For most beginners, the computer is the best first opponent. It is always available, it never gets impatient, and it does not mind if you take back a move in your head or quit halfway. On this site the computer lives on the home page: open it and you can place your first stone within seconds. This article explains how to use it well, so that every game teaches you something.
What the computer offers here
- Two board sizes: 9 × 9 and 13 × 13. The small board is best for learning; 13 × 13 introduces opening ideas.
- Four levels. The lowest levels play loosely and leave weaknesses for you to exploit; the highest level reads much more carefully and punishes mistakes.
- The same rules as online games: area scoring, 7.5 komi, positional superko, no suicide, and two passes to end the game.
- Saved games if you sign in on your account, so you can replay them move by move.
The computer does not currently offer hints, puzzles or a move-by-move analysis. Its job is to be a patient, honest opponent.
Choosing a level
A good rule: play at the level where you win roughly half your games. If you win every game easily, you are not learning much; move up. If you lose every game without understanding why, move down.
Beginners often feel they should jump to the hardest level to "learn from the best". That rarely works. Against a much stronger opponent your groups simply die, and it is hard to see which move was the real mistake. A slightly stronger opponent makes the lessons visible.
Choosing a board size
Start on 9 × 9. Games are short and every mistake shows immediately. Move to 13 × 13 when you win regularly at a middle level on 9 × 9. On 13 × 13 the corners and sides start to behave as they do on the full board, so your opening ideas begin to matter; opening on 13 × 13 covers the basics.
What the computer teaches well
Liberties and capturing. The computer never forgets a stone in atari. After a few games you will stop leaving stones with one liberty.
Life and death. When you try to live in a small space, the computer will test whether your group really has two eyes. When your group dies, look at the final shape: did it have one eye or a false eye? Two eyes to live and false eyes explain what to look for.
Finishing the game. The computer passes when it thinks the game is over. Because this site counts every stone literally, you learn to capture dead stones before passing — a habit that also makes you stronger in games against people.
What the computer does not teach
Psychology. The computer is never nervous, never bluffs and never gets tired. Human opponents do all of these things.
Explanations. The computer shows you what happens but not why. That part is your job, when you replay the game.
Variety of style. People attack in different ways; the computer's style at each level is fairly consistent. That is why playing people on the online page is an important complement.
How to beat the computer at your level
- Keep your groups connected. Most losses begin when one of your groups is cut into two weak pieces.
- Make eyes early. Do not wait until your group is surrounded to think about life.
- Take the corners on 13 × 13. The computer will punish slow centre moves.
- Count before you pass. If the game is close, a single uncaptured stone can decide it.
- Do not answer every move locally. When the computer plays something small, look for the biggest point on the board.
Turning a loss into a lesson
Losing to the computer is only useful if you learn from it. A quick review routine:
- Replay the game from your account and go to the moment when the balance clearly changed — usually a group dying.
- Step back a few moves and find the move where you could still have saved it.
- Play the next game trying to avoid exactly that mistake.
Two minutes of review after each loss is worth more than an extra game played on autopilot.
How often to play
There is no magic number, but short daily sessions beat long weekly ones. Two or three 9 × 9 games a day for a couple of weeks will change how you see the board. Many beginners also find it helpful to alternate: one game against the computer, one against a person.
Good habits during a game
- Slow down at the start of fights. The first contact between groups decides a lot.
- After each computer move, ask: what does it threaten?
- Before each of your own moves, ask: is any of my groups short of liberties?
- When you feel lost, strengthen your weakest group. It is rarely a bad move.
When to move up
Move up a level when you win about two out of three games, and move to 13 × 13 when 9 × 9 feels comfortable at a middle level. There is no prize for staying low, and no shame in stepping back down for a few games after a difficult session.
Using the computer to test ideas
The computer is also a safe place to experiment. Read about a new idea — a way of approaching a corner, a shape for making eyes, a way of invading — and then try it five times in a row against the computer. Some ideas will work, some will fail, and you will understand them far better than if you had only read about them. Because nobody is watching and games are short, you can afford to try moves you would never risk against a person.
Frequently asked questions
Is the computer the same strength on 9 × 9 and 13 × 13?
Each level is designed to feel similar on both sizes, but the bigger board gives more room for long-term mistakes, so many players find 13 × 13 harder at first.
Should I take moves back?
Try not to. Treat each move as final, the way it would be against a person. If a game goes badly, simply start a new one — learning comes from living with your moves.
Does the computer ever resign?
The computer plays the game to the end, and it passes when it considers the game finished.
Why did the computer play inside my territory?
Usually because your "territory" had a weakness — only one eye, an open border or a cutting point. Replay the moves and look for it.
Should I only play the computer?
No. Use it for practice, and play people online as well. Both teach different things.
