Category: Reviews

Book Review: Positional Judgment

Overall Rating: 9 / 10 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Positional Judgment: High-Speed Game Analysis
  • Author: Cho Chikun
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: December 1989
  • Page Length: 182 pages

Synopsis

  • A great book on positional judgment when it comes to whole board thinking.
  • Utilizes multiple choice questions along with example games to help illustrate his points.
  • Requires a basic level of endgame sequences for the estimations to make sense.
  • Appropriate for 6 kyu and stronger.
  • Recommended for serious players.

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Book Review: All About Ko

Overall Rating: 8 / 10 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Mastering the Basics, Volume 6: All About Ko
  • Author: Rob can Zeijst and Richard Bozulich
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: September 2007
  • Number of Problems: 121 Problems
  • Page Length: 250 pages

Synopsis

  • A solid book that serves as a great reference on ko while providing problems and example games.
  • Appropriate for 1 dan and stronger.
  • Recommended for serious players who really want to study ko.

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Book Review: Kage's Secret Chronicles of Handicap Go

Overall Rating: 8 / 10 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Kage’s Secret Chronicles of Handicap Go
  • Author: Toshiro Kageyama, 6-dan (translated by James Davies)
  • Publisher: The Ishi Press, Inc.
  • Publication Date: October 1975
  • Page Length: 204 pages

Synopsis

  • An entertaining book from Kageyama that illustrates handicap go concepts through a conversational style of writing.
  • Does not explain handicap go from a traditional textbook like style.
  • Appropriate for 5 kyu and stronger.
  • Recommended for serious players who already have a foundation on handicap go.

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Book Review: The Chinese Opening (Kato)

Overall Rating: 9 / 10 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: The Chinese Opening: The Sure-Win Strategy
  • Author: Masao Kato (translated by Steve Lloyd)
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: May 1989
  • Page Length: 145 pages

Synopsis

  • An in-depth explanation of the Chinese fuseki.
  • Covers a lot of various scenarios that players might encounter when trying to play the Chinese fuseki.
  • Appropriate for 8 kyu and stronger.
  • Recommended for serious players.

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Book Review: The Basics of Go Strategy

Overall Rating: 5 / 5 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Mastering the Basics, Volume 5 - The Basics of Go Strategy
  • Author: Richard Bozulich
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: January 2007
  • Page Length: 216 pages
  • Number of Problems: 101

Synopsis

  • Fantastic overview to concepts that many beginners should be exposed to early on in their study of go.
  • This is a hybrid book that consists of theory along with actual problems.
  • Content is appropriate for 18 kyu and stronger.
  • Problems are appropriate for 9k and above.
  • Highly recommended for serious players.

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Book Review: 501 Tesuji Problems

Overall Rating: 6 / 10 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Mastering the Basics, Volume 4 - Five Hundred and One TesujiProblems
  • Author: Compiled and Written by Richard Bozulich
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: October 2005
  • Page Length: 292 pages
  • Number of Problems: 501

Synopsis

  • My least favorite of the entire series so far.
  • Lacked the explanations that makes the series so great.
  • Appropriate for 5 kyu and stronger.

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Book Review: 1001 Life and Death Problems

Overall Rating: 5 / 5 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Mastering the Basics, Volume 2 - One Thousand and One Life-and-Death Problems
  • Authors: Compiled and edited by Richard Bozulich
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: February 2002
  • Page Length: 244 pages
  • Number of Problems: 1001 problems (what else did you expect? =D)

Synopsis

  • New and refreshing approach to teaching life and death.
  • Appropriate for 12 kyu and stronger.
  • Recommended for casual players.

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Book Review: 501 Opening Problems

Overall Rating: 4 / 5 Ponnuki

Basic Information

  • Title: Mastering the Basics, Volume 1 - Five Hundred and One Opening Problems
  • Authors: Richard Bozulich in collaboration with Rob van Zeijst
  • Publisher: Kiseido
  • Publication Date: August 2002
  • Page Length: 256 pages
  • Number of Problems: 501

Synopsis

  • A great basic book about opening problems that utilizes proverbs as directions instead of vague statements.
  • Appropriate for 10 kyu and stronger.
  • Recommended for serious players.

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