Go Servers that support Go-playing bots
Some Go servers encourage Go-playing programs, or "bots", to play on them.
This has various advantages for the programmer:
- It provides source of game records against a variety of computer and human players.
- It generates publicity for the program, particularly if it is a good one.
- Details of the program, including how to obtain it, can be put in the
bot's "info". This is in effect a free advertisement.
The costs to the programmer are these:
- A computer, and an internet connection, must be provided for the bot
while it is running. If the programmer already has a 24-hour internet
connection, and a computer which is not used at night, there may be
no cost involved.
- The programmer will need to modify his program so as to allow it to
act as a bot. This should not involve writing new code, but will
involve taking some existing code that supports the protocol used by
the server, and linking this in to the program.
CGOS (Computer Go Server, or
Computer Go On-line Server)
is a server for the exclusive
use of bots. It handles all the scheduling of games, you simply connect your
program and games get scheduled automatically, and rated. Initially only
9×9 games were being played, now there is also a 19×19 version.
The games are stored on the server and available for download in SGF format.
To use it, your bot must support GTP, and you need its bot-client, available via
the above link.
BoardSpace is an NNGS clone
built specifically for programs to play on. It has seen little activity since
the appearance of CGOS, and the BoardSpace Blog has vanished.
Some other servers, operated mainly for humans but allowing bots to play, are
The connection method for BoardSpace should also apply for NNGS clones, and maybe for IGS, LGS, and WING.
For KGS, the process is described here.