Board N’Stones
Black to Play! Train the Basics of Go (30-25 Kyu)
Gunnar Dickfeld
This workbook is for players who have just gotten in touch with the game. It provides exercises to help deepen and ingrain the understanding of the rules. You will learn about the correlation and dependencies of the stones to each other, and thereby be able to improve your games. The first exercises are very easy, gradually increasing to moderate difficulty as you progress through the book.
English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Turkish
131 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Black to Play! Train the Basics of Go (25-20 Kyu)
Gunnar Dickfeld
This workbook is dedicated to players who have gathered experience on the 9x9 board and want to learn more about tactics. The exercises introduce new shapes and techniques which help to deepen your understanding of the interdependency of the stones. Training with these elements will help you to improve your strength and make your games more fun.
English, German, Spanish, French, Italian
143 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Black to Play! Train the Basics of Go (20-15 Kyu)
Gunnar Dickfeld
This workbook is dedicated to players who have taken the first hurdles and now want to step into the game seriously. The exercises cover almost all important topics: starting with capturing stones and semeai, via tesuji, life and death, and finally the endgame. This book provides you with exercises to train your focus on local positions and to improve your strength.
English, German, Spanish, French
251 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Black to Play! Train the Basics of Go (15-10 Kyu)
Gunnar Dickfeld
This workbook is dedicated to players who now want to study Go more intensively. The exercises focus on fundamental topics: opening, semeai, life and death, tesuji, invasions, and endgame. This book provides you with exercises to train your focus on local positions and to improve your strength.
English, German, French
254 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Haengma
Train like a ProYoon Youngsun
Haengma is a Korean word that is difficult to translate. It represents the way the stones move (literally it means moving horse) and how they make use of the momentum. The term is not only used to describe various basic combinations of stones and their implications but also covers more intricate moves that are close to tesuji.
In this book Yoon Youngsun 8p uses 36 positions from pro games and joseki to analyze haengma and discuss old and new ways to play.
English, German
176 pages
GoGoD
The Life, Games and Commentaries of Honinbo Shuei
John Fairbairn
This book provides a full-length biography of Honinbo Shuei, detailed commentaries on 79 of his games, and a collection of Shuei’s commentaries. Honinbo Shuei is still esteemed as the best model for even modern professionals to follow. A must-read for every serious Go player.
This book combines all six books previously published on the Kindle: Life, Games (four volumes), and Commentaries. A vast improvement in readability, and a bargain to boot.
757 pages
Gateway to All Marvels
The Xuanxuan Qijing of 1347John Fairbairn
The 1347 Chinese go classic Xuanxuan Qijing, or Gengen Gokyo by its Japanese name, is the most significant go book ever produced. It has become the foundation for virtually every problem book since. Gateway to All Marvels brings together every problem and every variant from perhaps every subsequent edition, and discusses how the almost 500 problems and their solutions have evolved and varied, and also how even modern professionals often disagree on the correct solutions.
863 pages 466 problems
Unfinished Symphony
Go Seigen’s ten-game match with Karigane JunichiJohn Fairbairn
This is an account of the lead-up to and progress of the (shortened) ten-game match between Go Seigen and Karigane Junichi in 1941~42. Biographical details of both players are given, all the games are commented, and an appendix also contains a commentary of another game involving Karigane. The account of Karigane includes extensive details about the Keiinsha.
208 pages
New Ways in Go
A complete translation of Honinbo Shuho’s classic Hoen ShinpoJohn Fairbairn
Honinbo Shuho’s 1882 classic book on “New Ways in Go” (Hoen Shinpo) shows how he brought go to amateurs on a large scale for the first time - through an explanation of openings from four stones through to even game - and how he advanced the then immature art of commentary, with notes on twenty of his own games against Shuwa and Shusaku. One new feature was the inclusion of psychological insights.
This is a complete translation of a book that ranks high in the list of go classics. The translation is enhanced with notes, a detailed timeline for Shuho, and a selection of games in which he gives handicaps, to show how he practised what he preached.
180 pages
Today We Have a Splendid Feast
The Meijin Inseki’s Yoshin Teiki
by Inoue Inseki MeijinEdited by John Fairbairn
The great Inoue Inseki Meijin, the 17th century author of the famously hard-to-impossible problems of the Igo Hatsuyoron, produced other, easier tsume-go works. One was the Yoshin Teiki, most of which is now lost. But the portion that survives gives a fascinating insight into how he worked on his problems and (presumably) taught his pupils. The surviving sections, given here in full, are eminently suitable for beginners, but even strong players can learn amply from the way the Meijin used his mind, and be severely challenged by the hardest problems.
135 problems
Wonders of Life & Death
Honinbo Shusai’s tsumego classic Shikatsu Myoki
by Honinbo ShusaiPresented by John Fairbairn
The full 1910 edition of Honinbo Shusai’s minor tsumego classic Shikatsu Myoki, with an introduction by the editor. It includes 120 problems (with solutions), most original and many taxing and ingenious.
120 problems
Honinbo Tournament
The Early YearsJohn Fairbairn
The Honinbo Tournament is go’s oldest annual tournament. By trial and error it set the standards for every tournament since. This book describes in detail how it came about, and goes carefully through each of the early years in the 1940s and 1950s, and each year’s changes. The games of each title match up to and including Term 6 are given with rich commentaries (32 games), showcasing also the most famous players and anecdotes featured in the highest level of go.
481 pages
Good Move Press
Learn to Play Go
A Step-By-Step Guide to the GameJanice Kim 3 dan & Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan
The award-winning first book in the Learn to Play Go series. Takes the complete beginner step-by-step all the way to playing real Go in fourteen chapters that can be read in 10-15 minutes each, each with a try-it-yourself section at the end. Suitable for kids, demystifies the learning process for adults.
By far the clearest introduction yet to be published in English. — Game Magazine
151 pages 43 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Learn to Play Go
Volume II: The Way of the Moving HorseJanice Kim 3 dan & Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan
Second in a series that takes you step-by-step to stronger Go playing — field-tested theory for the modern practitioner of the ancient art of Go. Self-test chapter to check your progress. Requires only a basic knowledge of the rules for comprehension. Helpful for beginners, or more experienced players who feel ‘stuck’.
153 pages 19 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Learn to Play Go
Volume III: The Dragon StyleJanice Kim 3 dan & Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan
Learn the secrets of professional Go playing from two top masters of the game. Seven Go dangers — learn what to avoid. Eight secrets of winning play. Real games — even, high, and low-handicap — analyzed in depth.
142 pages 25 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Learn to Play Go
Volume IV: Battle StrategiesJanice Kim 3 dan & Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan
The essential principles and techniques of good fighting: Battle strategies for invasions, reductions, running battles, contact fights, identifying key stones and expendables, capturing races, and ko fighting.
146 pages 23 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Learn to Play Go
Volume V: The Palace of MemoryJanice Kim 3 dan & Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan
Professional player Janice Kim reveals the fundamentals of shape and guidelines to correct opening and endgame play learned at the world’s top Go training ground, the Korean Go Academy.
187 pages 11 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Hinoki Press
This is Go the Natural Way!
Takemiya Masaki, Honinbo
This is Go the Natural Way! are the watchwords that the author takes as his philosophy of play in this unique volume, but the book could also be viewed as The Best Games of Takemiya Masaki. When he published the material that has been translated here, Takemiya was Honinbo and at the top of his form. Few professional Go players were serious rivals for him. And the ones who were are today considered as great players in the same way as he is, such as Cho Chikun, Kato Masao or Sakata Eio. All of these players and many more make appearances in this volume.
134 pages
Vital Points and Skillful Finesse for Sabaki
Yoda Norimoto 9 dan
Sabaki is one of the most intriguing techniques of Go. In the hands of accomplished players it can seem like pure sorcery. At times the stones can appear to dance with life. While playing lightly hither and yon, the opponent’s forces can end up ineffective, over-concentrated and misdirected.
Yoda Norimoto has been one of the leading players on the Go scene for more than ten years. In this landmark volume he uses a question and answer format to explore a variety of the aspects of Go regarding sabaki from each player’s point of view.
