# SmartGo: Go Board Game — Learn & play with AI and books

> Comprehensive Go game app for learning, playing, and studying. (iPhone/iPad app by Smart Go, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartgo-go-board-game/id1465746992 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Smart Go, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/290948289)
- Category: Games, Books, Board, Strategy
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 1,986 App Store ratings · 170 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 26.0 · 158 MB
- Languages: American English, European Spanish, Korean, German (Germany), Chinese (Simplified, China), French (France), Japanese
- Released: 2022-04-07
- Data updated: 2026-11-13
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartgo-go-board-game/id1465746992/reviews.md

## What is SmartGo?

SmartGo is the only Go app you’ll need, whether you’re just getting started or already a seasoned player. Learn, play, study, and improve with SmartGo.

Experience the ancient game of Go on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac in a whole new way. Also known as igo (囲碁), wéiqí (围棋), or baduk (바둑), Go begins with an empty board that gradually fills as players surround territory and capture stones.

Start with a 9x9 board and move up to 13x13 and 19x19 as your skills grow. SmartGo adapts to your strength, automatically adjusting the handicap so games stay competitive and enjoyable. And when you’re ready for a serious challenge, the KataGo-based engine delivers strong, rewarding play.

But SmartGo is far more than a way to play Go. Read interactive Go books and replay the moves they describe right in the diagrams. Explore more than 140,000 professional game records, from historical masters to today’s top players. Sharpen your reading and decision-making with a growing library of Go problems.

Want to know how a master would handle a position on your board? SmartGo’s pattern matching compares your position with professional games and shows how strong players handled similar situations. No matter your level, SmartGo helps you keep improving.

Features include:

• 9x9, 11x11, 13x13, and 19x19 board sizes
• Powerful KataGo-based engine
• More than 160 interactive Go books available
• Manual or automatic handicap adjustment
• Record, annotate, and edit your games
• Open and edit SGF files, synced via iCloud Drive
• Import games from photos of a board
• Play online on OGS (Online Go Server)
• Territory estimator
• Hints and move analysis
• Undo and replay controls
• Tutorial with over 100 problems
• Extensive user manual

SmartGo is free to download, and the free version includes the tutorial, 200 problems, computer play on boards up to 13x13, and recording, replaying, and annotating games. The Pro upgrade (yearly, monthly, or one-time purchase) adds KataGo on 19x19, game analysis, the GoGoD database of professional games, pattern and joseki matching, 4,500 more problems, import from photos, and online play on OGS. Go books are sold individually, each with a free sample chapter.

We value your privacy and only collect the minimum information necessary to make our apps work well for you. Learn more at https://smartgo.com/privacy.html.

This app is licensed under Apple’s standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

## Key features

- Multiple board sizes (9x9 to 19x19)
- Powerful KataGo AI engine
- Interactive Go books
- 138,000+ professional game records
- Go problems and tutorials
- Pattern matching for game analysis
- Record, annotate, and edit games

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Games and Features | $29.99 | per year |
| SmartGo One Pro – Monthly | $4.99 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Go Problems Master Collection | $3.99 | one-time |
| Go Problems Add-on 2: Medium | $3.99 | one-time |
| Go Problems Add-on 1: Easy | $3.99 | one-time |
| Go: A Complete Introduction | $5.99 | one-time |
| Learn to Play Go 1 | $7.99 | one-time |
| Graded Go Problems 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pro – Lifetime Unlock | $99.00 | one-time |
| Tesuji | $11.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of SmartGo?

Reviews of SmartGo are mostly positive: the game is rated 4.8/5 from 2K App Store ratings. What users like most: awesome app, great for playing and learning Go. Top complaints: occasional crashes and stability issues, unintuitive user interface for beginners. Summarized from real user reviews.

**Pros**

- 🚀 Awesome app
- 👍 Great for playing and learning Go
- 📚 Excellent integration with Go books
- 🔍 Powerful analysis and review features
- 💻 Seamless experience across devices

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🤔 Unintuitive user interface for beginners
- 💰 Paywall for full 19x19 board and some features
- 🤖 AI too strong for novice players

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Illegal move detection issues on certain board positions
- Problems with missing variations or incorrect answers
- Inconsistent behavior when passing moves

**Most requested features**

- Add read-only mode
- Improve move suggestion explanations
- Introduce difficulty settings for AI
- Integrate online play functionality
- Provide more randomness in AI moves

## Is SmartGo safe?

SmartGo: Go Board Game appears safe based on user ratings. The AppsHunter Safety Score for SmartGo is 96 out of 100. This assessment is based on 1,986 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.8 out of 5. Of 1,986 App Store ratings, 95.7% point to a safe experience, 2.2% suggest some concerns, and 2.1% point to a risky experience.

## Is SmartGo legit?

SmartGo: Go Board Game appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for SmartGo is 100 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (10 of 170)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartgo-go-board-game/id1465746992/reviews.md

### 5/5 — 日常的に使ってます

*2026-11-10*

棋譜保存に最適でよく使っています。使いやすいです

### 5/5 — サポートが良い

*2026-10-21*

AI対戦、棋譜検討等に重宝している。また、メールでのお問い合わせにも迅速丁寧な回答を得られ、サポート対応にも満足。

### 5/5 — The Best

*2026-10-21, version 3.4*

Simply the best Go app in existence. I’m not exaggerating.

