General information

What is K.I.B.A.?

K.I.B.A. is the acronym of the Esperanto Klubo Internacia of Bao-Amantoj, which can be translated into International Club of Bao Lovers. It would like to be a federation of individuals, groups, national societies and institutions interested in playing and promoting worldwide the East African traditional game, known as Bao la Kiswahili, belonging to the big board game family of Mancala.
K.I.B.A. aims

1. to promote Bao la Kiswahili, the East african traditional game belonging to the oldest family game in the world: the African board game known as Mancala. through education, organizing all local competitions, national or international, conferences, workshops, demonstrations, or any other favorable development of Bao activity. This also includes a website and distribution of game materials.
2. to bring Bao players and enthusiasts of all abilities, from beginner to grandmaster, together, connecting them with each other no matter where they are or are from.
3. to gather any and all data related to Bao la Kiswahili
4. to create a data depository and make this information available to the community.
5. to do all this in an atmosphere of pure fun by simply playing a strategy board game based on the art of counting.

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How much does K.I.B.A. membership cost?

At the moment it costs nothing. K.I.B.A. is still a project, so now we are collecting adhesion to it. After that we can formally found the federation and then a virtual convention will decide about membership.

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What is K.I.B.A. website or KIBAO?

KIBAO is a mixing of the acronym K.I.B.A. and the Swahili word Bao. This is the official website of K.I.B.A. (Klubo Internacia de Bao-Amantoj) devoted to make information about Bao available to players and to those just seeking infomation.
This website is also a turn-based Bao game server which allows you to play games against players who may not be online at the same time you are. Games usually take several days or weeks to complete. In fact, games lasting many months are not uncommon.

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What is the Forum?

The Forum is place to post questions, post topics for discussion, post general questions or comments about the server, post questions or comments related to any specific rule of the game, get to know some of your fellow players, etc. Look here for more specific information.

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Where can I find Bao game rules?

Look here: The rules of the game for a short step by step guide. You can download the complete Official Rules in some languages from here.

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Where can I find information about tactics and strategy

Unfortunately, as far as we know there isn't any study on tactics and strategy!. See Game analysis in these hel page, too.

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How does this site works?

To play you have to subscribe (it's free) giving us your e-mail address. We use your e-mail only to write you when it's your turn to move and to inform you about K.I.B.A. activities: live tournaments, online tournaments etc.
It is NOT possible to play realtime games in this site. You play your move and when it's your turn again you'll receive a mail. Anyway you can make an appointment with your opponent and play nearly realtime.

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Why have I to subscribe?

During subscription time we ask you your username, password and a valid e-mail address.
This way you are sure no one can play your move, and you will receive a mail when it's your turn to play.

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Do I have to pay?

Absolutely not! Site access is totally free. The site is managed on voluntay basis, only the hosting server requires an annual fee. If you think we deserve help to pay the hosting server (and we hope so!), you can donate us some money using PayPal through your Personal page.

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Where can I buy the original boardgames?

You can do it from here

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What can I do to help K.I.B.A.?

• Tell your friends about us: If you have friends interested in abstract games (other mancala games, chess, shogi, backgammon, go, draughts/checkers etc.) you can invite them to consider learning Bao and play with us on www.KIBAO.org.
• Advertise www.KIBAO.org: If you play on other game website or have subscribed any game related forum advertise our site.
• Improve the site code:
  1. If you are at home with php, html and css help us to improve the code.
  2. You can help us to localize the site (revising or translating the different messages or pages).

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Features of www.KIBAO.org

Data depository.

www.KIBAO.org has a growing data depository about played games which can be seen selecting the option Archives from the main menu.

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Game Analysis

We are attempting to contribute to strategy studies, so at the end of each year we update several statistics. You can see them selecting the option Statistics from the sub menu Archives.

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Tournaments.

www.KIBAO.org starts a new tournament every now and then. Be sure to read the tournament rules. Other information is in the Tournament section of these Frequently Asked Questions.

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Time zone

www.KIBAO.org is currently in the Central European Time zone, but all timekeeping for the site is set to the Greenwich Mean Time(GMT)/Coordinated Universal Time(UTC).

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What other features of www.KIBAO.org should I know about?

We strongly suggest you to browse the whole site through the menus... you'll discover all you need to know!

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What are the system requirements for playing on www.KIBAO.org?

You must have a browser and an Internet connection. If you're reading this, you've certainly got this covered!
Our site is pure PHP with file styles (CSS). Some browsers don't support file styles correctly, if you use one of them the system will suggest you what you can do. Usually, you shouldn't do anything because the system will adapt itself to your browser.
Anyway we recommend the last versions of one of the following browsers:

• Mozilla Firefox
• Iceweasel
• Internet Explorer
• Google Chrome
• Apple Safari
• Opera
• iPad
• Netscape

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Membership on www.KIBAO.org

Can I play on www.KIBAO.org for free?

Yes, you may play on www.KIBAO.org as long as you want to for free. There is no limit to how long you can play on our site, but must subscribe (it's free).

You can read the question How many games can I have in progress at one time?, too.

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How many games can I have in progress at one time?

There's no limit for this, you can play as many games as you like.

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Is there a limit on the number of games I can play at one time? Is there a limit on the number of moves I'm allowed to make in one day?

No to both questions. There is no limit on the number of games you can play at one time, but new players are advised to begin slowly and not take on more games than they can handle. You can make as many moves per day as you want. Unlike other turn-based sites, there is no limit!.

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Can I sign up for tournaments as a non-subscriber?

No, you can't sign up for tournaments as a non-subscriber.

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Is there a limit on the number of turns per day I can make?

Absolutely not, of course.

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How can I contact you?

If it's a public matter, write a message in the forum. If you want to send us a private mail, send it to info@kibao.org

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I wrote a message in the forum, but I can't find it back, or it seems different

You have to be polite to write a message in the forum. If someone complains with us for a message you wrote, we can change it or delete it. This is a peaceful community, and we have to preserve it.

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Getting started

How do I join www.KIBAO.org so I can play here?

