[Kde-games-devel] Open Source Go server and software

[Ian Wadham]

There was a BOF at Linux Conference Australia for the game of Go,
which I attended.  Some people in the Go community see a need for
Open Source software for a Go server and an actual international Open
Source Go server.  However, if the software were available, they could
install and use it on local club machines anywhere in the world.

To see what the board and pieces look like, check the Gomoku theme
in Bovo.  Go is a game with very simple rules, which can be learned in
half an hour, but its complexity is greater than that of Chess, judging
by the fact that there is not yet computer AI for Go that can get
anywhere near master level of skill.  Go has been very popular in Japan
for centuries, but has now spread world-wide.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_%28board_game%29

Go is interesting, as a two-person game of skill, because it has a
handicapping system (as in golf).  So a weaker player can play a
stronger one and both can have an enjoyable, challenging game
and a chance of winning.  Its other fascination is that, as a game
progresses, several battles can break out in different parts of the
board and the players must assess priorities and allocate moves
between them.

There are two international Go servers, it appears, but both are
Closed Source, although one has *some* Open Source client
software.  On the other one the client software is also closed.

Some Go enthusiasts would dearly love to have an Open Source server
and the possibility to install local club servers, etc.  There is a project to
do that, but it is languishing.

It crosses my mind that we have the skills here on KDE Games to do the
job.  So is anybody interested?

If so, I could do some further investigation with the more computer-literate
Go players re what is involved and how much work it might be.  There were
several Go players at the Linux conf, but the chief proponent of an Open
Source server unfortunately had to cancel attending the conf at the very
last minute.

Is anyone interested in pursuing this?
Ian W.