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This page is part of the edition ring, it describes:
The next page on the ring describes variations and annotation. Other related subjects are: Using the timer and board options. Basic game edition functions are grouped in this toolbar:  This includes three of the mentioned areas ("go to", play/pass and delete/insert). An important precision on gobans must be explained before. | ||
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| Gobans: The main goban and sketch gobans | ||
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A goban (also Go ban) is the board on which Go is played. In this context, a goban is the GoKnot area in which you see the board (see image at the right) When you just start GoKnot, you only have one goban. That goban is called the main goban. Once GoKnot is running, you may easily create other gobans. (E.g., By dividing the main goban, or by floating a copy of the goban.) All the other gobans are called sketch gobans. Each goban contains a complete game tree: with variations, annotation, game description, etc. Most functions: editing, playing, analyzing, observing games, etc. operate on the current goban. The current goban is the goban which is (or the last which was) the active MAI area. (You set the active MAI area by clicking on it, or using other MAI functions such as <Ctrl>+<Tab> or <Alt>+<Z>.) For those functions all gobans work exactly in the same way. Even for "board options", each goban has independent options. Nevertheless, there are operations that can only take place on the main goban and others that can only take place on sketch gobans. |
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The following functions only operate on the main goban:
The following function only operates on sketch gobans:
The following functions operate differently on the main goban than on sketch gobans:
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| "Go to" functions | ||
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Under the category of "Go to" functions, we mean the functions to browse a game back and forward. If the game contains variations, see the next page. This includes the seven basic functions on the toolbar (Which can also be called by their keyboard shortcuts.)
Another way to "go to" is: Using the HTML assistant see next page. | ||||
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| Basic playing: Play, pass, answer each move | ||
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Disable the option Computer answers each move if it is checked. Disable the option Annotation hints during play if it is checked. If you have a cursor that is not an arrow, press <Esc> to cancel any analysis/editing function. Click on a free cell of a goban. That places a stone. Click again. That places a stone of the opposite color. You are using the simplest of all edition functions: playing both sides. When you erase the whole goban, you start at node 0, which does not contain moves. When you click, you place a black stone and automatically "go to" node 1. When you are at node 1 (or at any odd numbered node) white plays next and, of course, when you are at an even numbered node black plays next. Instead of clicking, press <F4> (the shortcut for "Computer plays now"). The gke engine will click on the board for you. Press again and it will play the opponent of the player it just played. This is pure GoKnot style. GoKnot is a tool open to the maximum. You can always place stones for any player. Erase or place stones during a game, etc. You only play strict "computer plays xx" style, with timer on, without take back, without hints, etc. if you want to. If at any moment you change your mind, you can modify whatever you want or exchange sides with the engine. Since pressing <F4> each time you want the engine to play is very annoying, enable Computer answers each move now. The program does nothing. But now, if you click on the board, the engine plays as your opponent immediately after your click. To place two consecutive stones of the same color, one player has to pass. Pass moves are required to create positions, set handicap, erase stones, etc. Most pass moves are inserted automatically by other functions and, of course, there is an explicit "I pass" function. If you select this function, a pass move is placed and the opponent is now the current player. If you are playing on the Internet, "I pass" sends a pass move to the server. After two consecutive pass moves the clock stops.
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| Basic board editing: Insert and delete stones | ||
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The functions "Insert a black stone" and "Insert a white stone" place stones of a fixed color each time you click on the board. The cursor is changed to indicate which function is selected. Press <Esc> or select "Finish editing" to end adding stones. These functions create normal games (with odd black moves and even white moves) inserting all necessary pass moves automatically. The resulting positions can be played, analyzed, saved, etc. like any other board positions produced during a game. | ||||
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You can also "erase a stone" but that is not a simple as you may think. See the board position to the right. White plays next. It is legal to play at the red cross. (Note that the stones are on the edge of the board and assume there is no KO fight.) If the next move is "white on the red cross", everything is ok. If, at a later stage of the game, you decide to erase the stone labeled 4 erasing that stone has made the move at the red cross illegal. When you erase that stone your game contains an illegal move!! Games containing illegal moves, when saved, produce files with illegal moves. They can also produce unpredictable behavior of the gke engine. |
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