Go for Beginners

Go for Beginners



By: Iwamoto Kaoru

Publisher: Ishi Press, Pantheon ?, 1975, 1972

ISBN10 0-8704-0166-1, 0-3947-3331-2

151, 148 pp.





Published by Ishi Press in 1972, this book by Iwamoto Kaoru is very good for people just learning Go (and for refreshing your memory).

The book has two parts. (The following refers to the original Ishi Press edition, which is now printed by Pantheon Books (ISBN: 0394733312). The third printing in 1975 uses more English terms and fewer Japanese language terms. The 1976 Penguin edition has only two chapters in Part I, and all the later chapter numbers are therefore different.)

Part I (ch. 1-3): The Rules Of Go, which includes a 9x9 demonstration game, and explanation of atari, ko, seki, and life and death (especially false eyes).

Part II (ch. 4-12): Elementary tactics and strategy. This part of the book will give you a very solid Go education as the author gets into various aspects of the game, including play along the side of the board, ladders , life and death, nets, capturing races, snapback, and so forth. Chapter 9 is Life and Death. Chapter 10 is General Strategy, especially with corner play.

Chapter 11 discusses the ranking system. Chapter 12 has two of Mr. Iwamoto's games, against Kitani in 1949 (jigo) and versus Shusai in 1926 (B+Res).

There is also an appendix with the rules of Go (as they would have been in 1972), a glossary, and a 1972 list of Go organisations around the world.

GoDiscussions.com's Go For Beginner's page

Reviews

David Carlton's review

George Caplan Great book, my first as well. I read David's review, he notes that he has heard there is a hardback edition of the Pantheon version. That is correct. I own one, got in on ebay, sadly, a library discard.

Tim Brent: This is a very clear and readable book, which also contains several very good exercises in most sections. I recommend it.

Table of Contents

Preface .................................... 1 PART I: The Rules of Go .................... 2 Chapter 1: Introduction .................... 3 Chapter 2: Demonstration Game .............. 5 Chapter 3: Capture ........................ 12 Liberties ............................... 12 Solidly Connected Stones ................ 13 Suicide is Illegal ...................... 20 Ko ...................................... 21 Life and Death .......................... 28 False Eyes .............................. 32 Seki .................................... 40

Chapter 11: Ranks and Handicaps .......... 114

Chapter 12: Example Games ................ 120

Appendix: The Rules of Go ................ 138

Glossary ................................. 140

Go Organizations ......................... 142

Sample Material

to be added

This was the first book I read that described 'false eyes' in a way you could use on sight when looking at a Goban. The explanation goes like this: