Pattern search allows finding problems from a partial board position. This is a great way to see if a problem already exists on the site before adding it, finding a problem you've seen before but can't remember where, or even checking for a class of basic patterns (ie five stones in a row on the second line). Pattern search is a little slow, so please give a few seconds after hitting search to see the results.

Currently, you can only find problems that are set in a corner or on a side, not ones floating in the center. After inputting as much of the position as you like on the board above, click the Search button to initiate the search. The results will appear to the right.

The search mechanism automatically attempts all possible rotations and colors, so don't worry about in which corner you draw. There are four possibilities for each intersection: unset, empty, black, and white. Initially, the board starts out completely unset; this is represented by circles in every intersection. In other words, this intersection will not be used as part of the search. Black stones and white stones are obvious, although they are relative: it will match on reversed colors.

Keyboard shortcuts make input faster. Hit keys 1-4 to select a tool.

If the position for which you are searching is on a side, not anchored in the corner, check the "Full side search" checkbox. This is left off by default to conserve resources and save time (it takes more energy to search sides than just corners). The program automatically tries to figure out which side you mean by the placement of your search stones. This should work pretty intuitively as long as you keep away from corners on side searches.

Searching requires at least 3 stones placed on the board, and one additional stone or empty intersection. This is to avoid having too many results.

Example search: let's say you're looking for this problem:

A good search might look something like this:



There can be variation in outside stones, and extra stones like the problem stone on A3 that don't fundamentally change the problem.

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