Opening Theory Made Easy

Mine was reprinted July 2020. I have been playing on and off for many years, not strong at all, but not a beginner. I was on the fence between this and "In the Beginning" by Ishigure. I looked at the samples - Ishigure seems to be more in that dry style I see in older Go books. This book, Opening Theory Made Easy, feels a bit more laid back, blunt, and nice, kind of like Kageyama in "Fundamentals". I chose it and I have no regrets. I got it yesterday and read about 1/3 of the book already. It pointed out bad habits I made in the past, and I already noticed significant improvement in my game. The few games I have played recently, the ones I lost I only lost because I was not a good fighter or rushed by time - my opening was much better than my similarly-ranked peers. Very happy I got this book - have been focusing far too much on tsumego / life and death. Only complaint is that occasionally it will refer you to a "joseki dictionary" to explain how to finish something, but I suppose that keeps the book tight and focused.

This is a good book for Go principles for new players. The layout and principles work well. It is also a gateway to Kisedo's other Go books, along with a decent list of old Ishi imprints.

If you ever wondered why you need to open with a 3-4 or 4-4 but not a 4-5 or 5-5, this will tell you and show you how you will be wrecked 20 moves later (so you can wreck a guy for playing those moves). Great book!

Well written. Easily digested. Improved my game shortly after reading.

The wisdom of the author is evident. The writing is clear and engaging.

Very solid review of fundamental principles.

This book is still in print and available for around $15 at the Kiseido go site. No justification of the rare out of print pricing .... yet. This is one of those great books for beginners because it can be read and understood quickly and the material is all directly useful in typical games. It will help speed you from fumbling around to purposeful thinking in the opening. (As opposed to life and death and tesuji study which, by necessity, require consistent effort over time, basically hard work, to yield their vital benefits.) Recommend reading along with In The Beginning (Ishi/Kiseido elementary vol 1) for overall Fuseki ideas, and Attack and Defense (Ishi/Kiseido elementary vol 5) for flow of moves going into middle game.

Neat and clear.