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Go! More Than a Game
Master the fascinating game of Go with this expert guidebook.Go is a two-player board game that first originated in ancient China but is also very popular in Japan and Korea. There is significant strategy and philosophy involved in the game, and the number of possible games is vast--even when compared to chess. Go has enthralled hundreds of millions of people in Asia, where it is an integral part of the culture. In the West, many have learned of its pleasures, especially after the game appeared in a number of hit movies, TV series, and books, and was included on major Internet game sites. By eliciting the highest powers of rational thought, the game draws players, not just for the thrills of competition, but because they feel it enhances their mental, artistic, and even spiritual lives.Go! More Than a Game is the guidebook that uses the most modern methods of teaching to learn Go, so that, in a few minutes, anyone can understand the two basic rules that generate the game. The object of Go is surrounding territory, but the problem is that while you are doing this, the opponent may be surrounding you! In a series of exciting teaching games, you will watch as Go's beautiful complexities begin to unfold in intertwining patterns of black and white stones. These games progress from small 9x9 boards to 13x13 and then to the traditional 19x19 size.Go! More Than a Game has been completely revised by the author based on new data about the history of early Go and the Confucians who wrote about it. This popular book includes updated information such as the impact of computer versions on the game, the mysterious new developments of Go combinatorics, advances in Combinatorial Game Theory and a look at the current international professional playing scene.
447 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 13, 2017
This is not just an introduction to go, though the first half of the book explains the rules and takes the beginner from 9x9 games that introduce basic concepts (a nice teaching method that is probably less overwhelming to new players than jumping right into strategy on a full-sized board) to 13x13 games, and finally to 19x19 games. There are complete examples of each, and Shotwell covers a lot of basic and intermediate theory. I did not find it enhanced my game much at my current level, but he did explain a lot of things well. Also, he makes 9x9 games look much more interesting, and covers some topics most introductory books don't talk much about, like handicap go and ranking.
As a beginning go book, I'd give Go! More Than a Game a high recommendation. It's lengthier than Cho Chikun's and Kaoru Iwamoto's books, and so presents a more gradual learning curve, though Shotwell, while obviously a very good player, is not at Chikun or Iwamoto's level.
What makes this book a little different from most introductory go books is that, as implied by the title, it's not just about the game and the rules. This is the first book I've read that includes a complete, comprehensive history of go, from its Chinese and Tibetan origins (and the Tibetan variant still played today) to its flourishing in Japan, and its renaissance in Japan and Korea at the end of the 20th century. Shotwell covers all the major figures in go history, past and contemporary. He also mentions just about every work of fiction with a go connection, from The Master of Go to Shibumi to Pi and A Beautiful Mind. He even talks about the Hikaru no Go phenomenon.
There is a brief but interesting chapter on computer go which is still mostly up to date, as computer go hasn't changed that much since 2003 — computers have gotten better and faster, but they still can't compete with good human players. Shotwell did his homework and covered some algorithms and computer science theory, making this of particular interest to me.
There's also a lot of stuff about Taoism, which seems to be a particular interest of the author's. He connects the "Dark School of Taoism" to the strategies of go. I was particularly interested to read about the conflict between Confucianism and Taoism, going back to early Chinese history and with implications for go even in the 20th century. Apparently Confucianists originally considered go to be a trivial and possibly immoral game, leading to idleness and gambling, not the deeply intellectual cultural treasure it is today.
Shotwell's enthusiasm for the subject is deep. He also goes off on a few slightly woo-woo tangents about how go is about life and life is about go and the stones talk to each other and Oriental philosophy manifested on the go board blah blah. But he clearly loves the game, in a way that some of the drier go professionals who write books obviously do as well yet don't always express as enthusiastically. "Here is an example of good play, and incidentally go is good for developing your mind" as opposed to "THIS IS DEEP STUFF, YO! ISN'T THIS COOL?"
So purely as a book to learn go, I'd say Go! More Than a Game holds up well against any other introductory book, though its length makes it probably something only for a seriously interested player. If you are interested in the "more than a game" part, it's quite interesting and readable. There is a lot of go history and culture that you only get a taste of from reading books about fuseki, joseki, life and death, etc.
