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How to Get a Game

(Three Ways to Get a Game)


Table of Contents
Accept someone's game offer | Make your own game offer | Use the "automatch" feature
Automatch notes | Related Links

There are three ways to get a game on KGS. You can use all three at the same time. In addition, you can ask in the chat line.

If you are having trouble getting a game, registering your account definitely helps. After you have registered, you may find that some players are reluctant to play people with a question mark (?) in their rank. This can be a problem for dan players who are playing their first game on KGS. Playing a few games against robots is a great way to rid of that question mark. There are more tips to help you get games in the following text.

  1. Accept someone's game offer.

    Click on one of the game offers. They are in heavy type, in the large upper panel of the room that you are in. The Open Games tab also has game offers.

    This gives you little control over the settings of the game: you are accepting someone else's offer. You can change the settings from what the person offering the game has set, but if you do so without discussion, he is likely to refuse to play you.

    It also has the disadvantage that the person making the offer may not want to play you anyway — particularly if you are unrated, or worse, unregistered.

  2. Make your own game offer.

    Click on the "Custom Game" button on the main menu bar, setting the options that you prefer, and waiting

    Your game offer will be listed in bold in the large upper panel of the room window. Other people will be able to click on it and try to accept your offer. Whenever anyone does this, it will be up to you whether you let them play you.

    If you are unrated, it will help if you say roughly what your strength is in the game notes. What you type in the notes section is displayed with your game offer. Here are three possible game notes.

    The "New Game" Window pops up when you click on the Custom Game button. Checking the Open List checkbox displays your game offer in in the Open Games tab. If the Open List checkbox is checked, more players will see your game offer, and you will get a game more quickly.

  3. Use KGS's "automatch" feature.

    Click on "Play Go," the second item on the main menu. Automatch only sets up 19x19 matches, so if you are a beginner it is best to use one of the other ways of getting a game, and try to get a 9x9 game.

    After you have clicked on "Play Go", set your automatch preferences. Select the type of opponent (human or bot, and playing strength) you want, whether you want to play a rated or a free (unrated) game, and the speed you want to play.

    Once you have set your automatch preferences, click "Play Go" again, and check "Automatch". You will then see a rotating cross rotating cross next to "Play Go" on the menu, indicating that the KGS automatcher is looking for a partner for you. Cntrl-n has the same effect as checking the automatch box.

    When a partner has been found by Automatch, you will see a conspicuous count-down from 10. This indicates that the game has already started. It is now too late for you to change your mind about playing. If you leave a rated Automatch game, even before move 10, you will be marked as an escaper. So, do not select "Automatch" unless you are sure that you want to play.

    Automatch gives you less control over the settings of the game than when you make a custom game of your own.

The fastest way to get a game is to use all three ways at the same time. You can also announce in the room chat that you want a game. If you are having difficulty getting a game, you can often get good suggestions to speed up the process in the room chat. Please ask and please be persistent.


Automatch Notes

Related Links

          Up One Level    —>    Playing Games  –>  How to Get a Game  –>  Finding an Opponent
              Site Map        —>    Playing Games  –>  How to Get a Game
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