GNU Go
GNU Go is a free go-playing program (under the
GNU GPL). It compiles on many platforms, including GNU/Linux, Unix, Windows and Mac OS (both classic and Mac OS X).
A graphical go client is not included. To play against GNU Go on your computer you should therefore also install a GUI capable of running GNU Go. Alternatively you could use the text-based ASCII or the GNU Emacs user interface.
The latest stable release is GNU GO 3.6, released in November 2004.
Table of contents |
URLs
- GNU Go's homepage:
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/gnugo.html
- Announcement and development mailing-list:
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/mailing_lists.html
-
GNU Go Trac, a Wiki and Issue tracker for GNU Go development.
Builds
- Windows (GnuGo 3.6):
http://panda-igs.joyjoy.net/java/gGo/download/gnugo-3.6-win.zip
- Development versions for windows computers:
http://lithops.sourceforge.net/gnugo.htm . (jan.'07 = version 3.7.10)
- PocketPC (Windows Mobile) / Smartphone (GnuGo 2.6.3 / 2.6.4):
http://www.vieka.com/gnugo/
- Agenda VR3 (GnuGo 2.6):
http://www.cs.unm.edu/~bcollar/agenda/ports.html
- PocketPC (Linux) with SH3 (GnuGo 3.6):
https://gkpc1.informatik.uni-leipzig.de/~michalek/homepage/pmwiki.php/Main/CompiledForJornada680
- GameBoy Advanced (GnuGo 1.2):
http://www.thingker.com/gba/
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
- goban (Very nice Mac Os X client for GNU Go / IGS)
goban
- MultiGo
- SmartGo Play against GNU Go; supports Tourney between SmartGo and GNU Go or other GTP-enabled programs.
-
ccGo. Also an IGS client.
GNU Go at go servers
The easiest 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 bots.
- KGS has very many bots running GNU Go, see KGSBots.
- GnuGo (v3.7.9) at DGS (
User-Id #22346), (maintained by Adam Paster, DGS-User-ID: magjik)
- Legend Go Server
- WING
History
- 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 based bots 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.
- 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.
- see
http://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
Go playing Programs
Computer Go Programming´
Gnugo nosekis patterns with horrible results that gnugo frequently plays