78 Model Problems, each with limited responses, are posed for the reader to solve. Despite this narrow focus, finding the correct solution can be surprisingly difficult. But Yoda clearly explains all of the possibilities, so the reader can cultivate the judgment to find the key line of play in such positions.
223 pages ⤴ Printed Book
The Way of Creating a Thick and Strong Game
Naoki Hane 9 dan
What actually is thickness? And how is it best utilized? Hane Naoki 9 dan, former Kisei, has a surprising answer. He does not necessarily seek to use it to attack as many players do, nor to dominate the opponent. Instead, Hane says that thickness gives him leeway to play in a relaxed way, rather than going all-out, to be satisfied with a mere sufficient gain instead of a big windfall and to play moves that others might deem too mediocre to consider.
This book shows the keys to doing that successfully. Using positions from his actual games, Hane highlights both the most significant strategic and tactical moments, while also pointing out fundamental truths about the game that one needs to master in order to play skillfully.
353 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Catching Scent of Victory
O Rissei 9 dan
This book is O Rissei’s account of how he captured the Kisei title. It reveals his thoughts as he challenged the best players in the world and overcame them to win the Go world’s highest title. The key to his win was innovative play in the opening, stubborn persistence in the middle game and precise calculation in the endings. All of these facets are explored in this work.
In Chapter 1, O Rissei presents sixteen strategies that he has used to get the advantage in the opening of his games. These are cutting-edge moves that are rarely found in even the most up-to-date joseki dictionaries. Chapter 2 illustrates the continuations and offers the reader a chance to guess at the winning play in a problem format. Chapter 3 brings all the elements of the book together in a thorough analysis of six of O Rissei’s games played against the best Go players in the game today. Again, a problem format gives the reader the chance to match wits with these great talents.
Catching Scent of Victory is one of the rare books in the world that delivers more than it promises. It explains how to set the stage in the opening of a game of Go so that one has a chance to win, then demonstrates the mechanics of the play and finally shows how events typically develop through the middlegame. But then it goes even farther, to step behind the scenes and recapture the human element of top-level match play. It is a testament to the panorama of O Rissei’s Go career. And as such, it proclaims that one must always be on the lookout for suspicious moves.
445 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Breakthrough Attacking Power Yamashita-Style
Keigo Yamashita 9 dan
Everybody loves a good fight. There is nothing better to get the adrenalin pumping and the heart racing. While playing Go, it is even more enjoyable than capturing the opponent’s stones. In Japan today, perhaps Yamashita Keigo is the most successful attacking player on the Go scene. His effectiveness in attacking has brought him to the pinnacle of the Go world, winning the Kisei title.
In this book, Yamashita retraces his career, from his first forays as a fledging professional to one of the masterful games that gave him the Kisei title. Over ten chapters, he analyzes these games in detail, starting with Highlight Scenes that he presents of the games to follow and where he challenges the reader to find the best move. Then he explains the essence of his approach to the game and the key to attacking. The next chapter offers problem positions from 12 memorable games that he played, selected by his teacher, Kikuchi Yasuro, who for many years was one of the top amateur players in Japan. The final chapter contains biographical information and an intimate look at Yamashita’s growth and maturity as Go player.
Rather than being a brilliant or flashy player, Yamashita has achieved success through tenacious and indomitable play. That characteristic has served him well and is the kind of thing that can be emulated by anyone. This book gives a complete picture of Yamashita’s development and the most notable aspects of his play. Altogether, it is instructive, entertaining, inspiring and informative. It shows how Go is currently being played at the highest level and the attacking innovations to be seen there.
310 pages
Shuko: The Only Move
Volume 1: Joseki / Fuseki CollectionFujisawa Shuko, Honorary Kisei
In his long career, Fujisawa Shuko won a place among the elite of the Go world lasting several decades. Few players have won as many prestigious Go tournaments as he did. But in addition, he was one of the most important mentors for younger generations of players.
This series offers an intimate look at Shuko Sensei’s mentoring process. 80 Problem Positions in each book challenge the reader to match wits with Fujisawa Shuko’s students. Then, Shuko Sensei himself gives the Only Move as the solution. Few players would disagree that the analysis that follows is a triumph of the imagination.
Innovative moves in the opening are explored in this first volume. These are the newest moves in the fuseki or joseki as they are examined by the next generation in the dormitory or played in top competition.
254 pages 80 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Shuko: The Only Move
Volume 2: Middlegame Fighting CollectionFujisawa Shuko, Honorary Kisei
This second volume examines fighting moves in the middlegame. The positions that are investigated are from games played by the best of the younger generation in Japan, China, and Korea against each other or against the best of the older generation. As always, Shuko Sensei sharply criticizes complacent moves, and points out how to take control of the games.
246 pages 80 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Kiseido
How to Play Go
A Concise IntroductionRichard Bozulich & James Davies
A straightforward introduction to the game. The ten basic rules are clearly explained in just a few pages. Problems are interspersed throughout the book to drive home the concepts being presented. After the rules are thoroughly explained, there is a section on opening strategy, followed by a section on tactics. Everything that is essential to playing the game is included with ample references to resources that will aid you in continuing your study of this ancient and profound game.
162 pages 46 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Go: A Complete Introduction to the Game
Cho Chikun 9 dan
This book is the best and most authoritative introduction to this ancient and fascinating game. Written specifically for the western reader by one of the strongest players in the world, it presents the rules, tactics, and strategy of this unique game in a step-by-step, easy to understand way. Besides showing you how to play, it contains essays about the world of Go which will broaden your knowledge and understanding as well as pique your interest. From history to modern tournament play, from traditional playing sets to computer Go, you’ll find it in these pages.
English, Spanish
150 pages ⤴ Printed Book
The Second Book of Go
What You Need to Know After You Have Learned the RulesRichard Bozulich
Reading this book will set the novice who has just learned the rules on the right track to becoming a strong player. It instructs the reader in the proper way to plan strategy and how to attack the opponent’s weak groups to turn influence into impregnable territory. It covers every aspect of the game — the opening, joseki, handicap go, middle-game fighting, life and death, tesujis, good and bad shape, ko fights, and the endgame.
English, Spanish
235 pages 18 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Graded Go Problems for Beginners
Volume One: Introductory ProblemsKano Yoshinori 9 dan
Graded Go Problems for Beginners are the ideal books for players who have just learned the rules of Go, bridging the gap between a beginner’s book and some of the more ‘advanced’ elementary books.
239 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Graded Go Problems for Beginners
Volume Two: Elementary ProblemsKano Yoshinori 9 dan
Volume Two of this series adds 327 elementary level problems.
327 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Graded Go Problems for Beginners
Volume Three: Intermediate ProblemsKano Yoshinori 9 dan
Volume Three of this series adds 421 intermediate level problems covering all phases of the game.
421 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Graded Go Problems for Beginners
Volume Four: Advanced ProblemsKano Yoshinori 9 dan
Volume Four of this series adds 390 advanced problems covering all phases of the game.
390 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Basic Techniques of Go
Haruyama 9 dan & Nagahara 6 dan
The most useful book for beginning players ever written. After introducing the basic principles of opening play, the reader is shown practical sure-win strategies to use in handicap games. A chapter is devoted to tesujis (tactical brilliancies), with 69 examples and 50 problems. The book ends with a chapter on the endgame.
259 pages 50 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
An Encyclopedia of Go Principles
Mastering the Basics, Volume 9Richard Bozulich
This book brings together all the strategic and tactical principles of go. The 100 principles presented here can certainly be found scattered in the thousands of go books that have been published, but nowhere are they found collected in one place. All the go proverbs that have some concrete relevance to strategy or to tactics are included, and each principle is supplemented with as many examples as the principle warrants. With all these principles contained under one cover, a go player can embark on a systematic study of them. Once all 100 principles have been firmly implanted in your mind, you will instinctively and intuitively recall the relevant principle when they arise in your games through pattern recognition.
392 pages ⤴ Printed Book
In the Beginning: The Opening in the Game of Go
Elementary Go Series, Volume 1Ikuro Ishigure
Go begins with virtually unlimited possibilities on an empty board. Here a 9-dan professional Go player explains how the game takes shape, bringing correct modern opening technique within the reach of all players. Elementary in its approach, In The Beginning illuminates depths of Go strategy that few amateurs understand well.
