Using Strong Go Programs on Macintosh

SmartGo for Mac is not playing strongly, as computer play is using my own pre-AlphaGo engine. However, like SmartGo for Windows, you can use GTP (Go Text Protocol) to connect to strong engines to play against.

The most recent version of SmartGo for Macintosh (0.8.18) includes some improvements in how it handles GTP engines. It’s not perfect, there’s much more to be done, but hopefully it will tide you over while I keep my focus on the new SmartGo for iOS.

The first step is downloading and installing the computer go engines you want to connect to. Here are three I’ve tested with SmartGo for Mac, from easy to hard to install. All assume that you’re somewhat comfortable using the Terminal app; check out this iMore guide if you’re new to the command line.

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