Nihon Ki-in Textbooks

Teaching
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The Nihon Ki-in has two good series with textbooks (mostly graded problems illustrating various concepts, so one can use them even without knowing Japanese). They are not as comprehensive as the Speed Baduk series but they have more problems related to direction of play and strategy than the Speed Baduk. They are better conceived than the old 1970s series Graded Go Problems for beginners and more comprehensive than the Chinese textbooks used by Nie Weiping Go Academy (and unlike the latter they provide the answers to all problems). The books can also be ordered over seas through Japanese Amazon

The first series has 12 booklets and is for absolute beginnners to SDK kyu:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206385

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206393

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206407

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206415

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206423

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206431

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/481820644X

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206458

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206466

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206474

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206482

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818206490

The second series has five books and is DDK to 1 dan:

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818205109

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818205125

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818205117

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818205338

https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/4818205435

It should be noted that these series seem to be directed at adults (judging from the Amazon reviews middle age people taking up Go as a hobby) since the Nihon Ki-in has other textbooks directed at children.

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And this set seemed reasonably cheap all things considered, and so they arrived today :stuck_out_tongue:

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Exactly. It was a real wild ride ordering those books :laughing:

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I am working with them currently. I am almost done with vol. 2. I also really like that this pocket edition literally fits in your pocket, so it it easy to take it with you and do a couple of problems when you have some time free during the day.

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What do you think of volume 1 & 2 so far?

Not necessary but curious if you can read some Japanese?

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I can read some Chinese so my understanding is limited to the Hanzi I recognize.

In general I find it interesting that each volume is thematic rather than that each volume is level-oriented. I think that vol. 1 suddenly becomes much harder towards the end while vol. 2 seems to have a more consistent level, but this might be because of the theme (I am better at finding weaknesses that can be exploited than I am at life and death).

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Otherwise I just finished vol 2, and have now begun with vol. 3 which deals with endgame.

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