137 pages 12 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
38 Basic Josekis
Elementary Go Series, Volume 2Kiyoshi Kosugi and James Davies
38 Basic Josekis cuts incisively through the labyrinth of josekis to give the reader a solid grounding in the subject. Working steadily out from the 3–3 point to the 4–5 point, it surveys the principal variations of the 38 most common corner patterns, pointing out the key ideas in each and showing the reader how to choose and use josekis in relation to other stones on the board.
225 pages ⤴ Printed Book Review
Tesuji
Elementary Go Series, Volume 3James Davies
Tesujis are the tactics of short range combat in the game of Go. This volume presents over three hundred examples and problems of them, aimed at training the reader to read and spot the right play in all sorts of tactical situations. It covers a wide range of material while concentrating on fundamentals; its problems manage to be both hard enough to challenge and easy enough to solve, and there are enough of them to keep the most avid busy.
English, Spanish
458 pages 300 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Life and Death
Elementary Go Series, Volume 4James Davies
Following the general pattern of its predecessor Tesuji, this book organizes over two hundred life-and-death problems and examples into thirty-six short chapters. The problems are grouped around common tesujis (throw-in, placement, etc.) and standard shapes (the one-, two-, and three-space notchers on the sides, the corner L groups, etc.). This makes Life and Death an excellent text to learn from, then an invaluable reference work to come back to.
325 pages 200 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Attack and Defense
Elementary Go Series, Volume 5Akira Ishida & James Davies
The middle game of Go often appears chaotic, but there is order in the chaos, as this book plainly reveals. It lays down a few clear principles, then goes through a wealth of applications: examples, problems, and case studies from professional play. The reader emerges with a thorough grasp of how to choose strategy, how to execute dual-purpose attacks, how to defend with contact plays, how to force his opponent into submission or cooperation, how to invade and reduce territorial frameworks, and when to fight a ko. This is knowledge that no player can afford to be without.
332 pages 80 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
The Endgame
Elementary Go Series, Volume 6Ogawa Tomoko and James Davies
The endgame tends to be the neglected side of the game of Go. This is strange indeed, for it also tends to be where the outcome is decided, and frequently accounts for about half the stones played. This volume seeks to rectify this situation by setting forth the basic tactics, strategies, and counting techniques needed in the endgame. Everything from the smallest local tesujis to the global macroendgame is covered with numerous examples and problems, many of them drawn from the Japanese author’s professional games.
264 pages 106 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Handicap Go
Elementary Go Series, Volume 7Nagahara Yoshiaki 7-dan & Richard Bozulich
In handicap games, the handicap stones are high on the star points and are not efficient in securing territory. The correct strategy for Black in handicap games is to place priority on building influence and to use this influence to relentlessly attack. This way of playing might seem to be unreasonable against a strong opponent, but it will actually make your handicap games less complicated and your strategic goals more clear. It also leaves your opponent with fewer options in his responses. It is the aim of this book to teach the principles and techniques that you must know to play this kind of game.
The first edition of this book has been out of print for more than 20 years. This edition has been extensively revised and rewritten.
242 pages 38 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Handicap-Go Strategy and the Sanrensei Opening
Road Map to Shodan, Volume OneRob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
The lessons learned in playing with a nine-stone handicap are more than tactical. A lot of strategic principles are learned, such as the importance of separating and confining your opponent’s stones and the value of building thick walls that project influence into the center and along the side. You will learn how to use your handicap stones to build thick positions, then turn the influence of these positions into territory.
By studying the Sanrensei Opening next, where the black player starts out by occupying the three star points on one side of the board, you can then use the principles and sequences learned in handicap games. Moreover, the basic strategy of playing for outside influence used in handicap games is the same strategy a player uses in the Sanrensei Opening. This is the natural way to make the transition from handicap to even games. By studying the opening as outlined in this book, the kyu-level player can lay a solid foundation for the study of other opening systems and opening theory in general.
174 pages 46 problems ⤴ Printed Book
The Basics of Life and Death
Road Map to Shodan, Volume ThreeRob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
Most go players know that the best way to improve one’s tactical and reading skills is to solve live-and-death and tesuji problems. This book is a systematic introduction to life and death for beginning players. Part One starts out by presenting all the basic eye spaces. It then shows how three basic tesujis (the hane, the placement, and the throw-in) are used to reduce the eye space of a group to one eye, then to kill that group. The second part is a life-and-death dictionary that presents 177 basic positions that often arise from josekis or common middle-game skirmishes in the corners and along the sides. As such, it is an invaluable reference work that deserves a place in every go players’ library.
439 pages 228 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Get Strong at Attacking
Get Strong at Go Series, Volume 10Richard Bozulich
Get Strong at Attacking covers an often neglected phase of go: attacking in the middle game. Accurate analysis, spotting tesujis, and killing or rescuing stones are the backbone of middle-game strength. But creating or finding vulnerable stones, then attacking them correctly is an equally important technique and one that many amateurs are deficient in. A thorough study of the 136 problems in this book will develop your overall sense of go strategy. If combined with a study of tesuji and life-and-death problems, your quest to become a dan-level player will be that much easier.
200 pages 136 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Get Strong at Invading
Get Strong at Go Series, Volume 5Richard Bozulich
After the players have mapped out their spheres of influence in the opening, invading these areas is a basic technique of the middle game. Here are 171 problems systematically covering the standard invasions on the side and the corners, attacking corner enclosures, and erasing large territorial frameworks.
230 pages 171 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Get Strong at the Endgame
Get Strong at Go Series, Volume 7Richard Bozulich
How do you win a won game? How do you win a lost game? Study the endgame! More specifically, study this book and you will really get strong at the endgame.
The book starts out with a 42-problem test. Unless you’re already strong at the endgame, expect to do badly, but after studying the 120 endgame-tesuji problems in Part Two and the 101 endgame-calculation problems in Part Three, you should have no problem scoring close to 100%. The 28 problems on 11x11 boards in Part Four illustrate the interplay between different-valued endgame moves in realistic situations.
291 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Get Strong at Life and Death
Get Strong at Go Series, Volume 8Richard Bozulich
Killing isolated groups or finding a way to make two eyes for them is an important technique that every Go player must acquire. Although this is first and foremost a problem book (containing 230 problems), the explanations of the main topics make it useful as an introduction to life and death and it should be accessible to players who have read an introductory Go book and played a few games. Divided into three parts, the first part systematically covers the basics of life and death, starting with the fundamental concept of eye space. Next, the three essential tesujis used to kill groups are introduced: the hane, the placement and the throw-in. In another section the reader is shown when it is appropriate to expand his eye space and when he should fall back and play on a vital point. Part Two contains 100 life-and-death problems of positions that arise from josekis and their variants. The final part contains 64 problems for the reader to review and practice the principles learned in the first two parts.
230 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Five Hundred and One Opening Problems
Mastering the Basics, Volume 1Richard Bozulich
This book provides a vast number and a large variety of opening problems for the inexperienced player. Explanations are brief, with emphasis being placed on principles to give the reader a feeling of what a good opening move is. To this end each problem is presented by stating an opening principle that can be used to solve the problem. By seeing how these opening principles are used in games, your intuition in the opening will become highly developed.
501 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Making Good Shape
Mastering the Basics, Volume 3Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
Understanding and recognizing good shape will help you become a strong player and develop the intuition that will instantly guide you to find the strongest moves in middle-game fighting. Includes chapters on the efficient placement of stones, on standard shapes (both good and bad), and 245 problems to practice your ability to find the shape move.
489 pages 245 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Five Hundred and One Tesuji Problems
Mastering the Basics, Volume 4Richard Bozulich
This book provides a large variety of tesuji problems. Tesuji are skillful moves that accomplish some clear tactical objective, such as capturing stones or a group, rescuing one of your own groups, linking up your stones, separating your opponent’s stones, making good shape, etc. There are about 45 different kinds of moves that make up tesujis. Some of these tesujis occur quite frequently in games, while others are seldom seen.
