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Go Books

Enjoy high-quality books about the game of Go on your iPad and iPhone. Replay moves and solve problems directly within diagrams. A better experience than printed books, at half the price.
Category Price Seller Device
Book Free Smart Go, Inc. iPhone, iPad, iPod

Features:
- Free chapter for each book.
- Play and replay moves in diagrams.
- Interactive problem diagrams.
- Text enhanced with inline diagrams.
- Add your own notes anywhere in a book.
- Adjustable font and layout.
- Some multi-lingual books (Japanese, German, French & Spanish).
- Buy once, read on iPad, iPhone, and Mac.

SmartGo Books currently offers more than 100 Go books that you can buy using in-app purchase; more books are in the works. To help you choose, the free “Guide to Go Books” provides clues as to which books might be appropriate for your level.

Getting started:
- “Learn to Play Go” (vol. 1-5) by Janice Kim 3 dan & Jeong Soo-hyun 9 dan
- “Go: A Complete Introduction to the Game” by Cho Chikun 9 dan
- “So You Want to Play Go?” (levels 1-4) by Jonathan Hop

For more than 20 years, the Elementary Go Series books have been the standard texts for Go players who want to get a firm grasp of the fundamentals. Not only is the theory of Go explained clearly and simply, the reader is also given problems to show how these theoretical concepts are applied in actual games.
- “In the Beginning”
- “38 Basic Joseki”
- “Tesuji”
- “Life and Death”
- “Attack and Defense”
- “The Endgame”
- “Handicap Go”

Improving your technique:
- “How Not to Play Go” (Spanish & French & English)
- “Double Digit Kyu Games”
- “Single Digit Kyu Game Commentaries” (vol. 1 & 2)
- “More Go by example”
- “Basic Techniques of Go”
- “Fundamental Principles of Go”
- “The Workshop Lectures” (vol. 1-5)
- “Cho Hun-hyeon’s Lectures on Go Techniques” (vol. 1 & 2)
– “Counting Liberties and Winning Capturing Races”
- “Tesuji and Anti-Suji of Go” (out-of-print)
- “Making Good Shape”
- “All About Ko”
- “Key Concepts in Life and Death”
- “How to Destroy and Preserve” (out-of-print)
- “Sabaki – How to Manage Weak Stones” (out-of-print)
- “Punishing and Correcting Joseki Mistakes” (out-of-print)
- “Correct Joseki”
- “Vital Points and Skillful Finesse for Sabaki”

Problem books:
- “Black to Play! Train the Basics of Go” (German & French & Spanish & English)
- “Graded Go Problems for Beginners” (vol. 1-4)
- “501 Opening Problems” & “501 Tesuji Problems”
- “Rescue and Capture” & “Tricks in Joseki”
- “Get Strong at Life and Death” & “Get Strong at the Endgame”
- “Shuko: The Only Move” (vol. 1 & 2)
– “Gateway to All Marvels: The Xuanxuan Qijing of 1347”
- “The most difficult problem ever: Igo Hatsuyôron 120” (German & English)

“Invincible: The Games of Shusaku” by John Power has been widely acclaimed as a masterpiece on one of the greatest Go players who ever lived. Enhanced with in-diagram replay, inline diagrams, and links to referenced games, be prepared to experience this classic in a whole new way.

“The Life, Games and Commentaries of Honinbo Shuei” by John Fairbairn provides a full-length biography, detailed commentaries on 79 of Shuei's games tracing the development of Shuei's elusive style, and a collection of Shuei's commentaries. A must-read for every serious Go player and student of Go history.

Pro game analysis:
- “Master Play: The Style of Lee Changho / Go Seigen / Takemiya / Kitani Minoru & Cho Chikun”
- “The Games of Fujisawa Shuko”
- “Modern Master Games: The Dawn of Tournament Go”
- “The Go Consultants”
- “Patterns of the Sanrensei” (Japanese & English)
- “Understanding Pro Games” & “Deep Thought” (vol. 1 & 2)
- Books on games by O Rissei, Naoki Hane, Keigo Yamashita, Go Seigen, Takemiya Masaki, and Sakata

Go is a 4000-year-old board game that originated in China. The two players take turns placing stones in an effort to surround territory. The rules can be learned in minutes, yet the complexity of the game provides lifetime enjoyment. Also known as baduk, wéiqí, and igo, it is played by millions of people worldwide.