ETA: Well, in 2015 AlphaGo beat a human go professional for the first time, and it's only gotten better since. I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
As a beginning go book, I'd give Go! More Than a Game a high recommendation. It's lengthier than Cho Chikun's and Kaoru Iwamoto's books, and so presents a more gradual learning curve, though Shotwell, while obviously a very good player, is not at Chikun or Iwamoto's level.
What makes this book a little different from most introductory go books is that, as implied by the title, it's not just about the game and the rules. This is the first book I've read that includes a complete, comprehensive history of go, from its Chinese and Tibetan origins (and the Tibetan variant still played today) to its flourishing in Japan, and its renaissance in Japan and Korea at the end of the 20th century. Shotwell covers all the major figures in go history, past and contemporary. He also mentions just about every work of fiction with a go connection, from The Master of Go to Shibumi to Pi and A Beautiful Mind. He even talks about the Hikaru no Go phenomenon.
There is a brief but interesting chapter on computer go which is still mostly up to date, as computer go hasn't changed that much since 2003 — computers have gotten better and faster, but they still can't compete with good human players. Shotwell did his homework and covered some algorithms and computer science theory, making this of particular interest to me.
There's also a lot of stuff about Taoism, which seems to be a particular interest of the author's. He connects the "Dark School of Taoism" to the strategies of go. I was particularly interested to read about the conflict between Confucianism and Taoism, going back to early Chinese history and with implications for go even in the 20th century. Apparently Confucianists originally considered go to be a trivial and possibly immoral game, leading to idleness and gambling, not the deeply intellectual cultural treasure it is today.
Shotwell's enthusiasm for the subject is deep. He also goes off on a few slightly woo-woo tangents about how go is about life and life is about go and the stones talk to each other and Oriental philosophy manifested on the go board blah blah. But he clearly loves the game, in a way that some of the drier go professionals who write books obviously do as well yet don't always express as enthusiastically. "Here is an example of good play, and incidentally go is good for developing your mind" as opposed to "THIS IS DEEP STUFF, YO! ISN'T THIS COOL?"
So purely as a book to learn go, I'd say Go! More Than a Game holds up well against any other introductory book, though its length makes it probably something only for a seriously interested player. If you are interested in the "more than a game" part, it's quite interesting and readable. There is a lot of go history and culture that you only get a taste of from reading books about fuseki, joseki, life and death, etc.
ETA: Well, in 2015 AlphaGo beat a human go professional for the first time, and it's only gotten better since. I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.
December 15, 2019
Doesn't explain the rules, you have to deduce the rules from the comments. Doesn't even explain the point system, it just tells you, after an example, the number of points each player earned. And this is the first chapter, "The Basics", which is supposed to tell you the basics of the game. Skip this book.
May 3, 2012
I first tried to learn Go 25 or so years ago, but I was unable to find opponents and the English literature on it was quite limited (I even own two Go sets). A few days ago I noticed a Kindle Fire app to play Go for $4 and decided to try it again. If I can't find human opponents then I can practice against a computer; something I just couldn't do in 1985. Besides, the internet now means live opponents can be found online 24/7 anywhere in the world. Powerful PC programs also exist in the 21st century and I've downloaded a free trial for one (Many Faces of Go v12); and I will probably purchase it in the near future.
Once again the sheer elegance of the game entrances me; and I feel this dovetails beautifully with my ongoing studies of tai chi and Taoism.
I have several other books on how to play Go, but this one is the best thus far. I'm treating it as if I'm a complete novice to the game - which I am in effect - and starting from scratch.
Once again the sheer elegance of the game entrances me; and I feel this dovetails beautifully with my ongoing studies of tai chi and Taoism.
I have several other books on how to play Go, but this one is the best thus far. I'm treating it as if I'm a complete novice to the game - which I am in effect - and starting from scratch.
August 24, 2013
Peter Shotwell presents a nice overview of the game of Go. Covered within are the essential elements of play, along with nicely annotated 9x9, 13x13, and 19x19 games. Also included is a the history of Go, covering the various Chinese, Japanese, and Korean players. Overall, a nice one volume book on the game of Go.
