What do you think?
Rate this book
Learn to Play Go #1
Learn to Play Go: A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game
UPDATED 3RD EDITION AVAILABLE 7/1/2010. A Master's Guide to the Ultimate Game. The award-winning first book in the Learn to Play Go series by Janice Kim 3 dan and Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan, two masters of the 4,000-year-old Asian game of strategy. Takes the complete beginner step-by-step all the way to playing real Go in fourteen chapters that can be read in 10-15 minutes each, each with a try-it-yourself section at the end. Suitable for kids, demystifies the learning process for adults.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
39 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 2, 2012
So, a little history: I first learned go way back in college. Told myself I was going to keep playing. Didn't play again until I spent a year and a half in Korea, and hung out with the Korean go club. Told myself I would learn to play well this time. Stopped playing when I left Korea, even though I'd bought a bunch of Go books, most of which I never read through.
So now, after reading ten volumes of a children's manga series called Hikaru no Go, I am inspired to maybe break out the books again and see whether I'm not too old to maybe become a middling player before I leave middle age.
Anyway, this book is the first in a series by Janice Kim, translated from Korean. As the title implies, this is a starter book for beginners. It teaches the basics of Go (or baduk, as it is called in Korean), starting with the rules and moving on to elementary strategies. By the time you finish, so claims the author, you should be ready to play at the 15-kyu level or so (basically, a beginner who knows how to play but not much else). I don't know since I have never been ranked, but it was good review since I haven't actually played in years. I did read this book in its entirety about ten years ago and found it helpful. Now maybe I'm ready to take on a dumb computer program, or other beginners over the Internet. I will let you know as I move on to book 2.
I'd say this is an excellent beginner's book, as it not only teaches rules but also has tons of teaching examples for very simple situations of the sort a beginner needs to know (i.e., how not to make those "DUH!" moves that only a beginner would make). I'm not giving it 5 stars only because I haven't actually read that many Go books so I can't say how it compares to other books aimed at a similar level of novice.
Okay, I'm ready to take on Hikaru Shindo!
So now, after reading ten volumes of a children's manga series called Hikaru no Go, I am inspired to maybe break out the books again and see whether I'm not too old to maybe become a middling player before I leave middle age.
Anyway, this book is the first in a series by Janice Kim, translated from Korean. As the title implies, this is a starter book for beginners. It teaches the basics of Go (or baduk, as it is called in Korean), starting with the rules and moving on to elementary strategies. By the time you finish, so claims the author, you should be ready to play at the 15-kyu level or so (basically, a beginner who knows how to play but not much else). I don't know since I have never been ranked, but it was good review since I haven't actually played in years. I did read this book in its entirety about ten years ago and found it helpful. Now maybe I'm ready to take on a dumb computer program, or other beginners over the Internet. I will let you know as I move on to book 2.
I'd say this is an excellent beginner's book, as it not only teaches rules but also has tons of teaching examples for very simple situations of the sort a beginner needs to know (i.e., how not to make those "DUH!" moves that only a beginner would make). I'm not giving it 5 stars only because I haven't actually read that many Go books so I can't say how it compares to other books aimed at a similar level of novice.
Okay, I'm ready to take on Hikaru Shindo!
January 11, 2011
This book covers the rules, basic concepts, and shapes and structures of Go in a very easy-to-read fashion. I already knew the rules and understood the basic ideas (two eyes, ko fights, capture races, etc) from reading on the internet, and was worried that the book would be too simple; however I found the catalogue of the different types of basic connections and dead-or-alive shapes very useful, as I hadn't seen them all explained in one place. There are problems on each concept, and the authors explain the incorrect as well as the correct moves in simple terms.
One interesting point is that the authors cover Go from a Korean angle instead of the prevalent-in-the-West Japanese angle.
I really enjoy Janice Kim's casual and conversational writing style; it makes picking up the concepts far easier.
I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
One interesting point is that the authors cover Go from a Korean angle instead of the prevalent-in-the-West Japanese angle.
I really enjoy Janice Kim's casual and conversational writing style; it makes picking up the concepts far easier.
I'm looking forward to reading the other books in the series.
