• see https://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/devel.html for complete history

(All the relative strength differences above are with respect to self-play at default level settings; in games against humans with fixed time settings, the differences may be considerable smaller.)

Developers

GnuGo Development
Gnugo nosekis patterns with horrible results that GNU Go frequently plays

GUIs capable of running GNU Go

• qGo Windows / Linux / OSX. Also an IGS client
• glGo
• gGo
• jago (Java)
• cgoban1 (X Window-System)
• drago. Has an autohandicap mode and can give score estimate at any time.
• gogui (Java) Useful for a lot of experimentation with GNU Go via the GTP shell (but supports simple playing, too)
• Emacs interface links: emacswiki
• Sente Goban (Very nice Mac Os X client for GNU Go / IGS) goban
• MultiGo
• Many Faces of Go Play against GNUgo, or play GNUgo against any other program supporting GTP protocol.
• SmartGo Play against GNU Go; supports Tourney between SmartGo and GNU Go or other GTP-enabled programs.
• ccGo. Also an IGS client.
• Quarry (GNU/Linux, GTK+-based).
• Go Widget. Dashboard widget for Mac OSX. Play against GNU Go on a 9x9 board. Go Widget
• wap-go.com. HTML-frontend to GTP-capable programs. Optimized to save traffic, allows to play against GNU Go from mobilephone or PDA using html-browser.
• Monkeyjump (GNU/Linux, Python/SDL-based) Minimalistic. Play against GNU Go on various board sizes. Works with other GTP-capable programs. Configurable keybindings and themes.
• Sabaki Cross platform (GNU/Linux, Mac, Windows) Electron based Goban - "An elegant Go board and SGF editor for a more civilized age."

Remarks

[1] Versions of GNU Go are mostly numbered like the Linux kernels: minor versions with even numbers (e.g. 3.6) are stable versions, odd numbers (3.9...) mark the more or less unstable versions.