Weiqi Life and Death 1000 Problems ( 围棋死活 1000 題 )

[Jonas]

I borrowed this book from a friend. I think the content is very very great, but I'd like to know what the level of this book is. Personally I find the 1-star problems easy, two-star hard and three-star nearlly unsolvable

Has anybody some experiences or knows the level of the problems? Here is the senseis-link:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?WeiqiLifeAndDeath1000Problems

[LR24]

I was interested and googled for the book - and see what I found there:
http://www.godiscussions.com/forum/show ... php?t=9843

Seems like it's around 1D-level (3k-3d).

[Dante31]

I have that book. The content is indeed very good, and a lot of it. The only problem, as you have noted, is that the problems vary in level greatly through out the book. The level is about 5k to Mid Dan.

[Hushfield]

Does anyone know where I could buy this book online? I have checked but Yellow Mountain Imports doesn't seem to be selling it any more.

[Oroth]

I have this book - though have not had much opportunity to read it (like a lot of the books in my expanding go library...) I purchased it off ebay from goplayer2006 - he has a copy in stock at the moment.

[kokomi]

this book is for players around chinese 5kyu.

[Dante31]

The 3 star problems don't seem like they are for 5k, even if they are Chinese 5k.

[John Fairbairn]

this book is for players around chinese 5kyu.

This may sound authoritative but to me it's just another example of the western obsession to stick numbers on everything, and has nothing to do with the book.

So far as I can recall, the book makes no mention at all of grades, nor is that an oversight. The book is, in fact, aimed at children and the problems are seen as a kind of training regime. In the same way that even a star athlete will jog and do simple warm-ups, alternating with a few more strenuous bursts, so go players also have to warm up.

Again from what I recall, it doesn't even try to test solving ability. The problems are not set as mind-stretching puzzles, but as warm-up dumbbells. The theme is (a) you must first have the motivation to train, (b) you must train by constant repetition, and (c) you must play many, many games.

[kokomi]

this book is for players around chinese 5kyu.

This may sound authoritative but to me it's just another example of the western obsession to stick numbers on everything, and has nothing to do with the book.

So far as I can recall, the book makes no mention at all of grades, nor is that an oversight. The book is, in fact, aimed at children and the problems are seen as a kind of training regime. In the same way that even a star athlete will jog and do simple warm-ups, alternating with a few more strenuous bursts, so go players also have to warm up.

Again from what I recall, it doesn't even try to test solving ability. The problems are not set as mind-stretching puzzles, but as warm-up dumbbells. The theme is (a) you must first have the motivation to train, (b) you must train by constant repetition, and (c) you must play many, many games.

I'm just providing some information i had about the book, nothing authoritative.

[Tamara]

Yellow Mountain Imports is currently selling this book for $19.99

https://www.ymimports.com/p-1038-weiqi- ... blems.aspx

[cdybeijing]

It's a great book; I've just started working through it recently.

I thought I'd share with you all that I picked up my copy for RMB 30, about 5 dollars

[GoCat]

... I thought I'd share with you all that I picked up my copy for RMB 30, about 5 dollars

Maybe you could act as an exporter for the L19 gang, at least within a given area... Start a thread with some books you think are worth owning; see how many people would buy in; get a paypal account to accept payments; and do a single shipment to someone in the U.S. (I'd volunteer.) The person in the U.S. would have to take the time to ship to all the individual buyers -- not sure how payment for that part would work. Could have someone for Europe, too? Then we all get a good price as a group purchase!

Someone (was it Velobici?) did this a time or two in GD with amazon.jp (if I recall properly.)

Well... just a thought that occurred to me from your post.

[SoDesuNe]

Love the thought! : )

[LovroKlc]

The book is very nice. In the begginging problems are quite easy, but after solving some(I think I am around 250 now) they get harder. At least for wbaduk 3d

[VincentL80]

I have a book from the same author, Wang Zhipeng (a version with only the 500 life and death problems). I'm KGS 2K, and the 1 star are easy, 2 stars relatively easy but I have to read for most of them, the 3 stars are pretty hard but I can still solve most them and the 4 stars are really very very hard, I tried a few problems but I gave up and could only solve one...

Compared to Graded Go Problems for Dan Players volume 1 (5 Kyu to 3 Dan), I would say that Wang's 2 stars problems are easier but 3 stars are definitively harder. I think the 3 stars problems are about the same difficulty as the Graded Go Problem for Dan Players volume 4 (4 Dan to 7 Dan), at least compared to the 6 dan problems, the 7 dan problems are even harder.

I think the 4 stars problems from Wang's book are harder than the 7 Dan problems. I read that some Chinese pro failed to solve at least one of the 4 stars problem (the hardest of the symmetrical problem), so you really have to be a strong Dan Amateur Player to solve them...

I think all those books are great but there are big difference in the difficulty level. You might be able to solve relatively easily all the 1-2 stars problems but still you'll have a hard time with the 3 stars and even if you could solve the 3 stars you wouldn't be able to solve the 4 stars. Something like 2 and a half star or 3 and a half star would be needed to make the transition.