In the Beginning: The Opening in the Game of Go (Elementary Go Series)

I will try not to repeat what other reviewers have said (most of which I agree with). The opening is the most technically difficult stage of Go. I did not know this, but Ishigure mentions that for championship games, a whole day is scheduled for the first 50 moves, and then the next day all the rest are played. Go openings are not like chess openings, where one can learn a certain system and memorize moves. Yes, some move sequences - called "josekis" - can be memorized, but not entire openings. The possibilities are just too vast. Concepts must take precedence, and that is what the book teaches.I used the "Learn to Play Go" series by Janice Kim, which is good and I recommend. But I was still pretty much at sea in the opening until I studied this book. Now I am much more comfortable regarding how to go about selecting a good move in any given situation. To repeat something others have said - it will take more than a single pass through the book to get this material to sink in.I find the book to be aimed at about the 10-20 kyu level, and should be useful even into single-digit kyu levels. One good piece of advice from Ishigure is not to study josekis until you are at around 9 kyu. Before that, these concepts only plus a few very common josekis that you will pick up here and there should be sufficient.

As everyone mentioned this book was well-organized. However, it was rather difficult to digest. Sometimes I did not comprehend the prior concepts from previous chapters before I completely digested. While I still recommend buying this book for future reference and still using it as a beginner book I think that you should read the book Opening Theory Made Easy by Hideo Otake 9-dan translated by John Power. I say this as a novice/beginner. Moreover, I had to learn about the opening through Trial and Error using my Go stones and board. While I think the organization and explanation is good (far from being a workbook with problems) this book rather enhances your knowledge of the opening by emphasizing core points rather than teach comprehensively. It also gets you to think about problems.

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 DefenseMost 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 a bookstore, I can find a couple shelves full of chess books, but I have yet to find a single go book. :(

OK intro to openings in go, "Opening Theory Made Easy" might be better.

Good book. It is detailed and isn't afraid to go beyond just the surface of what it's explaining. History, aesthetic, culture. All of these are discussed in addition to just simple moves and terminology.

As a beginner, this book is a bit overwhelming. The sequences are well explained is clear English, but are difficult to remember.I will be using this more as a reference, and am re-reading Cho Chikun's "GO: A Complete Introduction the the Game" first.

Very useful book even for moderately strong players, yet accessible for new players also. Teaches the fundamental concepts necessary for a strong early game strategy. Teaches you what type of things to consider when looking for the next move. Opening game is the least objective part of the game, as the board is mostly empty and many possibilities of play are available. However, this book will help you have a much more solid grasp on what is important in the early game.

i am very happy with my book and it helps me with the game alotgreat book for new player that never played be for

Great little book about go aperture theory. Esasy to read even for a beginner, with nice samples. I love all the books of this series.