4. OGS

What it is

OGS, as Online-Go.com abbreviates itself, is a place to play Go, also known as baduk and weiqi, in the browser. The site describes itself as community supported, friendly, easy to use and free. It belongs in a catalogue of classic board games as firmly as chess does, even if the stones go on the intersections rather than on squares.

You can choose between three board sizes: 9×9, 13×13 and 19×19. That choice makes OGS unusually welcoming. The small board teaches the basics in short games, the middle one adds room for strategy, and the full board is there when you are ready for it.

How a session goes

The play page asks three questions: board size, time control and whether to use handicap stones. Live presets are grouped by rough length, about five, ten and fifteen minutes, and there is a daily correspondence option where you have days for each move. A free account is needed to start a game.

For newcomers, the learn-to-play section is the highlight: a sequence of short interactive lessons arranged in stages, from the basic rules through fundamental principles and skills to several beginner levels. Each lesson asks you to place a stone or two, so the rules are learned with your hands rather than from a page of text. After that, the puzzles section offers Go problems to train reading ahead.

Handicap games are part of the culture of Go, and OGS makes them easy to set up. A weaker player starts with extra stones, which means friends of different strengths can still have a close game.

The time it asks for

A 9×9 game at a quick setting is a short, self-contained session. A 19×19 game at a slower live setting can fill an evening. Correspondence is the gentlest option of all: a move or two over breakfast, with the game unfolding over days or weeks.

Full-board Go games are long by nature, so if your time is limited, the small boards and correspondence are the honest choice rather than a compromise. A slow game is also easy to pick up again after a day away, since the position on the board tells you most of the story.

How it pays its way

Playing is free. OGS offers optional supporter plans, named Aji, Hane, Tenuki and Meijin on its supporter page. They add automatic AI reviews of your games, with deeper analysis at the higher tiers, plus extras such as more vacation time for correspondence games and an optional golden name. The page notes that AI review works on 19×19, 13×13 and 9×9 boards. None of it is needed to play.

Who it suits, and who it doesn’t

The balance