This book presents examples of every kind of tesuji. The more common ones occur in numerous problems, but even the less common ones will be represented a number of times. All of these different tesujis are scattered throughout the book. Just as in a game, one never knows what kind of tesuji will appear. It may be easy to find it, but often it is hard; it might be a quite common tesuji, but it could be one of those that rarely occur. Going through the 501 tesujis in this book will be like getting a tesuji experience in 501 games. However, in a game, many tesujis will go by unnoticed; in this book, each problem will be a learning experience.
501 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
The Basics of Go Strategy
Mastering the Basics, Volume 5Richard Bozulich
Aji, kikashi (forcing moves), and sabaki are the most important concepts of go. They imbue the game with strategic subtleties unmatched in any other game. Without an understanding of these concepts, no go player can hope to attain a high level of skill. Besides these concepts, it is also necessary to understand the shape and distribution of stones and how they influence other parts of the board, determining which stones are important and which stones can be sacrificed, and which stones must be strengthened before playing large-scale strategic moves. The aim of this book is to bring together these ideas and to show the reader how they interact.
English, German, Spanish
309 pages 101 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
All About Ko
Mastering the Basics, Volume 6Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
All About Ko is a comprehensive textbook on ko. A thorough study of it will lay a solid foundation for your progress on the road to mastering ko. It will also give you an appreciation of the profundity of go and the awesome strength of professional go players.
434 pages 121 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Attacking and Defending Moyos
Mastering the Basics, Volume 7Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
Attacking and Defending Moyos starts out by laying down 13 basic principles of moyos (frameworks of potential territories) with examples from the games of Takemiya Masaki, Yi Ch’ang-ho, Sakata Eio, Go Seigen, Rin Kaiho, Ishida Yoshio, among others. The second chapter presents detailed analyses of games played by top pros, showing how they build and defend moyos and how they attack them. The final chapter presents 151 whole-board problems in which the ideas presented in the first two chapters can be applied.
450 pages 151 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Fight Like a Pro – The Secrets of Kiai
Mastering the Basics, Volume 8Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
Kiai is a concept that has received scant systematic attention in the go literature, even though it is often referred to in game commentaries. In go, kiai means coming up with innovative and creative moves. Such moves not only have a global perspective, they also take into account local situations and they need to be backed up by deep and accurate reading. They are moves that cause other pros sit up and take notice.
This book contains 16 fighting games, analyzed in depth and played by some of the world’s strongest players from Korea, China, and Japan. However, this book is more than just a game book; it is also a problem book, posing questions at crucial points throughout each game. This is a book that will change the way you play and think about go, and will shatter many of the mistaken notions that amateurs have about go strategy.
421 pages 140 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Sabaki – The Art of Settling Stones
Mastering the Basics, Volume 11Richard Bozulich
Along with fighting a ko, sabaki is one of the most difficult concepts to put into practice, as it involves a variety of high-level techniques, such as sacrificing stones, making good shape, calculating complex variations, using forcing moves (kikashi), and good style (for example, avoiding the elimination of aji). The numerous examples and 122 problems taken from professional games will introduce the readers to all the techniques that may be required to achieve sabaki in almost any position that might arise in their games.
343 pages 122 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Invincible
The Games of ShusakuJohn Power
This book has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece on one of the greatest Go players who ever lived. The SmartGo Books edition of Invincible includes the complete text, games, and diagrams of the print edition, painstakingly converted to digital format. Even if you already own the print edition, we are confident that you’ll get much more out of reading and studying this digital edition.
1,418 pages ⤴ Printed Book
The Games of Fujisawa Shuko
John Power
Fujisawa Shuko was one of Japan’s top players from the 1960s. Among his contemporaries, he ranks with Go Seigen and Sakata Eio for his creativity and the depth of his understanding of Go. His two greatest achievements were becoming the first tournament Meijin in 1962 and winning the first six terms of the Kisei title from 1977 to 1982. Shuko won this title against Hashimoto Utaro at 52, an age at which most pros are washed up as title contenders. He went on to defend this title against challenges from the young stars of the day who were dominating all the other titles: Kato Masao, Ishida Yoshio, Rin Kaiho, and Otake Hideo.
This book presents all 40 games that Fujisawa played in the Kisei title matches, including the seven in which he was dethroned by Cho Chikun. Most of these games were first published in Go World, but two against Hashimoto never appeared there and one had only an extremely brief commentary. John Power has provided new commentaries for these games to make this volume complete. Studying and playing through these games will give you an appreciation of the profundity of Go and the genius of Fujisawa Shuko.
703 pages
Modern Master Games: The Dawn of Tournament Go
Rob van Zeijst & Richard Bozulich
A collection of eleven masterpieces by some of the great players of the post-war era. An exhaustive commentary accompanies each game. Starts with the atomic-bomb game between Iwamoto and Hashimoto, Takagawa’s dominance of the Honinbo title, the rise of Sakata and Fujisawa Shuko, Fujisawa Hosai and his imitation Go strategy, and more.
400 pages ⤴ Printed Book Review
Learn Go Press
Double Digit Kyu Games
Neil Moffatt
A key feature in the Go books Neil has written is an evaluation of the intention behind each and every move played. The vast majority of game reviews on the Internet and in traditional books have sparse move commentary. Beginners and many intermediate players are thereby sold short—they have to guess why most moves were played.
In this book, Neil analyzes six double digit kyu games. He illustrates shortcomings in the reactionary and localised, small-scale thinking that characterizes play at this level. Every move is evaluated, with variations showing the effect of better moves. By commenting this way, the reader is made to think about each move - the repetition reinforces better thinking, much as repeated Go problem solving sharpens your reading.
These game commentaries should help players tidy up their play, make them more efficient, and start to see new ways of appraising positions, moving them towards single digit kyu level.
515 pages
More Go by example
Neil Moffatt
This book is the result of research and thinking about the nature of play by Go players with ranks from 9 kyu up to 1 kyu. More precisely, about the barriers in thinking that make the step up to dan level seem insurmountable for so many. The kyu-dan boundary quite consistently represents a fundamental change in thinking, a quantum leap in the way that kyu and dan players see the board. This book helps you recognize and correct the limtations of kyu thinking.
293 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Thomas Redecker
The most difficult problem ever: Igo Hatsuyōron 120
Thomas Redecker
The most difficult of all Go problems, created by Inoue Dosetsu Inseki (1646 - 1719), has still not been solved by professional Go players. The long-standing collaboration of three amateurs from Germany and the United Kingdom has now found the answer!
This book celebrates the problem-collection’s 300th anniversary and is the most comprehensive collection of information about this stunning problem. The book discusses what the authors believe to be the solution to the problem, including an in-depth treatment of the failed lines. All move sequences are explained in great detail. The same is true for the additional work on theoretical issues that are fundamental to the problem (e.g. hanezeki, approach-move liberties, and ko).
English, German
805 pages 1 problem
Igo Hatsuyōron 120
An Elephant in SlicesThomas Redecker
The most difficult of all Go problems, created by Inoue Dosetsu Inseki (1646 - 1719), has still not been solved by professional Go players. “How do you eat an elephant?” is the usual management consultant’s reply when being asked how to manage a huge project. This book presents this difficult problem in 120 slices. Each aspect of Igo Hatsuyōron 120 is explained using relatively simple individual problems, so you can understand the entire puzzle. Enjoy a journey through time — look over the shoulder of Dosetsu and get a picture of how he composed his masterpiece.
484 pages 121 problems
Tsume-Go Strategy 1
Learn to Recognize Vital Points in Go Problems — Corner PatternsThomas Redecker
Did you ever complain about Go problems that are much too difficult for you to solve? And probably lost courage? Inoue Dōsetsu Inseki’s advice — written down over 300 years ago — is to study shape. This book helps you do that and overcome your current weakness in the beautiful field of tsume-go.
Study over 300 problems — based on 47 corner patterns — that are analyzed in great detail. Absorb numerous hints that direct your gaze to previously unrecognized vital shape points.
This book tries a novel approach in offering an important intermediate step between the main problem diagrams and the respective solutions. Alternative approaches as well as failures are presented as separate problems to be solved individually.
