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Help me choose between these books?
http://www.lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=11498		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  althus [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:10 am ]
Post subject:  Help me choose between these books?
So I've played a couple dozen games against the computer, and feel like I'm not a complete and utter beginner anymore. My games are at least recognizable as go games and don't look like I'm playing the wrong game on a go board. But I still have that sense of bewilderment that sets in at around move ten. As in, OMG what should I be trying to accomplish now. I feel like it's time for some books, maybe they will help. I've narrowed it down to:

Yilun Yang--Fundamental Principles of Go
Yuan Zhou--Understanding How to Play Go
Feng Yun--The Best Play
Neil Moffatt--Go by Example

Any suggestions on which of these is more helpful? Am open to getting any or all of them, but if there is duplication between them then I can discard one or more as possibilities.

Thanks!
Author:  oren [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
How about asking a person? You can hop on KGS Teaching Ladder and usually get some pointers in a more interactive way?

I only know Yilun Yang's book from your list, and I think it would be too advanced. His workshop lectures might be better.
Author:  Bill Spight [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
althus wrote:
So I've played a couple dozen games against the computer, and feel like I'm not a complete and utter beginner anymore. My games are at least recognizable as go games and don't look like I'm playing the wrong game on a go board. But I still have that sense of bewilderment that sets in at around move ten.


It sounds like you are playing on a full 19x19 board. May I suggest playing on smaller boards. Then you can be bewildered at move 7 or 9.

Just kidding! Well, maybe not. See this topic: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=11493 Everybody is bewildered, even experienced players ;)

Really, try playing on the 9x9. The games will be quicker and (maybe) less bewildering. Besides, you can learn a lot that you can use later on the full board. :)

Also, play with handicaps, which means that you play more than one stone on your first move as Black. Go programs that play at beginner level make very strange plays and are really bad for your development. Start with a program that can give you 9 stones on the 9x9 and move up from there.

Welcome to the wonderful -- and bewildering -- world of go! :)
Author:  skydyr [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 12:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
althus wrote:
So I've played a couple dozen games against the computer, and feel like I'm not a complete and utter beginner anymore. My games are at least recognizable as go games and don't look like I'm playing the wrong game on a go board. But I still have that sense of bewilderment that sets in at around move ten. As in, OMG what should I be trying to accomplish now. I feel like it's time for some books, maybe they will help. I've narrowed it down to:

Yilun Yang--Fundamental Principles of Go
Yuan Zhou--Understanding How to Play Go
Feng Yun--The Best Play
Neil Moffatt--Go by Example

Any suggestions on which of these is more helpful? Am open to getting any or all of them, but if there is duplication between them then I can discard one or more as possibilities.

Thanks!


I can't say I recommend Neil Moffatt's book. It has a number of simplifications and skips over things that really need to be talked about. As a beginning player, you may want to consider a beginner's series, like Janice Kim's Learn to Play Go series, or the Graded Go Problems for Beginners series. A lot of people seem to like a basic opening book, like Opening Theory Made Easy or In The Beginning as well. Charles Matthews' Shape Up! may also be a good choice, especially as it's recently been released under a CC license (read free). For the most part, though, it's probably better to just play until you are in the mid DDK range (maybe 15k?) or closer to 10k. Most people you speak to will be able to give you general pointers that should last you in good stead at that point.
Author:  Boidhre [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
The Janice Kim books are good from the start, the first book assumes you don't know how to play yet. No real harm in testing ideas from them like bamboo joints during your early games.
Author:  PeterHB [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 2:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
Of your list, Yilun Yang--Fundamental Principles of Go is the best choice.

If you haven't read them, Marcel Grünauer's picks are excellent, better than your choices.
Marcel Grünauer wrote:
In that light, I would like to recommend "Tesuji" by James Davies, or "Get Strong at Tesuji". Also "Graded Go Problems" volumes 1 to 4. If you want to read a book about the opening, I can recommend "Opening Theory Made Easy".
Author:  RobertJasiek [ Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
Answer in the appropriate forum:
viewtopic.php?p=182888#p182888
Author:  althus [ Sat Feb 21, 2015 7:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Help me choose between these books?
Thanks for all the advice! I will take it into account on deciding what to do next.
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