Historic Book List: As Sold Before 2010

This historic list of Go books published in English, those stocked by us prior to December 2010, gives an indication of the level many books are suitable for - beginner, intermediate or advanced. Books long out of print are included where possible and are shown in italics.

We have lists of all the known books that have been published in English, sorted by:

  1. Title
  2. Year of Publication
  3. Publisher / Publisher Code / Type Code

If you want to know more:

There is also a list of beginners' books published in English and those recommended.

A list in date order of books published since 2004 is also available.

There are various Go terms that have come into common use, mostly from Japanese. In case there is no glossary, our extensive list of Japanese Go Terminology definitions may be useful.

For a long time there was only Ishi Press publishing Go books in English, but then for some years thereafter there were three main publishers of Go books: Kiseido, Slate and Shell, and Yutopian. Hinoki Press, Oromedia and some others also published books.

  • Kiseido - original English-language instructional material, including the fomer quarterly Go World magazine (including most of the original Ishi Press titles).
  • Slate and Shell - a growing catalogue of translated and original works, some especially for newer players.
  • Yutopian - publishes many translations of Asian go classics for all levels of play.
  • Go Game Guru took on publishing the Hinoki Press series and stocked the Orodmedia books and was starting to publish its own books

The majority of the books published in English in recent years are included in this list.

Key to level: B - Beginners, E - Elementary, I - Intermediate, A - Advanced
Please note that these ratings were the opinion of Gerry Mills, the former BGA Bookseller.

The publishers indicated by the book codes are: G = Ishi Press, H = Hinoki Press, K = Kiseido, O = Oromedia, SL = Slate and Shell, Y = Yutopian, Z/other codes = miscellaneous publishers.