Simply go to this page: Subscribe

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How do I play?

Please read the How to play section.

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Does www.KIBAO.org cost any money?

You can play for free for as long as you want to on www.KIBAO.org, after having subscribed it.

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How to play

Can I play real-time games on www.KIBAO.org?

When you submit a move on www.KIBAO.org, it is recorded in the database immediately. Your opponent may then make his or her move. So, it is possible to play real-time if you and your opponent keep refreshing your Personal Pages so that you know as soon as it is your turn.

Most players on our site want to just make a few moves a day at the most, and do not want to finish the whole game at once. But if you and your opponent can agree to play real-time games, then you certainly may.

For serious real-time gaming, you should probably go to another website that specializes in real-time play.

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How do I play a game?

There are several ways to get a game started.

You can...

• Send an invitation to a specific person on our site to play a game and wait for his/her answer.
  1. Look on the left side of your personal page on www.KIBAO.org. You will see a menu column there with the link Invite. Click that.
  2. You will see the list of currently Active players. Select the name of the player you want to invite and wait his/her answer.
• Accepting an invitation sent to you from someone else and who is waiting for your answer.
  1. Look on the top side of your personal page on www.KIBAO.org. You will see a section with the players' names who sent you an invitation. Select Yes to accept the invitation or select No if not. (Obviously, out of respect for your opponents, you should always answer even in case you refuse.)
  2. If you accept the invitation you will have to move first
• Join a tournament (Championship Tournament or Single Tournament), which will place you in several games with random opponents. Look on the top side of your personal page on www.KIBAO.org. You will see a section with all the open tournaments and the button SUBSCRIPTION. Click the appropriate button. See the Tournaments section of these help pages for information on tournaments.

More information about playing is through the menu option Guides.

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How do I invite another player on www.KIBAO.org to play?

You can Send an invitation to a specific person on our site to play a game and wait for his/her answer.

1. Look on the left side of your personal page on www.KIBAO.org. You will see a menu column there with the link Invite. Click that.
2. You will see the list of currently Active players. Select the name of the player you want to invite and wait his/her answer.

More information about playing is through the menu option Guides.

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How do I invite someone I have already played to a new game?

When you invite someone to play the system will obblige you to play two games, so that both of you take turns at having the first move. If you have already played both games you can invite again the same player for a new game. See the question How do I invite another player on www.KIBAO.org to play in these Frequently Asked Questions.
You can invite the same player even if you are still playing a game.

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Do I have to play a whole game at once?

No, you don't. Our site is for people who like to make one move in a game, then go back to their regular daily activity. Check your games just once a day on your lunch hour if you want. It's okay if a game takes a month or longer to complete.

Non-tournament games have a time limit of 60 days! Every 30 days the system sends you an e-mail saying you're late.

Tournament games have shorter time limits (from 3 to 7 days. See the Tournament section of these Frequently Asked Questions for details.

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I don't see any games to play in my personal page. What do I do?

If you've already invited another person to play, you have to wait his/her positive answer, otherwise you should start a new game as explained in the 'How to play?' section of these Frequently Asked Questions.

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Why does a game that I am playing not shows up on my personal page?

There are two reasons:

• Your opponent may have resigned the game. In that case, you should have received a notification. Please look in your mail.
• Active games in which one player has not moved within 60 days are not shown on players' personal pages, and the one with the move has lost it. (Every 30 days the system sends you a remainder mail.)

In all case, search the game in the page of Results.N.B. If you do not wish to play one of your games anymore, please resign from that game so that your opponent does not wonder what happened to you or to the game.

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One of my game disappeared. Why?

If a player doesn't play his move for more then 60 days, and the game is in an early stage, i.e. if it has less than 7 moves, the game is deleted and every player receive a mail explaining what happened.
Otherwise may be the game ended, so you will receive a mail giving you the arrival order, and a link where you can see the final game positions.

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I think I started a game on www.KIBAO.org, but I'm not sure. How do I find the game?

Look in your mail there should be the invited person's negative answer. If not, please look among your spam. In case you don't find anything try invite again a player. The system will warn you if you've already invited him/her.

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My friend invited me to join www.KIBAO.org and play. I can't find the game!

To find your games in progress, look on your personal page, you should see the game you are playing with your friend. Click on Move, and you will see the game board. You can now make a move in the game.

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How do I make my moves?

Detailed instructions on this can be found in our short tutorial. Here is a brief explanation.
Look on your personal page, you will see your games in progress. Click the button Move.
When your game board appears, choose the pit to start with by selecting its coordinates: row (A/a or B/b), number (1...8) and direction of sowing (Left/Right)

1. If you have played less than 25 games and your Elo rate is less than 1800 on the next page you can check your move. If you are satisfied with it click Send, otherwise click Change to take back your move
.
2. If you have played more than 25 games, no matter your Elo rate is, on the next page you will not be able to take back your move, so make sure it's the move you want to make.

N.B.: sometimes the server is very slow, so, please, don't click more than once the buttons... just wait or the move will not be recorded correctly.

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How can I get better at Bao?

Playing regularly will improve your Bao. If you read Italian, you may also want to buy the book Il libro (quasi) completo del gioco del Bao book and study it.

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How do I know when it's my turn?

When it's your turn, we send you a mail. This way you can't forget to play.

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I can't move as I would like. Why?

There are several possibilities. Usually, that means that you tried an illegal move. In this case the system shows a message explaining why the chosen move is illegal. If you don't see any message please write us attaching, if possible, a picture of the screen (screenshot).

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What have I to do to win the game?

You have to empty all your opponent's front pits or to not allow your opponent any legal move. The first player who does it, wins the game.
N.B. A draw is not possible!

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I moved but the game says it's my turn again. Why?

That should never happen! So, please inform us if you experience that. Perhaps that's a temporary server problem.

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Why the game doesn't end as a tie?

Bao la Kiswahili never ends with a tie!

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How does your ranking system work?

