From: Bluejack 
Newsgroups: rec.games.go
Subject: IGS & KGS for Players New to Go
Date: Thu, 25 Mar 2004 08:44:52 -0800
Xref: news.xs4all.nl rec.games.go:102652


A Brief Comparison of Internet Go Servers for Players New to Go

*** 1 *** Purpose

When you are just learning Go, a great way to find games -- and
teachers -- is over the Internet. However, there is a profusion
of different resources. This document introduces players to the
two major go servers most serious players use. Of course, there
are other places to play go: a host of servers that are similar
to IGS, of which the best known may be the No-Name Go Server or
NNGS; and also gaming sites such as Yahoo Games. I am focussing
on the Internet Go Server (IGS) and the Kiseido Go Server (KGS)
because these appear to be the locations where the widest range
of players of all nationalities and skill levels play, and this
includes some professional players.

A comprehensive reference to other Internet go resources on the
Internet, such as tutorials, go problems, and computer software
is out of scope for this document.

*** 2 *** Go Servers -- A General Introduction

Playing other people over the Internet requires two components:
a server and client software to interface with the server. When
I discuss "go server" software, I will in general be discussing
the combination of both components. The client runs on your own
computer, presents you with an attractive representation of the
goban, as well as interfaces to play games, review games, watch
games, and chat with other players. The server is the component
that all the various clients connect to: it receives moves from
the client, processes them, automatically determines the score,
keeps records of wins and losses, computes rank and rating, and
facilitates all communication between players.

IGS and KGS are both excellent resources for the new player for
two reasons. (1) You will almost always, at any time of day, be
able to find other players of comparable skill level to compete
with; (2) Both are reasonably easy for new players to master.

That said, there are some differences and each has a few tricks
you will want to know about.

*** 3 *** IGS

IGS (the Internet Go Server) is by far the older of the two. It
was around back when the Internet was still competing with dial
up bulletin boards and other forms of electronic communication.
It was the Internet Go Server -- presumably -- to differentiate
itself from other kinds of go servers. Back then it was nothing
more than an ASCII interface. Die hard players deciphered # and
O marks on boards made out of dots scrolling at 2400 bps. Those
were the days! This telnet interface is still the heart of IGS,
which explains: (A) the surprising number of different clients;
and (B) some of awkward or confusing aspects of the interface.

I recently posted a comparison of some of the different clients
available for IGS, which you can find in the Google archives. I
found that while the different clients offer different features
and playing experiences, they were all perfectly functional. To
get playing quickly, the Panda Egg software available off IGS's
web site is simple to use and perfectly adequate. My choice for
the best mix of additional features and usability was gGo.

Both of these clients enable the basics of playing and watching
games, and communicating with other players. Some clients offer
their own in-system help menus, but you may eventually start to
need the help available on the server itself, which you can get
to through the IGS web site. Don't be afraid of the IGS command
terminal, though: all the help files are there, and a wealth of
other information as well.

*** 3.1 IGS Tips:

A) Getting a Game

Different clients will offer slightly different interfaces when
requesting a game with another player, but the server imposes a
few restrictions: you must first select an opponent. then offer
a match. There is no way of offering a game at large and seeing
who shows up. The server sets komi based on ranks and handicap,
but players can agree on some other komi if they choose. As for
the handicap, black can make it as the first move. It useful to
know that the server has two kinds of match commands: automatch
and match. Most clients use 'match,' presumably because it is a
more flexible command. Automatch requires server settings which
few clients offer an interface to. Automatch also automatically
sets the handicap.

B) Rating and Rank

A disproportionate amount of the help materials, and presumably
most of the questions from beginners originates from the rather
confusing difference between Rank and Rating. Here's how it all
works as of March, 2004.

(0) Everything that follows is quite detailed. The simple story
is this: you play 20 rated games and get an established rating.
Easy, right?

