How the **** to you play it?
I've had a set for years, but every time I get it out we always seem to end up playing some kind of 'Connect 4' ❓
I tried to learn it recently, but couldnt get into the strategy of it properly.
Best way to learn is download a tablet version.
Haven't played for years but the aim of the game is to win as much of the board as you can.
A shape with two or more "eyes" cannot be captured by your opponent but getting to a point where your shape has two eyes can be tricky.
When you have surrounded one of your opponent's shapes to the degree that one more stone will surround and fill it completely, you must declare 'atari'. If your opponent then fails to protect his shape by taking some of your attacking stones, you MUST then take his stones.
Your shape can then be vulnerable to counter attack until it has two or more eyes.
When the board is full of stones and eyes, the players then fill in the eyes with stones of the same colour. From the number of stones now on the board you can now determine the winner
Used to play lots at school - there must still be good Go strategy books about, I had one from Usborne I think. Much, much more difficult to get good at than chess - computers are still nowhere near as good as human players.
As a big board game fan, I tried to learn it a while ago. I came away baffled and concluded it was more bother than it was worth. On reflection, I'm much more of a Backgammon man.
Backgammon and Cribbage for me 🙂
I tried to learn a while ago at work, but the chap that did know left the company and no one else knows. I'd still like to learn, but I learn better by doing than reading.
I always thought I was pretty good at backgammon.
One night in a pub, a mate and I spotted that they had a set. Simultaneously we both went "ooh, backgammon" followed quickly by "I didn't know you played backgammon."
So we dug it out. And I got absolutely demolished, the final score was something like 13-1.
There is plenty of freeware out there.
[url= http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-computer-go-board-game.htm ]http://www.techsupportalert.com/best-free-computer-go-board-game.htm[/url]
[url= http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/gnugo.html ]http://www.gnu.org/software/gnugo/gnugo.html[/url]
Or try XG mobile on ios and android. Best backgammon program by a mile based on eXtreme gammon for PC. Tutor and training mode plus usual levels. At the highest level it plays as well or better than the best human players, most of the time. Struggles a bit with backgames.
Most casual players will say it cheats but I guarantee you it doesn't.
Worth it just to find out how good/ bad you are.
EDIT Sorry, went OT: for BG obviously.
You'd be hard pressed to find any BG game on the Play Store that isn't awash with people going "wah wah it cheats." I find it hard to believe that anyone would intentionally code a cheating AI, what would be the point? Shitty random number algorithm, sure.
Not seen that XG one before, looks pretty good. I've been dabbling with Backgammon NJ and the one from AI Factory, they seemed about the most well regarded when I went looking last.
I have pretty much all the AI Factory apps on my tablet and they're all I play. Im in a massive Gin Rummy run gorge-fest at the moment. Last month it was Trumps 🙂