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ManyFacesOfGo

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The Many Faces of Go
    Keywords: Software

Go progam by David Fotland. See [ext] http://www.smart-games.com/manyfaces.html.


I think Many Face is a great program for beginners to 10ish kyu. Great all around program. There may be better programs for 1 specific application, but as a suite it is wonderful.

It offers:

  • Full game engine, can play any square board size from 7 to 19
  • Solves life and death problems
  • 100s of professional games with commentary
  • 1000 uncommented professional game records
  • Fuseki Library
  • Joseki Tutor, Includes joseki, near-joseki, trick plays, and responses to many bad moves.

War Eagle


from GoPlayingProgramsDiscussion

Many Faces has many extra features missing from other Go programs. It has a joseki dictionary that you can use for reference or to test your knowledge, with about 60,000 moves. It has a very good game editor that understands both .sgf and .go formats. You can easily add or remove variations, or insert missing moves, or even move stones that are on the wrong point. It has a great tutorial for beginners and includes all of the Go problems from Graded Go Problems Vol 1.

And it has the best, most realistic graphics.

-- David Fotland, Nov 2000


I would have to agree somewhat. If one is trying to learn the game of Go, I think Many Faces is good for people from beginners through upper kyu players. It has a lot of instructional tools as well as multiple levels of play. If the purpose of your program is for editing games and creating demonstration games or lessons, there are limitations with Many Faces....

-- Steve Rothman? 7K


I have MFG version 10, and it's a very good way of learning to play the game, offering a tireless and patient opponent. I currently have it on level 10 and give it 3-4 stones, but now the cracks are beginning to show ... well not really cracks ... more things that I've realised about go. Many Faces seems to be good at building influence, and life & death - it still wriggles out from me occaisionally - but perhaps I'm overattacking. It doesn't do too well at using the influence it's built.

I think it has a better editor than the other playing programs I've used, but I still prefer CGoban2 for editing and viewing games - I like the tree view which I find intuitive. Though CGoban2 doesn't handle .go files.

I don't know much about version 11, but might be looking into an upgrade soon.

Thanks for a great program.

BTW I started playing go when I downloaded IgoWin this (together with Charles's "Play the Game" book) was an excellent introduction to the game.

-- Chris Goldsmith? 6K



This is a copy of the living page "The Many Faces of Go" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.