December 15, 2019
This seemed like a reasonably good introduction to the basics of go. There actually wasn't much I didn't know, which is saying something, since I started playing a couple of weeks ago. I did learn a few things, though. The most useful section to me was the chapter on different ways to connect, since I have been connecting directly in my games and didn't realize there were other ways to connect.
Some topics were glossed over. For example, ko wasn't very clearly defined (instead it was just described via examples), and the section on capturing races was much worse than the first few pages of Counting Liberties and Winning Capturing Races, by Richard Hunter.
Despite the title, there were several sections that had nothing to do with learning to play go. For example, there was a list of "go stars", which was just a list of players with info like, "Held every Korean title for many years". I didn't find this even slightly interesting, but I guess it's fine, since you can easily skip those sections.
Some topics were glossed over. For example, ko wasn't very clearly defined (instead it was just described via examples), and the section on capturing races was much worse than the first few pages of Counting Liberties and Winning Capturing Races, by Richard Hunter.
Despite the title, there were several sections that had nothing to do with learning to play go. For example, there was a list of "go stars", which was just a list of players with info like, "Held every Korean title for many years". I didn't find this even slightly interesting, but I guess it's fine, since you can easily skip those sections.
September 10, 2013
Excellent for those that are completely new to the game.
There are several beginner books out there, this one fits well those people that pretty much have never played a game and need to learn about the objective and rules of the game. People that are beginners but have already played a few games, understand about captures and basic life and death will probably be better served by going straight to Volume 2 of this series or look for a different beginner book, such as Go for Beginners by Iwamoto.
The book consists of two parts, with the first one focusing on Fundamentals and the second one on Basic Techniques. In the Fundamentals, the authors do a very nice job in explaining the basics of the game. This is why I am recommending this for people that don't even know about the rules, since here they will get a step by step explanation on the objective of the game, how play works, capturing, illegal moves, the rule about ko and counting territory at the end of a game. They use diagrams generously and even beginners won't need to grab a board in order to follow the explanations. They also do a very good job with terminology, which can be overwhelming. Thus, they use the English name for many of the terms and only in important cases revert back to the Korean or Japanese names, with a clear explanation of what they mean of course.
Compared to the book by Iwamoto mentioned above, the examples here are much simpler. When explaining connecting and cutting the authors focus on the basics and stop there. At least in the Fundamentals part, when they move over to Basic Techniques there is a little deeper examination of capturing (ladders, snapbacks, throw-ins, etc.), connecting, life and death, capturing races, ko fights, and endgame. In the book by Iwamoto, the examples are much deeper and require the reader to have some experience with reading (being able to mentally calculate a sequence of moves) in order to understand some of these.
I particularly liked the test questions at the end of each chapter, since these allow the reader to check and see if she understood properly the concepts that were presented. There are special sections throughout the book with additional information, such as where to play on the internet, how go rankings are defined, and many others.
Those people that are brand new to the game can seriously benefit from reading this book, but those that have already some experienced will likely find it too basic and will be better served to look at the options mentioned above.
There are several beginner books out there, this one fits well those people that pretty much have never played a game and need to learn about the objective and rules of the game. People that are beginners but have already played a few games, understand about captures and basic life and death will probably be better served by going straight to Volume 2 of this series or look for a different beginner book, such as Go for Beginners by Iwamoto.
The book consists of two parts, with the first one focusing on Fundamentals and the second one on Basic Techniques. In the Fundamentals, the authors do a very nice job in explaining the basics of the game. This is why I am recommending this for people that don't even know about the rules, since here they will get a step by step explanation on the objective of the game, how play works, capturing, illegal moves, the rule about ko and counting territory at the end of a game. They use diagrams generously and even beginners won't need to grab a board in order to follow the explanations. They also do a very good job with terminology, which can be overwhelming. Thus, they use the English name for many of the terms and only in important cases revert back to the Korean or Japanese names, with a clear explanation of what they mean of course.
Compared to the book by Iwamoto mentioned above, the examples here are much simpler. When explaining connecting and cutting the authors focus on the basics and stop there. At least in the Fundamentals part, when they move over to Basic Techniques there is a little deeper examination of capturing (ladders, snapbacks, throw-ins, etc.), connecting, life and death, capturing races, ko fights, and endgame. In the book by Iwamoto, the examples are much deeper and require the reader to have some experience with reading (being able to mentally calculate a sequence of moves) in order to understand some of these.