1,304 pages 314 problems Review
Tsume-Go Strategy 2
Learn to Recognize Vital Points in Go Problems — Side PatternsThomas Redecker
Did you ever complain about Go problems that are much too difficult for you to solve? And probably lost courage? Inoue Dōsetsu Inseki’s advice — written down over 300 years ago — is to study shape. This book helps you do that and overcome your current weakness in the beautiful field of tsume-go.
Study over 400 problems — based on 44 side patterns — that are analyzed in great detail. Absorb numerous hints that direct your gaze to previously unrecognized vital shape points.
This volume is a successor of “Tsume-Go Strategy 1”, but can be studied independently.
1,992 pages 424 problems
Workbook: One-Move Life and Death Problems
Basic Tsume-Go Strategy Made Easy (1)Thomas Redecker
This workbook is designed especially for beginners — each of the over 1000 problems only requires you to think ahead a single move.
The problems in this collection are ordered by shape. Repetition matters, so each shape provides as many slightly different problems as possible. While each problem is explained in detail, readers can choose whether to simply continue with the next problem, or switch to the detailed explanation of the main solution, side variations, failures and the analysis of the problem’s shape issues. (This significantly revised second edition adds over 300 problems.)
Usually, side variations and refutations of failures are more complicated than the main path of the problem’s solution. While studying these additional variations — again at the reader’s own choice — the reader will be gently and subtly guided to more complicated issues in the beautiful field of tsume-go, preparing for the next step in study.
4,332 pages 1096 problems
Workbook: Three-Move Life and Death Problems
Basic Tsume-Go Strategy Made Easy (2)Thomas Redecker
This workbook is designed especially for players who have left the beginner’s stage and feel able to think three moves ahead. Each of the over 400 problems only requires you to think about one preparatory move, setting the scene for one successive final blow.
The problems in this collection are ordered by shape. Repetition matters, so each shape provides as many slightly different problems as possible. While each problem is explained in detail, readers can choose whether to simply continue with the next problem, or switch to the detailed explanation of the main solution, side variations, failures and the analysis of the problem’s shape issues.
This book is a successor of “Workbook 1: One-Move Life and Death Problems”, but can be studied independently.
1,831 pages 419 problems
Richard Hunter
Counting Liberties and Winning Capturing Races
Richard Hunter
Every game involves counting liberties in capturing races, from huge game-deciding battles to small-scale questions of whether a cut works or a defensive move is necessary. How many times have you been surprised to end up one liberty short? Losing a capturing race can be disheartening, but winning one can be exhilarating.
Starting with beginner-level basics, this book provides a systematic coverage of how to count liberties. It guides you through numerous simple examples and presents general principles that you can apply in your games. For dan players, there are more advanced topics, challenging problems, and professional game commentaries. The book includes over 50 interactive problems ranging from easy to hard.
330 pages 55 problems Out of Print Review
Key Concepts in Life and Death
Inside Moves and Under the Stones TechniquesRichard Hunter
This book covers two important topics related to life and death: inside moves and under the stones techniques. Starting with beginner-level basics, it provides a systematic introduction to the principles. Building on this foundation, it progresses to more advanced aspects useful for stronger players. Most players pay too little attention to these techniques and overlook opportunities to use them in their games. The book includes 41 interactive problems ranging from easy to hard.
289 pages 41 problems Review
Cross-Cut Workshop
Richard Hunter
“Cross-cut? Extend!” Perhaps you know this proverb. But that’s not the end of the story; it’s barely even the beginning. Proverbs are simply guidelines designed to help beginners, but many stronger players seem unaware that this one is often inappropriate. There is a lot more to the cross-cut. This book introduces nine basic patterns, explains the types of positions they suit, and presents problems to test your understanding.
131 pages 30 problems Review
The Monkey Jump
Richard Hunter
Have you had trouble with the monkey jump? Most people do at some time. This book tells you everything you need to know about the monkey jump in endgame positions and in life and death positions. It introduces concepts, presents basic patterns, sets review problems, provides challenging problems, and gives numerous examples from professional games. Suitable for both kyu players and dan players, this SmartGo Book is a completely rewritten and greatly expanded version of Monkey Jump Workshop.
530 pages 147 problems Review
Just Enough Japanese
Volume One: Basic Level Practical Japanese for Go PlayersRichard Hunter
To read and enjoy go material written in Japanese, you only need to learn a very small number of kanji (Chinese characters). Of course, that number will not let you understand every word of a discussion book. But most go problems and game records use standard titles, headers, and diagram captions, containing a limited set of kanji. This book introduces the most relevant kanji, one small step at a time, building from ground level, up to a basic practical level. It is suitable for readers with no knowledge of Japanese at all, as well as for readers who already know some Japanese. Key vocabulary is introduced, and then practiced through go problems and game records.
92 pages 14 problems
Just Enough Japanese
Volume Two: Intermediate Level Practical Japanese for Go PlayersRichard Hunter
Learn to read and understand Japanese go books. This series guides you from knowing zero Japanese to understanding the text of go problems and their answers, and extracting key information from game records. Volume Two is a direct continuation of Volume One. Divided into five sections, it methodically introduces vocabulary found on book covers and in headers, captions, and diagrams. It is aimed at go players of all abilities with a fairly wide range of interest in Japanese.
244 pages 12 problems
Slate & Shell
How Not to Play Go
Yuan Zhou
This book will have a revolutionary impact on any kyu player who reads it. Zhou clarifies common kyu level misunderstandings that hold kyu players back from reaching dan level. He explains that the skills needed to reach shodan are not things like a thorough knowledge of josekis or an ability to read out long sequences, but rather the elimination of some common confusions about how the game should be approached. The principles involved are not difficult to understand, and Zhou clarifies them by giving detailed analyses of how they are being ignored in three different games between kyu level players.
English, Spanish, French
68 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Single Digit Kyu Game Commentaries
Yuan Zhou
In this book, Yuan Zhou looks at common kyu-level mistakes in tactics as well as in strategy. His commentaries on six games played by single-digit kyu players point out and explain both mistakes and good moves. Earlier versions of these commentaries were included in the American Go Association E-Journal; the commentaries have been significantly expanded for this publication. This is a great follow-up to How Not to Play Go, elaborating and illustrating the principles discussed there.
175 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Single Digit Kyu Game Commentaries
Volume 2Yuan Zhou
If you liked the first volume, you’ll love the second volume. Yuan Zhou discusses kyu-level mistakes in another six games.
195 pages
Fundamental Principles of Go
Yilun Yang 7 dan
Yilun Yang is justly famous among his many devoted students for his remarkable guidelines about how to play Go. These basic principles cover virtually every situation and enable a player to find the best play with a minimum of reading. Now, for the first time, he has consented to allow the publication of a book containing a broad selection of these principles, focusing especially on the opening and the early middle game.
This is Slate & Shell’s most popular book.
English, Spanish
226 pages 48 problems ⤴ Printed Book
The Workshop Lectures
Volume 1Yilun Yang 7 dan
In his workshop lectures Yang guides players through the special approach to thinking about and playing the game that he has worked out during many years of teaching. He believes that play should be guided by applying easily understood principles rather than by memorizing common patterns and sequences. Yang argues that there are too many variables in Go to make memorizing set patterns very efficient, but there are a relatively small number of easy to understand precepts that can effectively guide players’ reading and play in every situation that arises.
The three lectures in this book present some of these guidelines that are especially applicable to the opening stage of the game: When to Tenuki in the Opening, Choosing the Direction of Attack, and Playing Complicated Joseki.
89 pages Review
The Workshop Lectures
Volume 2Yilun Yang 7 dan
This volume is based on five lectures:
• How to Invade shows how to invade large areas your opponent is trying to surround.
• Choosing the Correct Pincer and Side Extensions in the Opening provide guidelines for choosing a pincer or extension in different situations.
• Playing a Territorial Game and Playing a Moyo Game show how a consistent style of play will yield better results.
All five lectures reflect Yang’s emphasis on understanding general principles rather than memorizing patterns.89 pages Review
The Workshop Lectures
Volume 3Yilun Yang 7 dan
Volume 3 of this popular series contains five lectures:
• Playing the Opening shows how to apply Yang’s opening principles in some common situations.
• Developments Around the 4-4 Point discusses common situations with a 4-4 corner stone, especially double approach moves.
