I’ve learned go from absolute beginner using this app to some extent, but I’m continually frustrated by the lack of explanation or follow-through in the lessons and puzzles. The explanations given don’t really explain why “the group is saved!” or “Oops, the group is dead.” If they would only show what actually happens if the puzzle were played through to its conclusion (capturing stones, etc.) or what makes a group dead, then I think I would get a lot more out of the lessons and puzzles. I’ve honestly gotten more out of just playing 9x9 online using this app, and have been able to occasionally even win against much more highly rated players. I still often struggle to recognize when I should stop trying to capture a group or even resign and am sometimes surprised that I scored so low (or high, as the case may rarely be). I just feel a lot of the time like I’m missing something and have to look things up on websites like Sensei’s Library, where if the app could just explain puzzle reasoning better I may not have to.

I like watching Asian dramas and this game is a constant feature in both historical and present-day dramas. So I decided to research how it’s played. The tutorials are helpful, and I appreciate the ability to collect puzzles that I got wrong. I wish it would explain why a move is wrong because I don’t always understand the correct answer. But it is still very good considering it’s free. I’m only on level 1 and I lose 90% of the time. However, the last few times that I won against AI Bobby in points, the app said I lost to him on time. What’s up with that? Am I missing some timer rule or is AI Bobby a sore loser? I do like the app, but I hope the developers can fix this issue so I’m not losing my game play tickets unnecessarily.

It’s cool that the lessons exist, but often the AI seems to play by different rules than what the lessons say is possible (I can almost never capture my AI opponents stones in false eyes or edge ko’s well after the ko move, but AI captures mine in the same scenarios). The practice lessons don’t explain the reasoning behind them that would explain these discrepancies despite trying to explain the basic patterns, so I usually end up way more confused than I end up playing with friends who know how the game works. Also the practice lessons include scenarios that would be so unlikely to happen they are borderline illegal.I had to look this up online, but apparently the korean system treats and counts Seki capture very differently in the scoring than Japanese Go does. Even knowing that, and having learned how to count scoring, I still can’t figure out where they are getting the crazy high score numbers the AI usually gets. Its like they’re combining capture points with territory points. I’m still learning Go, so I appreciate any chance to look at the pieces at all since I don’t have a physical board at home. The app is convenient. I’m just a little worried it’s messing with my comprehension of the game as I try to get a better handle on complex endgame scoring, ko, seki, and false eye scenarios.

I have found BadukPop very useful for beginners, as they can play many games against the weaker computer opponents and solve the easier problems. As an AGA 1 kyu, the harder problems and opponents still provide one convenient practice for me each day. But the problems are a bit limited, often centering on a shortage of liberties, so this should probably only be one source for your (and my) tsume-go, tesuji, and yose practice. I also find the online play too frustrating so I have stopped using it. The rankings or ratings too often seem disconnected from the players strength, and I find myself playing even games against much weaker opponents, which isn’t useful for either of us. I also dislike the one-day-a-move time controls for slow games, as I cannot always get back to a long game each day.