September 17, 2023
Ikivanha aasialainen lautapeli go on hieno peli, josta on yllättävän vähän kirjallisuutta saatavilla edes englanniksi. Kirjoja on toki paljon, mutta ne ovat enimmäkseen pelin opiskeluun tarkoitettuja tehtäväkokoelmia. Pelin historiaa taustoittavia teoksia on vaikea löytää; ne muutamat, joita olen onnistunut tunnistamaan, ovat vanhoja ja aikaa sitten loppuunmyytyjä.
Peter Shotwellin Go! More Than a Game olikin ilahduttava löytö. Tässä on gota käsittelevä kirja, jossa on muutakin kuin alkeisoppia ja tehtäviä. Kirjan pääsisältöä on toki pelin alkeiden opettaminen ja sen Shotwell tekee kunnialla, joskin paikoin hieman yllättävin valinnoin – joitain perusasioita käsitellään hämmentävän nopeasti. Toisaalta Shotwell käyttää paljon aikaa esimerkkipelien analysoimiseen suhtkoht helppotajuisella tasolla, mikä auttaa ymmärtämään gon pelaamisen ajatusmaailmaa hienosti.
Kirjan viides osa, ”Further Explorations in Go” on se kiinnostavin. Shotwell esittelee pelin historiaa varsin laajasti ja nostaa sitten esiin pelin vaikutuksia länsimaiseen tieteeseen ja aasialaiseen liike-elämään. Kirja käsittelee taolaisten 36 strategian sovellutuksia gossa, joskin valtaosa tästä sisällöstä on poistettu kirjasta sen uudessa painoksessa. Poistetun sisällön luvataan löytyvän American Go Associationin sivuilta, mutta valitettavasti näin ei enää ole.
Kirja ilmestyi alunperin vuonna 2003 ja vuonna 2010 siitä ilmestyi uusittu painos (eri painoksilla on sama ISBN, mikä on törkeää). Uusitussa painoksessa on otettu mukaan uusimpia kehityskulkuja tietokonegossa. Valitettavasti vuonna 2010 ilmestynyt kirja on tässä kohden jo auttamattomasti vanhentunut.
Mielenkiintoisia ovat kuitenkin kirjan esittelemät tutkimustulokset teoriassa mahdollisten erilaisten go-pelien lukumäärästä. Sanonnan mukaan ”mahdollisia go-pelejä on enemmän kuin atomeja maailmankaikkeudessa”, mutta tämäkin on roimasti alakanttiin. Jos verrataan gota ja šakkia, go-pelien lukumäärässä on enemmän numeroita kuin šakkipelejä on ylipäänsä. Go-laudalla on laskelmien mukaan 2×10^170 erilaista laillista tilannetta; pelien määrä on sitten moninkertaisesti suurempi kuin tämä.
Go! More Than a Game on kelpo teos, jos haluaa perehtyä gon maailmaan. Perusteiden opettelemiseen on ytimekkäämpiäkin esityksiä, mutta toisaalta Shotwellin pelianalyyseistä saa hyvin käsitystä siitä, miltä gon pelaaminen näyttää.
Peter Shotwellin Go! More Than a Game olikin ilahduttava löytö. Tässä on gota käsittelevä kirja, jossa on muutakin kuin alkeisoppia ja tehtäviä. Kirjan pääsisältöä on toki pelin alkeiden opettaminen ja sen Shotwell tekee kunnialla, joskin paikoin hieman yllättävin valinnoin – joitain perusasioita käsitellään hämmentävän nopeasti. Toisaalta Shotwell käyttää paljon aikaa esimerkkipelien analysoimiseen suhtkoht helppotajuisella tasolla, mikä auttaa ymmärtämään gon pelaamisen ajatusmaailmaa hienosti.
Kirjan viides osa, ”Further Explorations in Go” on se kiinnostavin. Shotwell esittelee pelin historiaa varsin laajasti ja nostaa sitten esiin pelin vaikutuksia länsimaiseen tieteeseen ja aasialaiseen liike-elämään. Kirja käsittelee taolaisten 36 strategian sovellutuksia gossa, joskin valtaosa tästä sisällöstä on poistettu kirjasta sen uudessa painoksessa. Poistetun sisällön luvataan löytyvän American Go Associationin sivuilta, mutta valitettavasti näin ei enää ole.
