List of Books

SmartGo is proud to offer a book by Michael Redmond 9 dan written specifically for SmartGo Books. It features six basic plans for the Sanrensei opening, and illustrates the strategy and tactics of these patterns in twenty of Michael Redmond's games. Whether you play the Sanrensei or need to defend against it, this is the book to read before your next tournament.

For those without iPad or iPhone: please check out the PDF sample of Michael Redmond's book. Slate & Shell has published a print version of this book.

A collection of eleven masterpieces by some of the great players of the post-war era. An exhaustive commentary accompanies each game. Starts with the atomic-bomb game between Iwamoto and Hashimoto, Takagawa's dominance of the Honinbo title, the rise of Sakata and Fujisawa Shuko, Fujisawa Hosai and his imitation go strategy, and more.

For those without iPad or iPhone: please check out the PDF sample of Modern Master Games.

This book is the best and most authoritative introduction to this ancient and fascinating game. Written specifically for the western reader by one of the strongest players in the world, it presents the rules, tactics, and strategy of this unique game in a step-by-step, easy to understand way. Besides showing you how to play, it contains essays about the world of Go which will broaden your knowledge and understanding as well as pique your interest. From history to modern tournament play, from traditional playing sets to computer Go, you'll find it in these pages.

The award-winning first book in the Learn to Play Go series. Takes the complete beginner step-by-step all the way to playing real Go in fourteen chapters that can be read in 10-15 minutes each, each with a try-it-yourself section at the end. Suitable for kids, demystifies the learning process for adults.

By far the clearest introduction yet to be published in English. — Game Magazine

Second in a series that takes you step-by-step to stronger Go playing — field-tested theory for the modern practitioner of the ancient art of Go. Self-test chapter to check your progress. Requires only a basic knowledge of the rules for comprehension. Helpful for beginners, or more experienced players who feel 'stuck'.

Learn the secrets of professional Go playing from two top masters of the game. Seven Go dangers — learn what to avoid. Eight secrets of winning play. Real games — even, high, and low-handicap — analyzed in depth.

The essential principles and techniques of good fighting: Battle strategies for invasions, reductions, running battles, contact fights, identifying key stones and expendables, capturing races, and ko fighting.

Professional player Janice Kim reveals the fundamentals of shape and guidelines to correct opening and endgame play learned at the world's top Go training ground, the Korean Go Academy.

This book will have a revolutionary impact on any kyu player who reads it. Zhou clarifies common kyu level misunderstandings that hold kyu players back from reaching dan level. He explains that the skills needed to reach shodan are not things like a thorough knowledge of josekis or an ability to read out long sequences, but rather the elimination of some common confusions about how the game should be approached. The principles involved are not difficult to understand, and Zhou clarifies them by giving detailed analyses of how they are being ignored in three different games between kyu level players.

In this book, Yuan Zhou looks at common kyu-level mistakes in tactics as well as in strategy. His commentaries on six games played by single-digit kyu players point out and explain both mistakes and good moves. Earlier versions of these commentaries were included in the American Go Association E-Journal; the commentaries have been significantly expanded for this publication. This is a great follow-up to How Not to Play Go, elaborating and illustrating the principles discussed there.

If you liked the first volume, you'll love the second volume. Yuan Zhou discusses kyu-level mistakes in another six games.

A key feature in the Go books Neil has written is an evaluation of the intention behind each and every move played. The vast majority of game reviews on the Internet and in traditional books have sparse move commentary. Beginners and many intermediate players are thereby sold short---they have to guess why most moves were played.

In this book, Neil analyzes six double digit kyu games. He illustrates shortcomings in the reactionary and localised, small-scale thinking that characterizes play at this level. Every move is evaluated, with variations showing the effect of better moves. By commenting this way, the reader is made to think about each move - the repetition reinforcing better thinking, much as repeated Go problem solving sharpens your reading.

These game commentaries should help players tidy up their play, make them more efficient, and start to see new ways of appraising positions, moving them towards single digit kyu level.

The most useful book for beginning players ever written. After introducing the basic principles of opening play, the reader is shown practical sure-win strategies that he or she can use in handicap games. A chapter is devoted to tesujis (tactical brilliancies), with 69 examples and 50 problems. The book ends with a chapter on the endgame.

Graded Go Problems for Beginners are the ideal books for players who have just learned the rules of Go, bridging the gap between a beginner’s book and some of the more ‘advanced’ elementary books.

This book provides a vast number and a large variety of opening problems for the inexperienced player. Explanations are brief, with emphasis being placed on principles to give the reader a feeling of what a good opening move is. To this end each problem is presented by stating an opening principle that can be used to solve the problem. By seeing how these opening principles are used in games, your intuition in the opening will become highly developed.

Surrounding a large moyo is a lot of fun, and the Sanrensei opening is perfectly suited to do it. Patterns of the Sanrensei is a complete study of Sanrensei opening strategies that Michael Redmond used successfully in professional tournament games. In section 1 the reader will find the six Patterns, Black's six basic game plans for the Sanrensei. Section 2 is collection of twenty of Michael Redmond's games, in which the Sanrensei Patterns are shown in actual play. Throughout the book Redmond gives a detailed analysis, making clear the meaning behind his tactics.

