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Book Review: Whole Board Thinking in Joseki, Vol 2

Whole Board Thinking in Joseki Vol 2 Cover

Whole Board Thinking in Joseki, Volume 2

Description: In the second volume of Whole Board Thinking in Joseki series, Yilun Yang uses an innovative approach to teaching how one can apply global strategy to help make the right choice in local situations for the 3-4 point, high and far kakaris.

Book Details

Title, “Whole Board Thinking in Joseki, Volume Two: 3-4 Point, High Kakari &s; Far Kakaris”
Authors, Yi-Lun Yang with Phil Straus
Publisher, Fourth Line Press
Published, 1997
Language, English
ISBN, 0-9653546-1-X
Length, 181 Pages
Problems, 106 Problems

Table of Content

  1. Preface
  2. Initial Choice
  3. Low Attachment
  4. High Attachment
  5. One-Space Low Pincer
  6. TWo-Space High Pincer
  7. Low Far Kakari
  8. High Far Kakari
  9. Glossary of Terms
  10. About the Authors

Synopsis

  1. Continues to live up to the quality of problems and explanations you come to expect from this series.

  2. Does a great job exposing players to new joseki/variations they might never encounter due to the lack of popularity with the high and far kakari.

  3. The content is not reliant on having read the first volume.

Before I Read This Book…

My Abilities

  • Although I’ve had some exposure to joseki, I have avoided studying them like the plague. I really, really don’t like studying joseki.

My Perspective

  • After reading the first volume, I was excited to get started on this volume to continue seeing how good my whole board thinking was.

My Review

What did I enjoy about the book?

  • Really simple and easy to understand explanations for positions that were once foreign to me.
  • Does a great job keeping the opening to a realistic scenario that you might actually see in your own game.
  • Shows the reader that there can be more than one right answer in a position.

What did I gain from reading this book?

  • Improved understanding of how certain moves work with the board as a whole.
  • Reduction in kyu tunnel vision since I have more practice considering the whole board position.
  • Slightly better understanding of joseki patterns for the 3-4 point, high and far kakari. Though in all honesty, I’ve already forgotten most of it already. Haha.

What style of teaching does the book use?

  • Off the Cliff Style

    *   There is no gradual progression into the material.
*   You learn through trial and error as you progress through the book.

  • Primary Learning Mechanism:

    *   Multiple choice practice problems.

  • Other Learning Mechanisms:

    *   Clear and concise explanations with an accompanying diagram to illustrate his point.

What aspect can be improved on?

  • They need to come out with another volume on star point joseki! That would be awesome!

Is this book easy to read?

  • Absolutely. The explanations are no longer than a paragraph long and are very clear and concise.

In Comparison to Similar Books…

38 Basic Joseki, like most joseki books, actually focuses on teaching the reader about the various sequences from joseki. There is some mention of how they affect the board as a whole, but there is a lack of illustration as to how it is truly impacted. Whole Board Thinking in Joseki, on the other hand, does a perfect job filling this gap.

  • Players looking to practice their whole board thinking.
  • Players looking to understand why some moves are better or worse than others when in certain board positions.

Where Can I Buy It?

  • Slate and Shell - $26.00 USD (shipping and handling not included)

Other Books in This Series…

  • Whole Board Thinking in Joseki - Volume One

Last Updated on July 26th, 2013