We have two Ranks: one is for players who have played less then 25 games, i.e. beginners or new subscribers, and another one for all other players. See Results. The ranking is based on Elo rating, please look at the appropriate question in the these Frequently Asked Questions.

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Is there a ratings system on www.KIBAO.org?

Yes, there is. It's the Elo system that rates players' ability according to their wins, losses and number of games played on www.KIBAO.org.
These ratings appear next to the player name. You can also view these ratings on a player's user profile page.
A player's record of wins and losses also appears on his or her user profile if she has elected to show it.
If you are looking for the good players to play games, then see How do I find good players? for suggestions.

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What is Elo rating?

A rating is an estimate, usually expressed as a number, of a player's past performance/skill for a particular game. You can usually get an idea of the comparable strength of two players by comparing their ratings. A player rated several hundred points higher than the other player, for example, will usually be the stronger of the two players.

Tournament games are not rated.
Generally speaking, if you win a game your rating goes up. If you lose a game your rating goes down. If you defeat a player with a much higher rating than yours, your rating will increase more than if you defeat a player with a rating lower than yours. The reverse is also true. If you lose to a player who has a rating much higher than yours, your rating will not decrease as much as if you lost to a player with a lower rating than yours.

Defeating an opponent by a large margin, or winning quickly, does not result in a higher rating. For example, your rating would increase by the same amount whether you win in five moves, or fifty moves. As far as your rating is concerned, how you win or how quickly you win makes no difference.

The exact rating formula is

Pn = Pv + f * K * (V - Vp)

Where:
Pn is the new rating.
Pv is the old rating.
V is your game result, i.e. 1 for a win and 0 for a loss (In Bao there isn't a draw).
Vp is the expected result.

The K-factor is calculated according to the old rating (Pv) and the number of completed games (Np). The formula is:

K = r * p

Where:
r-factor is 10 if Pv > 2100
r-factor is 80 - Pv/30 if 1500 < Pv < 2100
r-factor is 30 if Pv < 1500
and
p is 1 if Np > 100
p is 2 - Np/100 if 50 < Np < 100
p is 1,5 if Np < 50

The f-factor is calculated according to the difference between the result (V) and the expected result (Vp). The formula is:

q = | (V-Vp)/ √(Vp * ( 1 - Vp)) |

Where:
f is 1.5 if q > 2
f is 1,25 if 1 < q < 2
f is 1 if q < 1

More about Elo ratings can be found here: Elo rating system.

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Is there a place to send messages to my opponent?

Yes. When it is your turn and prior to submitting your move, next to the game board you will see text box that allows you to enter a message to your opponent.

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How can I use the message box?

Write a message as explained in Is there a place to send messages to my opponent?, do your move and after that click on the Send button.
When you'll be back, on your next turn, may be your opponent answered you.
Please be polite. Someone couln't like your writing mood and could ask us to delete your account.

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I need help!

Look at the games rules, or click on the help link in the game page, or read the faq. If nothing works, send us a mail to info@kibao.org

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I have a question about one of my games in progress. What's the best way to ask for help?

The best way to send us question is always by posting to the appropriate section of the Forum.

1. Open your Personal page.
2. Look for the opponent that you're playing against that game.
3. Click on View located near the game, in the right most column.
4. If the problem is specific to a particular move write down it's number.
5. Add to your posting the previous information. The more detailed is information you give the more useful answer you'll receive.
6. It would be useful if you could mention the number of the game:
   • Look at the top of the page and write down the number of the game which follows the abbreviation pt in the following line http://www.kibao.org/tav.php?lng=en&pt=6154&t=0&gio=3&ng=John&avv=119&na=Peter or copy the whole line.

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How can I discuss an another player's game in progress?

The best way to send us question is always by posting to the appropriate section of the Forum.

1. Go to Free matches page.
2. Look for the opponent that you're playing against that game.
3. Click on View located near the game, in the right most column.
4. If the problem is specific to a particular move write down it's number.
5. Add to your posting the previous information. The more detailed is information you give the more useful answer you'll receive.
6. It would be useful if you could mention the number of the game:
   • Look at the top of the page and write down the number of the game which follows the abbreviation pt in the following line http://localhost/kibao/tav.php?lng=en&pt=6154&t=0&gio=3&ng=John&avv=119&na=Peter or copy the whole line.

Other players will be able to see the game and comment on it. You can ask specific questions about the game, or just use it to illustrate a point. For help on viewing games in progress, see in the Viewing Games, Personal Page section of these help pages.

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How can I discuss any completed game on www.KIBAO.org?

The best way to send us question is always by posting to the appropriate section of the Forum.

Go to the Results page.
1. Look for the game you want discuss.
2. Click on View located near the game, in the right most column.
3. If the problem is specific to a particular move write down it's number.
4. Add to your posting the previous information. The more detailed is information you give the more useful answer you'll receive.
5. It would be useful if you could mention the number of the game:
   • Look at the top of the page and write down the number of the game which follows the abbreviation pt in the following line http://localhost/kibao/tav.php?lng=en&pt=6154&t=0&gio=3&ng=John&avv=119&na=Peter or copy the whole line.

. Other players will be able to see the game and comment on it. You can ask specific questions about the game, or just use it to illustrate a point. For help on viewing completed games, see in the Viewing Games, Personal Page section of these help pages.

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How long does it take to play a game?

On www.KIBAO.org, you can make a few moves a day, or a few moves a week. Games are spread out over several days or weeks. However you have a time limit to make each move. See the question How much time do I have to make a move? for more information.

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Why does it take so long to play a game?

www.KIBAO.org is turn-based. This means you do not play a game in one sitting. Instead, you take a few minutes a day and make one move in each of your games, then forget about your games for the rest of the day. You can fit games into your schedule and keep up an ongoing correspondence with your opponents by sending messages with your game moves.

If you and your opponent do want to finish a game in one sitting on our site, you may do so. Moves are recorded instantly in the database, so as soon as your opponent moves, you are able to make your next move. You will have to refresh or reload your Personal Page yourself to find out if it is your turn.

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How many games can I play at one time?

