Programming game bots for newbies

Does any one have suggestion of good places for a newbie to start learning to write board game bots? There are a few practitioners here, and their advice of where to start could be quicker than googling.

This one has been recommended to me for MCTS based programs.

Thanks, I noticed Cameron Brown mentioned at the bottom of the page :-)

Unfortunately, I probably need to make a more basic start with simpler methods.

I was aware that the Montecarlo methods have made quite useful inroads in the problem of programming games like Go.

Basically at placement games. And the level usually grows to 'acceptable' in no time. The gap between 'good' and 'excellent' however, is a very difficult one because of specific drawbacks such as easily missing very thin tactical lines as well as circumferential strategic ones (t.e. 'seeing' to late what's happening). Without implementing additional 'knowledge' or heuristics, the method seems to amount to following a rather rudimentary signpost.