Book Review: Graded Go Problems for Beginners, Vol. 3

Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5 Ponnuki

Basic Information

• Title: Graded Go Problems for Beginners, Volume 3
• Author: Kano Yoshinori
• Translator: Richard Bozulich
• Publisher: Kiseido Publishing Company
• Publication Date: March 1987
• Page Length: 199 pages
• Number of Problems: 421

Synopsis

• This is where the go problems begin to get more complicated and advanced.
• Continues the general format from the previous volumes, but has a higher expectation of its readers.
• Appropriate for 10 kyu and stronger.
• Recommended for serious players and above.

Detailed Review

Readability - 8 / 10

From this point on, the problems enter an advanced level and leaves behind the simpler problems we became familiar with in Volume 1 and Volume 2. As a result, some of the solutions will be harder to understand and the variations may not necessarily cover the answer you came up with. This is to be expected however, seeing as how we are progressing towards the land of SDK’s (i.e., single digit kyus).

For overall readability explanation, see the readability section in the review on the entire series.

Content Quality - 9 / 10

This volume has a much greater emphasis on life and death and middle game tactics. While I was a little sad to see fewer subjects than the previous volumes, I recognize that the next level of growth for players lies in the middle game. The problems still are top notch and will be very valuable to those players who can understand the lessons they are trying to pass on.

While the cover states that the book is appropriate for 20 kyu to 15 kyu players, if you can do all the problems in these book, you are most likely going to be in the 12 kyu to 8 kyu range.

For overall content quality explanation, see the content quality section in the review on the entire series.

Table of Contents

1. Preface
2. Glossary

3. Part One: Problems

   1.  Intermediate Problems: Level One
   
                   1.  Section 1\. Middle Game Problems
           2.  Section 2\. Opening Problems
           3.  Section 3\. Living Groups and Dead Groups
           4.  Section 4\. Endgame Problems
   
           2.  Intermediate Problems: Level Two
   
                   1.  Section 1\. Middle Game Problems
           2.  Section 2\. Opening Problems
           3.  Section 3\. Living Groups and Dead Groups
           4.  Section 4\. Endgame Problems
   
           3.  Intermediate Problems: Level Three - Life and Death Problems
   
                   1.  Section 1\. Life and Death
           2.  Section 2\. Ko
           3.  Section 3\. Seki
           4.  Section 4\. Capturing Races
   
           4.  Intermediate Problems: Level Four - Life and Death Problems
   

4. Part Two: Answers

5. National Go Association

Recommended Vendors:

1. GoGameGuru - $20.99 (S&H not included)
2. Kiseido - $21.00 (S&H not included)

Last updated December 24th, 2012 - 6 kyu