I began to learn to play Go several years ago but life got complicated and I stopped playing/studying before I got very far. I read about the Internet Go School and it seemed like the Spaced Repetition System would be helpful given that my memory is not what it once was. Sometimes when I read through this forum it sounds like Go is a young persons game but since I wouldn’t be in a hurry to make progress but would be satisfied with slow progress I’m looking for the best way to study in the new year.

So is the internet go School good for someone who doesnt know much more than the rules?

I haven’t gone through them, but there seem to be a decent number of lectures for beginners.

I am a big fan of the Internet Go School (I just looked it up and I have over 3000 problems active in the spaced repetition system), but I think it picks up a little after complete beginner, say 15k. They are explicitly now trying to make more lectures and problems for newcomers; for example, in the last month Guo Juan has added 10 short lectures on the very basics of capturing stones, which really do start from the absolute beginning.

So if you do dive right in (with the Basic Course lectures), some things might feel a little over your head at first, but on the other hand you'd be learning The Right Way and would be exposed to good examples to imitate right from the start. So if you're not afraid of that you might give it a try right away. I do think that if you're getting good instruction from the start instead of floundering your way to 10k it makes a big difference.

If not, I think that even just going through Graded Go Problems For Beginners Volume 1 would probably provide enough basics to be able to watch the early Basic Course lectures effectively. And if you played a bit a while ago, even a little, you may already be at that level.

Internet Go School is great. The material might be slightly sparse for an early beginner in that it will take some time before you start to understand why the moves shown are good and you'll have to take many things on faith until you get more experience, but go for it if you're interested.

An important thing to make the spaced repetition system actually work is consistency - e.g. 15 problems every day, or 25 problems a day without fail. And never letting the problems pile up - e.g. only add new material gradually and only when you've worked your existing review down to zero. Like building any new habit or practice, aim lower than you think can handle, so that you have a target that you really can commit to doing 100% daily without fail for at least a couple months. And all the standard advice when building a new habit applies - for example if you do miss a day make sure you make it up, and never miss two days in a row no matter what.

If you're an absolute beginner that really is no further than the level of of just-learned-or-just-remembered-the-rules, I would also recommend starting with Graded Go Problems for Beginners first. Perhaps the following progression:

* Graded Go Problems for Beginners volume 1
* See how far you can get through graded Go Problems for Beginners volume 2
* Then start the "Basics" course in Internet Go school.

(And throughout, probably spend at least an equal amount of time playing real games as studying, as many unexpected things can come up when you try to put things into practice!).

But mostly, take it easy and have fun!

The first time I took a stab at learning Go I bought the GoBooks app editions of Graded Go Problems for Beginners Book 1 as well as the first 2 volumes of Janice Kim’s Learn to Play Go. I know I didn’t finish the 2nd volume. I suppose I can start with the tools I have plus add the second problem book, and see if I’m still enthusiastic about learning Go after I make my way through them.

And then of course there is the issue of playing games. First time around I never dealt with anything larger than a 9x9 board even playing against a computer.

Hey Jrs22,

I've found a lot of use out of the Internet Go School but I started using it when I was already quite strong. However, it has helped me shore up fundamentals that I did know I was lacking. E.g. revolutionized how I thought about eyes at 4k. The advice that was given to me was two-fold. First, progress through the lectures slowly. You can have as many problems in the review as you care to do each day, but try only adding a new lecture when you have 0 new problems and less than 10 learning problems in your problem docket. Additionally, only mark a problem correct if you also remember why that is the correct move, not just because you recognize the problem. Second, Guo Juan recommends playing 10 games between each lecture to apply what you learned. Use your best judgment here, but if the lecture material was novel or difficult for you applying it in games is a great way to solidify it.

As a beginner, you should probably sort lectures by level and watch most/all of the lectures at a level before moving on.