In the Beginning: Elementary Go Series, Vol.1, Ikuro Ishigure

The world’s foremost intellectual board game begins with virtually unlimited possibilities on an empty board. Here a 9-dan professional go player explains how the game takes shape, bringing correct modern opening technique within reach of all players. Elementary in its approach, In The Beginning illuminates depths of go strategy that few amateurs understand well.

Required for all go players.

Comments & Reviews

Good and Solid - Written by Andd

I liked this book alot and the first section easily carried me through the ddks in terms of fuseki. I got this book because GO for Beginners was severely lacking there. I got this book around 18k and i gained a stone almost immediately. One small gripe is the intense shift to the complicated stuff. The first chapter is great for learning the basic but once you get to the second chapter it is like getting hit with a brick. It is very very dense and provides little short term satisfaction but the principals will eventually click into your play.

A good book on how to play the opening - Written by Andrew Grant

This is quite a good book on even-game opening theory. It isn’t too overwhelming, and gets the basic principles across well. Kyu players who are just beginning to play even games regularly will find it a useful read.

One thing to be aware of is that this book does not explain how to play specific openings like the sanrensei or Shusaku patterns; it is more general in scope.

Okay, but not an essential purchase - Written by jergarmar

I bought this book and thought it was ok, but there just wasn’t enough in it to justify the cost for me. This would have made a nice $5 – $7 pamphlet. In go terms, I thought this book was “solid” but “overconcentrated” and “inefficient”.

Good coverage and depth - Written by Shaydwyrm

I really like this book, but like many volumes of the Elementary Go Series, it is designed to have some lasting value, so it is hard to classify it as a book for beginners. Rather, it can be skimmed by beginners without worrying about understanding everything, just to get a sense of the opening, and then come back to later once some of the ideas have been put into practice. The problems in particular are quite good; I especially like the 1-10 scoring system for potential solutions.

good book but should not be volume 1 - Written by funkyj

This is a good book but beginner’s would be better served by getting grounded in fighting (vol. 3) and life and death (vol. 4) before learning opening theory.

Fuseki booster - Written by ChiyoDad

Someone once asked me whether to get this book or Opening Theory Made Easy to study fuseki. It was a very hard question to answer and, in the end, I gave the nod to Opening Theory because it was easier to read and had more ideas (beyond just fuseki) that a beginner could experiment with.

That’s not to say that Ishigure’s book is inferior. Far from it! I in fact really like the way Ishigure presents his problems (he takes into account that there could be many answers) and the detail he provides towards understanding fuseki.

If you can afford it and would like to understand more of the "why’s" behind the opening moves, then add In The Beginning to your library.

ChiyoDad’s Interpretation of the Rating Scale 5 = Core library item 4 = Good study supplement 3 = Fair study supplement 2 = Interesting 1 = Buy it if you just collect Go books

An Excellent Starter - Written by Ash

Having learnt the rules of GO, just where do you play the first few stones? Reading this book gave me an understanding of some opening principles and ensured that I was still alive after 20 moves.. a great book for a beginner

Great Little Book - Written by DrStraw

30 years ago I knew a 2 dan (who is still very active) who said that before every tournament he read this book. There have been other fuseki books since, but none has replaced this book in its simplicity of presentation as an introduction to the subject. Highly recommended as an introduction to fuseki.

Good for 1st book on the opening - Written by malweth

This book is a good introduction to the opening. It was my first non-introductory Go book, and it helped me really get started studying the game. I’ve heard that this book isn’t as good as the equivalent book by Otake, but I never fully read the Otake book (I purchased it mistakenly after I was too strong for it).

Any book will do, though – a 20-kyu player needs to learn what points are big, and what the priority of moves are.

Though… Anyone else think it odd that the game position shown on the cover is late endgame?

Similar to "In the Beginning: Elementary Go Series, Vol.1"

Tesuji: Elementary Go Series, Vol.3

Handicap Go: Elementary Go Series, Vol.7

The End Game: Elementary Go Series, Volume 6

Life & Death: Elementary Go Series, Vol.4

Attack and Defense: Elementary Go Series, Vol.5