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Book Review: Get Strong at Joseki 2

Get Strong at Joseki 2 Cover

Get Strong at Joseki 2

Description: In the third volume of the Get Strong at Go Series, Bozulich familiarizes the reader with 8 josekis that commonly occur around the 5-4 and 5-3 point, 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 2
Series, Get Strong at Go Series
Author, Richard Bozulich in collaboration with Furuyama Kazunari
Publisher, Kiseido
Published, “First Printing January 1996”
Language, English
ISBN, 4-906574-053-X
Length, 174 Pages
Problems, 172 Problems

Table of Content

  • Preface
  • Introduction - Eight Basic Joseki
  • Part One - After the Joseki and Joseki Variations (Problems 1-122)
  • Part Two - Choosing the Right Joseki and Playing after the Joseki (Problems 123-172)

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, ESPECIALLY when it comes to the 5-4 and 5-3 points.

My Perspective

  • After reading Get Strong at Joseki 1, I was looking forward to what this book had to offer. And to be clear, I was hoping to get more exposure to more joseki and continue familiarizing myself with it.

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 or even deviate from joseki in my own games.

What is the format of the book?

  1. Similar to the Get Strong at Joseki 1, there is an introduction section that familiarizes the reader with the featured joseki in the book. Afterwards, the rest are practice problems accompanied by their solutions to help the reader gain a better grasp on the joseki.

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 happy with the continued quality of problems in this book. Similar to the previous volume, I found that the first section regarding joseki variations was rather hard for me to work through. Though to be clear, Bozulich acknowledges that this will be common for many players at first due to unfamiliarity with the material. So it’s nothing to fret about.

The favorite part of my book continues to be the section on “Choosing the Right Joseki and Playing the Right Joseki” since it is geared toward getting to the reader to take into account the whole board when making their decision. This is a wonderful change of scenery from the narrow perspective that players often practice on (such as focusing on just a corner or two groups for life and death). So much love for this section. Definitely hoping to see more of this in the next volume!

  1. Players looking to study 5-3 and 5-4 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 September 7th, 2013.