Review of "Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go"
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 1:12 am
by moyoaji
So there is this book called Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go by Kageyama Toshiro 7-dan. Not sure if any of you guys have heard of it, but I thought it was pretty good so I figured I should review it. (Seriously, I don't get how no one else has made a review of this book here...)
The book was originally translated into English in 1979 and was published by the Nihon Ki-in as "Amateur and Pro" because the focus of the book is on what separates professional play and amateur play. Kageyama says "What changed me from an amateur into a professional was getting a really firm grip on the fundamentals." So either name seems appropriate when describing this book.
I have difficulty separating my review of this book from my experience of reading it, because it was an experience, so I will give both. If you want a complete picture of my opinions on this book, read both. If you just want to know what it is about and if you should buy it then just read the review.
My Review:
My Experience:
TL;DR - This book is fantastic, enjoyable, and all-around a great read. It covers everything fundamental to the game from ladders to joseki to end-game. If you are at least SDK you should read this book.
The book was originally translated into English in 1979 and was published by the Nihon Ki-in as "Amateur and Pro" because the focus of the book is on what separates professional play and amateur play. Kageyama says "What changed me from an amateur into a professional was getting a really firm grip on the fundamentals." So either name seems appropriate when describing this book.
I have difficulty separating my review of this book from my experience of reading it, because it was an experience, so I will give both. If you want a complete picture of my opinions on this book, read both. If you just want to know what it is about and if you should buy it then just read the review.
My Review:
Style and Format
My favorite thing about this book is the style. It talks directly to the reader as if the reader were questioning what they were being taught. And this is great because the information can sometimes seem so simple that you do find yourself questioning it.
I would say about 75% of this book is just focusing on its diagrams and examples. The diagrams are well done and the book uses them effectively. I was almost always able to simply read the book and didn't get out a board to look at a position unless I wanted to study it more in depth. Around 5% is an overview of topics without diagrams - such as talking about what a "proper move" is - but it will always quickly get back to examples. I learn well from this kind of teaching - quick discussion and then examples of how it applies - so this book was great for me. And the other 20% is exposition, stories about Kageyama's experiences as a professional and teacher, and general thoughts on go and life. I really enjoy these parts because it is nice to not only take a break from study but to see what it is like to be a pro and how this has impacted Kageyama's life and view of go.
Content
The first chapter of the book discusses ladders and nets. I will admit, I was skeptical. The first day I was taught go I was shown how a ladder works. Yet I am finding more and more that reading ladders is absolutely essential to playing go well. And the same is true for nets. If the net doesn't actually work then it is going to just make your position crumble, so being able to read nets is also essential for effective play.
The second chapter is about cutting and connecting. Again, so simple... but so absolutely important. If you don't know the the significance of cutting and connecting stones you have no business sitting at a go board. You should play checkers or something because go will only frustrate you. Here is the World Draughts Forum, the people there seem nice enough.
And the book goes on like this. It presents a simple topic and shows you the fundamentals. Topics like life and death, joseki, proper moves, tesuji, and, finally, end-game. It discusses none of these in amazing depth with the exception of the tesuji chapter. (That one covers 6 different types of tesuji giving multiple examples over the course of 50 pages.) But it does cover each to a point that it gives you a grasp of the fundamentals. I believe the length of the tesuji chapter is directly related to how much you need to know about tesujis to handle them in your own games.
And really that is what makes this book so great. Nothing in here is theoretical. Every single problem and topic is directly related to something that will come up at least every other game if not every single game. It is practical.
There are also two sections where the book pauses for Kageyama to discuss his own experiences as a pro. The first is an interlude where he talks about his experience teaching go on TV in Japan. The second is the last chapter where he gives a commentary on his win over the then current Meijin, Kaiho Rin, in the semi-final of the Prime Minister's Cup. Both are very enjoyable and reasonably informative. I found his musings on teaching to be a nice break from the sometimes difficult content and it is always amazing to read a professional's commentary on their own game to see what they are thinking about.
Overall Impressions
I have no complaints about this book. I find its pacing and structure to be excellent. The content is practical and just challenging enough to be interesting while never going far over the head of someone who has experience with go. The style is fantastic and drives home the necessity of humility when examining ones play. How ever can you grow as a player if you aren't willing to admit that you are making mistakes? I don't see how you can grow if you say things like: "I don't want to be bothered to read!" or "Studying ladders and end-game is beneath me!"
