Igo Base

Now available for iOS and Android

Download Igo Base on the App Store Get Igo Base on Google Play

Watch Igo Base in action

Thumbnail of the Igo Base introduction video

A new smartphone app
from the Nihon Ki-in

Get closer
through Go.

Connect
through Go.

Igo Base, the new app from the Nihon Ki-in,
will create the next move together with you.

Igo Base is an initiative to make Go a culture that everyone can take part in, rather than something for “just a few.” We value “making everyone a participant,” “making Go visible,” “bringing information together” and “creating together with you.” We built an app for everyone involved in Go: not only players, but also people who watch Go, owners of Go clubs, organizers of Go gatherings at community centers, and hosts of Go events.

Install with this QR code

QR code to install Igo Base
  • [Planning] Nihon Ki-in
  • [Production] Skyhobbit
  • [Supervision] Tatsuya Seki, 4-dan / Juntaro Kobayashi, instructor

Learn the rules with 「囲碁であそぼ！」 (Igo de Asobo!), enjoy Go with 「囲碁シル」 (Igo Shiru), then move on to real games with Igo Base.

Three features of Igo Base

Map

  • Information on more than 800 Go spots across Japan
  • Includes every Go club that Tatsuya Seki, 4-dan, visited and recorded around the country
  • Discover new Go spots near home or while traveling
  • Go club owners and managers can share information about their clubs and community centers with users

Events

  • Go events hosted by the Nihon Ki-in and held all over Japan
  • Search by event type, such as tournaments and public game commentaries, or by distance
  • Apply from the app for events that accept registrations
  • Event organizers can share event information with users

Rating

  • A rating system that puts a number on the strength of everyone who plays Go
  • Scan your opponent’s QR code to get suggested handicap stones and komi
  • Record game results, and your rating changes with wins and losses
  • Review your games by photographing the final position or adding a game record

Download the printable flyer PDF (A4, front and back, Japanese)
Please print on A4 paper at 100% (no scaling).

News

Frequently asked questions

Question Answer
I can’t register my password Passwords must be at least 8 characters long and include at least two of the following: lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers and symbols.
I want to post event information To prevent prank submissions, you need to join the spot where the event is held and become its owner (staff). Turn on location services on your smartphone and allow Igo Base to use your location. Then visit the spot in person and tap “Join this spot” (このスポットに所属する). Next, select “Are you the owner (staff)?” (席亭（関係者）ですか？). “Post a new Go event” (新規囲碁イベントを登録する) then becomes available in the Events (イベント) tab.
What is the official rating? The official rating is used at Igo Base official tournaments and is recorded separately from the regular rating. As of July 2026, no Igo Base official tournaments are scheduled; this feature is for the future.
Does my rating change differently depending on whether it has 3 or 4 digits? Yes. Ratings of three digits or fewer move by a different amount than ratings of four digits or more. Handicaps are still calculated correctly between 3-digit and 4-digit users.
When I register my email address, it says it is already registered Igo Base shares its internal system with a separate app previously released as Igotomo (囲碁友). If you used Igotomo and remember its password, choose “Continue” (つづきから) on the login screen and log in with your email address and password. If you don’t know the password, set one from “Forgot your password?” (パスワードを忘れた方はこちら).
What is Home? Home (ホーム) is recorded automatically when you turn on location services and play a game with Igo Base at a Go spot. You can’t choose or register Home yourself. It is meant as a conversation starter when you play, such as “So you often go to that Go club.”
It is hard to set the exact location when registering a Go spot Enter the postal code and address (郵便番号・住所) first, then press “Get map location from address” (住所からマップ位置を取得する) to move the map to that address. Then open the map with “Set the Go spot on the map” (囲碁スポットを地図上で指定する), fine-tune the position with the crosshair in the center, and save.
I can’t create a Go spot near an existing one In Igo Base, a Go spot represents a place or facility. Rated games use your smartphone’s location, so if several Go spots were in the same place, the app could not tell automatically which one you are at. If several Go circles meet at the same community center, please mention this in the description of that Go spot.
Can the app tell the winner and margin from a photo of the final position? Yes, as a reference. When you add a photo of the final position (camera or album) while entering the result in the Game (対局) tab, KifuSnap reads the stones on the board, and the Go AI KataGo estimates the score difference including komi and pre-fills the winner and margin. KataGo runs on your smartphone (iOS and Android). Because stone recognition and life-and-death judgment can be wrong, please count the board to check, correct the values if needed, and then submit. As before, the result is confirmed only when your opponent agrees.
The automatic result from the final position photo is wrong The automatic result from the final position is not strictly accurate. Stone recognition from the photo and the judgment of life and death or territory boundaries can be wrong. In addition, if one player passed during the game or stones were captured (prisoners), the result cannot be judged correctly, because this information cannot be seen on the board in the photo. Especially in close games, please count the board to check, correct the winner and margin, and then submit.
I want to hide my rating on Home In the More (その他) tab, open Display (表示設定) and turn off “Show rating on the Home screen” (ホーム画面にレーティングを表示).

Igo Base user manual

Igo Base user manual PDF (Japanese)

Igo Base public event calendar

Igo Base public event calendar (Japanese)

Rating

Rating details and how handicaps are set (Japanese)
Initial ratings by dan/kyu rank (Japanese)

Please note

Igo Base does not offer online play in the app.
It is designed to support games played in person with a real board and stones.
For online play, we recommend Yugen no Ma, the Nihon Ki-in’s online Go service.

Contact

For questions about Igo Base or requests to delete your personal information,
please contact appli-support@nihonkiin.or.jp.

Social media

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