gnugo
play the game of Go against the computer
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
gnugo [options]
DESCRIPTION
gnugo is a program that plays the board game Go against the user. It supports multiple board sizes, adjustable AI strength, and can communicate through the Go Text Protocol (GTP) for integration with graphical frontends.In ASCII mode, moves are entered as coordinates (e.g., "C4"). The AI analyzes board positions using pattern matching and reading ahead. Use pass to pass your turn and quit to exit.
PARAMETERS
--mode MODE
Interface mode: ascii, gtp, or gmp.--boardsize N
Board size (default: 19). Common sizes: 9, 13, 19.--level N
AI thinking level (0-10, default: 10).--handicap N
Number of handicap stones.--color COLOR
Choose color: black or white.--komi N
Set komi (compensation points, default: 5.5).-l, --infile FILE
Load an SGF game file for analysis or replay.-L, --until MOVE
Stop loading the SGF file just before the specified move is played.-o, --outfile FILE
Save the game to an SGF file.--score MODE
Estimate or finalize the score of a loaded game (estimate, finish, aftermath).--printboard
Print the board after each move.--quiet
Suppress informational messages.
PREVIEW
A B C D E F G 7 . . . . . . . 6 . . X . . . . 5 . X O X . . . 4 . . X O . . . 3 . . . . . . .
CAVEATS
Requires no special terminal support in ASCII mode. The AI is moderately strong but not competitive with modern Go engines like KataGo. GTP mode is intended for use with graphical frontends.
HISTORY
GNU Go has been developed by the Free Software Foundation since 1989. It was one of the strongest open-source Go programs before the advent of neural network-based engines.