Go for Beginners

Since learning the essentials of Go in 1978, I've read two exceptional books for beginners: this one by Iwamoto, and "Go: A Guide to the Game" by D.B. Pritchard (an out-of-print book published by Stackpole Books in 1973). Both books give the neophyte a glimpse into the game's unmatched strategic and tactical subtlety - far greater than that of chess - and its storied past, and both build a solid foundation for developing true mastery. Iwamoto's scheme of organization is excellent, and the sequencing of the basic elements is very logical. I needed several readings in order to digest all the densely packed concepts and examples, but I persisted, reminding myself that it would be unrealistic to expect easy and early prowess in such a deceptively simple "children's" game. I would recommend that a would-be Go player read this book while playing (i.e., freely experimenting and improvising) with computer Go - David Fotland's "The Many Faces of Go" is an outstanding and user-friendly software package.

I am only a beginning Go player, but I have ransacked the bookstore shelves for a solid introduction to the game, and this work is by far the best. Part I provides an amazingly clear explanation of the rules. Part II explains the basic strategy and tactics necessary to play an opponent and understand what you are doing. The only serious alternative, Janice Kim's series of volumes, moves at a snail's pace ideal for people unused to playing other strategy games (for example, chess). Although Kaoru Iwamoto wrote this book in the 1970's, it has the look and feel of a work written in the 1990's. You will be captivated and inspired to pursue the game further. Incidentally, beginners in search of Go opponents should take advantage of the free real-time services on the Internet. You can watch games between world-class players or challenge any of hundreds of ranked opponents. Along with buying this book, I recommend visiting IGS Panda Net, registering yourself, and downloading gGo and GNU Go.

At present, there are numerous introductory go books available in the english language. Older titles occasionally go out of print, so it is sometimes necessary to create new ones to accomodate the next generation of players. Fortunately, Iwamoto's classic book has been continually available since its publication in the early 1970's. It follows an older style of writing and presentation characterized by concise exposition and the abundant use of Japanese terminology. The author seems to be writing primarily for a mature audience with a sincere interest in learning the basic rules of the game. Therefore, it may be unsuited to younger readers accustomed to the more contemporary manuals written in a casual and conversational style. 'Go For Beginners' was one of the first books about Go written in the english language and it still remains one of the finest. I give it the highest recommendation.

This 1972 book by Kauro Iwamoto is the single easiest and best book for learning the game of Go. The subjects cover all that is needed for the beginner to this game to learn and quickly grasp the fundamentals of the game. Includes a demonstration game on a 9X9 board as well as 2 of Kauro's own games,from 1949 vs Kitani and from 1926 against Honinbo Shusai. I have learned more about Go from this book than any other.

This classic text is a wonderful introduction to the game. I especially enjoy the problems sprinkled throughout the book. They make for great subway/bathroom diversion, while building intuition for the game.