Review: Go!
Where do you want to go today? Kai Chandler looks at the ancient game of Go, and gives you loadsa links to the software.
Monopoly may be have been around for a lifetime but as a timeless game it's not quite in the same league as Go.
Go is a board game played by two contestants, black and white. As a classic game, the rules are simple, but the permutations, situations and strategies are endless. It's as popular in China, Korea and Japan as chess or draughts are in the West.
Go's origins date back over 4,250 years when according to legend, the game was invented by Chinese emperor Shun to strengthen his son's thinking.
It is played on a board of 9, 13 or 19 horizontal and vertical lines. 9x9 is recommended for beginners. Black and white markers are placed, in turn, on the intersections of the lines. The objective, like most games of war, is to capture territory by occupying or encircling it. You can also capture your opponent's pieces by surrounding them.
Because of the sheer number of permutations, due in part to the larger board, Go software is not as strong as that for chess but there are still dozens of packages available. Indeed, there is a US$1.6 million prize on the table for any Go program that beats a professional player so the stakes are high.
To learn Go, an excellent start is "The Interactive Way To Go" by Hiroki Mori. You can play it online or download the freeware - it's highly recommended.
Once you have mastered the basics of Go, you can play others on the Internet by using Go servers such as the Internet Go Server at igs.joyjoy.net/
There's a variety of computer Go packages available for Windows and other platforms.
For handheld enthusiasts, Purplesoft Go is available for the Symbian platform at £39.95. Symbian is the new name for Epoc32 which includes the Psion 5mx and compatibles. Purplesoft Go includes a tutorial to get you started, suggested moves, handicaps, estimated scores and a demonstration mode. It supports all three board sizes.
One of the best shareware Go programs for Windows is TurboGo by Arnoud van der Loeff. It has all the features above plus it allows you to save games in native as well as SmartGo format. TurboGo includes a Joseki tutor with 40,000 moves to teach corner strategies for more advanced players. As it's shareware you can try before you buy. To register 
TurboGo costs a very reasonable US$30 and releases some additional features.
Another top Go package is feature-rich "The Many Faces of Go" version 10.0 written by David Fotland. It is the 1998 World Computer Go Champion, and six time US Computer Go Champion. It incorporates extensive help files and tutorials for beginner and expert alike. It also includes hundreds of professional games to learn from. Available only on CD-ROM, it costs £69.99 from the Chess and Bridge Centre in London. Igowin is a freeware cut-down version limited to a 9x9 board but sharing the same tutorial.
If you are interested in finding more out about Go then the British Go Assocation website is well worth a look.
Links
The Interactive Way To Go playgo.to/interactive/
Purplesoft www.purplesoft.com
TurboGo 5.0 www.turbogo.com
The Many Faces of Go 10.0 www.smart-games.com or www.chesscenter.com
Igowin (freeware) www.smart-games.com
British Go Association www.britgo.org
