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
- 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 online simultaneously just like over a real goban are listed on this page. 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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Fox Weiqi (a.k.a. Yehu Weiqi 野狐围棋) (![[ext]](images/extlink.gif)
http://www.foxwq.com)
- Microsoft Windows, Android, and iOS only (no Linux or Mac client)
- Hosted 60 online games where AlphaGo played as "Master" against elite players
- Fox Weiqi of English version, Japanese version website and Korean version Han-Q Baduk.
- Parent company of Fox Weiqi and Chinese Tencent QQ, WeChat is the same. Thus it also be called Tencent Weiqi or QQ Game.
- Can use QQ account to login
- Available in English, Japanese and Korean client for foreign download specially
- Client is Unicode software that no AppLocale installation required
- Has Android, iOS App mobile client
- English client installation information tutorial here
- Fox Weiqi Server registration is simple that just according to the guide of client software
- Typical number of players connected: 6000 to 17000 (November 2020) (May be the most popular and largest Go server in China and with an English client)
- 2018 Tencent World Artificial Intelligence Go Competition ( website 23-06 to 31-07-2018)
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IGS - The Internet Go server ( http://www.pandanet-igs.com/) パンダネット
- IGS is the grandfather of internet go, starting in 1992, it is still one of the most popular.
- English and Japanese (origin) languages or {Chinese, English, Korean, Japanese} ?
- Since 2013 there is a new official Client GoPanda2 which works on Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac
- Other clients (Windows, Macintosh, Linux , Android, iOS) include qGo, GoPanda and Tetsuki.
- Its Japanese website hosts many articles and news from all over the world, including Europe and USA.
- Typical number of players connected: 1000 to 3000 (November 2020)
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KGS - KGS Go Server ( http://www.gokgs.com/)
- English (origin) and many other languages {Basque, Catalan, Czech, German, Finnish, French, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish}
- The KGS client is cGoban (Windows, Macintosh and Linux; can also connect via web browser without a client) or, for Android, KGS Client.
- Web Clients include Shin KGS, KGS Leben, and GoUniverse
- Has a strong North American and European following, but still does well world wide.
- The ability to create "rooms" for clubs or countries, and plenty of chat.
- Typical number of players connected: 588 (16-10-2019)
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OGS - Online Go Server ( https://www.online-go.com/)
- Playable directly in the web browser (i.e. nothing to download/install and works on most smartphones and tablets).
- Constantly updated, uses modern software.
- Automated AI reviews.
- Real time and correspondence games.
- Multilingual.
- Customizable themes.
- 9x9, 13x13, 19x19 and custom size boards. Handicaps from 0 to 36.
- Different time systems (including Fischer).
- Extensive tournament play.
- Ladders.
- Ability to create "groups" for clubs or countries.
- Typical number of players connected: 1800 (07-03-2019)
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TygemBaduk - Tygem English language Go server ( http://www.tygemgo.com/) 東洋囲碁
- English, Korean, Chinese, Japanese languages.
- Now has an Apple iPad client: ( http://www.tygemgo.com/ehowto/guide.ipad.asp)
- Requires download of the client, which only works on Microsoft Windows or Apple iPad
- Works on Mac with wine (except for some buttons, Capitan June18):
1. brew install wine 2. brew install winetricks 3. winetricks mfc42 4. proceed with usual routine for opening .exe with wine
- In September 2021, its Japanese language site ( http://www.toyo-igo.com) turned totally browser-based (no download required to play).
- Typical number of players connected: 4000 to 12000 (November 2020) (total on different regional servers)
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WBaduk ( http://www.wbaduk.com/) (was OroBaduk) 新浪囲棋/幽玄の間
- 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 some people have got it to work with wine.
- Has Apple iPhone & iPad clients.
- Has Android app client. (search for "wbaduk" on Google Play)
- Typical number of players connected: 3000 to 12000 (November 2020) (total across different regional servers)
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GoQuest ( http://wars.fm/go19?lang=en) 囲碁クエスト
- Japanese blitz server with English support
- Primarily for mobile users (has apps for Android and iOS)
- Provides a very simple web interface for non-mobile users
- Automatch or Game with Friend (common password required).
- Automatic Chinese scoring (not always perfect). Komi is 7 points with draws possible.