The stories are entertaining. The diagrams are easy to read. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like.
I am going to re-read this book. I'll give it a week or two to sit with me, but then I'm going to go right back into it. I want to learn these things. I want this book to stick with me.
Who should read it?
I want to say "every go player" but that's not really fair. I think the target audience is SDK amateurs and it is a good target audience.
If you at least 10k and willing to learn I think you can get a lot out of this book. If you are a really determined 15k I think you can also get plenty from this book. Lower than 15k might be hard because some of the problems are difficult and require reading out 10+ moves. It will require the patience and humility to actually struggle through. I had to fight to solve some of these problems as a single digit kyu player. So perhaps first looking at other books like the Elementary Go Series would be better for players below about 12k and then picking this book up when you reach SDK.
Dan players may not find everything useful, but I also would be surprised if any but the strongest players got nothing out of this book. The author uses examples from amateur dan games to demonstrate how amateurs miss important moves because they don't stick to the fundamentals. If you are a dan player that has never read this book I think it would be safe for me to still recommend it. Clossius on YouTube, currently a KGS 4 dan, said that this book is one he was able to come back to again and again.
A good attitude is important for this book. You need to be willing to look critically at your own play. But if you go into this book with the understanding that none of the content is beneath you then I can't imagine you won't get stronger.
My favorite thing about this book is the style. It talks directly to the reader as if the reader were questioning what they were being taught. And this is great because the information can sometimes seem so simple that you do find yourself questioning it.
I would say about 75% of this book is just focusing on its diagrams and examples. The diagrams are well done and the book uses them effectively. I was almost always able to simply read the book and didn't get out a board to look at a position unless I wanted to study it more in depth. Around 5% is an overview of topics without diagrams - such as talking about what a "proper move" is - but it will always quickly get back to examples. I learn well from this kind of teaching - quick discussion and then examples of how it applies - so this book was great for me. And the other 20% is exposition, stories about Kageyama's experiences as a professional and teacher, and general thoughts on go and life. I really enjoy these parts because it is nice to not only take a break from study but to see what it is like to be a pro and how this has impacted Kageyama's life and view of go.
Content
The first chapter of the book discusses ladders and nets. I will admit, I was skeptical. The first day I was taught go I was shown how a ladder works. Yet I am finding more and more that reading ladders is absolutely essential to playing go well. And the same is true for nets. If the net doesn't actually work then it is going to just make your position crumble, so being able to read nets is also essential for effective play.
The second chapter is about cutting and connecting. Again, so simple... but so absolutely important. If you don't know the the significance of cutting and connecting stones you have no business sitting at a go board. You should play checkers or something because go will only frustrate you. Here is the World Draughts Forum, the people there seem nice enough.
And the book goes on like this. It presents a simple topic and shows you the fundamentals. Topics like life and death, joseki, proper moves, tesuji, and, finally, end-game. It discusses none of these in amazing depth with the exception of the tesuji chapter. (That one covers 6 different types of tesuji giving multiple examples over the course of 50 pages.) But it does cover each to a point that it gives you a grasp of the fundamentals. I believe the length of the tesuji chapter is directly related to how much you need to know about tesujis to handle them in your own games.
And really that is what makes this book so great. Nothing in here is theoretical. Every single problem and topic is directly related to something that will come up at least every other game if not every single game. It is practical.
There are also two sections where the book pauses for Kageyama to discuss his own experiences as a pro. The first is an interlude where he talks about his experience teaching go on TV in Japan. The second is the last chapter where he gives a commentary on his win over the then current Meijin, Kaiho Rin, in the semi-final of the Prime Minister's Cup. Both are very enjoyable and reasonably informative. I found his musings on teaching to be a nice break from the sometimes difficult content and it is always amazing to read a professional's commentary on their own game to see what they are thinking about.
Overall Impressions
I have no complaints about this book. I find its pacing and structure to be excellent. The content is practical and just challenging enough to be interesting while never going far over the head of someone who has experience with go. The style is fantastic and drives home the necessity of humility when examining ones play. How ever can you grow as a player if you aren't willing to admit that you are making mistakes? I don't see how you can grow if you say things like: "I don't want to be bothered to read!" or "Studying ladders and end-game is beneath me!"