Reviews

⚫️?EXCELLENT books app?⚪️
ChilliTrav

HIGHLY recommended!! Read previous reviews for more details. They’re very well written and helpful. This app is a spectacular resource for books to improve at Go. Some of my favorite app highlights include... - Interactive diagrams! Being able to rewind and SEE a sequence as it plays out is vastly superior to simple numbered diagrams in paper books. It’s much easier to really UNDERSTAND the moves. - Syncing and reading books between devices (both iOS and macOS). - Huge book selection in store, readily organized by strength/level, making it easy for a kyu player to select a book good for their level. - Suggested reading lists and other resources. - If there’s a better Go ebook library out there, I haven’t found it. ...and of course, it saves weight and space over paper books ? I really don’t have anything to complain about. There is room for minor improvements... - The interface is not as polished/easy as some other ebook apps. I don’t really mind. Not a hindrance; just a note. - Place in book (and sometimes bookmarks) don’t seem to sync. Not a big deal. - DRM! ? While I understand the necessity to try to protect authors’ work, I really, really, REALLY dislike DRM and will choose less convenient apps/stores to avoid DRM’d books whenever possible. At the very least, I like to be able to download and store backup copies just in case (darned shame to lose a whole library under unforeseen circumstances).


Spectacular interactive way to read go books
Open Awareness

It’s so helpful to be able to play through examples. 100 books each with free chapters you can try. Then buy and read them here or in your Mac.


YES!!
Zedek

So, this app is amazing. Buy the books or not, you can learn plenty even from just the samples~ Zedekblue -- 10k


Terrible, bait and switch "Free" app
NWrocker5

I'm interested in this game, but this app has no free content, and the prices on in app purchases are insane! Save you money!!!


Great app!
Rasping Bard

Another great app from Smart Go, Inc. More books please!!


Not worth it
Zackooo3

This app is just there for you to buy their books. It is just like the picture but with prices. It has no free books demo books or anything els it's simply made to sell books if you gonna buy books just buy the smart go pro one for 12$


Look at all these fake accounts
CBKwak

No one appreciates being lured in with a free app only to find that 1 book costs $3.99. All these gushing reviews are probably by the publisher trying to upvote a redundant app that rips you off.


Portable Go Library!
Go beginner

This app is extremely convenient and has a great selection. It makes learning and studying Go fun and easy. I'm very happy with the updates so far and look forward to more in the future. Most book prices are reasonable given the convenience.


Just about perfect for me
machogaucho

I realize that I'm not at a skill level to really push this Go engine too hard but I've played for several years and find this app to be at an excellent level for me. Unless I get a significant handicap, it can spank me. I'm looking forward to getting stronger; to fight back. The refresher problems help with making many tactical problems, that you end up seeing all the time in matches, more obvious. Also, the historical matches, which are somewhat commented on, are much easier to follow and watch unfold than in the Go books I have. Again, some folks probably can look at a page of numbered stones and see how it all came to end game, but for me, being able to move ahead move by move is a valuable tool. Finally, watching my 10yr old son and another adult friend of mine learn Go on this app makes me see the advantage it gives as a beginner teaching tool.


This is a good way to study Go!
CastIronFoody

Reading through books about Go are difficult. At least for me as a single digit kyu, it is difficult to follow diagrams. Either there are too many or ones with too many moves are difficult to read out. But the use of interactive diagrams makes this so much easier! Two comments. For the developers, allow us to bookmark and comment the books. For the authors, take the time to take advantage of the interactive diagrams. For example, the 501 Opening Problems book is great. It would be even better if the author showed a seq. to get to the problem in the setup diagram. Thanks to both the developers and the authors for taking advantage of a great platform to do more than you can in print' (now if KGS would just come up with an iPad app.)


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