bill@dual.UUCP (Bill Kanawyer) (01/12/84)
The following is a fairly complete list of english language go books. I
have tried to list them by publisher and level of diffculty (ie beginner, kyu,
dan). If any of you know of any others, please post them.
NIHON KIIN
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Basic Beginner
==============
Go - Vol. 1 --- Introduction
Go - Vol. 2 --- Basic techniques
Very good to learn the rules of go and a very basic game plan. Cheap or
free to go clubs. Write to the Nihon Kiin.
ISHI PRESS
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Basic Beginner
==============
Elementary go series:
Vol 1 - In the Beginning, Ishigure 8-Dan --- IP# G10
Vol 2 - 38 Basic Joseki, Kosugi 6-Dan & Davis --- IP# G11
Vol 3 - Tesuji, Davis --- IP# G12
Vol 4 - Life and Death, Davis --- IP# G13
Vol 5 - Attack and Defense, Ishida 8-Dan & Davis --- IP# G14
Vol 6 - The Endgame, Ogawa 4-Dan & Davis --- IP# G15
Vol 7 - Handicap Go, Nagahara 6-Dan & Bozulich --- IP# G16
Vol's 1, 3, 4, & 6 good for the beginner but I felt that over all this
series was aimed at the middle kyu (10-7) levels. These are perhaps the most
available books on go. I have seen them in almost all go clubs and stores
that have go supplies. $5-$10 Dollar range.
Kyu and Dan Levels
==================
Basic Techniques of Go, Haruyama 7-Dan & Nagahara 6-Dan --- IP# G2
Strategic Concepts of Go, Nagahara 6-Dan --- IP# G6
The 1971 Honinbo Tournament, Iwamoto 9-Dan --- IP# G7
What's Your Rating?, Miyamoto 9-Dan --- IP# G18
The Breakthough to Shodan, Miyamoto 9-Dan --- IP# G19
Modern Joseki & Fuseki - Vol 1, Sakata Eio --- IP# G1
Modern Joseki & Fuseki - Vol 2, Sakata Eio --- IP# G3
Middle Game of Go, Sakata Eio --- IP# G5
If you can only by one book... make it "Basic Techniques". It covers almost
all the areas you need to study. I have been told that when one understands
the book cover to cover (s)he will be shodan. "Strategic Concepts of Go" goes
along with "Basic Techniques". Buy both, if possible.
"What's Your Rating?" is ok but... better to wait till you are 5 kyu.
Also wait on the last 4 books (IP# G1, G3, G5, & G19) until you are
7-5 kyu. Books in the $5-$10 dollar range.
Nihon Kiin Super books series
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Kage's Secret Chronicles of Handicap Go, Kageyama 7-Dan --- IP# G17
Appreciating Famous Games, Ohira 9-Dan --- IP# G25
Direction of Play, Kajiwara 9-Dan --- IP# G26
Kato's Attack and Kill, Kato 10-Dan --- IP# G27
Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go, Kageyama 7-Dan --- IP# G28
Enclosure Josekis, Masaki Takemiya 9-Dan --- IP# G24
"Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go" is a must. Very good. "Kage's Secret
Chronicles of Handicap Go" is fun. The dialog, Kage talks with other Dan
players give an insight into the pro go players mind. Try it. About $10-$15 each
Dan Level
=========
Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Ishida 9-Dan, in 3 vols.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Vol 1 - 3-4 Point Joseki --- IP# G21
Vol 2 - 3-4 Point and 5-3 Point Joseki --- IP# G22
Vol 3 - 5-4 Point Joseki --- IP# G23
Not for the novice player. To really be able to use these books, as a
reference, you need to be at least a good (3-1) kyu player.
By-Monthly magazine
===================
Go World
Keeps you informed of what is going on in Japan. Game records, puzzles,
goodies. Price tag about $5 each. Have your club get it.
A catalog of go books and equipment is available on request, free of
charge, from The Ishi Press, Inc. CPO Box 2126 Tokyo, Japan.
CHARLES E. TUTTLE Publishing Co.
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The Theory and Practice of Go
The Game of Go, Arther Smith
Both fair beginners info. Not the best books I have read but worth buying.
Other Publishers
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Beginners
=========
Go!, Takagawa --- The Sabaki Go Co. (publishing)
(a reprint of "How to Play Go" and "The Vital Points of Go)
How to Play Go, Takagawa --- The Sabaki Go Co. (publishing)
Both books are ok, but... by if you can't get anything else.
All Levels
==========
Invincible - The Games of Shusaku, Translated by J. Power --- Kiseido Pub.
!!! Great !!! Some of the best games of a master. But look out! It is
currently only in hardbound @ $50 per copy. Get your club to by one.
Bill Kanawyer
Dual Systems, Berkeley Ca.
{ucbvax,amd70,unisoft,zehntel}!dual!billkeesan@bbncca.ARPA (Morris Keesan) (01/14/84)
---------------------------
Missing from the list were the two GO books I have on the shelf over my desk:
GO for Beginners, by Kaoru Iwamoto, published by Pantheon. I found this
an excellent first book.
Steppingstones to GO, by Shigemi Kishikawa, published by Charles E. Tuttle.
Not as good as the Iwamoto, but I found it a useful companion, because of the
additional problems to work through.
--
Morris M. Keesan
{decvax,linus,wjh12}!bbncca!keesan
keesan @ BBN-UNIX.ARPAjones@fortune.UUCP (01/25/84)
#R:dual:-21700:fortune:38000002:000:1027 fortune!jones Jan 25 11:23:00 1984 I would highly recommend two more books, if you can find them. Are they still in print? NIHON KIIN: Go Proverbs Illustrated, Kensaku Segoe, translated by John Bauer, 1960, 9th Printing, 1972. I seem to be doomed to repeat a cycle wherein I read Go Proverbs and improve my game and then slowly forget them until my game reaches its natural level. Each proverb is clearly illustrated e.g. "Six will die, eight will live", "Play crosscut against the small knight", and "The most urgent play for my opponent is the most urgent play for me". ISHI Press: Go: International Handbook and Dictionary, Compiled and edited by John S. Tilley, 2nd Edition, Jan 1972. Invaluable. For those brave souls who are interested in writing a go-playing program, I would be willing to supply copies of the bibliography of Ken Friedenbach's dissertation "Abstraction Hierarchies: A Model of Perception and Cognition in the Game of Go",1980. Dan Jones Fortune Systems Corp. 300 Harbor Blvd. Belmont, CA, 94002 (415) 595-8444