On www.KIBAO.org, there isn't a limit on how many games you can have in progress at one time. Even if you already have some games in progress at one time, you can still invite someone (even one player you are still playing against) to play another game.
You can play as long as you want for free on our site.

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Who has the first move in a game?

If you invite someone else to play a game, then you have the second move. If someone else invites you to a game, then you have the first move. But every time you must play two games, so that both of you take turns at having the first move.

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How much time do I have to make a move?

On www.KIBAO.org, you have a time limit to make each move. The time given for your move starts from the moment your opponent submits his or her move. If you do not make your move within the time limit, the game times out as a loss for you.

• Non-Tournament Game Time Limits:
  If a game is not in a tournament, then you and your opponent have a time limit of 60 days per move. Remember that there are no holidays or weekends from non-tournament time limits.
• Tournament Game Time Limits:
  For each Tournament it is settled a start date, which is communicated to all participants. Each player must make his move at a set time on the basis of the Fischer's system. The time unit is the day. Each player starts with a set amount of time (initial time). When you make a move, a set amount of time, known as the increment per move, is added to your clock until a maximum time cap. Read the Tournament start and Time control. section of the page Online Tournaments Rules for more details. General information on tournaments is in the Tournament section of these Frequently Asked Questions. The time when the next move is due is listed in your Personal page near the concerned game in the right column.

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What happens if I don't play my move for a long time?

If you don't play in a game where is your turn, every 30 days we send you an e-mail saying you're late.
After 60 days without moving when it's your turn, if the game is in the early stage, i.e. if it has less than 7 moves, the system deletes it otherwise you'll lose the game.
You will be hidden to all players until you will return to play.

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How do I know how much time I have left to make a move in a game?

If your games are not in a tournament, after 30 days the system will send you a remind mail, then you have to open your Personal page and move within the next 30 days.

If your games are in a tournament, your Personal page shows the time, in UTC/GMT, within which you have to move on the right of each tournament game.

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What happens if I don't make a move on time and I lose the game?

Your ranking will be update accordingly, of course. Nothing else.

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I know in advance that I won't be able to make my moves on time. Is there any type of a vacation mode?

Not yet. In the future we will implement this feature, but currently you can't.

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Does my time zone have any affect on the games?

The system use the UTC/GMT timezone. Time zones do not affect games if you yourself calculate the diffence.

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How can I make notes to myself about my games?

You can't make notes to yourself yet. Maybe in the future we will implement this feature.

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How do I view a list, or notation, of past moves in a game?

1. If the game is in progress open the Free matches page from the submenu Archives of the main menu.
   If the game is in completed open the Results page from the same submenu.
2. Click on View located near the game, in the right most column.
3. Clicking on the move numbers or the navigation arrows underneath the board, you'll view each position.

See Game Browsing Page in the section Page Help of these Frequently Asked Questions for browsing the game.
Note that all not completed games that are on move 6 or under may be deleted automatically by our system.

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Why is the automatic scoring sometimes wrong?

That shouldn't happen!
If you finish a game and the winner and loser are assigned incorrectly, then please contact us. Send us your own Username, your opponent's Username, and the date the game ended. We will fix the problem, if necessary.

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How do I find good players?

1. Click on item Active of the submenu Players in the main menu bar. You will see the names of the active players and their Elo rating.
2. In left most column there is a Radio Button. Choose a player with a high rating and click it if you want to invite that player.
3. Wait his answer.

Alternatively,

1. click the name of the one you want to play a game against, and you will see his or her profile page.
2. At the bottom of the profile page, you will see the option Invite. Click that.
3. Wait his answer.

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How do I find an opponent who will stay in the game until the end?

In an Internet community like www.KIBAO.org, it is hard to know if some random person you meet on our site will stay in a game until the end. Here are some ways to find opponents who will probably be more reliable:

• Invite your friends who plays or would like to learn to play Bao to join www.KIBAO.org and play games with you.
• Look at who is playing in round 2 or later of tournaments. These people are probably players who stay with their games and do not let them time out. Here is how you can find them and invite them to games:
  1. Look under Archives->Tournaments->Online in the main menu bar.
  2. On the tournament page you will see a list of game tournaments with the names of the two players in the game.
  3. Click the one you want to play a game against, and you will see his or her profile page.
  4. Write down their names and invite them.

See the question How do I invite another player on www.KIBAO.org to play? in these pages for more information about how to invite another player.

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How long are messages to the opponents stored?

The messages are attached to the related game. At the end of the game the messages is automatically and permanently deleted by the system.

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Can I quit a game?

No, but you can resign.

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Viewing Games, Personal Page

How do I view all my games in progress?

Open your Personal page and you'll see all your games in progress grouped as follows:

• Tournament games where you are South.
• Tournament games where your opponent is South.
• Non-tournament games where you are South.
• Non-tournament games where your opponent is South.

To view the history of one of them click View at the end of its row. Detailed instructions on this can be found in our short tutorial.

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How do I view all my completed games?

You can view all of your completed games:

1. Click
   • the link Results in the left-side menu column of your Personal page
   • or the option Results of the submenu Archives of the main bar menu.
   You'll get a new page with three tags: Matches, Ratings and Archive.
2. Click Matches, you will then see a list of completed games, search the ones you has played as South or North.
3. Click View to view it.
See Game Browsing Page in the section Page Help of these Frequently Asked Questions for browsing the game.
Note that all not completed games that are on move 6 or under may be deleted automatically by our system.

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I don't understand all the stuff on the Personal Page. How can I learn about that page?

Please read the section Page Help. More details are in How to play through this site.

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A game has disappeared from my Personal Page. I know it is not finished. Where did it go?

A game disappears from your Personal Page when that opponent has not made a move before the time limit per move. You should have received an e-mail notifying your win and your opponent's loss.
If the game moves were less than 6 it was cancelled without any notification to you because there wasn't any winner. The system sends a message only to the slow player.

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When I look my Personal page, it always shows old information, and I have to reload it to get the latest information. Why is this happening?

Your browser is loading old pages that it has saved in your computer rather than downloading new pages from our site. You can fix this by changing the cache settings in your browser.

