In the Beginning the Opening in the Game of Go

Elementary Go Series #1

by Ikuro Ishigure

elementary go series vol.1

Genres: Go, Games, Nonfiction, Gaming, Reference, Sports

Paperback

First published October 1, 1973

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is there a perfect go book? I haven't found one yet, but so far I learn a little bit from each one, and In the Beginning covers a lot of fundamentals relating to the beginning of the game: how to play in the corners, with follow-up moves (shimari and kakari), then some discussion of extending along the sides, into the center, invasions, and pincer attacks. Then, a list of nine concepts for improving your opening game:


Make Your Stones Work Together
Efficiency
Play Away from Strength
Thickness and Walls
Open at the Bottom
The Third Line and the Fourth
Reverse Strategy
Light and Heavy
Attack and Defense


Most go books seem to present some sort of list like this, with examples to illustrate the concept. They all make perfect sense to me — I am at the level where I can understand everything the author says (at least for these low-kyu-level books). It's so obvious once he points it out! Then I go play a game, and somehow none of these lessons seem to materialize in my own game.

Ishigure ends the book with ten opening set-ups in which the reader is asked where black or white should play next. Turn the page, and Ishigure has rated a variety of possible points to play, from 5 (reasonable choice, but not very good) to 10 (the best play). I usually got somewhere in the area of Ishigure's best choice, though I rarely chose the exact best spot.

In the Beginning is definitely a book I will have to revisit; like Kageyama's Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go, there is too much for a beginner to take in the first time around.

This is definitely a book a beginning player should read. But man, go books are expensive — it's a tiny little volume for the price. I guess that's because most of the best go books are translated imports. Whenever I go to Barnes & Noble or any other bookstore, I can find a couple shelves full of chess books, but I have yet to find a single go book. :(

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good intro to the opening in go. My only issue with this book is the typography sometimes was missing some indicators, like when they were pointing out "...this moves is related to which is in atari." The blank spot would refer to a marked stone on the board, but which black-triangle stone? Most of the times it was easy to figure out, but it is a ding against the editor of this volume.

FWIW, I have the sixth printing, May 1995, version of this book.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading it cover-to-cover, working most of the examples out on a board and playing games in between. I still failed most of the 10 problems at the end. I could read it again in a few weeks and get almost as much out of it the second time.

Before this book, I would play on star points, then connect some of my groups or just start fighting because I had no idea what I was doing. After this book, I'm establishing bases, extending along the side, and playing for territory more successfully. I think I still lose most games against skilled opponents between move 10 and 25, but I've improved as a result of this and will continue to improve. Re-reading the first few of the "Nine Concepts" before a game seems to really help me.

Definitely worthwhile. I might give it a fourth star if rereading it continues to help me improve.

[Lennart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I think it improved my game. I immediately wanted to re-read the book once I finished it!

[Thomas Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Currently on Panda.net I seem to be fluctuating between 11 kyu and 12 kyu. Hope to play some of the old guys in a park in Seoul next September; so getting my game better is important. I'm told that my fuseki is great. I can read difficult situations and create quite a conundrum for my opponents to figure out. To quote "Fiddler on the Roof's Tevye" :"Posing problems that would cross a rabbi's eyes.

But my opening skills are just horrendous. At the end of this book after patiently explaining 'Opening Basics and 9 concepts (everything is numbers with these people), Ikuro then gives ten problems. I was only able to pick one choice, (and a poor one at that) as an answer to one problem. All the others I was. way out of understanding. Oh, I read through his explanation - and when it was explained of course it all made sense.

If reading books makes me better then I'm game - but I'm not sure this helped me as much as I'd hoped. Last night I played a Chinese gentleman in Phoenixville - he is stronger and gave me a four stone handicap. Lost the first one miserably. Also lost the second one - but the score was much closer - same handicap.

I do believe the initial part of the book was quite good - and I will be revisiting those principles.

[Iago · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro bastante didáctico sobre la apertura (opening), la primera fase del Go. Desarrolla varias ideas y consideraciones a tener en cuenta durante esta fase. La complejidad de dicha fase es inabarcable y uno debe conformarse con una lista de factores a tener en cuenta a la hora de tomar decisiones, pero aún así en el libro consiguen tratar en bastante profundidad una cuestión: la disyuntiva del juego en la tercera o en la cuarta línea.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently joined a local Go club! And after my first couple of visits, I can confidently conclude that I am so bad at this game 😂

Thus begins my quest to improve.

This book hammered home excellent, fundamental principles through examples and exercises to understand not only what I should do in the beginning but also why—something I really appreciated.

[Valentyn Danylchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice. Another beginner-friendly perspective on Go opening, and some associated attack and defense theory. I especially liked the self-test problems with multiple possible solutions ranked in points, and with detailed explanations.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the whole-board problems at the end. I just wish there were more than ten of them.

[Othy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly good book for the beginning igo player. I picked it up from the local library in pure joy of actually seeing a go book on the shelf, and I must note that I'm about 5kyu in level. Thus this book is not for me to begin with (though I still think I can give something of an adequate review of it). I think Ishigure starts off well and explains things that a lot of beginners need to know, but I think that he doesn't continue as long as he should. Many of the complaints I got from beginners I was trying to teach was that they didn't know why certain moves are good. I, as something of a beginner myself, was never really able to describe well why a certain move was better than another and so we usually played them out. Ishigure does this now and again but (at least for the beginner English-speaking player) is too founded in what is right and wrong and assumes a lot. Maybe it's his Japanese diction (which is fun to read for someone who knows Japanese) or maybe it's just his style, but I felt like he was just glossing over too many things. But, again, I'm not the target audience, so my opinion needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

[Serge Pierro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between this and "Opening Theory Made Easy", the beginner/intermediate student of Go would have a solid foundation as to the moves and thought process of the opening of a game of Go. Covering all of the vital opening points, such as 3-3, 3-4, 4-4 etc. in detail, as to the ideas behind them, the book then goes on to extensions, pincers, shimari, kakari, etc. There is a section of 10 test positions that the student can choose the move they would make and then turn to see how they would score... with annotations for all of the main moves.

[Jdl · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I feel that "Opening Theory Made Easy" is a better book than this one, I still read "In the Beginning" twice. There is a lot of fundamental information to be gained from it. It's well written, with clear examples.

It ends with a series of 10 problems which are graded on a sliding scale. You can get partial credit for playing 2nd- or 3rd- best moves, which are all explained.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for those who've mastered the basic rules and concepts of go/baduk/weiqi. Once you've read this, you'll feel a lot less confused about where to place your next stone on that giant empty board; it offers basic principles and has lots of illuminating examples.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opening is an abstract concept that few amateurs really understand. This is certainly a good book on opening theory. I'd say it's well-written enough that advanced beginners (about 10k) can follow it. However, it's probably useful into the low dan levels.

[Steve Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book to follow introductory books by Shotwell, Cho Chikun and Kaoru Iwamoto.

I finished a second reading a few months ago and am now near the end of a 3rd. Each time a grasp a bit more and look forward to a 'full' understanding in a few years and 3-4 more readings.

[Chloe Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This and Kageyama's Fundamentals were my first Go books. I read this as a 15-20k. Much of it was beyond my ability at the time, but I still got a lot out of it! I've revisited it a few times, and will continue to. A wonderful book.

[Steve]

GO

[Sighris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, but not for beginners!

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of the opening in Go. Well worth a reread.