An internet Go server is a server that allows players of the game of Go

Go (board game)

Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...

 to play against other players online. The two fundamental types of Go server are real-time servers and turn-based servers.

History

The first Go server that started operating is the Internet Go Server

IGS Go server

The IGS, short for Internet Go Server, also known as Pandanet, located in Tokyo, Japan, is a server that allows players of the game of Go to observe and play against others over the Internet. Started in 1992 by Tim Casey, Chris Chisolm, and Mark Okada, it was the first server of its kind...

 (IGS), which began service in 1992 and is still active today. Several other servers, all with the same basic server-client architecture, followed.

When initiated the IGS was resident at the University of Pennsylvania mainframe system without official permission from the university. For reasons that were never publicly stated, it then migrated to the University of California where it remained, purportedly with the knowledge of the university, until it outgrew the allotted memory. The server was then at some risk until the Nihon Ki-in

Nihon Ki-in

The Nihon Ki-in , also known as the Japan Go Association, is the main organizational body for Go in Japan, overseeing Japan's professional system and issuing diplomas for amateur dan rankings. It is based in Tokyo. The other major Go association in Japan is Kansai Ki-in.Nihon Ki-in was established...

 decided to host it in Japan on dedicated servers, where it remains today.

Real-time servers

Real-time Go servers allow players to play against other in real time when both are online at the same time. Generally, this involves a setup where both players use a client program to connect to the server, which then relays the moves from player to player. The server also keeps track of time controls, calculates the score and, if applicable, calculates ratings for the players based on their results. Such servers require players to download a client program, and many such programs have been developed for a wide range of platforms. Around 2000, Kiseido publishing started the Kiseido Go Server

KGS Go Server

The KGS Go Server, known until 2006 as the Kiseido Go Server, is a game server first developed in 1999 and firmly established in 2000 for people to play Go. The system was developed by William M. Shubert and its code is now written entirely in Java...

 (KGS), which allowed players to play without downloading a client by utilizing a Java applet

Java applet

A Java applet is an applet delivered to users in the form of Java bytecode. Java applets can run in a Web browser using a Java Virtual Machine , or in Sun's AppletViewer, a stand-alone tool for testing applets...

 in the web browser

Web browser

A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...

. This server quickly became popular and still is today. IGS

IGS Go server

The IGS, short for Internet Go Server, also known as Pandanet, located in Tokyo, Japan, is a server that allows players of the game of Go to observe and play against others over the Internet. Started in 1992 by Tim Casey, Chris Chisolm, and Mark Okada, it was the first server of its kind...

 and KGS

KGS Go Server

The KGS Go Server, known until 2006 as the Kiseido Go Server, is a game server first developed in 1999 and firmly established in 2000 for people to play Go. The system was developed by William M. Shubert and its code is now written entirely in Java...

 are currently (2011) the most popular servers for the English-speaking audience

Turn-based servers

Turn-based servers do not require opponents to be online at the same time. Instead, a player records a move with the server, and the server will present this move to the opponent the next time he connects to the server. This way, players need never be online simultaneously and can still play against each other. Turn-based servers also keep track of time controls, but these are generally measured in days, instead of minutes as is customary on real-time servers. Online Go Server (OGS) and Dragon Go Server (DGS) are currently the most popular turn-based go servers .

External links

• List of internet Go servers on Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library
  Sensei's Library is an internet website and wiki, dedicated to articles about, and discussion of, the game of Go. It is one of the largest and most active wikis outside of the Wikipedia project on the internet. Sensei's Library was started in September 2000, by the Go players Morten Pahle and Arno...
  
  .
• List of internet Go servers on the AGA
  American Go Association
  The American Go Association was founded in 1935 to promote the board game of Go in the United States. Founded by chess master Edward Lasker and some friends at Chumley's restaurant in New York City, the AGA is one of the oldest Western Go associations...
  
   website.
• List of internet Go servers on the FICGS website.
• List of teaching services on the BGA
  British Go Association
  The British Go Association promotes and supports the playing of Go, the ancient Chinese strategy game, in the United Kingdom. The BGA was founded in 1953 and has a membership of about 500. It oversees tournaments, publishes the British Go Journal, and maintains a list of clubs.- See also :*...
  
  website.