See What is cache? for some guidelines for changing your cache settings or the help menu of your browser for more specific instruction. We recommend a setting of Once per Session or Automatically.

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How do I view a list, or notation, of past moves in a game?

You can Send an invitation to a specific person on our site to play a game and wait for his/her answer.

1. Look on the left side of your personal page on www.KIBAO.org. You will see a menu column there with the link Invite. Click that.
2. You will see the list of currently Active players. Select the name of the player you want to invite and wait his/her answer.

More information about playing is through the menu option Guides.

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How do I find another player's user profile, statistics, and ratings?

You can find this information about another player viewing his or her profile.

1. Look on the left side of your Personal page on www.KIBAO.org. You will see a menu column there with the link Invite. Click that.
2. You will see the list of currently Active players. Click on the name of the player you're looking for.
3. You'll view the player's profile and, at the bottom of the page, some statistics and the Elo rating.

Alternatively,

1. Click on item Active of the submenu Players in the main menu bar.
2. You will see columns with the names of the active players, their Elo rating, wins, losses and the last move made
3. Click on a name you'll see the player's profile page

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How do I view other people's non-tournament games?

• Non-tournament Games in Progress
  1. Click the option Free matches of the submenu Archives of the main bar menu and you'll see a list of all games in progress.
  2. Click View to view one of them.
• Completed Non-tournament Games
  1. Click the link Results in the left-side menu column of your Personal pageor the option Results of the submenu Archives of the main bar menu.
  2. You'll get a new page with three tags: Matches, Ratings and Archive.
  3. Click Matches, you will then see a list of completed games.
  4. Click View to view one of them.

See Game Browsing Page in the section Page Help of these Frequently Asked Questions for browsing the game.
Note that all not completed games that are on move 6 or under may be deleted automatically by our system.

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How do I view other people's tournament games?

• Tournaments Games in Progress
• Completed Tournaments Games
  1. Click the option Online of the subsubmenu Tournaments of the submenu Archives of the main bar menu.
  2. You will then see a list of tournament games.
  3. In left most column there is the tournament number.
  4. Click View, in the right most column, to view one of them.

See Game Browsing Page in the section Page Help of these Frequently Asked Questions for browsing the game.
Note that all not completed games that are on move 6 or under may be deleted automatically by our system.

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How long do the games stay on the site?

That depends on the dimension of the database allowed by the hosting server. We will keep on the site all games as long as possible. If the database will be full we will create documents with the notation of all games we should have to delete.

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How do I hide my games and my stats so that other people don't see them?

Thats not possible, because K.I.B.A. wants to gather any and all data related to Bao la Kiswahili and make them available to all people interested on Bao la Kiswahili. If you don't like that please don't use your real name as username.

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Can people who are not registered on www.KIBAO.org view our games?

They can view non-tournament games from the menu item Free matches and the tournament games from the menu item Tournaments -< Online. They can browse a game as described in Game Browsing Page of the section Page Help of these Frequently Asked Questions.
Note that all not completed games that are on move 6 or under may be deleted automatically by our system.

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How do I view my own statistics?

Your record of number of played games, losses and Elo rating can be viewed as follows.

1. Open your personal page and click on Profile in the left-side menu column.
2. You will see your profile page, scroll down.
3. At the bottom of your profile page, you will see your statistics: number of played games, losses and Elo rating.

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If someone besides me or my opponent views my game, can he or she see the messages my opponent and I have typed to each other with game moves?

No. When people besides you or your opponent see your games, they do not see the messages sent with the game moves.

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Tournaments

Could you explain the different types of tournaments available?

There are two different types of tournaments:

• Championship Tournaments
• Single Tournaments

The two tournaments are not related to each other. Winning a game or a tournament in one type does not advance you to another. Both tournaments use a Round Robin format... you play against everyone else in that tournament. In both Tournaments, you play two games against everyone else. When competing in a Tournament you should find yourself playing against opponents with a similar rating than yours.
Each Tournament consists of several rounds. If you finish first or second in a round you will advance to the next round.
The first two winners from each round keep advancing until a winner is determined. That player is crowned that Champion for that particular tournament. A Championship Tournament consists of several tournaments. The ratings of the players in each tournament will usually be similar. Every player plays two games against every other player in that tournament.After all games have finished, the two players with the most points win that tournament. The player winning the last tournament is crowned the champion! The links Single Tournaments and Championship Tournaments take you to more detailed explanations.

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How do I join a tournament?

A list of new scheduled tournaments is displayed just beneath the site logo at the top of your Personal page. Each row shows: tournament name, starting date, no. of remaining spots and a button to click if you want to join the tournament.

The system will send you an e-mail when the tournament starts in which there is the date whithin which you have to move. Please, be sure you look at the time limit given to make each move in the game.

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Why hasn't the tournament I signed up for started yet?

Championship Tournaments: The first tournament will start at the scheduled start, the following ones will begin on the first Sunday after all games have been played in the previous tournaments. Single Tournaments will start at the scheduled start date.

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Are there time limits on tournament moves?

Yes. To keep tournaments moving forward, you are given a limited amount of time to make each move. The time is counted from when your opponent submitted his or her last move. The date within you have to make your move are shown on your Personal Page and in the mail you receive after each opponent's move. If you don't make your move within that date, you lose the game.
Remember that holidays or weekends are not excluded. To learn exactly how time limits are determined for tournament moves, search on the page Online Tournaments rules.

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What happens if I forfeit a game because I don't make my move on time?

You lose that game!

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What happens if I take a vacation while I'm in a tournament?

We do not have a vacation policy, so if you do not make your moves your games will time out and you'll lose the game.

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If I do not use all my available time to make a move in a game, is the unused time applied to the next move?

No. If you do not use all of your time to make a move, then the unused time is not applied to later moves in the game. Every move has a set time on the basis of the Fischer's system. The time unit is the day.

1. Each player starts with a set amount of time (initial time).
2. When you make a move, a set amount of time, known as the increment per move, is added to your clock.
3. A maximum time cap prevents players' clocks from going beyond a specified time limit.

