First Kyu, Sung-Hwa Hong

How far would you go to be first? "BEFORE WE BEGIN… Let me tell you a story. An old story, a really old story. Do you know how to play go? You do? First kyu, a player of the first rank? Really? Have you ever competed in a professional qualifying tournament? No? Then you are not, I repeat NOT first kyu! I know, I know. Nowadays all kinds of bad players call themslelves first kyu. This story is, however, not about those fake first kyus. It’s a story of the real first kyus. There is a guy who runs a smoke shop near Niagara Falls. His name is Shin. On rainy days he keeps staring at the falls and mumbles something like this: "I’m sure they must all be playing for bangneki stakes happily somewhere…" Can you even guess what he is talking about? If not, just hold on and listen to what I’m going to tell you. Only about a handful of people know this story. So listen up." Thus begins a compelling, insightful, and haunting tale of love, sacrifice, the seach for excellence, and Go- the world’s oldest game.

Comments & Reviews

My favorite go novel - Written by Ninito

I really loved reading this story. Although it shows the bad side of go, it also shows how wonderful it can be. A must read for any go player.

A book filled with Passionate Go Feeling - Written by DragonN

The story touched upon Wook and his Go experiences as well as life experience. It is rather dry in the language due to the translation, but it is a wonderful read for any Go player. The story gives individual lesson about Go and Life. Together they bring forth the nature of the game and nature of life: Work hard, Study hard, Think hard, Struggle hard, Love Hard, but let everything flow like water on the river just like Life.

Powerful Work Of Art, Great Read - Written by Dudzik

We follow the slow fall into moral depravity and a lost future, of a young man captured by baduk. The story is gritty, as are several of the main characters, and even the prose itself helps draw a picture of a world full of gambling and cigarettes. A very tight and consistent work. I could not put it down.

The style seems to be off-putting for some, but I’m not sure I know why. There is no shortage of quality in this book.

A great and touching story - Written by roussos

I enjoyed this book very much. It reads easily and it touches the feelings of anyone who loves the game of Go.

Clumsy style - Written by gowan

Somewhat interesting story but very clumsily written. Many Korean students I have met avoid baduk as poison for their studies. This story shows the unsavory side of the baduk world.

Interesting, but not good literature - Written by GoCat

I love reading a good novel, and I love playing and learning about Go. To find a book that combines these both is a rare treat. Of course, this makes Kawabata’s incomparable The Master of Go a book to read and re-read. I was hoping for more of the same with the novel First Kyu. My reaction is that it fulfilled half of my hopes – bringing me more inderstanding and fascination about the game of Go – but failed to speak to me as literature.

First Kyu is a powerful story, of this there is no question. The amazing dedication of young Wook as he struggles to become professional is astounding and revelatory. That he could play through 300 games of a revered Go master, not just once, but 10 times, shows just a hint of what it means to dedicate one’s life to Go – or anything, for that matter.

The novel does a wonderful job describing the cultural environment in which the protagonist lives and struggles. One gets a sense of the personal challenges faced by Wook, and the sacrifices he makes along the way. But, I finished the book feeling a bit empty. Not for lack of story, but for lack of color and narrative. Granted, this is a translation (by the author) from Korean, and perhaps it has suffered for it, but the prose lacks depth and feeling, causing the reader to want to move along, get to the point.

One of the pleasures in literature is lingering over the words as they create images in one’s mind – and this pleasure was far to scant in this book. I can’t help contrasting this to another recent novel, The Girl Who Played Go by Shan Sa. There, Go played a much lesser role, but it was a pleasure to read.

But, if you were to ask me, I would say, "read it, by all means!" Because, I am sure, you are a lover of Go, as I am. In which case you will forgive these shortcomings and soak up the story as it is told.