• Punishing Weak Groups Directly explains how to tell if a group is weak, and how to attack it if it is; this lecture also covers Yang’s basic guidelines for fighting.
• Using Forcing Moves explains when to use forcing moves and when to hold them in reserve.
• Handling Weak Stones discusses how to defend weak stones.
As always, Yang emphasizes the importance of understanding general principles rather than memorizing particular patterns.94 pages Review
The Workshop Lectures
Volume 4Yilun Yang 7 dan
Volume 4 of this popular series contains four lectures:
• Good and Bad Shape lays out guidelines for making good shape and avoiding bad shape when opposing stones are in contact.
• When to Play Fast or Slow covers when to play fast moves and when to play slow moves in the opening.
• Playing a Fighting Opening completes Yang’s analysis of how to play the three basic types of games: territorial, moyo, and fighting. Lectures on the first two are included in Volume 2 of The Workshop Lectures.
• Destroying Large or Nearly Completed Positions shows how to severely damage positions that your opponent was probably already counting as territory.
As always, Yang emphasizes the importance of understanding general principles rather than memorizing particular patterns.92 pages Review
The Workshop Lectures
Volume 5Yilun Yang 7 dan
Volume 5 of this popular series contains three lectures:
• Choosing Areas in the Opening looks at the relative potential each player has in a given area to help decide whether and how to play in that area.
• Handling Unusual Opening Moves discusses how to deal with unusual opening moves by your opponent.
• Protecting a Position talks about how to protect a weak position.
As always, Yang emphasizes the importance of understanding general principles rather than memorizing particular patterns.108 pages Review
The Workshop Lectures
Volume 6Yilun Yang 7 dan
Volume 6 of this popular series contains four lectures:
• Entering the Middle Game discusses the transition from opening to middle game.
• Attacking Severely is about how to make your attacks more effective.
• Dealing with a Moyo explains the best way to both build and reduce a moyo.
• Playing With and Against the Sanrensei presents the best strategies for both players when Black starts with the sanrensei.99 pages Review
Playing the Endgame: A Brief Introduction
William S. Cobb
This pocket sized book lays out the key things you need to know to begin playing the endgame effectively, including important concepts such as double sente and reverse sente, the difference between middle game and endgame play, how to calculate the value of endgame moves, and special endgame tesuji. In this area, a little learning can have a big impact on your game results. Includes a number of practice problems.
44 pages 25 problems
200 Endgame Problems
Shirae Haruhiko 7 dan
This collection is a systematic presentation of endgame tesuji that will make virtually any player stronger. The original book is part of the Nihon Kiin series of poketto books especially designed for kyu players, but many dan players will find useful and innovative ideas in this volume. All of the problems are based on realistic situations that regularly occur in games.
Becoming strong at the endgame is one of the easiest ways to improve your playing and gain ground on your usual opponents.
200 problems ⤴ Printed Book Review
Understanding Pro Games
Yuan Zhou
This book contains four games analyzed and explained by Yuan Zhou. Zhou is especially adept at clarifying what is happening in pro games so that even relative beginners can benefit from studying them.
This e-book is a selection of commentaries on professional games from two print books by Yuan Zhou. There are two of the fourteen games in Master Play: The Styles of Seven Top Pros and two of the fourteen in Understanding Pro Games.
167 pages
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji
Volume 1: Tesuji for AttackingFujisawa Shuko 9 dan
Shuko’s Dictionary of Basic Tesuji is one of the most famous Japanese go books, now translated into English. This first volume deals with tesuji that are useful for attacking; later volumes cover tesuji for defense, as well as tesuji for the opening, capturing races, and the endgame.
Tesuji are highly efficient plays, a knowledge of which is the key to getting stronger in the tactical dimension of go. Fujisawa presents particular situations and shows effective ways of dealing with them, along with the problems caused by ineffective ways of playing. This book will open your eyes to possibilities you never dreamed of.
492 pages 188 problems
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji
Volume 2: Tesuji for DefendingFujisawa Shuko 9 dan
Shuko’s Dictionary of Basic Tesuji is one of the most famous Japanese go books, now translated into English. This second volume deals with tesuji that are useful for defending.
Tesuji are highly efficient plays, a knowledge of which is the key to getting stronger in the tactical dimension of go. Fujisawa presents particular situations and shows effective ways of dealing with them, along with the problems caused by ineffective ways of playing. This book will open your eyes to possibilities you never dreamed of.
497 pages 196 problems
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji
Volume 3: Tesuji for the Opening, for Capturing Races, and for Life and Death Problems, Part 1Fujisawa Shuko 9 dan
Shuko’s Dictionary of Basic Tesuji is one of the most famous Japanese go books, now translated into English. This third volume deals with tesuji that are useful for the opening, capturing races, and life and death situations.
Tesuji are highly efficient plays, a knowledge of which is the key to getting stronger in the tactical dimension of go. Fujisawa presents particular situations and shows effective ways of dealing with them, along with the problems caused by ineffective ways of playing. This book will open your eyes to possibilities you never dreamed of.
446 pages 147 problems
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji
Volume 4: Tesuji for Life and Death, Part 2, and for the EndgameFujisawa Shuko 9 dan
Shuko’s Dictionary of Basic Tesuji is one of the most famous Japanese go books, now translated into English. The fourth volume deals with tesuji that are useful for life and death situations and for the endgame, including techniques like using ko to live, exploiting shortage of liberties, killing with sacrifices, breaking in, scrambling for sente, and double attacks.
526 pages 183 problems
Understanding Dan Level Play
A Korea Prime Minister’s Cup JournalYuan Zhou
This book is a good companion to Zhou’s popular How Not to Play Go, which discusses the problems with the way kyu-level players think and play. In this book Zhou explains what is different about the way dan-level players think and play in their games as compared with weaker players. It clarifies the alternative ways of seeing the game that enable players to reach dan level by close study of the games Zhou played in the Korea Prime Minister’s Cup in 2009, an international tournament with representatives from 68 countries in which Zhou placed fifth.
224 pages
How to Play Handicap Go
Yuan Zhou
This book is a companion volume to Zhou’s highly popular earlier work, Understanding How to Play Go, in which he provides detailed commentaries on some of his even games. This time he discusses eight of his handicap games, ranging from three to seven stones. Zhou, an AGA 7 dan, includes general strategic guidelines for both White and Black in playing handicap go, as well as step by step analysis of what is happening in the games.
272 pages
AlphaGo vs. Ke Jie
Yuan Zhou
The match between AlphaGo and Ke Jie 9P was the last time a human played the computer program. Yuan Zhou gives a thorough and insightful analysis of the three games in the match and reflects on the significance of AlphaGo for the go community.
116 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Rethinking Opening Strategy
AlphaGo’s Impact on Pro PlayYuan Zhou
The AI program AlphaGo Zero has introduced several new ideas about how to play in the opening of a game of go. Yuan Zhou, a popular go teacher, discusses several of them and shows their use in several pro games.
English, Spanish
74 pages ⤴ Printed Book
The New Territorial Style
Yuan Zhou
There are different styles of play: traditional territorial style, fighting style, and what can be called ‘moyo’ style, that is, aiming for a large center territory. Recently, professionals have been moving toward a new version of territorial style, which differs from the traditional territorial style by incorporating deliberate center fighting in the middle game. Players with Black have been doing very well with this new style.
141 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Master Play
The Style of Lee ChanghoYuan Zhou
The first in a series of books on the playing styles of top pros by Yuan Zhou. This series is aimed at helping amateurs to understand what it means to have a consistent style of play and to develop their own. In this book, Zhou uses a very thorough analysis of two of Lee Changho’s games to clarify why Lee’s style is called “calm and solid” and why it is so effective.
99 pages Review
Master Play
The Style of Go SeigenYuan Zhou
This second book in Yuan Zhou’s series on the playing styles of top pros deals with the famously difficult style of Go Seigen, the greatest player of the 20th century. Most amateur players are completely mystified by Go’s play. Zhou makes clear what he is up to. Having a better understanding of a particular style, even a very difficult one, will help you to develop your own.