Look at Online Tournaments rules for more details.

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What are the tournament rules?

Tournament rules are here: Online Tournaments rules.

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How do tournaments work?

For each tournament, you will be put in a round with 3 or more other players, depending on the total number of partecipants, and you will play two games against each other player. When all games in all rounds are completed, the players who scored highest in their rounds advance to the next round, where they play against different players. The process repeats until there is a single champion. See Online Tournaments rules for details.)

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How are tournament games scored?

Tournament games are scored like this:

• Win: 1 point
• Loss: 0 point

Remember there is no draw in Bao. When all games in your round are completed, if you are one of the first two players with the highest scores in your round, then you enter a new round. There can be a tie-break for round winner.

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How do I win a tournament?

Each tournament has three sections:

• Qualification
• Semi-final
• Final

If you advance all the sections and win that final section, then you win the tournament. If you and an opponent in that section tie for winner, then a third match starts with just the two of you alone until a single winner is found.

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Can I enter the same tournament more than once?

No, you can't. However a Championship Tournament consists of several tournaments, so you are expected to enter all the tournaments of the same Championship Tournament.

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If I am not a subscriber of www.KIBAO.org, can I join a tournament?

If you are not a subscriber of www.KIBAO.org, you can't play at all. Sorry, you must subscribe (it's free).

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What is the difference between Single and Championship tournaments?

Please, read the answer to the question Could you explain the different types of tournaments available? and Single Tournaments and Championship Tournaments

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How do I know when the Single and Championship tournaments are signing up players?

When new tournaments are signing up players it is included in the list of new scheduled tournaments which are displayed just beneath the site logo at the top of your Personal page. Each row shows: tournament name, starting date and the no. of players who it is singing up.

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How long do tournaments last?

It is not possible to foresee how long a tournament lasts, that depends on how long do players take to move. If you win your round, you may find yourself waiting for a few weeks while the games in the other rounds are finished. When the next round starts, you will be notified by email.

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With strict time limits on tournament moves, how do I make sure I know when it's my turn?

Here are some tips to help ensure that you don't miss your moves in tournament games.

• Look at your user profile, and make sure your email address is correct. But don't rely on email notification alone to keep up with your moves. Email can get lost and it can be delayed. Also, we only send you one notification every time you are on move.
• Check your Personal Page at least once a day, even if you don't receive an email message saying it's your turn.
• When you look at your Personal Page, be sure you are looking at one that is up-to-date. Click Refresh or Reload on your browser

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Do I have to make tournament moves on weekends?

Yes, you have.

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What about players who use resources to help them play games?

Using reference books or a database to help play games is okay, but using a computer that helps decide what move to make is against our rules.

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How are time limits per move determined in tournament games?

The exact way in which time limits are determined is explained in the page Online Tournaments rules.

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I timed out in a tournament game, but I had a good reason. Is there any way I can continue these games?

Sorry, you can't. We understand that this may seem a bit restrictive. However, since the tournaments can take several months to complete, it's difficult for us to extend the time limits any further.

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Subscription, Your Account

How can I subscribe?

From the main page choose the language you like, on the next page it will be displayed a graphical menu. Click on the pit with three seeds on the right of the KIBA logo or go directly to Subscribe On the User Profile page you can enter information about yourself. Then scroll to the bottom and click Send.
This information will not be used by www.KIBAO.org for marketing purposes.
Your photo, name, city, country, language, sex and game statistics will be seen by other players on our site when they view your User Profile.
We encourage you to enter these data (especially your photo!) because it is nice for other players to know who they are playing with. They might enjoy knowing they are playing Bao with someone on the other side of the world, for instance. Also, these data allow players to search for other players who live in a certain state or country or even in the same town.

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How can I hide personal information about myself with other players on www.KIBAO.org?

We encourage not to hide information about yourself (see the answer to How can I subscribe?).
You hide your personal information at any time. Other players will not be able to view this information anymore.

Here is how to hide your Biographical Information:

1. Look under Profile in the left side menu column of your personal page and click Edit the profile.
2. On the next page, you will see a form with all current personal data. Scroll it until the question Make user profile private? and click on Yes.
3. Click Change.

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I forgot my password. What now?

Use the forgot your password link, and you will receive a new password.
The password are codified, so we can't read the password you forgot and send it to you.

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I forgot my username. What now?

If you remember at least the e-mail you gave us, you can write us and we will mail to you the forgot username.

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How do I delete my account?

There is no way to delete your own account, sorry.
If you're tired of playing here, you can simply choose to stop logging in and stop making moves. If you currently have games in progress, you will eventually timeout on these games and your opponents will be awarded the victory. (Obviously, out of respect for your opponents, you should try to finish all of your games first or at least take the time to resign.)
There are several reasons why it might be beneficial to keep your account. For example you may be tired of playing now, but it's certainly possible you might wish to play again in the future. It's also possible the server might some day be improved. If so, you can resume playing with your old account and you won't have to create a new one. Finally, by keeping your account you can continue to read and post questions in the forum section.

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Can I quit my site account?

Not yet. May be in the future we will implement this feature, but currently you can't.
Simply stop playing and forget about it.

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How do I change the email address in my account?

You can change your email address yourself, at any time. Changing it will not affect your games at all.

1. Look under Profile in the left-side menu column and click Edit the profile.
2. On the displayed page, you will see the field showing your email address. Erase what is in that field and type in your new email address.
3. Click Change.

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If I change my email address in my account, will it affect my games?

No. You can change your email address any time in your profile page without affecting your games.

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How do I change my Password?

1. Look under Profile in the left side menu column and click Change the password.
2. On the next page, you will see spaces where you type your old and new password. Remember what you type, because that will become your new password, and if you forget it you may not be able to come to our site.
3. Click Change.

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How do I change my photo?

