GoTools

The dan-level Life & Death algorithm of GoTools (by Thomas Wolf) is integrated into SmartGo. It solves enclosed Life & Death problems as fast as many dan-level players can, and often faster.

Problem position Solution diagram

White can make a ko (0.92 seconds).


Problem position Solution diagram

Black lives using an under-the-stones tesuji (0.01 seconds).

Why does SmartGo sometimes play the wrong move in Life & Death situations?

Even with the integrated GoTools, a dan-level Life & Death problem solver, SmartGo sometimes makes silly mistakes in L&D situations. There are a number of reasons why this can happen, including:

  • GoTools may not have been given enough time to solve the problem.
  • SmartGo didn't enclose the group properly before passing it to GoTools.
  • SmartGo's heuristic evaluation didn't recognize that the group was weak, and thus never passed the group to GoTools.
  • GoTools figured out that the group is dead, but SmartGo is not certain the surrounding group is alive, and may think it's a race to capture.
  • GoTools returned the correct move, but SmartGo decided something else was bigger.