Michael Redmond is the only Western Go professional to reach 9 dan. Written directly in English and specifically designed for SmartGo Books, this book is a treasure for every player interested in the Sanrensei opening, whether you want to play it or defend against it.

A legendary work by a legendary player. 'Razor-Sharp' Sakata, so long at the forefront of the go world, produced, when he was at the height of his powers, a classic text on the theme of killing stones.

Sakata conveys, with exquisite erudition, the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of the winner when a well-planned attack bears fruits. At the same time, he offers a thumbnail sketch of the history of Go through the ages, masterpieces of attack from his own and others' games, fascinating glimpses into the nature of offbeat joseki and the shape of stones, as well as classic games which he fully annotates. One is the famous game between Meijin Shusai Honinbo and Karigane Junichi, hailed as a 'group-capturing masterpiece played between the top players' of the day.

This work went through more than 100 printings during the late 60s! The English translation has been out of print for a number of years; we're excited to bring this book back to life. The SmartGo Books edition of this tour de force makes it easy to replay the games directly in the diagrams; moreover, twenty-seven additional diagrams replace long sequences of letters that were hard to follow.

This is an exhaustive manual that details how sparkling technique may bring one's game alive. 61 Model situations are examined, in which deadly hane, exquisite placements, and stunning attachments, among other skillful finesse, are shown to be surprisingly effective. The flip side of the matter, crude moves (or 'anti-suji') are offered in contrast, demonstrating how thoughtless play can throw away the chance for an advantage. The positions in the book are illustrated in more than 700 diagrams, which makes comprehension of the material simple.

A general introduction to the subject sets the stage for the main text, while the book ends with several examples from actual games. In addition, the author, Sakata Eio, Honorary Honinbo, includes a number of vignettes, in the manner of Killer of Go, the work of his which preceded this one.

This is both a thoroughly enjoyable exploration into one of the most fascinating aspects of go, and a text which can be invaluable for growing stronger. Like 'Killer of Go', this book has been out of print for years.

Sabaki is one of the most intriguing techniques of go. In the hands of accomplished players it can seem like pure sorcery. At times the stones can appear to dance with life. While playing lightly hither and yon, the opponent's forces can end up ineffective, over-concentrated and misdirected.

Yoda Norimoto has been one of the leading players on the go scene for more than ten years. In this landmark volume he uses a question and answer format to explore a variety of the aspects of go regarding sabaki from each player's point of view.

78 Model Problems, each with limited responses, are posed for the reader to solve. Despite this narrow focus, finding the correct solution can be surprisingly difficult. But Yoda clearly explains all of the possibilities, so the reader can cultivate the judgment to find the key line of play in such positions.

This is a book that all go players will treasure.

Fujisawa Shuko was one of Japan’s top players from the 1960s. Among his contemporaries, he ranks with Go Seigen and Sakata Eio for his creativity and the depth of his understanding of go. His two greatest achievements were becoming the first tournament Meijin in 1962 and winning the first six terms of the Kisei title from 1977 to 1982. Shuko won this title against Hashimoto Utaro at 52, an age at which most pros are washed up as title contenders. He went on to defend this title against challenges from most of the young stars of the day (Kato Masao, Ishida Yoshio, Rin Kaiho, and Otake Hideo) who were dominating all the other titles.

The Games of Fujisawa Shuko presents all 40 games that Fujisawa played in the Kisei title matches, including the seven in which he was dethroned by Cho Chikun. Most of these games were first published in Go World, but two against Hashimoto never appeared there and one had only an extremely brief commentary. John Power has provided new commentaries for these games to make this volume complete.

Shuko was a player of great originality, with an unmatched intuitive grasp of the essence of go. He was the player other professionals consulted when a fuseki or middle-game problem was to difficult for them. He was a great exponent of thickness and had a knack for astonishing other professionals with the boldness of his ideas, especially in the transition from the fuseki to the middle game.

Studying and playing through these games will give you an appreciation of the profundity of go as well as an appreciation of the genius of Fujisawa Shuko.

A collection of eleven masterpieces by some of the great players of the post-war era. An exhaustive commentary accompanies each game. Starts with the atomic-bomb game between Iwamoto and Hashimoto, Takagawa's dominance of the Honinbo title, the rise of Sakata and Fujisawa Shuko, Fujisawa Hosai and his imitation go strategy, and more.

Have you ever wondered what pros think about during a game? This book gives you a unique opportunity to find out and you will frequently be surprised. The book follows a game between two teams: Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru (the young hot-shots) versus Segoe Kensaku and Suzuki Tamejiro (the established top players). The members of the teams were allowed to consult with each other in another room between moves, and a reporter made notes on what they said and what they did on the practice board. As a result we have an incredible record of what the players were planning and hoping for, what they thought their opponents were doing, and what they decided not to do as well as why they made the choices they did. There could not be a more thoroughly commented professional game.

This book contains four games analyzed and explained by Yuan Zhou. Zhou is especially adept at clarifying what is happening in pro games so that even relative beginners can benefit from studying them.