Yes you can,

1. Look under Profile in the left side menu column and click Edit the profile.
2. On the next page, you will see a form with all current personal data. Click on the button Browse (this word could be in your local language) which is beneath your photo (or the default one) and on the right of Modify photo (max: 200x200 px, 100Kb).
3. Choose a photo with the following limits max: 200x200 px, 100Kb from your computer.
4. Click Confirm. You'll see your photo.
5. Click Change.

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Can I edit / change my personal data?

Yes you can,

1. Look under Profile in the left side menu column and click Edit the profile.
2. On the next page, you will see a form with all current personal data. Edit them as you like.
3. Click Change.

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Do I have to type my username and password every time I come to www.KIBAO.org?

No, if your browser can save your usernames and passwords. The more popular browser can save them and can then automatically complete the sign-in fields for you when you next visit the website. Please check your browser help for more infomation.

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Why do I never receive email when it's my turn to move?

The system always sends you one email notification of your turn to move. This email can be delayed by the network. Knowing this, if you still think you are not getting emails from us, there could be two reasons:

• Your email address may be incorrect in your account.
• You may have our emails in a spam trap

Please, check your email address in your Profile page and check your spam folders or settings.

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Why have I to receive mail from you?

We have to inform you when it's your turn sending you an e-mail.
If you don't play, after 30 days we send you another e-mail saying you're late.
After 60 days you don't play a game, if the game is in the early stage, i.e. if it has less than 7 moves, we delete it. Otherwise, the game is lost.

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Can I avoid to receive mail from you?

No, you can't. Sorry. You can do that if you stop playing and change your e-mail address in your user setting from your personal page.

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I opened a game when you said it was my turn, but my opponent had not moved.

When this happens, click Reload or Refresh on your browser to load an updated page from our site. When we say it is your turn but the game page does not show your opponent's move, then you are probably looking at an old game board page that was stored in a cache in your browser or at your internet service provider.

You should also check your cache settings on your browser, if you are using a computer.

We recommend cache settings of Once per Session or Automatically. If you have changed the cache settings to something else then that may be causing game boards to appear slowly. But if you are sure that you have not changed the cache settings, then they are probably set correctly now.

See What is cache? for some guidelines for changing your cache settings or the help menu of your browser for more specific instruction.

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The link in my email reminder doesn't work. How do I get to my game?

The links that we send in email reminders do not work with all email programs. If it doesn't work on yours, one thing you can do is keep the link to your Personal Page in the Favorites or Bookmarks in your browser, and just use that link to access your games whenever you get an email reminder from us.

Or, you can use your mouse to copy the link in the email, then paste it in your browser address window, then hit Enter on your keyboard. That would take you directly to the game.

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Why do my game boards take so long to load?

You may have a slow connection. You could try hanging up and redialing. If the problem persists, then it may be related to your cache settings.

We recommend cache settings of Once per Session or Automatically. If you have changed the cache settings to something else then that may be causing game boards to appear slowly. But if you are sure that you have not changed the cache settings, then they are probably set correctly now.

See What is cache? for some guidelines for changing your cache settings or the help menu of your browser for more specific instruction.

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What is Javascript, and why do I want to enable it for www.KIBAO.org?

www.KIBAO.org is written in pure php/html/css, so you shouldn't enable Javascript but if you are asked to enable please contact us.

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I keep returning to the login page. This happens right after I have logged in, or while I am making game moves.

Read the error message that appears in red at the top of the login page. Here is the solution for each error message. If not, please contact us.

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What is Logout for?

If you click Log out in the left-side menu column of your Personal page, you will not be able to access your games until you log in again with your username and password.

Logout is helpful if you are playing from a computer that other people also use. If you do not log out, then other people can get to your games and make moves. But if you do log out, then nobody can get to your games unless they know your password and username.

If you have logged out, you may log in again by coming to our home page at www.KIBAO.org and entering your username and password.

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How do I keep someone else from playing my games?

When you are done making your moves, look in the left-side menu column and click Logout. Then, you will not be able to play your games until you log in again with your username and password.

If nobody else knows your password, then they can not log in and play your games.

After you have logged out, you can log in again if you go to our home page at www.KIBAO.org, type in your exact username and password and click Login.
If you want to be really secure, you should also keep the browser you are using from automatic saving of your username and password (see the answer to Do I have to type my username and password every time I come to www.KIBAO.org?.

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What is the difference between my Name and my Username?

Everyone's Username is different. No two can be alike.
You create your username when you register on www.KIBAO.org. Usernames can't be changed!
You can change your Name at any time. To do this, look under Profile in the left side menu column and click Edit user profile. Near the top of the profile page is a place where you can type any name you want. It can be the same as someone else's name or username. If you create or change your name, be sure to scroll down and click Change.

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What is the cache?

The cache is a space on your computer's hard drive where text, graphics, and sounds that compose web pages are stored. These items are automatically added to your cache as you browse the web. When you return to pages you have visited before, your browser may save time by reusing files in the cache instead of downloading them off the internet again.
The problem with this is that you will see old pages instead of the most recent information. For example, if you're looking at your Personal Page, a game may actually be waiting for your move, but it'll appear like it's still your opponent's turn.
To fix this, you can change you cache setting. Your browser has cache settings that decide whether to display old cached files or to load new files from our site. We recommend a setting of Once per Session or Automatically. If you have never changed your cache settings, then they are probably set correctly now.
You can find guidelines for changing your browser cache on internet, for example: Change Your Browser's Cache Settings.

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My games keep being removed from my personal page!

The system deletes all completed non-tournament games that ended on or before move 7. When games were abandoned before move 7 by one player and left to time out, or were resigned by one player who decided he/she didn't want to play them any more. Only a very small fraction of games are actually played to completion in less than 7 moves.

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What words are not acceptable in my Username or name?

www.KIBAO.org is a site for playing games and having friendly conversation with other players. Players on www.KIBAO.org must not to transmit vulgar or offensive information on our site.

Foul language will not be tolerated in Username's, names. Language of a sexual nature, including language that attempts to solicit cyber sex or sex chatting, also will not be tolerated. If you are interested in having sexual relations on the Internet, you should go to a site that exists for that purpose.