- There are also 9x9 ( http://wars.fm/go9?lang=en) and 13x13 ( http://wars.fm/go13?lang=en) boards.
- Time control is fixed: (3 min + 1 sec/move) for 9x9, (5 min + 3 sec/move) for larger boards.
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Additional Alphabetical list
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BadukPop
- Android, iOS, and web browsers
- Includes 4,500+ Tsumego library and AI opponents
- Unlimited free online play on 9x9 (3 minutes) and 19x19 (10 minutes) with fast automatch
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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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CGS - Color Go Server ( https://colorgoserver.com/)
- New Go server (Launched January 23, 2021)
- beginner friendly
- multilingual (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English - 18 Languages total)
- Realtime or correspondence games (19x19, 13x13, 9x9)
- no client installation required, playable directly in the web browser
- Many colorful themes available
- Some themes color areas of the board according to influence
- review tools available
- score estimation
- game analysis
- central chat room / game board chat / private message system
- absolutely free
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DipGo ( https://dipgo.net)
- Multi-Colour Go Server for up to 9 colours
- Supports up to 4 players per colour
- Browser-based - No client
- English
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FICGS - Free Internet Correspondence Games Server ( http://www.ficgs.com/)
- Turn-based / correspondence Go server (30 days + 1 day / move)
- Playable directly in the web browser (works on smartphones and tablets).
- Go application for mobile phones ( https://ficgs.com)
- Real time and correspondence games.
- Multilingual (partly).
- Customizable themes.
- Also a correspondence chess server.
- 7-player tournaments & world championship.
- 19x19 boards only.
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Game of Go ( https://play.gameofgo.app) 圍棋
- English.
- Android, Apple, & Web.
- 5x5, 9x9, 13x13, 19x19.
- Live & Correspondence games.
- Bots of various difficulties.
- No WeChat required.
- Adaptive Elo ranking.
- Customizable games.
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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.
- Rankings
- Traffic Is relatively slow, and there are a few players stuck online.
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ItsYourTurn?.com (sic) ( http://itsyourturn.com)
- Wide variety of two-player turn-based games, including Go (full, 13x13, 9x9).
- Simple graphics.
- Territory scoring.
- No ratings, so as to prevent lying.
- Auto-scoring. (Can be wrong; ask admin to change it if necessary.)
- Monthly tournaments for popular games.
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LGS - The Legend Go Server ( http://www.lgs.taiwango.net/) 傳奇圍棋網
- 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?
- Typical number of players (estimated) connected at any time: 64 (28-12-2013)
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LankeWeiqi? 2.0 - Lanke Online Go Pro ( http://www.lanke.cc/) 烂柯围棋
- new Go server from China (version 2.0 release on 2nd Dec 2014)
- multilingual (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, English)
- realtime games (19x19)
- no client installation required, playable directly in the web browser
- customizable themes (in preperation)
- review tools available
- score estimation
- game analysis (preview)
- central chat room / game board chat / private message system
- absolutely free
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Mattle? ( https://go.mattle.online)
- Support online human-vs-human, or against-AI
- A cross-platform support with iOS, android and web
- ELO rating/ranking
- full-fledged in-game chat and discussion board
- 100% free
- game timer
- cross platform support, with web version, android and iOS app, all connected to central server
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Multiplayer Go Server - http://multiplayer-go-server.herokuapp.com/
- English
- Turn based in real time
- No login needed
- Fully customizable with rules
- Can spectate
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NWGS? - Northwest Go Server, AKA Dragon (Drag on) Go Server,( http://www.braindog.org/)
- English
- Correspondence Games Only (Hours, days, months)
- Board sizes 5x5 through 25x25 available
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Playgogame ( 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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Variant Go Server ( https://go.kahv.io/)
- English
- Odd sized boards from 5x5 to 25x25 available
- Modifiers include: Hidden Move, Pixel Go, Zen Go, One Color Go, No History, N+1, Tetris Go, Torodial Go, Phantom Go, Traitor Go, Ponnuki is worth x points
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WING - World-wide InterNet Gokaisho ( http://wing.gr.jp/indexe.html)
- Japanese (origin), Chinese, Korean and English languages
- Real Time server
- Java and IGS / NNGS interfaces
- Typical number of players connected at any time: 25 (28-12-2013)
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Discontinued
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![[Welcome to Sensei's Library!]](images/stone-hello.png "Sensei's Library")