(1) On IGS there are two concepts, 'Rank' and 'Rating'. You set
your own rank, and (more on this below) the server computes the
rating. To make matters confusing the terminal interface -- and
many clients -- show Rank and Rating in two forms, one of which
looks like a standard go rank (30k - 1k; 1d - 9d; 1p - 9p;) and
*also* a numeric rating (0-48). I'll get into how these relate.

There is also an important distinction between ratings that are
established, and provisional ratings. IGS marks the established
ratings with an asterix.

(2) If you do not want to play rated games, it's not a problem.
Simply do nothing.

(3) Entering the rating system is a two step process. First you
must set your rank to 26k or better. To do this, you type 'rank
26k' (or whatever you think your rank really is) at the command
line in the terminal window. Then you must play one rated game.
Once you are in the system, you can set your rank to any value,
but it will no longer affect your rating.

(4) The go server recalculates everyone's rating once daily (at
4:00 AM, Japan time). You can see how many rated games you have
awaiting computation by typing 'results ' at the
command line. (Some clients offer an interface to this, also.)

(5) Once you have played your first rated game, the server will
recompute your rating every day. It not only takes into account
the games you played, but also the on-going performance of your
opponents. Note that until you have an established rating, this
daily process only changes the numeric value of the rating (the
0-48 part). The rank display of the Rating remains identical to
the rank display of the Rank. If you change your Rank with that
same rank command, it will alter the rank display of the rating
also -- until you have an established rating! (Confusing enough
for you yet?) These changes do not affect how the server counts
your rating, but it may effect how others see you.

(6) Of course, what you want now is an established rating. This
makes it easier to find games, and you never need to worry over
the rank command again. Once you play 20 rated games (and after
the server recomputes your rating on its once a day cycle) then
you will have an established rating.

(7) What is a rated game? A rated game must meet all of these 3
conditions: (i) one player must have an established rating (see
above); (ii) both players must have ranks of 26k or better; and
(iii) the difference in ranks must be within three points -- or
else a handicap must be used to compensate to within three rank
points (eg: a 10k against a 5k would require at least a 2 stone
handicap for the game to be rated). Also, players can set games
to be unrated using the 'free' command. To discover whether the
game you just played will be rated use the results command (see
above): if your game is listed, then it will be rated.

C) Talking to People

Under the hood, chatting with people is rather tricky, and some
clients make it worse. Both Panda Egg and gGo are excellent for
communication.

On IGS you can 'shout' (talk to everyone on the server), 'tell'
(chat with one person in particular), 'say' (chat directly with
your opponent during a game), and 'kibitz' (chat with observers
during a game, but not with the players). Additionally, IGS has
some little-used channels for multi-person conversations. A few
of the clients I don't recommend make it all too easy to mix up
server commands with attempts to communicate.

A good client will hide the server details from you, and simply
give you an obvious interface to communicate. Now, as for using
Japanese -- you're on your own.

D) Other Features

Both gGo and Panda Egg allow you to annotate other players with
your own notes ('tactically sharp', 'requests undo', 'sloppy in
the center' are common in my notes on people). This is not part
of the server, but several other clients probably offer it too.

The IGS server has a number of fun additional features, such as
the 'bet' command. Take a tour through the help system sometime
when you can't find a game. It's like looking through someone's
attic: you never know what little goodie you'll find.

E) Why Use IGS?

Okay, this all seems overly complicated. But you will find many
players online at all times, especially from Japan. With strong
players in such numbers, a robust and full-featured server, and
a plethora of clients to choose from, you may be doing yourself
a disservice if you decide never to play on IGS.

IGS regularly offers live coverage of professional championship
games, which is a tremendous learning experience for players of
all skill levels, and tremendous fun besides.

A number of professional go players -- usually in Japan but who
do speak English -- are often available for lessons. I have not
done this myself, but I expect there is some fee involved.

Additionally, a number of these clients are also good for tasks
other than playing IGS. Many are useful for viewing and editing
SGF files (and other formats). Some can be used as an interface
to GnuGo, the free, open-source computer go game.