I particularly liked the test questions at the end of each chapter, since these allow the reader to check and see if she understood properly the concepts that were presented. There are special sections throughout the book with additional information, such as where to play on the internet, how go rankings are defined, and many others.
Those people that are brand new to the game can seriously benefit from reading this book, but those that have already some experienced will likely find it too basic and will be better served to look at the options mentioned above.
October 11, 2015
The is a great introductory book for learning the game of go. I tried to learn the rules of go from books before and found it impossible. I was convinced that the only way to learn was to have someone else teach me (thanks Mark). This is the book that I would recommend to anyone trying to learn the game on their own. It covers basics, etiquette, and history. The author starts out easy and introduces concepts one at a time while providing exercises to reinforce the lessons taught. This book should be included with everyone's first go set.
May 9, 2015
Learn to Play Go by Janice Kim is my go-to book when teaching the game to new students. I have purchased half a dozen copies and given them to people interested in the game over the years. Kim has a friendly, accessible writing style; presents the game in a clear and logical fashion; and by the end of the book the reader, if s/he has faithfully followed along, is now a go player.
April 14, 2021
1 of 5 books. The exercises are a must. A board must be at hand at any time. It's the book I learned with back in the day.
March 26, 2016
Very educational book for beginners about Go. Part I describes the very basics of the game, but part II already goes a bit deeper by describing some connecting and capturing techniques which I probably would not have learned quickly on my own. The book might even be suitable for children, yet never strikes as childish. The graphics of the Go boards are very nice, which makes it even more pleasant to read the book from cover to cover.
The book is not entirely perfect. Here and there are some "informational boxes" containing some side info about things like Go and computers, history of Go, Go stars, etc. Many of these boxes are simply out-of-date. Clearly the authors did not bother to update them when revising the 2nd edition in 2010. Nevertheless, the rest of the book is so good that it's not worth subtracting a full star.
If you're a beginner, and you only want to read one book on Go to get a jump start, this is the one.
The book is not entirely perfect. Here and there are some "informational boxes" containing some side info about things like Go and computers, history of Go, Go stars, etc. Many of these boxes are simply out-of-date. Clearly the authors did not bother to update them when revising the 2nd edition in 2010. Nevertheless, the rest of the book is so good that it's not worth subtracting a full star.
If you're a beginner, and you only want to read one book on Go to get a jump start, this is the one.
February 1, 2008
The first book in Janice Kim's five volume series on the game of Go is the best of the widely available introductory books I've seen. If a store carries books on Go it's a good bet that Learn to Play Go Volume I will be in stock. This installment gives an easily understandable explanation of the rules and basic technique, and it fills in the corners with a little history, etiquette, and a few short bios of some of the top professional players. An excellent, well-rounded introduction to the game by any standard.
January 17, 2009
For those of you interested in getting started in learning to play Go, this is a must read. Janice does an excellent job of explaining many of the basic concepts needed to play Go. She covers territory developement, capturing stones, life and death, ladders,and basic stratagies. She uses several actual games to demonstrate and explain these concepts to make it easier for beginners to grasp these concepts and improve their playing ability. If you read all of Jancie Kim's books and play diligently you should be able to reach 15K to 10K after a year.
April 8, 2015
This short book with several pictures clarified a lot of my basic Go knowledge. While the rules of Go are very simple, you won't be playing quite the same game as someone who has studied even a little bit. Presenting Go heuristics in the right order helps avoid confusion and allows one to trust one's common sense in a way that does not happen if advanced techniques are learned before basic ones. I found the chapters on connecting and capturing techniques particularly valuable. I understand and appreciate this game much more than I did before, and I can't wait to learn and play more.
August 26, 2013
I really enjoyed it. Though as of now, it's the only Go books I've finished so I can't say for sure if it's really 5/5 without comparing it to others.
That said everything was very clear, the lessons were organized very logically and I had no problems through the book. I really liked how they included information about Go, to put the lessons into better context for the reader. I hope to see more of that extra information in the proceeding volumes.
