Life In 19x19
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Master Play series
http://www.lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1057		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  GoCat [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 4:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Master Play series
What does anyone think of this series of book by Yuan Zhou? I just read through the one about Lee Changho, and really enjoyed it. I'm considering getting others (there are five, I think).

The books are small, and have pretty deep commentary on just a couple games. I liked that. Sort of like Fairbairn's books like Kamakura. Actually, not quite as much commentary. Anyway, I thought it was very accessible for me, at least.
Author:  dfan [ Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
I have not read Yuan Zhou's books on pros, but his two collections of his own games are excellent. I feel like I get more out of them than I do from commented pro games.

How Not To Play Go has good content but is disappointingly short, I think only 30 pages or so.
Author:  kirkmc [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
Definitely among my favorite go books. In fact, this thread reminds me that I should go re-read them all.
Author:  topazg [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
I only have his Go Seigen one, but I thoroughly enjoyed that one.
Author:  entropi [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 4:39 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
I went over three of them: Lee Changho, Takemiya Masaki and Go Seigen. All three the same format and very enjoyable. I know there are (at least) two more, Kato Masao fighting style and Kitani Minoru-Cho Chikun territorial styles. I will definitely buy and read them when I have time.
Author:  k1ndofblue [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 1:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
I have read the Lee Chang Ho book a couple of times and really enjoyed it. I wish it had more then 2 games though.
Author:  Hushfield [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
Mmm, my attention has been aroused. I shall obtain some copies of these books.
Author:  Chew Terr [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 2:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
How big are these books? They sound really interesting, but I was curious how much content you get for the price.
Author:  Bartleby [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 3:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
Chew Terr wrote:
How big are these books? They sound really interesting, but I was curious how much content you get for the price.


Lee Chang Ho: two games, 71 pages

Go Seigen: two games, 83 pages

Kitana Minoro
& Cho Chikun: two games each, 106 pages

Kato Maso &
Seo Bong Soo: two games each, 113 pages

Takemiya Masaki: two games, plus brief appendix of example positions, 72 pages

Not a lot of bang for your buck but the annotations are really good.
Author:  dfan [ Thu Jul 08, 2010 6:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
This makes me wish he had doubled up the volumes and made 200 page books, each with 2 games from 2 pros, for like 1.5 times the price of these individual books.
Author:  kirkmc [ Fri Jul 09, 2010 12:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
dfan wrote:
This makes me wish he had doubled up the volumes and made 200 page books, each with 2 games from 2 pros, for like 1.5 times the price of these individual books.


Well, they have been getting bigger. Maybe they'll keep getting bigger now that the series seems to be popular.
Author:  xyzer [ Sat Jul 24, 2010 2:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
Slate & Shell will bring out a Master Play book by Zhou this Fall containing seven famous pros--two games each, well over 200 pages. Price should be no more than $20.00.
Author:  GoCat [ Sat Jul 24, 2010 4:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
xyzer wrote:
Slate & Shell will bring out a Master Play book by Zhou this Fall containing seven famous pros--two games each, well over 200 pages. Price should be no more than $20.00.

Cool! Do you know if these are all new, or are some of them repeats from the Master Play books already out?
Author:  kirkmc [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 1:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
xyzer wrote:
Slate & Shell will bring out a Master Play book by Zhou this Fall containing seven famous pros--two games each, well over 200 pages. Price should be no more than $20.00.


14 games in 200 pages? That's quite the opposite of the rest of these books, where the commentaries are long and detailed. I'm not sure this new approach will be as interesting.
Author:  Harleqin [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
It might contain only 7 games. :)
Author:  kirkmc [ Sun Jul 25, 2010 4:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
Harleqin wrote:
It might contain only 7 games. :)


Still, the commentaries would be much shorter than those of the other books in the series.
Author:  entropi [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
Harleqin wrote:
It might contain only 7 games. :)


With two games each, it is easy. You build a ring structure and everyone plays twice anyway. Thus the minimum number of games is equal to the number of players. But how can you generalize it?

For example 3 pros, 5 games each needs minimum 8 games if I am not mistaken (and you need to involve an additional pro apart from those 3).

M pros, N games each. What is the minimum number of games?
Author:  ethanb [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 5:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
He did say "well over" 200 pages - probably that means somewhere around 250. Not too far out of line with the commentary lengths in the previous volumes.
Author:  Li Kao [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
entropi wrote:
M pros, N games each. What is the minimum number of games?

RoundUp(M*N/2) would be my first guess.
Author:  xyzer [ Mon Jul 26, 2010 12:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Master Play series
The new Master Play volume will contain seven new players and the commentaries are the same as in the other volumes in the series. There are fourteen games.
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