This e-book is a selection of commentaries on professional games from two print books by Yuan Zhou. There are two of the fourteen games in Master Play: The Styles of Seven Top Pros and two of the fourteen in Understanding Pro Games, both published by Slate & Shell.

This book contains four thoroughly commented games from Go Seigen's matches with Fujisawa Kuranosuke. Because Fairbairn draws on numerous sources not available in English, the discussion is unusually illuminating.

These four games are selected from the print book 9-Dan Showdown, published by Slate & Shell. The print book contains thirty games with extensive commentary as well as a great deal of historical and biographical material. In the e-book version, only the game commentary, with colour notes (slightly abridged), is included. Fairbairn draws the commentary from multiple sources.

What does it take to become Kisei? Naturally, there are many go players who would like to know the secret and this book supplies the answer. It is O Rissei's account of how he captured the Kisei title and it reveals his thoughts as he challenged the best players in the world and overcame them to win the go world's highest title. The key to his win was innovative play in the opening, stubborn persistence in the middle game and precise calculation in the endings. All of these facets are explored in this work.

In Chapter 1, O Rissei presents sixteen strategies that he has used to get the advantage in the opening of his games. These are cutting-edge moves that are rarely found in even the most up-to-date joseki dictionaries. Chapter 2 illustrates the continuations and offers the reader a chance to guess at the winning play in a problem format. The surprising thing is that sometimes the answers are so simple that one fails to see them coming. Chapter 3 brings all the elements of the book together in a thorough analysis of six of O Rissei's games played against the best go players in the game today. Again, a problem format gives the reader the chance to match wits with these great talents.

Catching Scent of Victory is one of the rare books in the world that delivers more than it promises. It explains how to set the stage in the opening of a game of go so that one has a chance to win, then demonstrates the mechanics of the play and finally shows how events typically develop through the middlegame. But then it goes even farther, to step behind the scenes and recapture the human element of top-level match play. It is a testament to the panorama of O Rissei's go career. And as such, it proclaims that one must always be on the lookout for suspicious moves.

What in the world is thickness in go?! One hears the term bandied about as if it were a given. But what actually is meant by that word? And how can the concept of thickness be applied in one's own game?

Hane Naoki 9 dan, former Kisei, learned the value of playing with an awareness of thickness from his renowned father, Hane Yasumasa 9 dan, one of the most accomplished players of his generation. But what actually is thickness? And how is it best utilized? The author has a surprising answer. He does not necessarily seek to use it to attack as many players do, nor to dominate the opponent. Instead, Hane says that thickness gives him leeway to play in a relaxed way, rather than going all-out, to be satisfied with a mere sufficient gain instead of a big windfall and to play moves that others might deem too mediocre to consider.

This book shows the keys to doing that successfully. Using positions from his actual games, including ones against his father while he was still an amateur and then again when he was on the verge of capturing the Kisei title, the most distinguished exploit in the go world. Hane highlights both the most significant strategic and tactical moments, while also pointing out fundamental truths about the game that one needs to master in order to play skillfully.

Everybody loves a good fight. There is nothing better to get the adrenalin pumping and the heart racing. While playing go, it is even more enjoyable than capturing the opponent's stones. In Japan today, perhaps Yamashita Keigo is the most successful attacking player on the go scene. His effectiveness in attacking has brought him to the pinnacle of the go world, winning the Kisei title.

In this book, Yamashita retraces his career, from his first forays as a fledging professional to one of the masterful games that gave him the Kisei title. Over ten chapters, he analyzes these games in detail, starting with Highlight Scenes that he presents of the games to follow and where he challenges the reader to find the best move. Then he explains the essence of his approach to the game and the key to attacking. The next chapter offers problem positions from 12 memorable games that he played, selected by his teacher, Kikuchi Yasuro, who for many years was one of the top amateur players in Japan. The final chapter contains biographical information and an intimate look at Yamashita's growth and maturity as go player.

Rather than being a brilliant or flashy player, Yamashita has achieved success through tenacious and indomitable play. That characteristic has served him well and is the kind of thing that can be emulated by anyone. This book gives a complete picture of Yamashita's development and the most notable aspects of his play. Altogether, it is instructive, entertaining, inspiring and informative. It shows how go is currently being played at the highest level and the attacking innovations to be seen there.

Innovative moves in the opening are explored in this volume. These are the newest moves in the fuseki or joseki as they are examined by the next generation in the dormitory or played in top competition. Takao Shinji, Judan is one of Shuko Sensei's students who frequently participates in the study sessions. Sakai Hideyuki, an amateur who turned professional and is now playing in the Meijin league and other major tournaments, is one of many others who also seek out Shuko Sensei's masterful advice. The key word here is imagination and Shuko Sensei never tires of repeating that the essential factor in go is to think in creative ways.

This volume examines fighting moves in the middlegame. The positions that are investigated are from games played by the best of the younger generation in Japan, China, and Korea against each other or against the best of the older generation. As always, Shuko Sensei sharply criticizes complacent moves, and points out how to take control of the games.