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Book Review: Get Strong at Joseki 3

Get Strong at Joseki 3

Description: In the fourth volume of the Get Strong at Go Series, Bozulich and Kazunari familiarizes the reader with 10 josekis that commonly occur around the star 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 3 (Vol. 4)
Series, Get Strong at Go Series
Author, Richard Bozulich & Furuyama Kazunari
Publisher, Kiseido
Published, “First Printing May 1996 | Second Printing August 2008”
Language, English
ISBN, 987-4-906574-54-4
Length, 208 Pages
Problems, 194 Problems

Table of Content

  • Preface
  • Introduction - Ten Basic Joseki
  • Problems Part One - Joseki Variations (Problems 1-116)
  • Problems Part Two - Choosing the Right Joseki (117-140)
  • Problems Part Three - How to Play After the Joseki (141-194)

Before I Read This Book…

As I mentioned before in the previous two volumes (GTAJ1 & GTAJ2), joseki is not a real strength of mine. While I have become aware of some common ones due to experience using them or making mistakes, learning joseki has always been a bit of a challenge for me. With this final volume though, I was really looking forward to seeing star point joseki be featured.

Synopsis

What did I enjoy about the book?

  • I really liked the fact that Bozulich & Kazunari included joseki that are not commonly found in resources like Josekipedia. An example of this include the high one space double approach.
  • I enjoy the fact that Bozulich & Kazunari 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?

  • A realization that there is a lot more to start point joseki than I was aware.
  • A better understanding of some of the reasons behind why certain joseki are played.

What is the format of the book?

  1. Similar to the GTSAJ1 and GTSAJ2, 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 some common star point joseki along with some not so common ones as well.

  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

As with the previous volumes, I was very pleased overall with the quality of problems in this book. Bozulich & Kazunari continued to live up to my expectations and did a great job with the star point joseki featured in this book. Just like before though, I found that the first section regarding joseki variations was still quite difficult for me to work through. To be clear though, 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 is still 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). Definitely the best section of the entire series.

  1. Players looking to study some common (and a couple uncommon) star point 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)

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Last Updated on September 14th, 2013.