Reviews►Books

Book Review: Get Strong at Joseki 1

Get Strong at Joseki 1 Cover

Get Strong at Joseki 1

Description: In the second volume of the Get Strong at Go Series, Bozulich familiarizes the reader with 11 basic josekis that commonly occur around the 3-4 point and how to handle them in regards to their variations, choosing the correct joseki given the whole board, and how to play after the joseki is completed. A great book for players who want a better grasp on joseki as a whole.

Book Details

Title, Get Strong at Joseki 1
Series, Get Strong at Go Series
Author, Richard Bozulich
Publisher, Kiseido
Published, “First Printing September 1995 | Second Printing November 2002”
Language, English
ISBN, 4-906574-52-1
Length, 176 Pages
Problems, 178 Problems

Table of Content

  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • Part One - Joseki Variations (Problems 1-99)
  • Part Two - Choosing the Right Joseki (Problems 100-124)
  • Part Three - How to Play After the Joseki (Problems 125-178)

Before I Read This Book…

My Abilities

  • I have had some exposure to joseki, but for the most part I have avoided the study of joseki for a long time. As a result, I would consider my knowledge and ability to use joseki to be very weak.
    My Perspective

  • As I am a big fan of the Get Strong at Go Series, I’m really hoping that this will help me gain more familiarity with joseki and increase my comfort with using them.

Synopsis

What did I enjoy about the book?

  • I enjoy the fact that Bozulich includes some common trick plays and how to handle them.
  • The problems contain variations on different scenarios that really help acclimate the reader to seeing how just one slight chance in the sequence can completely change the outcome.
  • There is a whole section devoted to choosing joseki in regards to the entire board.
  • Proper attention is given to how to play once a joseki is finished.

What did I gain from reading this book?

  • An increased liking and familiarity with joseki.
  • A better understanding of how to apply joseki to my own games.

What is the format of the book?

  1. Introduction to the 11 basic joseki focused on in this book.
  2. A section of practice problems focusing on joseki variations.
  3. A section of practice problems focusing on choosing the correct joseki given the whole board context.
  4. A section of practice problems on how to continue play once the joseki is complete.

What aspects can be improved on?

  • No complaints here!

Is this book easy to read?

  • Yes and no. The explanations are short and concise for those who are familiar with much of go strategy and its terminology. For those who might be unfamiliar with things such as a “severe pincer” or how moves are “pressuring another group” might find it a little hard to comprehend.

Bottom Line

  1. Excellent format for players to familiarize themselves with joseki.
  2. Gives great practice for trying to see the board as a whole instead of localized sequences.
  3. A fantastic way for players to gain a better handle on using joseki instead of simply memorizing them.

My Review

Overall, I was very impressed with this book. While the first section of the book regarding joseki variations was a bit difficult for me to work through (since my own knowledge of joseki is very weak), the other two sections were very helpful and enjoyable to practice since I was able to be exposed to a lot of new ideas and practice my whole board evaluation ability. As mentioned above in the “Before I Read This Book” section, I am someone who has always been adverse to joseki and have thus avoided the topic as a whole. So the fact that I did not find this book excruciating to work through speaks quite a bit about it.

  1. Players looking to study joseki and its application to actual board positions.

Where Can I Buy It?

  • GoGameGuru - $20.99 USD (shipping and handling not included)
  • Kiseido - $21.00 USD (shipping and handling not included)

Other Books in This Series…

  • Get Strong at the Opening
  • Get Strong at Joseki 1
  • Get Strong at Joseki 2
  • Get Strong at Joseki 3
  • Get Strong at Invading
  • Get Strong at Tesuji
  • Get Strong at the Endgame
  • Get Strong at Life and Death
  • Get Strong at Handicap Go
  • Get Strong at Attacking

Last Updated on August 25th, 2013