94 pages Review
Master Play
The Style of TakemiyaYuan Zhou
The third book in Yuan Zhou’s series on the playing styles of top pros explains the intricacies of Takemiya Masaki’s famous “cosmic” style that aims at building a moyo. While Takemiya is one of the most popular pros among amateurs, most fans do not realize how challenging it is to play moyo-style. Zhou makes it all clear, as usual, and in the process helps readers to gain a much better understanding of how to handle games where one player is aiming at a moyo.
99 pages
Master Play
The Fighting Styles of Kato Masao and Seo Bong SooYuan Zhou
The fourth volume in Yuan Zhou’s series on the playing styles of top pros compares the surprisingly different styles of two famous fighters. While Kato Masao creates solid positions to use as a base for fighting, Seo fights by keeping everything unsettled as long as possible. Zhou makes clear what it means to play a fighting game and provides two more models for you to consider in thinking about your own playing style. Given the prevalence of fighters among today’s top pros, this book is particularly enlightening.
172 pages Review
Master Play
The Territorial Styles of Kitani Minoru and Cho ChikunYuan Zhou
The fifth volume in Yuan Zhou’s series explains and clarifies the territorial styles of Kitani Minoru and his famous student Cho Chikun. Kitani makes his position early and depends on later attacks, while Cho leaves his positions unsettled longer, which gives his games an interestingly different feel. The territorial style seems natural to many amateurs; Zhou makes it clear what you need to focus on to play territorial style effectively.
168 pages
Master Play
The Style of Lee SedolYuan Zhou
Lee Sedol is one of the top current players in terms of international titles won, but his play is oddly enigmatic. He demolished Gu Li 9 dan, whom many consider the best Chinese player, in a ten game match in which Gu won only two games, but Lee also sometimes loses to weaker opponents in early rounds of tournaments. Zhou clarifies how Lee plays and what makes his style difficult for opponents through a thorough analysis of three of his recent games.
169 pages
Master Play
The Style of Iyama YutaYuan Zhou
This latest volume in the Master Play series analyses the playing style of Iyama Yuta, who is on the verge of being the first pro ever to hold all seven of the top Japanese titles in the same year — he has won each of the seven individually several times. Iyama has been dominating the Japanese pro world for some time now and has also had some impressive international successes, defeating both Lee Sedol and Gu Li in a fast play tournament. His style is a combination of a traditional focus on territory plus very impressive fighting skills.
128 pages ⤴ Printed Book
The Young Chinese Masters
Volume 1Yuan Zhou
The professional go world is suddenly being overwhelmed by teenage and twenty something Chinese players who are winning both international and Chinese national titles—virtually all current world title holders are Chinese, and several of them were born in the 1990s. Most of these players are not yet well known in the west, which is what prompts Slate & Shell to bring out a collection of the games of some of these impressive young go masters. This book has four fully commented games involving eight of them, and we plan to publish more soon. Their style tends to be more territorial than you might expect, but, as Yuan Zhou makes clear, they find amazing moves.
200 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Deep Thought
Extremely Thorough Commentaries on Pro GamesYuan Zhou
This book contains two famous pro games that are annotated in an unusually thorough way. Almost every move is explained and critiqued. The aim is not only to give readers a full understanding of what is happening in the game, but also to encourage readers to study the games properly by thinking about how they would continue before looking at the next diagram. Frequent queries about what to do next are intended to remind you to do this. You will be surprised to discover how much more fully you understand these games as a result of the unusually detailed commentary.
230 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Deep Thought II
Extremely Thorough Commentaries on Pro GamesYuan Zhou
This second volume adds three famous pro games that are annotated in an unusually thorough way. Almost every move is explained and critiqued.
329 pages
The Go Consultants
John Fairbairn & T Mark Hall
Have you ever wondered what pros think about during a game? This book gives you a unique opportunity to find out and you will frequently be surprised. The book follows a game between two teams: Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru (the young hot-shots) versus Segoe Kensaku and Suzuki Tamejiro (the established top players). The members of the teams were allowed to consult with each other in another room between moves, and a reporter made notes on what they said and what they did on the practice board. As a result we have an incredible record of what the players were planning and hoping for, what they thought their opponents were doing, and what they decided not to do as well as why they made the choices they did. There could not be a more thoroughly commented professional game.
151 pages
The Chinese Opening
Yuan Zhou
The Chinese Opening is popular among both amateurs and pros today, but many amateurs do not have a good understanding of the meaning of this opening. In this book Yuan Zhou provides a full explanation of the best ways to use and to respond to it. He discusses the origins of the opening and the evolution of players’ understanding of it using famous games as illustrations, from a game played by Honinbo Dosaku in 1683 to one between Cho Chikun and Chen Yaoye in last year’s international Chunlan Cup. Most amateurs have only a few out of date ideas about this opening; this book will correct that problem.
English, Spanish
75 pages
Old Fuseki vs New Fuseki
The Revolution in Opening TheoryJohn Fairbairn
This book examines the famous game in which Go played his first three moves on the 3-3 point, the diagonally opposite 4-4 point, and the center point. In addition to the very complete analysis of the game, the book contains information about the background of the players and the game, a discussion of the development of the theory of New Fuseki, and a number of examples of it from actual games at the time.
140 pages
Invasions
Iwamoto Kaoru 9 dan
This book analyzes how and when to invade common positions as well as how to defend against such invasions. The book deals with situations that arise regularly in actual games; the analysis is very practical and the guidance it offers will make a lot of common situations much easier for you to handle.
218 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Reductions
Iwamoto Kaoru 9 dan
‘Reductions’ is the companion volume to Iwamoto’s book ‘Invasions’; it thoroughly examines both how to reduce and how to defend against reductions of many common positions. Studying these books will significantly increase your knowledge and confidence in dealing with this important part of go in many common situations.
139 pages ⤴ Printed Book
The Best Play
In-Depth Game AnalysesFeng Yun 9 dan
Feng Yun, a New Jersey resident who is one of the first 9 Dan women pros in the world, analyzes two amateur games in great detail in this book. She explains what is happening and how each player should respond at virtually every move and includes many variations. Studying this book will show you how a pro thinks about the game and start you in the direction of thinking that way yourself.
69 pages
Patterns of the Sanrensei (English)
三連星ー六つの構想 (Japanese)Michael Redmond 9 dan マイケル レドモンド 九段
Surrounding a large moyo is a lot of fun, and the Sanrensei opening is perfectly suited to do it. Patterns of the Sanrensei is a complete study of Sanrensei opening strategies that Michael Redmond used successfully in professional tournament games. In section 1 the reader will find the six Patterns, Black’s six basic game plans for the Sanrensei. Section 2 is collection of twenty of Michael Redmond’s games, in which the Sanrensei Patterns are shown in actual play. Throughout the book Redmond gives a detailed analysis, making clear the meaning behind his tactics.
Michael Redmond is the only Western Go professional to reach 9 dan. Written directly in English and specifically designed for SmartGo Books, then refined as he translated it to Japanese, this book is a treasure for every player interested in the Sanrensei opening, whether you want to play it or defend against it.
English, Japanese
400 pages
Magic on the First Line
Nakayama Noriyuki
This book by the highly popular pro Nakayama Noriyuki deals with a special topic: first-line tesuji, that is, first-line plays that are surprisingly effective in common situations. Nakayama presents three groups of problems: for 15 kyu to 5 kyu, 5 kyu to 1 kyu, and 1 kyu to dan level, making these often surprising moves accessible to everyone.
174 pages 90 problems
Life and Death
Intermediate Level ProblemsMaeda Nobuaki 9 dan
A pocket size collection of 110 life and death problems by “the god of life and death go problems”. The problems are presented in cycles of ten, with the first of each set being relatively easy and the tenth fairly difficult. Maeda estimates the range of difficulty as from about 7 kyu to 2 dan.
110 problems
Go Seigen’s Ten-Game Matches
John Fairbairn
This book contains four thoroughly commented games from Go Seigen’s matches with Fujisawa Kuranosuke. Because Fairbairn draws on numerous sources not available in English, the discussion is unusually illuminating.
These four games are selected from the print book 9-Dan Showdown, published by Slate & Shell. The print book contains thirty games with extensive commentary as well as a great deal of historical and biographical material. In the e-book version, only the game commentary, with colour notes (slightly abridged), is included.
