Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go (Beginner and Elementary Go Books)

The authors/translator prose makes it a joy to read, can forget you're learning at the same time.

First of all the book is readable. This isn't always true of Go books. The wisdom is mixed in with anecdote which kept me there as I struggled with the topic.The book is credible - the author does a very good job of "been there made that mistake" which also helped me stay engaged.Uniquely, in my experience, this book also spends a reasonable amount of time discussing stupid moves and why they are so, which I found to be invaluable. Further I was pleased to get advice on what not to do, e.g., (slightly exagerated for effect) "don't bother studying Joseki, get the principles right" which validated my inability to read even two pages of "38 Joseki".Before I even finished it the first I think I improved by one stone. Definitely value for money there, then.It will require re-reading, it is a book to keep by your side, to dip into, gleaning a bit more each time. It's the best book I've ever bought since Iwamoto (which is a great place to start)Of course, anyone that has previously bought any book called "Fundamentals of <subject matter>" will realise this isn't a beginners book. However, as a self taught player, this one has definitely improved my understanding.Highly recommended

This is THE book. For kyu players, it will instantly improve your strength by at least one stone, and over time many more. It did wonders for my game when I was first learning the fundamentals. I'm looking forward to reading this book again - currently it's on loan to a friend, then he finished it and lent it to someone else. It's one of those books that's just a pure classic that everyone should read.

Great book, and nicely written in an often amusing style which makes it easy to dip into when you feel the need to improve your game, and this book will improve your game as it focusses on building solid technique and getting the basics right.

I am very happy.

A systematic look at GO for the improver, very well regarded by amateur go players.Worth reading once you are out of beginner stage, and worth re-reading after that to get a push to the next level. Some commentators have claimed that reading this book made them 2 stones stronger.For beginners who want to improve quickly,  Graded Go Problems for Beginners: 1 (Beginner & Elementary Go Bks.)  is an excellent first problem book that starts very gently, and ramps up gradually.

I have been playing Go since 1990, and have acquired a plethora of bad habits. My play is a hybrid of snippets from here, there and everywhere. This, I suspect, is not so uncommon - learning by example.This book arrests such tendancies. Nips them in the bud, and roots you back in the very basics of sound play. But all is not apparent from the first reading. I strongly suspect that each re-reading enhances the message.And such rereading is very much in accord with the principle message of the book. Namely that the fundamentals should be so heavily ingrained that they are second nature, allowing you to play effortlessly.My only real concern is that for kyu players, there is sometimes an assumption that a resultanting position is obviously superior, but without much investigation into rebuffing typical kyu player responses.However, such omissions do not really detract from the value of the book. Indeed, digressing to discuss the handling of kyu play variations would make the book more of a labour, and re-expose us to failing playing styles.Buy and read it slowly 5 times.

This is simply the best English language Go book I've seen.It has a light, conversational style but gently teaches the mode of thought of the author, an impressively credentialled professional player.Strongly recommended- a must for players of every strength from about 20 kyu upwards.

Interessante e spiegato molto bene.Rapporto qualità prezzo buono

My favorite thing about this book is the style. It talks directly to the reader as if the reader were questioning what they were being taught. And this is great because the information can sometimes seem so simple that you do find yourself questioning it.I would say about 75% of this book is just focusing on its diagrams and examples. The diagrams are well done and the book uses them effectively. I was almost always able to simply read the book and didn't get out a board to look at a position unless I wanted to study it more in depth. Around 5% is an overview of topics without diagrams - such as talking about what a "proper move" is - but it will always quickly get back to examples. I learn well from this kind of teaching - quick discussion and then examples of how it applies - so this book was great for me. And the other 20% is exposition, stories about Kageyama's experiences as a professional and teacher, and general thoughts on go and life. I really enjoy these parts because it is nice to not only take a break from study but to see what it is like to be a pro and how this has impacted Kageyama's life and view of go.Who should read it?I want to say "every go player" but that's not really fair. I think the target audience is moderate to high level amateurs.If you at least 10 kyu, and willing to learn, I think you can get a lot out of this book. If you are a really determined 15k I think you can also get plenty from this book. Lower than 15k might be hard because some of the problems are difficult and require reading out 10+ moves. It will require the patience and humility to actually struggle through. I had to fight to solve some of these problems as a single digit kyu player. So perhaps first looking at other books like the Elementary Go Series would be better for players below about 12k and then picking this book up when you reach SDK.Dan players may not find everything useful, but I also would be surprised if any but the strongest players got nothing out of this book. The author uses examples from amateur dan games to demonstrate how amateurs miss important moves because they don't stick to the fundamentals. If you are a dan player that has never read this book I think it would be safe for me to still recommend it.A good attitude is important for this book. You need to be willing to look critically at your own play. But if you go into this book with the understanding that none of the content is beneath you then I can't imagine you won't get stronger.

This book is not for complete beginners, I would say it aims at players around 20k-5k KGS. As you can see, the range is very broad, and that's one of the reasons that makes this book so great, the principles, applications and examples are so well written and explained that many players will learn something from it. Plus the author is a veteran TV presenter, who knows how to keep the reader's attention and also tells us some of his interesting career stories.I've also even unofficially translated this book into Portuguese in my website: fanaro.com.br. There isn't a person I've met that doesn't hold this book to the highest standards. I would rank it within my top 3, alongside The Great Joseki Debates and Kato Masao's Attack and Kill.

After taking a a really long break from Go, I just reread this book and almost back to my peak level (8-9k ish) in 2 days (due to fundamentals? I think so).As many others have said this was an easy and fun book to read. After reading the book for the first time in one sitting, and before even playing another game I felt stronger, way stronger. The book makes you build confidence and teaches you the fundamentals where you at least know the name of whats happening in the game. Kageyama wants you to understand the concept of each move and why each move and why each is is played there. For example, the cross cut and invasion in corners people tend to avoid. The book gives you confidence in those moves and even if you lose everything is progress. It taught me to break my mold and try new things.I actually have had people cry about me breaking joseki and how I should be punished, but they still end up losing the game. The book makes you feel confident about each move you take and how you should not always follow the joseki for a formation. The book just wants you to understand why each move is played where.I would say read it the first time for fun. The 2nd time have your computer or GO board out and experiment with each of the exercises and actually try to solve them. Try to play things out. Read this, most entertaining and helpful Go book I have read.

Slow and steady guidance. The advice to read the book slowly and mindfully should be taken. The focus on fundamentals is excellent for a beginner like me is excellent.