Kirja ilmestyi alunperin vuonna 2003 ja vuonna 2010 siitä ilmestyi uusittu painos (eri painoksilla on sama ISBN, mikä on törkeää). Uusitussa painoksessa on otettu mukaan uusimpia kehityskulkuja tietokonegossa. Valitettavasti vuonna 2010 ilmestynyt kirja on tässä kohden jo auttamattomasti vanhentunut.
Mielenkiintoisia ovat kuitenkin kirjan esittelemät tutkimustulokset teoriassa mahdollisten erilaisten go-pelien lukumäärästä. Sanonnan mukaan ”mahdollisia go-pelejä on enemmän kuin atomeja maailmankaikkeudessa”, mutta tämäkin on roimasti alakanttiin. Jos verrataan gota ja šakkia, go-pelien lukumäärässä on enemmän numeroita kuin šakkipelejä on ylipäänsä. Go-laudalla on laskelmien mukaan 2×10^170 erilaista laillista tilannetta; pelien määrä on sitten moninkertaisesti suurempi kuin tämä.
Go! More Than a Game on kelpo teos, jos haluaa perehtyä gon maailmaan. Perusteiden opettelemiseen on ytimekkäämpiäkin esityksiä, mutta toisaalta Shotwellin pelianalyyseistä saa hyvin käsitystä siitä, miltä gon pelaaminen näyttää.
August 26, 2021
I bought this book on a bit of whim after bumping into it in a local bookstore and seeing that it had both a concise history of the game as well as advice for complete beginners. I had been interested in this game since reading “The Master of Go” by Yasunari Kawabata, a book that Shotwell addresses in this book. While Shotwell seems more focused on discussing strategy, and far more than just for beginners, the book has enough of the history of the game and is structured in such a way that it is still fun to read. While I simply perused the sections on higher strategy I was quite interested in the Shotwell’s chronicle of the ebbs and flows of the popularity of the game and the international scope it has had from the beginning. Definitely an interesting book for the general reader if perhaps a bit more concretely useful for an intermediate level Go player.
September 2, 2025
the book contains the basics of playing and some games along with a little bit of the history of the game. It is useful very useful if you just start playing go. Nice paper and font, but check for page damage. Page 53 in my book had the ink smudged pretty bad on a half of the page, but was still readable and the 2 plates I could interpret myself. The 5 stars are for the book content, and not for the quality of the printer or the quality control of the publisher.
June 1, 2023
The book is very good- but does not work for kindle.
1st - you need a goban to play the variations and understand them unless you aren't a begineer
2nd - the boards are way too small to be read confortably on a kindle.
I may purchase the paper edition.
1st - you need a goban to play the variations and understand them unless you aren't a begineer
2nd - the boards are way too small to be read confortably on a kindle.
I may purchase the paper edition.
June 14, 2023
Would have preferred a more structured and detailed approach, would recommend some of the other classic like fundamental principles of go (?), But they are arguably more advanced. Good starting point for a noob, but you actually need to know the rules beforehand as they are not explained well.
February 11, 2021
awesome for go players. new and pro
January 9, 2025
When two tigers fight, what is left is
one dead tiger and one wounded one.
-Chinese Proverb
Go is widely understood to occupy the position in China, Japan, and Korea that chess does in the West. Like chess, Go is a strategic board game whose origins and language lay in warfare. In every other aspect, however, the two games could hardly be more different, and while it is widely appreciated that some understanding and experience with Go can provide insights into East Asian philosophy and psychology, the game’s reputation for complexity stands as an obstacle for many potential players in the West.
To give a thumbnail comparison of the two games, while the object of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, the object of Go is to control more territory on the board. Chess is a game of aggression and domination; winning usually requires the destruction of the opposing army. Go is a game of patience and balance. Chess is about calculation; Go is about judgment. Winning consists not in destroying one’s opponent, but in achieving a comparative advantage. Above all, chess is principally a game of tactics, Go of strategy.