That said everything was very clear, the lessons were organized very logically and I had no problems through the book. I really liked how they included information about Go, to put the lessons into better context for the reader. I hope to see more of that extra information in the proceeding volumes.
July 12, 2017
I did an online tutorial which covered the basics of this book, but I found the book was more helpful in the practicality and explanation of the game. For someone who didn't know about Go months ago, I found the style of game play relatively simple after reading this book, despite the fact that putting it to practice so far has ended in frustrating loss. I'm thinking about getting out the other books but I think after this the best lesson is to play against others.
March 26, 2018
Seems to be a worthy introduction to the game, though since it's the first book I've read on the subject I don't have much frame of reference. It follows a logical progression, starting out slowly with basic examples and presenting problems for the reader to work through before introducing the next topic, and only touching on those topics that are more advanced/involved, reserving further discussion for subsequent volumes.
September 10, 2018
Solid introduction book - maybe the most solid in English. I have a few complaints though:
1) It might be wise for absolute beginners - the kind likely to read a book like this - to learn how to play Capture Go before playing actual Go.
2) There's IMO not enough time spent on playing on a 9x9 board in this, which is maybe where new players should begin.
1) It might be wise for absolute beginners - the kind likely to read a book like this - to learn how to play Capture Go before playing actual Go.
2) There's IMO not enough time spent on playing on a 9x9 board in this, which is maybe where new players should begin.
January 27, 2021
Why isnt this game more popular in the west?!?!? This book is a must read if anyone is wanting to get there feet wet in the endless ocean that is Go (bit dramatic). Took what seemed really complex and broke it down to simple beginner concepts, already improved a few kyu this week. The game seems to have an easier learning curve than chess. Go play! (See what I did there? Hehe)
October 31, 2018
A very clear and practical introduction to Go, starting with the rules, and including all the basics required to start playing meaningful, enjoyable games. Recommended to all beginners. The rest of the series builds nicely upon this base, step by step.
May 27, 2021
Likely the very best Go book for the uninitiated.
May 2, 2025
I read Go: A Complete Introduction to the Game by Cho Chikun first and then someone loaned me Janice Kim’s 5 book set. I went ahead and read the first volume of Kim even though it was probably going to have the same info. For the most part it does, but I like the first volume of Kim’s 5 volume set— Learn to Play Go: A Master’s Guide To the Ultimate Game by Janice Kim better.
Cho’s book was published in 1997. Kim’s book was also initially published in 1997 but has had new editions. The edition I read is from 2010. Both editions say computers haven’t beat humans in go. That’s out of date as of 2016.
The information is essentially the same, but I find Kim’s book more readable. The diagrams are directly adjacent to the explanation with margins that make for easy readability. Cho’s book is long paragraphs with clusters of figures and diagrams that you have to go up and down from the reading to the diagram and back, sometimes even flipping pages back and forth. It can be harder to follow. There are also a few errors, stating “black” when it means “white”. These are obvious.
Each book has sections talking about players, or names of Go or Go in different countries, but Kim’s felt more up-to-date. I also liked the inclusion of the Korean terms in Kim’s book (though I wish the Hanguel was also written and not just romanized words). I also appreciated the reasons behind the etiquette in Kim’s book.
There is nothing wrong per se with the Cho book. It is a good book for an introduction, but if a new player asks me what to read, I’m going to tell them Kim’s Learn to Play Go: A Master’s Guide to the Ultimate Game.
Cross-review posted under Cho’s book.
Cho’s book was published in 1997. Kim’s book was also initially published in 1997 but has had new editions. The edition I read is from 2010. Both editions say computers haven’t beat humans in go. That’s out of date as of 2016.
The information is essentially the same, but I find Kim’s book more readable. The diagrams are directly adjacent to the explanation with margins that make for easy readability. Cho’s book is long paragraphs with clusters of figures and diagrams that you have to go up and down from the reading to the diagram and back, sometimes even flipping pages back and forth. It can be harder to follow. There are also a few errors, stating “black” when it means “white”. These are obvious.
Each book has sections talking about players, or names of Go or Go in different countries, but Kim’s felt more up-to-date. I also liked the inclusion of the Korean terms in Kim’s book (though I wish the Hanguel was also written and not just romanized words). I also appreciated the reasons behind the etiquette in Kim’s book.
