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Server History
Before the creation
William Shubert was working on the No Name Go Server (NNGS), and a C client software CGoban1 that worked with NNGS and IGS. But he soon found out he was limited by that server protocol: it was impossible to add new features without breaking the existing clients. That's how he decided to write a new server with its own new client.
The first tests
May 16th 1999: creation date of accounts wms and Admin.
Igoweb Birth
April 30th 2000 : date of the newsgroup rec.games.go (rgg) post announcing the existence of the server named igoweb and its client CGoban2.
New free go server; has on-line review/teaching features
There's a new free go server available that provides some features that
no other server provides. It's called "Igoweb", and you can visit it at
"http://igoweb.org".
You can connect to the server through a Java applet or by downloading
the "CGoban 2" SGF editor and using that (see another post here for a
description of CGoban 2). Please note that on most OS versions Netscape
tends to crash often when running large Java applets; you should
probably either use MSIE 5, or (if you don't have/don't like MSIE)
you can download the "CGoban 2" system and run that with a non-browser
Java system.
Igoweb has the following that set it apart from other go servers:
- On Igoweb players can cooperatively review files. After a game
ends, the players can try out variations, talk together, and
annotate the game. This feature is excellent for teaching games...
finally you can chat about a game after, just like you do in
real go clubs!
- Igoweb allows you to use any of several rule sets; when playing
with Japanese rules, it correctly finds seki at the end of the
game and scores no points for them.
- You can use any of several time systems, including Japanese-style
byo-yomi and Canadian (IGS/NNGS) style byo-yomi.
- All games played are saved in an on-line web server archive,
indexed by the day and time that the game started. When a game
has been reviewed, all variations and annotations will be in
the downloadable game.
It also has the features that you expect in a good go server, such as
a rating system (similar to the one NNGS uses), chat rooms, and a
GUI-oriented user interface.
Over the next week there will be somebody there daytime PST most of the
time to show around new users. Please log in and give it a try!
Bill Shubert
The Kiseido Go Server days
July 18th 2000 : date of the rgg announcement of the new server name, as the Kiseido publishing company becomes a Kiseido Go Server sponsor.
Kiseido Go Server information
The Kiseido Go Server (KGS), originally called Igoweb, has now been up
and running for about three months. It can be played with a Java web
browser at the address http://kgs.kiseido.com/
The server has a fully graphical interface and supports many important
features including a ranking system, chat/game playing rooms, and
an advanced game review system that lets players go over a game after
it is played, cooperatively trying out new variations or adding
commentary to the game. In addition, KGS is multilingual; currently
it can be used in English, French, or Italian, and a Japanese
translation is in progress.
If you are interested in an internet system that will give you the
ability to learn from your games after they have been played, then
please try KGS. It still is not as busy as some other servers, but
if you are patient you will be able to find a game. Have fun!
--
Bill Shubert
KGS Go Server
September 18th 2006 Total rewrite of the server: it was originally in the C language, and the new one is in the Java language. The Cgoban 3 client is released. Name is switched to the recursive name KGS Go Server, since there was no longer any formal connection with the Kiseido publishing company.
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