There is a new capture go app for Apple devices, designed for the very young. “I created this app for my six-year-old grandson who was showing interest in my go playing, but was not yet mature enough to understand ko fights, trade-offs, and sacrifice,” says developer Tim Hoel. The app walks users through rules and basic concepts, all with spoken narration. Beginners can see examples of how situations play out, and then find solutions themselves. Simple lessons build from there, of which there are several, and then you can play against the computer. It has three difficulty levels, so players can move up against the machine. At level three, it is smart enough to occasionally catch even an experienced player. Level one stays easy enough to keep young kids from getting frustrated. Lessons can be reviewed at any point, and the rules are printed out in a separate tab as well. As this is capture go, and not regular go, one has to keep playing until one or more stones are captured. Passing is not an option, which means you will need to fill in your own eye if there are no other moves. Young players likely won’t make it to this point anytime soon, but when they do, it is arguable they are ready for full go. “Capture Go is a great way to get started because the rules are a little simpler and the goal is easy to understand, but it still teaches a lot about recognizing liberties, contact fights, forcing sequences, and planning ahead,” adds Hoel. iPhone and iPad users can find the free app in the App Store, there is no Android version. -Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor
Redmond’s Reviews, Episode 12: Redmond 9p v. Akiyama 9p
Monday September 10, 2018
In this episode, Michael Redmond 9p, hosted by the AGA E-Journal’s Chris Garlock, plays Akiyama Jiro 9P, a strong young
player in the Kisei B League. This match was in the final elimination 
tournament of the Kiriyama Cup before the final, publicized section of the tournament. Japanese tournament games are usually 3 hours each plus byo-yomi, but in this game basic time is just an hour each, making this “a pretty fast game,” Redmond says. The game features an opening “I’ve been playing around with for a while now, and it has a very unusual move,” says Redmond. He wasn’t sure the move would work but when the perfect opportunity came up, “I couldn’t resist playing it.” Click here to see the video.
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