Go for Beginners

Product Description Go is an ancient, subtly beautiful game of territory. But with its nearly endless possibilities and challenges, it is more than just another game; it is a way of life for tens of millions of players throughout the world. Embodying four thousand years of Oriental thought and culture, go is the oldest game in the world still played in its original form. Go is the kind of game that one can learn in a day—and spend a lifetime perfecting. It is more art than science: in order to surround and capture the opponent's territory, one needs intuition, flexibility, and acute perception combined with a sharp analytical mind. Each player is a partner in an exercise of coexistence; each player needs the other for self-enlightenment and for enjoyment. But then, too, go is a game whose strategy has been compared to the tactics of guerilla warfare. Go can be all things to all people; it is simple, elegant, and unexpectedly beautiful. This book contains an introduction; a brief example game; a clear, leisurely explanation of the rules; and illustrations of the simplest techniques of good play and of some easy and some more difficult problems the player will encounter. The appendixes include a concise list of rules, a glossary of technical terms, and a list of international and American go organizations. Among go players, Go for Beginners is known as the best beginner's book available. Review Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon's Customer Reviews! From the Inside Flap Go, an ancient, subtly beautiful game of territory, is the oldest game in the world still played in its original form. This book contains its rules, techniques, a glossary of terms, and a list of international and American Go organizations. From the Back Cover Go, an ancient, subtly beautiful game of territory, is the oldest game in the world still played in its original form. This book contains its rules, techniques, a glossary of terms, and a list of international and American Go organizations. About the Author KAORU IWAMOTO (1902-1999) was one of the world's foremost experts on go, a holder of the highest professional Japanese go rank of 9-dan, and twice winner of the historic Honinbo tournament. He spent many of his later years as an ambassador of go, promoting the game in many Western countries. He founded the Iwamoto Foundation in 1986, which helps fund go centers throughout the world. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction   You hold in your hand an excellent beginner’s go book. The author, Kaoru Iwamoto, 9 Dan, is well known in Japan for his go achievements and is famous in the Western world for his efforts to popularize this most fascinating and profound game. The superiority of this book is no small contribution in that direction. Mr. Iwamoto goes beyond a clear rendition of the rules; by adding a thorough introduction to fundamental go strategy, he guides the neophyte toward a more complete understanding of the game.   Go is a contest between two players who compete to secure territory. The territory consists of 361 points formed by the intersections of nineteen vertical and nineteen horizontal lines drawn on a wooden board. Players use lens-shaped discs, called stones, to mark off their territory. One opponent plays black stones, the other white, in alternating turns. The board, which is empty in the beginning, gradually fills as the players place their stones. Contrary to most Western games, motion in go takes the form of adding to what is already in place rather than moving the position of the pieces. Once put on the board, a go stone is stationary unless captured. The player controlling the largest total area at the end of the game is the victor.   The intellectual enjoyment of go is enhanced by good playing equipment. Ideal go stones are made of shell and slate, although for economic reasons glass and plastic stones are most commonly used. The highest quality stones are known as yuki gra