The stories are entertaining. The diagrams are easy to read. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like.
I am going to re-read this book. I'll give it a week or two to sit with me, but then I'm going to go right back into it. I want to learn these things. I want this book to stick with me.
Who should read it?
I want to say "every go player" but that's not really fair. I think the target audience is SDK amateurs and it is a good target audience.
If you at least 10k and willing to learn I think you can get a lot out of this book. If you are a really determined 15k I think you can also get plenty from this book. Lower than 15k might be hard because some of the problems are difficult and require reading out 10+ moves. It will require the patience and humility to actually struggle through. I had to fight to solve some of these problems as a single digit kyu player. So perhaps first looking at other books like the Elementary Go Series would be better for players below about 12k and then picking this book up when you reach SDK.
Dan players may not find everything useful, but I also would be surprised if any but the strongest players got nothing out of this book. The author uses examples from amateur dan games to demonstrate how amateurs miss important moves because they don't stick to the fundamentals. If you are a dan player that has never read this book I think it would be safe for me to still recommend it. Clossius on YouTube, currently a KGS 4 dan, said that this book is one he was able to come back to again and again.
A good attitude is important for this book. You need to be willing to look critically at your own play. But if you go into this book with the understanding that none of the content is beneath you then I can't imagine you won't get stronger.
My Experience:
I read this book over the course of the summer and all through the fall. Slowly and methodically. It arrived in late May. I started reading it in mid June. I took a hiatus to read The Second Book of Go after the first chapter. Then I came back to it in late July and read one chapter every week or two. I also studied Tesuji on and off in that time. Today I finished the last chapter.
I am glad I slowly drank in this book. I think it's a bit like a milkshake - rich and wonderful, but if you drink it too fast you get a headache.
My reason for taking a hiatus has everything to do with the end of the first chapter. Kageyama writes:
"The reason so many people never master this elementary skill [of nets and ladders] is that they keep ignoring it as being beneath them. They are the people who cannot be bothered to 'read'; who try to capture the uncapturable group because it just looks as if it can be done or because they can muddle through somehow, and so they rush headlong into disaster. They are also the people who, when they face a slightly stronger opponent, do not try to capture the capturable group because with their fuzzy reading they are afraid of messing it up; who innocently add unnecessary stones to their own already alive groups; who take fright without cause; who tremble when they sit down at the go board; who play through the whole game with a sullen expression; who lose every fight; who eventually come to hate go. Sorry wretches, through choice they have abandoned the most interesting and enjoyable of all games."
I had this type of moment when I started reading The Second Book of Go. I stopped because the information seemed beneath me - too easy, not worth my time. But I read this rant and it gave me pause. How could I keep reading Lessons? I mean, yeah, I could have, but what would be the point? If I was going to actually try to learn from this book, written by someone with more years of professional experience than I have life, then don't I actually have to listen to what he is writing?
And I'm so glad I did listen. The capturing race section of The Second Book of Go was more than worth it and has greatly improved my gameplay in that area. Kageyama was right; if I want to learn go, I shouldn't see anything as beneath me. This only inspired me to listen carefully to everything else in the book.
As I read each chapter I would begin to find mistakes in my own play. Areas where I was over-complicating things and not sticking to the basic fundamentals of the game. And as I corrected these mistakes I saw my play getting more and more solid with each game. When I was stumped I would stop and say "What move just sticks to the fundamentals?" I once did this for a whole game against a friend of mine and I won handily. I never even tried to find a "clever" move, I just played to keep my stones connected and alive and to cut his stones apart when he gave me the chance.
I truly believe it was this change - a desire to adhere to the principles outlined in this book - that allowed me to rise from 7k to 4k.
I took the lessons of this book to heart. I think I understand what Kageyama is trying to get at in writing this and I am so glad that he took the time to compile this book. It's like a guide to learning how to learn go - it teaches you what you need to know in order to be an effective student of the game. He passed away one year before I was even born, but his book spook to me. It reached me from 35 years ago and has changed the way I look at go. The way I think about go. And the way I think about my playing ability.