Go is known for the beautiful patterns created in the course of a game.
Go is known for the beautiful patterns created in the course of a game.
Go, it must be admitted, is not an easy game to begin playing, but with a little effort, it is not at all impossible for adults to learn and enjoy. (As with so much else, children pick up the game much faster.) There are a number of helpful books for beginners, but I would recommend starting off with an excellent two-part introduction to the game on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gECcsS...). After viewing these tutorials, take a look at the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_%28ga...) before moving on to Go: More than a Game. You should read no more than the first two chapters, before starting to play (I forgot to mention you need to find a partner for this project!) as you read more of the book. It is only by playing the game that you will start to “see” the strategic concepts of Go.
Go: More than a Game is a clear textbook of Go that will take new players from beginning to intermediate proficiency. The author, Peter Shotwell, is an expert on the relationship of Go to Eastern and Western philosophy, literature, and history; and nearly a quarter of the book is taken up with those subjects, as well as how the game has affected the mentality and outlook of its players. For example, in explaining the influence of the game on Japanese business culture, Shotwell writes, “Japanese executives learned to look at the national and international corporate worlds as Go boards and designed many of their strategies accordingly…One should try to win, but that had to involve allowing the opponent to win something too, because all-out fights might destroy both competitors.” Readers with some background in mathematics, as well as film goers who saw A Beautiful Mind, where a lost Go match at Princeton ultimately leads to John Nash’s discovery of the Nash Equilibrium, will also be interested in the discussion of Go and game theory.
Published in Regent University Library Link, February 2010
http://librarylink.regent.edu/?p=283
one dead tiger and one wounded one.
-Chinese Proverb
Go is widely understood to occupy the position in China, Japan, and Korea that chess does in the West. Like chess, Go is a strategic board game whose origins and language lay in warfare. In every other aspect, however, the two games could hardly be more different, and while it is widely appreciated that some understanding and experience with Go can provide insights into East Asian philosophy and psychology, the game’s reputation for complexity stands as an obstacle for many potential players in the West.
To give a thumbnail comparison of the two games, while the object of chess is to checkmate the opponent’s king, the object of Go is to control more territory on the board. Chess is a game of aggression and domination; winning usually requires the destruction of the opposing army. Go is a game of patience and balance. Chess is about calculation; Go is about judgment. Winning consists not in destroying one’s opponent, but in achieving a comparative advantage. Above all, chess is principally a game of tactics, Go of strategy.
Go is known for the beautiful patterns created in the course of a game.
Go is known for the beautiful patterns created in the course of a game.
Go, it must be admitted, is not an easy game to begin playing, but with a little effort, it is not at all impossible for adults to learn and enjoy. (As with so much else, children pick up the game much faster.) There are a number of helpful books for beginners, but I would recommend starting off with an excellent two-part introduction to the game on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gECcsS...). After viewing these tutorials, take a look at the Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_%28ga...) before moving on to Go: More than a Game. You should read no more than the first two chapters, before starting to play (I forgot to mention you need to find a partner for this project!) as you read more of the book. It is only by playing the game that you will start to “see” the strategic concepts of Go.
Go: More than a Game is a clear textbook of Go that will take new players from beginning to intermediate proficiency. The author, Peter Shotwell, is an expert on the relationship of Go to Eastern and Western philosophy, literature, and history; and nearly a quarter of the book is taken up with those subjects, as well as how the game has affected the mentality and outlook of its players. For example, in explaining the influence of the game on Japanese business culture, Shotwell writes, “Japanese executives learned to look at the national and international corporate worlds as Go boards and designed many of their strategies accordingly…One should try to win, but that had to involve allowing the opponent to win something too, because all-out fights might destroy both competitors.” Readers with some background in mathematics, as well as film goers who saw A Beautiful Mind, where a lost Go match at Princeton ultimately leads to John Nash’s discovery of the Nash Equilibrium, will also be interested in the discussion of Go and game theory.
Published in Regent University Library Link, February 2010
http://librarylink.regent.edu/?p=283
February 10, 2013
There were a few good points and weak points to this book.