If you currently have offensive language in your name or ratings, you should change it now. If someone informed you that your Username is offensive, write to us and tell us who informed you we will contact him or her and allow you to your Username.
Anyone who has foul or sexual language in his or her account could be removed.
Everyone who thinks that someone else uses offensive words are asked to contact us.

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How long will my Username (Account) stay on www.KIBAO.org?

If you do not make a move on your account for 60 days you are not listed in the active players and noone can invite you, but your account will be still there so that you can reactivate it at any time.

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Messages, Dealing with Other Players

How do I send a message to another player?

You can send a message only to a player you are playing with. Please read the answer to the question How do I send a message with a game move?.

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How do I send a message to someone I am playing a game with?

Please read the answer to the question How do I send a message with a game move?.

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How do I send a message with a game move?

When it is your turn and prior to submitting your move, next to the game board you will see text box that allows you to enter a message to your opponent.

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Foul language was used in a player's Username or name. What can be done about that?

This question deals with foul or offensive language in player's names. To learn how to deal with someone whose name is not offensive, but who is sending or posting unwanted messages, please see the question What can I do if another player is harassing me or offending me in messages? on how to ignore another player.
www.KIBAO.org is a site for playing games and having friendly conversation with other players. Players on www.KIBAO.org must not to transmit vulgar or offensive information on our site.
Foul language will not be tolerated in Username's and names. If you see a name or username that includes offensive language, please contact us and tell us the name or username of that player. We may hide this player's names until he or she removes the offensive language.
If you currently have offensive language in your name or ratings, you should change it now. If your Username is offensive, write to us and tell us what you would like to change your Username to.

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What can I do if another player is harassing me or offending me in messages?

Fortunately this never happened! But we are planning to add a new Ignore feature. You will use that feature to prevent all of his/her messages from ever appearing on your computer screen. Ignoring a user will have the following effects.

• If you have games in progress with the user, messages accompanying his moves do not appear to you, although the game board does appear and moving pieces takes place normally. This allows you to finish games against the ignored person without having to read his messages.
• The ignored user will never see you in active players' list; so the ignored user can not invite you to play more games.
• You will not see the ignored player in the active players' list.
• The user is not notified that you are ignoring him.
• However, in a tournament, you may still be randomly paired with a player whom you are ignoring. You would not see messages from him/her, but you would have the games.

In the meanwhile contact us and tell us this player's Username or name.

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I've received a message from someone claiming to be an www.KIBAO.org employee. How can I tell if this is really from www.KIBAO.org?

KIBA and www.KIBAO.org don't have any employee! Ignore this type of messages.

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How can I read important announcements from www.KIBAO.org or KIBA?

Announcements are displayed on the home page of www.KIBAO.org and/or at the top of your personal page.

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My opponent quits the game when he's losing. What do I do?

There is nothing that can be done to prevent this. If your opponent does not make a move after 6 moves, he will eventually forfeit the game, and it will be recorded as a win for you.
Non-tournament games time out after a certain amount of time. The time limit per move is chosen before the game is started, and the options for time limits are, in numbers of days. Tournament games time out if a move is not made in the time limit.
If your opponent does not move for a certain number of days, the game will disappear from your Personal Page.

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Page Help

Personal Page

The Personal Page is where you see all the games that you are playing. Besides the website logo, the bar menu and the leftside menu, there are at most four sections.
In the tournament and non tournament sections games are grouped by where you are playing as South (the first on move), and where you are playing as North.
To make a move in a game, click the button Move
To browse a game, click the button View

1. Announcements
   This section is there only if there is something to announce to the players. Please, don't skip it!
2. Tournaments
   This section lists finished and scheduled tournaments. To view the current situation or the results of a completed tournament click on View. To join a scheduled tournament click on Join before the scheduled start date. When a tournament started and you joined it you'll see a list of your tournament games with the date within you have to move. If you fail to move in time you'll lose the game. Not the tournament!
3. Invitation
   When you are invited to play by another player this section will appear and it will allow you to accept or to refuse the invitation. If you accept it you'll have the first move and the game will appear in the non-tournament section.
4. Non tournament games
   This section will appear if you have unfinished non-tournament games with the move buttons.

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Move submission page

The Move submission page is where you move. At the center of the page, you will see the game board. On its right, you will see a panel, YOUR MOVE, where you can choose the coordinates of a move:

• Row: which can be Inner (A/a) or Outer (B/b),
• Column: with the range 1...8,
• Direction: which can be Left or Right
• and beneath the coordinates you are asked if you want to play the house: Play nyumba? and you have to choose Yes or No

On the right of the coordinate panel there are two buttons: Send and Abbandon.
If you have played more than 25 games, you'll see a message box by which you can send a message to your opponent prior to click on the Send button.
If you have played less than 25 games, you'll see that message box on the next page where you can see you mover and decide on confirming or changing it.
If the game has already started on the right of the page you'll see all previous moves.

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Board's current state

The Board's current state is where you see all the game moves. This is the best place to view any game. At the center of the page, you will see the game board. Underneath it, you will see navigation arrows. The left arrow takes you to the move previous to the one shown on the screen, the right arrow takes you to the move after the one shown on the screen.

On the right side of the game board is the notation of moves. It allows you to jump to any move in the game, without using the arrows.
Both methods will show the seeds moved.

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User Profile

The User Profile page shows you information about a player on www.KIBAO.org. The display this:

1. Name:
2. Names (First Name and Surname): The Names are words that a player can enter or change at any time on his or her User Profile page. If a First Name is entered, then that is what is shown in most places where the player appears on the site. The Names can be the same as someone else's Names.
3. Place: is the place where the player lives.
4. Country: is the country where the player lives. Player's nationality can be different!
5. Language: is the language the player is using in www.KIBAO.org
6. Gender

At the bottom of the User Profile page are player's statistics:

1. The number of completed games
2. The number of player's wins
3. Elo rating

There is also a Invite button: This invites the user to play a game with you. If you click this, you will send an invitation to the player and you have to wait for his or her answer.

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