### 5/5 — Best in show

*2026-10-10*

This app is the end-all for all things Go on iOS. Anders is a top notch dev making amazing experiences. Years ago I asked if it would support online play and at the time it wasn’t planned. Well, here it is! OGS baked in! As soon as notifications are part of the deal I’ll be ditching my other online play app. 🙌🏻

### 5/5 — Good

*2026-08-27, version 3.1.6*

Good

### 5/5 — Sehr engagierte App

*2026-08-21*

Auch in der kostenlosen Version sehr gut nutzbar. Danke an die Entwickler!

### 3/5 — Play AI Bug

*2026-08-17, version 3.1.6*

There seems to be a bug when selecting to Play AI. Sometimes it works, but more than half of the time, I end up a game where I’m playing both the black and white pieces. I end up having to delete the game and start a new one over and over until the AI finally kicks in. It’s a nice app when it works, but it doesn’t always work as expected.

### 5/5 — Great app

*2026-08-14, version 3.1.6*

Really enjoying playing this with my son

### 5/5 — Superb

*2026-08-10, version 3.1.6*

Simply excellent. SmartGo One is exactly what I needed. Working Go problems has dramatically improved my game.

### 3/5 — Problems not beginner friendly

*2026-08-08*

I wanted to use the problems to gain a good foundation as a beginner. The first problem I tried labeled “Elementary” was over my head, had no explanatory tips, and when researched in Gemini AI, said requires reading multiple moves ahead and knowing a tactical concept of crane’s nest tesuji. Things I hope to get to someday, but not where I am now. I see only frustration ahead with the problems in this set for a total beginner.

## Frequently asked questions about SmartGo

### What is SmartGo One?

SmartGo One is a comprehensive application designed for learning, playing, and studying the ancient board game of Go. It offers various board sizes, a strong AI opponent, and extensive learning resources.

### Does SmartGo One have ads?

No, SmartGo One is ad-free. This allows for an uninterrupted and focused gaming and learning experience.

### What board sizes are available in SmartGo One?

SmartGo One supports multiple board sizes, including 9x9, 11x11, 13x13, and 19x19, allowing players to progress as their skills develop.

### How does SmartGo One help users improve their Go skills?

It provides interactive Go books, over 138,000 professional game records for study, a library of Go problems and tutorials, and pattern matching technology to compare your games with masters.

### What are the subscription options for SmartGo One?

SmartGo One offers a monthly subscription for 'SmartGo One Pro' at $4.99/month and an annual subscription for 'Pro Games and Features' at $29.99/year, which includes a 14-day free trial.

### Is SmartGo One suitable for beginners?

Yes, SmartGo One is designed for players of all levels. It offers adjustable handicaps and tutorials to help beginners get started, though some users find the interface unintuitive initially.

### What devices does SmartGo One support?

SmartGo One is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, providing a seamless experience across Apple devices.

### How often is SmartGo One updated?

The latest version is 3.4.1, and the app was last updated on October 27, 2026. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and support.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.4.2 — 2026-11-11

• All the problem packs are now included in the Pro subscription.
• Reduced downloads while updating books.
• Improved book navigation controls.
• Previous/Next move buttons now auto-repeat.
• Deeper move sequences shown when tapping on a move bubble during Hint.
• Search and filter settings are saved.
• Fix crash in the OGS New Game screen.
• Fix numbered stones in books in dark mode.
• Fix lowercase coordinates in comments being converted to letters.
• Numerous other bug fixes.

### 3.4.1 — 2026-10-27

• Improved layout on iPhone Duo.
• Tent pose on iPhone Duo showcases moves from pro games. Also available in About SmartGo on other devices.
• Automatically hide controls in book view.
• Fix some book layout issues.
• Various bug fixes and small improvements.

### 3.4 — 2026-10-21

• Make it easy to play against AI from the current position: switch from Replay to Play AI, or tap the stone next to the player’s name.
• Better layout for Annotate and Markup toolbars.
• Improved sorting and searching in Games.
• Handle links and Markdown in comments.
• Enter personal notes (as comments) in OGS correspondence games (no chat yet).
• Performance improvements.

### 3.3.2 — 2026-10-17

• Performance improvements and bug fixes in book view.
• Turn on Circled Move Numbers (in Settings > Books) to replace e.g. White 3 by a circled 3.
• Added filtering options in games, books, and problems.
• Swipe down to reset a problem now also works in books.
• Corrected remaining byo-yomi time on OGS.

### 3.3.1 — 2026-10-12

• Improved download of content (updated games, new books).
• Significantly faster joseki pattern matching.
• Fixed an issue with login to OGS.
• Fixed saving of hotspot and checkmarks in game collections.

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## More apps by Smart Go, Inc.

- [Go Books](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/go-books/id428149193)
- [Smart Othello](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-othello/id1056367184)

All apps by Smart Go, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/290948289

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-11-13.*