I enjoyed how the book was supposed to be used as a sort of reference to start your go journey, and to come back to after you've grown a bit as a player. This allowed the book to spend some time on teacher the reader how to play go, and then later on in the book discuss more advanced topics of play.
The last chapter was a very interesting section on the history of go through China, Japan, and Korea. Personally history of go is something I'm as interested in learning about, so I enjoyed this.
The two column layout of each page made the question/answer format of some sections frustrating to read as I had to cover half the page with my hand to keep myself from seeing the answer.
When the book goes through example games, there are much too many side-boxes for "Variations" that are confusing in the way they reference moves and marked stones.
I enjoyed how the book was supposed to be used as a sort of reference to start your go journey, and to come back to after you've grown a bit as a player. This allowed the book to spend some time on teacher the reader how to play go, and then later on in the book discuss more advanced topics of play.
The last chapter was a very interesting section on the history of go through China, Japan, and Korea. Personally history of go is something I'm as interested in learning about, so I enjoyed this.
The two column layout of each page made the question/answer format of some sections frustrating to read as I had to cover half the page with my hand to keep myself from seeing the answer.
When the book goes through example games, there are much too many side-boxes for "Variations" that are confusing in the way they reference moves and marked stones.
August 13, 2012
*4.5 Stars*
It's been awhile since I read this, so I can't give it a detailed review. I learned a lot from this book. The short history of the game was informative though I urge readers to look into a longer introduction into this fascinating game. The book goes on to detail basic moves and work the reader up to a decent level of play. Where you go from there is up to you, but this is a great little text for either a single person wanting to learn or a group learning together.
If you've ever thought about learning this interesting game, do it. You won't be disappointed.
It's been awhile since I read this, so I can't give it a detailed review. I learned a lot from this book. The short history of the game was informative though I urge readers to look into a longer introduction into this fascinating game. The book goes on to detail basic moves and work the reader up to a decent level of play. Where you go from there is up to you, but this is a great little text for either a single person wanting to learn or a group learning together.
If you've ever thought about learning this interesting game, do it. You won't be disappointed.
April 25, 2008
A very good into to Go, it also explores the game's history and development, as well as its application to non-game-related ideas, like Business. I really had no idea the richness of the game's history. It just makes me like it more :). Ends with some interesting proverbs that have fairly large significance, even outside of the game itself.
April 28, 2008
It's my first Go book, and I'm a total newb, so it may not be saying much, but this has done wonders for my game. I've found the commented 9x9 games particularly eye-opening, and made the most progress to date by applying the same analysis to my own games. I can't compare it to other Go books, but in the absolute, a very useful tome indeed.
May 14, 2016
Well-written and probably about as engaging as a game about a board game is going to be. The book tries really hard to sell Go as being some kind of physical manifestation of Taoist philosophy but falls pretty far short. Good introduction but perhaps I'm too practical to really enjoy this sort of thing.
April 4, 2012
My first Go book, so I don't have much to compare it to. It was easy to follow, and I learned more than just basics. By the time I finished reading the book, I had played enough games to know what was going on...even though 99% of the time I was doing the wrong thing. I still have a lot to learn.
January 19, 2016
The paper version of this book is probably excellent: the educational value of this book is actually quite good. Unfortunately, the Kindle version (which I'm rating here) is horrible. The diagrams are so small that I had to hold my kindle about 15 cm from my eyes to be able to read the numbers on the stones. I gave up on this way of reading after about 30% of the book.
November 15, 2008
A good-great book on Wei-Chi (aka Go and Baduk) for both beginners and intermediate level (20k-7k) players. Also has much interesting history about the game (and Taoism and Samurai, etc.).
I have read about 2/3rd of the book so far...
I have read about 2/3rd of the book so far...
Read
December 28, 2010Long time since I read this and I was not new to it then. I was more interested in the back of the book. The research in the back of the book is really good. Picks up and covers a lot of ground. Your interested in more then how to play it great or you just want to learn to play the game.
December 3, 2008
An introductory book on Go. If you don't know what Go is, read this!
October 23, 2011
Hard to learn from, and plum weird. Author seems to think Oda Nobunaga was running around looking for Go opponents, and only incidentally conquering Japan.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews