Go Software Reviews

It's pretty essential to have a go editor when studying go, so that you can review your own games, look at professional games, and play out variations or ideas. Some editors are free while others cost money. On this page I will review different go software like go engines, go editors and more.

First, a quick note about computer engines. Computer programs have become quite strong the last years, the strongest being around 1 amateur dan. The common problem though, is that they will appear weaker as you play them more. The reason for this is that the computer doesn't learn from its mistakes and will often play the exact same lines. It will therefore become increasingly easier to punish their mistakes. Nonetheless, the computer is great if you want to play at your own pace or try out a strategy. It's also great for beginners that want a good challenge. So, without further ado, here are my go software reviews.

The Many Faces of Go 12

This is a go editor which costs $89.95, or $49.95 if you already have version 11. It includes many life and death problems, josekis to study, fusekis to study and a pretty good computer opponent(2 kyu). You can also download a free trial with some of the features. A cool feature of Many Faces of Go 12 is the ranking system. You can set the computers kyu level, as well as your own. If you win games you will automatically move up in levels. For me, playing against the computer isn't the most important thing in a go editor though, since there are free go engines, and always people to play online. A good alternative to this program would be SmartGo, which is a bit cheaper, has more options, and in my opinion is just a bit better.

Rating: 8/10 Many Faces of Go homepage

SmartGo

SmartGo is a go editor that costs $69, but you can download a 15 day full feature trial. This is a great editor with lots of options, and is probably the most popular one. My only gripe with it is its user-friendliness. It can be a bit confusing to use at first with all the different options available and all the buttons to click.

Rating: 9/10 SmartGo homepage

Aya

Aya is a free go engine and editor. Aya is of 8k in strength (by KGS standards), so it's good for beginners to practice with. You can play on 9*9, 13*13 and 19*19 sized boards. You can also open games to look at, but nothing really more advanced than that. It's free and the opponent is decent and a definite challenge to beginners, so it's definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 5/10 Download Aya for Windows

Igowin

Igowin is a free program that lets you play against the computer on a 9*9 sized board. It's developed by the same guys that made Many Faces of Go, and it's great for beginners. The cool thing about this program is that it starts on a 25 kyu level, and as you win, the computer gets more difficult. If you're a complete beginner, a good idea is to sit with igowin for a while so you'll learn the basics.

One feature that I would like to see though, is the possibility of setting the level of the opponent. With Igowin, the computer strength can only be set for you depending on you winning or losing. However, there is a little trick around that which I'll share with you right now. After the game is over and you have passed, it's possible to keep adding stones both for yourself and for the computer. If you now capture some of the opponents stones, or place the stones in such a way that you have more points, and then press the pass button again, you will be awarded the win and move up one level.

Rating: 9/10 Igowin homepage