Life In 19x19

Quotation references:
http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... 66#p171966
http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/viewto ... 54#p171954

Aidoneus wrote:I am somewhere between 20-10 kyu.

The single most important book for you, if you have not read it yet, is First Fundamentals because it teaches exactly the mistakes made by players at your level. (You do not find that in any other single book.) Besides, if necessary, practice reading and possibly get some problem book for that suitable for your level, see the Graded Go Problems for Beginners series, maybe vol. 2 or 3.

All other books you should read only afterwards.

Along with Attack and Defense, this and Suji and Anti-suji of Go are the books I currently have at the top of my want list.

In particular, these books you better read when you are stronger.

Attack and Defense for general knowledge

If you want to read about fighting and want to do so for the sake of acquiring general knowledge, then of course you should read first a different book about fighting, a book that teaches much more general knowledge than Attack and Defense: Fighting Fundamentals. However, see above for when to read it: when you are already stronger and have read First Fundamentals. (Even better: read both books (when you are stronger).)

Tesuji (Davies) belongs to the must-read books as soon as you are stronger.

I read Attack and Defense when I was 20k or so, and although I didn't get "much" out of it, I could read it and get general knowledge. Re-reading it, gets more and more. Suji and anti-suji of go is definitely higher level, in the sense that it's hard to get a lot of it without a lot of reading and a lot of playing experience.

I have read Fighting Fundamentals, and I think it would be harder to follow as a 20-10k. I'd read it after Attack and Defense, since they can complement very well.

I think at your level the best you could pick is tsumego books. The classic Graded Go Problems for Beginners 1-3 (3 for SDK, 4, leave it definitely until strong SDK.) Tesuji (the book.) Tsumego, the book. 1001 L&D problems.

In 3 words, tsumego, tsumego, tsumego.

If I had followed this advice when I was 20-15k up to getting SDK instead of reading more theoretical books, I'd probably be at least one stone better, likely many more.

RBerenguel wrote:In 3 words, tsumego, tsumego, tsumego.

Study DDK games and you will find that tsumego / LD / reading mistakes are only part of the players' mistakes. Therefore, your advice is too one-sided.

I updated my other post to include what I already own:

"I suppose that I should have first stated what I already have. I have the sgfs for Graded Go Problems vol. 1 (it came with SmartGo) and the book Weiqi Life and Death 1,000 Problems. I also have Matthews' Shape Up! and On Your Side, both dvds of Bruce Wilcox's Go Dojo, problems from goproblems.com (a good $10 investment!), and access to Cho Chikun's L&D encyclopedia, as well as various sgf problems included with other Go programs (Many Faces of Go, XuanXuanGo, LifeandDeath, etc.). Of course, I need to spend more time with what I already own. "

Thank you both for your input. I will keep your suggestions in mind before making my next purchases.

Considerung the many problems in your possessed books, you need not buy more problems books if you find sufficiently easy problems AND ANSWERS in your books. Do not solve all the problems in your books now. You do not need that many as DDK.

Shape Up! does not hurt at your level, but it is more advanced than First Fundamentals, so you can also postpone Shape Up! a bit, if you like.

"On Your Side" I do not know.

Charles Matthews – “On Your Side” (Article Series)

Cordially, Tom