Yes, the book taught me practical game skills. I could say I got my money's worth just from the information on ladders and using influence. But it also taught me humility. I do have a lot to learn. Even when I reach dan level (and I do believe I will reach the dan level) I am not going to get a big head and think "I'm a great player now." But it also gave me self-esteem, because it showed how no-one is perfect. Even Meijins make mistakes. And whenever you get stuck, the most important thing you need is a grasp of the fundamentals. I want these things to stick with me beyond the go board - to remember both humility and self-worth.
There is a reason I added a signature to my profile and I don't think I'm going to be changing it anytime soon (unless I change it to a different quote by Kageyama).
I look forward to my second reading of this book. And possibly third and forth readings. I look forward to coming back to it in 5 years. In 10 years. And re-learning all of these valuable lessons that can be found in the fundamentals of go.
I am glad I slowly drank in this book. I think it's a bit like a milkshake - rich and wonderful, but if you drink it too fast you get a headache.
My reason for taking a hiatus has everything to do with the end of the first chapter. Kageyama writes:
"The reason so many people never master this elementary skill [of nets and ladders] is that they keep ignoring it as being beneath them. They are the people who cannot be bothered to 'read'; who try to capture the uncapturable group because it just looks as if it can be done or because they can muddle through somehow, and so they rush headlong into disaster. They are also the people who, when they face a slightly stronger opponent, do not try to capture the capturable group because with their fuzzy reading they are afraid of messing it up; who innocently add unnecessary stones to their own already alive groups; who take fright without cause; who tremble when they sit down at the go board; who play through the whole game with a sullen expression; who lose every fight; who eventually come to hate go. Sorry wretches, through choice they have abandoned the most interesting and enjoyable of all games."
I had this type of moment when I started reading The Second Book of Go. I stopped because the information seemed beneath me - too easy, not worth my time. But I read this rant and it gave me pause. How could I keep reading Lessons? I mean, yeah, I could have, but what would be the point? If I was going to actually try to learn from this book, written by someone with more years of professional experience than I have life, then don't I actually have to listen to what he is writing?
And I'm so glad I did listen. The capturing race section of The Second Book of Go was more than worth it and has greatly improved my gameplay in that area. Kageyama was right; if I want to learn go, I shouldn't see anything as beneath me. This only inspired me to listen carefully to everything else in the book.
As I read each chapter I would begin to find mistakes in my own play. Areas where I was over-complicating things and not sticking to the basic fundamentals of the game. And as I corrected these mistakes I saw my play getting more and more solid with each game. When I was stumped I would stop and say "What move just sticks to the fundamentals?" I once did this for a whole game against a friend of mine and I won handily. I never even tried to find a "clever" move, I just played to keep my stones connected and alive and to cut his stones apart when he gave me the chance.
I truly believe it was this change - a desire to adhere to the principles outlined in this book - that allowed me to rise from 7k to 4k.
I took the lessons of this book to heart. I think I understand what Kageyama is trying to get at in writing this and I am so glad that he took the time to compile this book. It's like a guide to learning how to learn go - it teaches you what you need to know in order to be an effective student of the game. He passed away one year before I was even born, but his book spook to me. It reached me from 35 years ago and has changed the way I look at go. The way I think about go. And the way I think about my playing ability.
Yes, the book taught me practical game skills. I could say I got my money's worth just from the information on ladders and using influence. But it also taught me humility. I do have a lot to learn. Even when I reach dan level (and I do believe I will reach the dan level) I am not going to get a big head and think "I'm a great player now." But it also gave me self-esteem, because it showed how no-one is perfect. Even Meijins make mistakes. And whenever you get stuck, the most important thing you need is a grasp of the fundamentals. I want these things to stick with me beyond the go board - to remember both humility and self-worth.
There is a reason I added a signature to my profile and I don't think I'm going to be changing it anytime soon (unless I change it to a different quote by Kageyama).
I look forward to my second reading of this book. And possibly third and forth readings. I look forward to coming back to it in 5 years. In 10 years. And re-learning all of these valuable lessons that can be found in the fundamentals of go.
TL;DR - This book is fantastic, enjoyable, and all-around a great read. It covers everything fundamental to the game from ladders to joseki to end-game. If you are at least SDK you should read this book.
Where something less challenging might also hold less real value/appeal. The groovy thing about this game is that awesome fun can be had whereever we find ourselves in the ranks. Beautiful, interesting positions can be created on the board from DDK on up and the brew we draw from our bowls though part of something bigger then us individually is also uniquely our own.