There is nothing wrong per se with the Cho book. It is a good book for an introduction, but if a new player asks me what to read, I’m going to tell them Kim’s Learn to Play Go: A Master’s Guide to the Ultimate Game.
Cross-review posted under Cho’s book.
July 20, 2020
ByAs I was reading book 3 in the series, I began to miss some of the basics, that I had initially skipped, thinking I knew all that already.
So I bought this one also, and glad that I did.
I really enjoy the whole series, there is a logical progression in them, and a very readable writing style.
The books clearly explain all the common patterns, techniques, things to look out for, plus it has helpful and funny advice on your mental attitude. I think I found the latter the most useful. (Stay calm, graceful, don't give up after a blunder).
My game of go is noticeably improving.
But one of the last sentences of the book is tragically outdated!
As things stand now, the best Go computers play only at the level of an experienced beginner. If you've read this book, you are already around the level of the most sophisticated computer. The challenging field of Go computing remains wide open. (written in 1994)
So I bought this one also, and glad that I did.
I really enjoy the whole series, there is a logical progression in them, and a very readable writing style.
The books clearly explain all the common patterns, techniques, things to look out for, plus it has helpful and funny advice on your mental attitude. I think I found the latter the most useful. (Stay calm, graceful, don't give up after a blunder).
My game of go is noticeably improving.
But one of the last sentences of the book is tragically outdated!
As things stand now, the best Go computers play only at the level of an experienced beginner. If you've read this book, you are already around the level of the most sophisticated computer. The challenging field of Go computing remains wide open. (written in 1994)
July 27, 2022
This book is a solid introduction to Go. I do not think it's much of a refresher for people who already play without forgetting the rules. I am 12kyu on ogs but was told to read this series from the beginning by my teacher. I think it is a very good introduction to the game. (Another very good introduction is the lessons on the phone app "BadukPop.")
It was well written, well presented, and easy to read. I look forward to the other (four?) books in the series.
It was well written, well presented, and easy to read. I look forward to the other (four?) books in the series.
September 30, 2018
I'm still a terrible Go player, but at least I now have a better understanding of why I'm so rubbish.
The book itself is good, It walks you through the rules of the game, the basic strategies -- including what to watch out for -- and how the game ends. On its own, this book is enough to get anyone started playing. Then you just need a board.
The book itself is good, It walks you through the rules of the game, the basic strategies -- including what to watch out for -- and how the game ends. On its own, this book is enough to get anyone started playing. Then you just need a board.
March 27, 2019
This is one of the best game books I've ever read. Absolutely a fantastic primer to playing Go. While I'm absolutely horrible at the game still, I feel like I have a potential future playing this game going forward.
This book has excellent writing, clear demonstrations, and just seems to want to have fun with the reader. I can't recommend this book more highly.
This book has excellent writing, clear demonstrations, and just seems to want to have fun with the reader. I can't recommend this book more highly.
March 5, 2021
A great, super helpful book to learn Go / Baduk / Weiqi. It has lots of step-by-step explanations with diagrams that are big and easy to see -- after 20 days, I won my first game against a real person online! I was so surprised. They resigned. I thought it was a flute. Then, I won again the following day! ᕙ(☉ਊ☉)ᕗ
February 3, 2023
Very good book for beginners to the game of GO. It's maybe a little too simple to get you anywhere. You'd probably need the first 3 books to feel a bit more confident about playing.
I've bought all 5, just finished the second and moving onto the third. They do flow together nicely, but maybe the whole 5 volume set count have been done as two books.
I've bought all 5, just finished the second and moving onto the third. They do flow together nicely, but maybe the whole 5 volume set count have been done as two books.
January 13, 2018
Skvělá série knih pro začínající hráče královské hry GO
February 3, 2018
This is a great resource for learning Go.
March 25, 2018
While dryer than So you Want to play Go? This introduction so wequi is an excellent addition to beginners’ understanding.
January 7, 2019
Very good conceptually, just a bit clunky in editing and design.
January 8, 2021
A great refresher, very clear and concise with practice problems at the end of each section to reinforce concepts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews