Go Base

The Nihon Ki-in’s official app, “Go Base” is an initiative aimed at transforming Go from a game “for a select few” into a culture that everyone can engage with. We value the principles of “making everyone a participant,” “making Go visible,” “sharing information,” and “creating together with everyone.” We aimed to create an app that would be useful to everyone involved in Go—not only players, but also spectators, go club managers, organizers of community center Go clubs, and event organizers. Go Base is an app designed to make Go games played with a physical board and stones more enjoyable and fulfilling. Main Features of GoBase - Games Using Ratings GoBase has introduced a rating system with the goal of quantifying the playing strength of every Go player. From the “Games” tab, use your camera to scan the QR code on your opponent’s Go Base membership card to prepare for the game. Based on the rating difference between you and your opponent, Go Base will display its recommended handicap. You can accept the recommended handicap, or choose to play even or a custom handicap. Once the handicap is set, begin the game using a physical board and stones. After the game ends, record the result in GoBase. When the player who scanned the QR code registers the result, ratings are updated based on that outcome, as well as both players’ ratings and win rates. Continued use of GoBase improves the accuracy of ratings, enabling the app to calculate appropriate handicaps for future games. As a result, this helps reduce the number of games played with inappropriate handicaps. Game results include not only the winner and loser but also the date and time of the game, the location, and the handicap. Additionally, if you take a photo of the board at the end of the game, you can save a diagram of the final board position generated by image recognition as a record. Furthermore, if you register the game record, you can review it by replaying it within the app. - Go Spots Feature This feature allows you to search a map for places to play Go throughout Japan, including Go clubs and Go gatherings at community centers. As of June 2026, the app lists over 800 Go spots, ranging from Wakkanai City in Hokkaido in the north to Miyakojima City in Okinawa Prefecture in the south. Using your smartphone’s location data, you can easily search for Go spots near your current location. Additionally, managers of Go clubs and community center Go groups can register their email addresses to post facility information and event details, which will be shared with Go Base users. - Go Event Feature This feature allows you to search for Go tournaments and Go-related events held throughout Japan. You can narrow your search by event type—such as Go tournaments, large-board commentaries, and commentary sessions—or by participation criteria, such as events for women or children only. You can also use your smartphone’s location data to search for events based on their distance from your current location. For events that accept registrations, you can sign up directly through the app. Event organizers can register event information and notify users. ------------------ * Go Base does not include an in-app online match feature. Go Base is an app designed to make actual Go games played with a board and stones more enjoyable and fulfilling.