Getting back into Go

[Katharsys]

Welcome! Can I assume that you are responsible for a certain little blue (and occasionally green) book that was quite essential back in the pre-internet days?

Is that blue book you're referencing have to do with the 3-3 point?!

[Charles Matthews]

Welcome! Can I assume that you are responsible for a certain little blue (and occasionally green) book that was quite essential back in the pre-internet days?

Is that blue book you're referencing have to do with the 3-3 point?!

No - the book reviewed here:

http://senseis.xmp.net/?GOInternational ... Dictionary

A "go to" in the early days, when Ishi Press books were dense with Japanese jargon, and one could navigate Japanese problem books with around 15 kanji (mostly).

[John Tilley]

I seemed to have kicked off quite an interesting thread! - many thanks for all the kind words of welcome. We live near Winchester in the UK, which is some 60 miles south-west of London. I am now secretary of the Winchester Go Club.

Yes the fashions then were "different" - I might have some old kipper ties somewhere still, I am open for offers. Maybe prizes at a tournament, first prize 1 tie, second prize 2 ties...

Go in the 1960s and 1970s was quite challenging! - very few books, no lessons and "everyman for himself". I remember Richard Bozulich passing through the London Go Club (then at The Pontefract Castle) en route to Japan to start publishing go books. I am guessing it was summer 1967. The early Ishi Press books focused on joseki and fuseki and I think steered me into studying the wrong things! It is worth remembering how strong Jurgen Mattern was then and he had exactly the same materials as everyone else. I also remember playing Matthew McFadyen for the first time in January 1975, he was 2kyu.

I would describe my style of 1970 as good shape, too focused on territory, not aware of forcing moves - the Ishi Press hadn't published "The Elementary Series" then - so no "Attack and Defense". We bought books in Japanese to study - there were a few advertised in Go Review. Friends at The Nihon Kiin felt that I should adopt a more aggressive style and I was given a copy of "Honinbo Shusai Complete Games" in 6 volumes by one of the editors. We sat down and he produced a list of 50 suggested games to study.

One of the things that I did do, was to record all my tournamant games for 5 years and study them. Two of them were commented on in Go Review. I also recorded a good number of teaching games in Japan (typically 7 stones) with comments and also some ren Go at Iwamoto's salon on a Sunday. Sadly I didn't record my 4 stone game against Kawabata Yasunari at the Saturday Kitani club in Yotsuya and neither did I record the ren Go with Nakamura Kuniko (now 2p), Segoe (9p) and Iwamoto's daughter.

[Nyanjilla]

Oh my.... nostalgia.

The lack of go-related material in English started me on studying Japanese, back then.

[DrStraw]

Oh my.... nostalgia.

The lack of go-related material in English started me on studying Japanese, back then.

Me too. And it could not have worked out better. I met my wife in Japanese class!

Nice to hear John's stories. It was several years later when I started but the stories of studying in Britain sound familiar. Except that I never got to Japan.

[Drew]

Except that I never got to Japan.

It's still there, friend. Why not have a try?

[DrStraw]

Except that I never got to Japan.

It's still there, friend. Why not have a try?

I don't fly and I am not that good a swimmer. Anyway, I don't care that much for radiation.

[Uberdude]

Except that I never got to Japan.

It's still there, friend. Why not have a try?

I don't fly and I am not that good a swimmer. Anyway, I don't care that much for radiation.

So did you get the boat from the UK to the US all those years ago?

[DrStraw]

It's still there, friend. Why not have a try?

I don't fly and I am not that good a swimmer. Anyway, I don't care that much for radiation.

So did you get the boat from the UK to the US all those years ago?

Back then I did fly. But I've not be on a plane in almost 20 years.

[skydyr]

I don't fly and I am not that good a swimmer. Anyway, I don't care that much for radiation.

So did you get the boat from the UK to the US all those years ago?

Back then I did fly. But I've not be on a plane in almost 20 years.

Flying is like riding a bicycle... it's very hard to forget how.

[DrStraw]

So did you get the boat from the UK to the US all those years ago?

Back then I did fly. But I've not be on a plane in almost 20 years.

Flying is like riding a bicycle... it's very hard to forget how.

That's the problem. I remember what it is like. Therefore I don't do it.