*** 4 *** KGS

KGS is a simpler deal all around. There is one client (CGoban2)
for the server, and it is tightly integrated. You need learn no
special terminal commands because KGS has no terminal window at
all. The downside of this is, if there is something you dislike
about CGoban2, you are stuck with it. You have no alternative.

KGS is a newer service, but its popularity has caught on: there
are generally a comparable number of players online. Fewer than
IGS, usually, but still in the hundreds -- there will always be
players at every skill level relevant to new players online.

The KGS interface is organized around the concept of rooms. For
every room you will see a list of all the players in that room,
all games being played in the room, and a list of those players
who have proposed a game. Most players use the English speaking
room, whether they speak English or not. For beginners, there's
also a dedicated room where you can get help from other players
and play your first few games in an understanding environment.

*** 4.1 KGS Tips

A) Getting a Game

Whether offering a game, or taking up someone else's offer, you
will find a common panel that allows both players to change any
settings. The server will adjust handicap and komi when the box
comes up, but you can readjust them. Both players must agree on
all settings before the game starts. KGS offers several options
for byo-yomi that IGS does not.

Don't be confused by the fact that when you offer a new game at
large, your name appears for both Black and White. When someone
takes you up on the game, they will usually take whatever color
the server thinks is appropriate for your relative ranks.

B) Rank.

KGS is quite straightforward. One setting players must agree on
is whether a game is rated or not. Once you have played a rated
game you will get a rating. Ratings begin with a question mark,
but after you have won a few rated games *and* lost a few games
it will go away. Like IGS, only 19x19 games are rated. You will
notice that some ratings are annotated with a ~ mark indicating
that the player primarily players stronger players.

C) Talking to People.

This is a no-brainer. The interface is intuitive. If you are in
a room, you can talk to that room. You can chat one-on-one. You
can talk to your opponent during the game. Only once a game has
ended can you see the kibitzing of observers.

In the English Speaker's Room on KGS you will often find lively
conversations about go, international politics, and much more.

D) Other features.

One very sharp feature plots your rank over time in a good line
graph. Check out your opponents growth curves! You can upload a
picture of yourself. You can check the history of all the games
you have played. And KGS has a very sweet SGF viewer. Since you
are stuck with just this one client, much of the success of the
server must be attributable to the fact that it's a good one!

One feature KGS lacks is the ability to write notes to yourself
about other players.

E) Why use KGS?

It's easy, it's intuitive -- and it is a particularly congenial
place for English speakers.

*** 5 *** A Comparison of IGS and KGS for 15-30k Players

Within the 15-30k range (I don't have any personal knowledge of
ranges stronger than this), the ranks are not equivalent on the
two servers. I am currently about 23k on IGS and about 17k over
at KGS.

On IGS, many players in the mid-to-low twenties have records of
hundreds -- even thousands of games. Anyone who has played this
many games knows how to invade, how to defend, and how to build
life. To learn and practice these tactics, then, IGS is a great
place to find games against players willing to play newbies. Of
course, you shouldn't expect to win against these players right
off the bat. But if you also study strategy, learn to count the
board, and work to improve your understanding of the game, then
you will find the tricks and traps of the mediocre players less
fearsome.

KGS, as I have mentioned, is a gentler experience, particularly
for English speakers. KGS usually offers more opportunities for
tense, competitive games against players who are also new to go
and just finding their feet.

Ultimately, I think most players will want to use both servers,
if for no other reason than that it sometimes takes time to get
a game on either server. At most times of day KGS does not have
quite as many players as IGS, but on IGS a higher percentage of
players decline matches, particularly against players who still
have a provisional rating. It took me over a week to get my IGS
rating established -- although some of that delay was due to my
confusion over what constitutes a rated game. It took less than
a day to get my rating established on KGS.

So, to quickly find a game, connect to both! Each has different
strengths, features, and even styles of play.

--bluejack