141 pages
Punishing and Correcting Joseki Mistakes
Mingjiu Jiang 7 dan & Adam Miller
This book concerns common joseki mistakes, why they are bad, and how to take advantage of them. Each mistake originates in a real game where an amateur made a real mistake. Joseki books typically concentrate solely on the correct line of play, with perhaps lip service paid to mistakes whose subtlety eludes all but the most advanced of players. The faulty lines are dreamed up by the author, a professional Go player, and do not reflect the mistakes of astounding simplicity that amateurs routinely commit. Showing only the mistake is insufficient: an opponent of equal skill will often fail to take advantage of these mistakes. Therefore, a thorough discussion of the mistake is necessary to truly learn its nature.
We have chosen games reflecting many of the most common joseki mistakes committed by amateur players, most of whom fall between 3 kyu and 4 dan. Although some of the specific mistakes contained in this book are unlikely to be precisely duplicated in the reader’s games, the concepts behind them will prove an informative study for players of many levels. Consider this a practical guide to learning joseki sequences and the ideas that govern them.
144 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Correct Joseki
Mingjiu Jiang 7 dan & Guo Juan 5 dan
The idea for this book arose from the interaction of Jiang and Guo in giving joint lectures on the Kiseido Go Server, beginning in 2004. They have known each other since they were pros in China, where Guo was at one time a pupil of Jiang’s.
The mistakes in playing joseki sequences and in selecting joseki for particular game situations that are the subject of this book are all taken from actual games played by amateurs, many of them dan level players. A print version of this book is available from Slate & Shell with the title All About Joseki.
113 pages
New Moves
Alexander Dinerchtein 3 dan & An Younggil 8 dan
Go is not a static game. New opening ideas, new joseki, new overall strategies are constantly being discovered. Alexander Dinerchtein, the 3-dan Russian pro whose game commentaries can be found on Go4Go.net, is particularly interested in trying out new ideas in go. This book is a selection of twenty-five new moves he and his friend, Korean 8 dan pro An Younggil, have studied. Not all are completely successful, but most offer unexpected advantages in common situations. Each move is examined carefully, looking at various possible variations in responses and continuations. This book will enable you to surprise your opponents.
208 pages
John C. Stephenson
How to Destroy and Preserve
Yilun Yang 7 dan
This small book (originally created by the Wings Go Club) is based on lectures by Mr. Yang. Ninety-five pictures with succint comments show how to destroy and preserve territory, with focus on how far to extend and where to invade in a wide variety of positions.
62 pages Out of Print
Sabaki – How to Manage Weak Stones
Yilun Yang 7 dan
In the normal course of a Go game, you’re eventually faced with managing a weak stone. Knowing how to handle the situation adroitly may mean the difference between winning and losing. This study guide presents a discourse about sabaki techniques, written in the typically lucid and hard-hitting style of Mr. Yang, 7-Dan professional. Following his discourse are a dozen practice problems to help you determine if you have absorbed the material.
Don’t be deceived by the small size of this book. It’s packed with applicable information and likely will require several readings to fully master. But, as you apply the techniques and develop your judgment, your regular opponents will be in for a surprise as you demonstrate your newly acquired flexibility and lightness.
70 pages Out of Print
Sunday Go Publications
So You Want to Play Go?
Level 1Jonathan Hop
The So You Want to Play Go? series is a step by step course that begins with the bare basics for beginners in the first level, to more advanced topics in level 4. Great for total beginners or even experienced veterans, the So You Want to Play Go? series is aimed at teaching the principles and fundamentals of the game in a fun and interesting way, so that Go is enjoyable for everyone.
198 pages ⤴ Printed Book
So You Want to Play Go?
Level 2: 19 kyu to 10 kyuJonathan Hop
The So You Want to Play Go? series is aimed at teaching the principles and fundamentals of the game in a fun and interesting way. Level 2 of the series is aimed at double-digit kyu players and goes into more detail on the opening, middle game, life and death, and tesuji.
215 pages ⤴ Printed Book
So You Want to Play Go?
Level 3: 9 kyu to 1 kyuJonathan Hop
The So You Want to Play Go? series is aimed at teaching the principles and fundamentals of the game in a fun and interesting way. Level 3 takes single-digit kyu players on the road to 1 dan.
195 pages ⤴ Printed Book
So You Want to Play Go?
Level 4: 1-4 danJonathan Hop
The So You Want to Play Go? series is aimed at teaching the principles and fundamentals of the game in a fun and interesting way. Level 4 is intended for 1 to 4 dan players.
172 pages ⤴ Printed Book
Yutopian
Cho Hun-hyeon’s Lectures on Go Techniques
Volume 1Cho Hun-hyeon 9 dan
Cho Hun-hyeon Lectures on Go techniques provide an understanding of the basic fundamentals of Go. Learning to play Go at the dan level is like learning a foreign language. Cho’s lectures provide an analysis and practical exercises for studying and learning the basic techniques (words and grammar) of Go that will enable the low and mid kyu player to begin playing consistently at the higher kyu level.
These techniques are explored in 45 opening problems.
215 pages 45 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Cho Hun-hyeon’s Lectures on Go Techniques
Volume 2Cho Hun-hyeon 9 dan
Volume 2 continues with 54 late opening and early middle game problems.
216 pages 54 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Lee Chang-ho’s Endgame Techniques
Volume OneLee Chang-ho 9 dan
Lee Chang-ho is known for his extremely strong endgame skill. The translations of his two volumes on endgame techniques never made it into print, and we’re proud to present them as SmartGo Books exclusives.
In the first volume close attention is paid to accurate counting of endgame positions, as a foundation, followed by a systematic look at many common patterns. The book includes many large-scale patterns that occur often in actual games.
169 pages 20 problems
Lee Chang-ho’s Endgame Techniques
Volume TwoLee Chang-ho 9 dan
The second volume looks at endgame tesuji, with 50 elementary problems, 45 intermediate problems, 36 multiple choice problems, and 36 advanced problems.
320 pages 167 problems
Tesuji and Anti-Suji of Go
Playing in Good Form and Making Correct ShapeSakata Eio, Honorary Honinbo
This is an exhaustive manual that details how sparkling technique may bring one’s game alive. 61 Model situations are examined, in which deadly hane, exquisite placements, and stunning attachments, among other skillful finesse, are shown to be surprisingly effective. The flip side of the matter, crude moves (or ‘anti-suji’) are offered in contrast, demonstrating how thoughtless play can throw away the chance for an advantage. The positions in the book are illustrated in more than 700 diagrams, which makes comprehension of the material simple.
This is both a thoroughly enjoyable exploration into one of the most fascinating aspects of Go, and a text which can be invaluable for growing stronger. This book has been out of print for years.
239 pages Out of Print
Killer of Go
Technique and Preventative MeasuresSakata Eio, Honorary Honinbo
A legendary work by a legendary player. ‘Razor-Sharp’ Sakata, so long at the forefront of the Go world, produced, when he was at the height of his powers, a classic text on the theme of killing stones.
Sakata conveys, with exquisite erudition, the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of the winner when a well-planned attack bears fruits. At the same time, he offers a thumbnail sketch of the history of Go through the ages, masterpieces of attack from his own and others’ games, fascinating glimpses into the nature of offbeat joseki and the shape of stones, as well as classic games which he fully annotates. One is the famous game between Meijin Shusai Honinbo and Karigane Junichi, hailed as a ‘group-capturing masterpiece played between the top players’ of the day.
This book has been out of print for a number of years; we’re excited to bring it back to life. The SmartGo Books edition of this tour de force has been enhanced with 27 additional diagrams that replace long sequences of letters that were hard to follow.
176 pages Out of Print
Rescue and Capture
Pocket Skills SeriesYilun Yang 7 dan
Rescuing and capturing stones are two vital techniques in the game of Go. These two techniques are introduced in depth through 80 exercises.
80 problems ⤴ Printed Book
Tricks in Joseki
Pocket Skills SeriesYilun Yang 7 dan
Tricks in Joseki teaches the reader how to apply joseki flexibly and to avoid pitfalls. The techniques are introduced in depth through 80 exercises.
80 problems ⤴ Printed Book
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