Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go, Toshiro Kageyama

Many Go books promise to explain the fundamentals; here is one that really keeps its promise. Kageyama’s subjects are connectivity, good and bad shape, the way stones should ‘move,’ the difference between territory and spheres of influence, how to use thickness and walls, how to train yourself to read, where to start looking in a life-and-death problem—matters so fundamental that other writers miss them completely. He also points out the right ways to study – how to study josekis for example.

"What changed me from an amateur int a professional was getting a really firm grip on the fundamentals," writes Kageyama. The essence of seven years of amateur play and twenty-two years of professional playing experience are distilled into these pages. This book is filled with advice that all Go players will find practical.

Comments & Reviews

I read this book as a double digit kyu and was kind of indifferent. It is fun to read because of the anecdotes and the writing style, which is far from boring. But you might be offended in that you think the author is looking down on amateurs. I now read this book a second time, now as a single digit kyu and even enjoy it more than for the first time. In fact, the comparisons between amateurs and professionals are what make this book so interesting and you get some idea what professional go is about. I think it is a book that you will read whenever you encounter a barrier, stuck at a certain rank. The book then reminds you about the fundamentals and studying them will bring you over the barrier, hopefully ;-)

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I think I know why most people love this book, but some hate it or are indifferent. It’s because it’s an antidote to every other book you’ve read. Instead of teaching special moves to deal with special situations, it reminds you that tesuji and fighting moves should only be a small part of your game, and that the straightforward move is often best. On the one hand, this is important advice, but on the other, as Phil Waldron once observed, “Kato’s Stop and Wait wouldn’t sell as many copies as Kato’s Attack and Kill.”

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It’s definitly a good book and it’s very interesting to read, but I don’t understand the cult status around it. Basicly this book just drive the point that you need to work hard and take your game seriously to improve. I think I got more out of ‘attack and defence’ and ‘tesuji’ than what I got from this book.

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This book is probably the best book I own (and I own many go books). It’s fun and easy to read, but contains a lot of information. Not only is it a good place to learn, but it’s a good place to return to and regain your foundation in the fundamentals after a study in more advanced concepts. Definitely the core of any go library.

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Every time I feel like I’ve read so many josekis and life and death problems that my head is going to explode and I’m still not getting better, I pick up this book and read it again. It keeps me grounded and reminds me of the very basics that make a great go player.

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This book will probably do more for mid kyu players than any other Go book in existence. It is a translation of a Japanese book which sold over 150,000 copies (downright astonishing for a Go book, even in 1970’s Japan). It did more to bring home to me what Go is actually about than any other book I have ever read.

If this book has a weakness, it’s that it’s so readable that you can come away thinking “there’s nothing here I didn’t know already”. Don’t be fooled – and don’t take this book lightly. This is one to read over and over again until it falls apart. Then buy another copy.

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The author’s quirky style and enthusiasm for go makes this a must-have for me. I have books that are more “serious” but none that are as fun to read. A singular book.

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As the author states in the preface, this is a book to be studied a chapter at a time, firmly grounding yourself in the basics before moving on to the next. However, this is not a dry tome, but more like a Go lesson from a favorite uncle. The material is presented in a friendly, teasing, almost conspiratorial manner, as if the author is letting you in on a secret world. The stories sprinkled throughout the chapters are as entertaining as the lessons are informative, making the book read like a novel and as a in depth study guide. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading it again and again.

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Lessons in the fundamentals is the favourite Go book of many players, and there is a reason for it. It is probably the best go book there is for mid-kyu players. It combines an all-round approach to the needed basics (Shape, Tesuji, Life and Death, endgame, basic concepts, common amateur mistakes) with an entertaining and comprehensible writing style. There is a lot to learn from this book and its fun to read, too.

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I bought this after hearing numerous positive reviews form this site, and I was seriously disapointed. As its name suggests, it hits many topics lightly, and I didn’t feel like I was learning much from it. I have an extensive library, most of which I read 3 times, some only twice, but this one was difficult to get through.

It did have an excelent interlude on when the author taught on TV, and it was very interesting. I read the rest of the book hoping for another one. The best I got after that was his strategy in playing the Meijin, in which he staked the whole game on gettign lucky and choosing black.

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This is a book designed to be read and read again and again. My copy is becoming annotated with comments in the margin, sentences underlined, and generally looks the worse for wear. All signs that it is well worth studying.

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... for all serious players. If you can only afford one book in your life this should be it.

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