Title Level BGA Code
The 3-3 Point I G44
4-4 Point Joseki - A Brief Introduction E SL23
9 Dan Showdown A SL72
21st Century Baduk for Beginers B ZBFB
21st Century New Openings A Y45
The 36 strategems Applied to Go A Y08
38 Basic Joseki E K11
100 Challenging Go Problems A Y05
100 Tips for Amateur Players, Vol. 1 E OR28
100 Tips for Amateur Players, Vol. 2 E OR29
200 Endgame Problems I SL18
200 Tesuji Problems E SL20
400 Years of Go in Japan any SL51
501 Opening Problems I K71
501 Tesuji Problems I K74
1001 Life and Death Problems E K72
The 1971 Honinbo Tournament A K07
The ABC’s of Attack and Defense E SL09
After Joseki I ZAJ
All About Ko I K76
All About Joseki I SL45
All About Life and Death Vol 1 E G42
All About Life and Death Vol 2 E G43
All About Thickness * I G34
Appreciating Famous Games I G25
An Asian Paradigm For Business Strategy any K99
The Art of Capturing Stones I Y25
The Art of Connecting Stones I Y09
Attack and Defense E K14
Baduk Made Fun and Easy, Vol. 1 B ZBM1
Baduk Made Fun and Easy, Vol. 2 E ZBM2
Baduk Made Fun and Easy, Vol. 3 I ZBM3
The Basics of Go Strategy I K75
Basic Techniques of Go E K02
The Best Game Records of 2009 A OR32
The Best Play I SL27
Beauty and the Beast I Y17
Beyond Forcing Moves I G37
Breakthrough Attacking Power A H09
The Breakthrough to Shodan * I G19
Catching Scent of Victory A H04
Changing One's Conceptions A H06
The Chinese Opening I K33
Cho Hun-Hyeon's Lectures on Go Techniques E Y20
Cho Hun-Hyeon's Lectures on Go Techniques Vol. 2 I Y48
Cho Hun-Hyun's Lectures on the Opening E Y44
Cho Hun-Hyun: Life and Master Games I G46
Come Up To Shodan I SL16
Contemporary Go Terms any OR23
Cosmic Go I K69
Counting Liberties E SL17
Creative Life and Death A ZCLD
Creative Life and Death, Vol. 2 A ZCL2
Cross Cut Workshop E SL04
Dictionary of Basic Fuseki, Vol. 1 A Y39
Dictionary of Basic Fuseki, Vol. 2 A Y40
Dictionary of Basic Fuseki, Vol. 3 I Y46
Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Yoshio Ishida, Vol. 1 A K21
Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Yoshio Ishida, Vol. 2 A K22
Dictionary of Basic Joseki by Yoshio Ishida, Vol. 3 A K23
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji, Vol. 1 I SL44
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji, Vol. 2 I SL47
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji, Vol. 3 I SL50
Dictionary of Basic Tesuji, Vol. 4 I SL52
Dictionary of Modern Fuseki—The Korean Style I K81
The Direction of Play I K26
Dramatic Moments on the Go Board I Y10
Enclosure Joseki * A G24
Endgame E K15
Essential Joseki I Y22
Eurogo Vol. 1 (History to 1950) any EGO1
Eurogo Vol. 2 (History 1949-1968) any EGO2
Eurogo Vol. 3 (History 1968-1988) any EGO3
Even Game Joseki — NK Handbook Vol. 5 I Y36
Fighting Ko I Y04
The Final Summit I SL68
Four Great Games B 4GG
Fundamental Principles of Go E SL42
Fuseki — NK Handbook Vol. 2 A Y28
Galactic Go A Y27
Galactic Go Vol. 2 A Y32
Game of Go (Smith) B ZPG
Games of Go (Moffatt) E NM02
Get Strong at Attacking I K60
Get Strong at the Opening I K51
Get Strong at Invading I K55
Get Strong at Joseki Vol. 1 I K52
Get Strong at Joseki Vol. 2 I K53
Get Strong at Joseki Vol. 3 I K54
Get Strong at Tesuji I K56
Get Strong at the Endgame I K57
Get Strong at Life and Death I K58
Get Strong at Handicap Go I K59
Go: A Complete Introduction to the Game B K50
Go: An Application of the Principles of War any YPW
Go as Communication any SL05
The Go Companion I SL63
The Go Consultants I SL66
Go for Kids B Y31
Go Player's Almanac (2001 edition) any K40
Go Problems for Kyu Level Players, Vol. 1 E SL31
Go Problems for Kyu Level Players, Vol. 2 E SL32
Go Problems for Kyu Level Players, Vol. 3 E SL33
Go Problems for Kyu Level Players, Vol. 4 E SL34
Go Problems for Kyu Level Players, Vol. 5 I SL35
Go Problems for Kyu Level Players, Vol. 6 I SL36
Go Proverbs (Mitchell) E SL03
Go Shapes Resolve E YGS
Golden Opportunities I Y12
Graded Go Problems, Vol. 1 B K47/GGP1
Graded Go Problems, Vol. 2 E K47/GGP2
Graded Go Problems, Vol. 3 I K48/GGP3
Graded Go Problems, Vol. 4 I K49/GGP4
Graded Go Problems for Dan Players, Vol. 1 I K61
Graded Go Problems for Dan Players, Vol. 2 I K62
Graded Go Problems for Dan Players, Vol. 3 I K63
The Great Joseki Debates A G35
Handicap Go E G16
Handicap Go — NK Handbook Vol. 4 I Y33
How Not to Play Go I SL69
How to Play Handicap Go I SL10
Igo Hatsuyo-ron, Vol. 1 A Y16
Imagination of a Go Master I ZIGM
Improve Your Intuition, Vol. 1 I SL11
Improve Your Intuition, Vol. 2 I SL12
Improve Your Intuition, Vol. 3 I SL13
In The Beginning E K10
Ingenious Life and Death Puzzles Vol. 1 A Y14
Ingenious Life and Death Puzzles Vol. 2 A Y15
Inspiration of Pro I OR30
An Introduction to Go B G30
Invincible: the Games of Shusaku (Paperback) A K01
Invincible: the Games of Shusaku (Hardback) A K01H
Joseki Fundamentals, Vol. 1 E JAS1
A Journey in Search of the Origins of Go any Y43
Jungsuk in our Time I ZHK1
Kage's Secret Chronicles E G17
Kamakura I SL65
Kato's Attack and Kill * I G27
Keshi and Uchikomi I SL07
Key Concepts in Life and Death E SL54
Killer of Go I Y01
Korean Style of Baduk: Vol. 1 I OR22
Learn Go (Moffatt) B NM01
Learn to Play Go, Vol. 1 B LPG1
Learn to Play Go, Vol. 2 B LPG2
Learn to Play Go, Vol. 3 B LPG3
Learn to Play Go, Vol. 4 B LPG4
Learn to Play Go, Vol. 5 B LPG5
Learning From the Masters, Vol. 1 I SL37
Learning From the Masters, Vol. 2 I SL49
Lee Changho's Novel Plays and Shapes I Y26
Lessons in the Fundamentals of Go E K28
Let’s Play Go B SL28
Level Up Vols. 1-5 and Review 1 B ZLU
Life and Death E K13
Life and Death: Intermediate Problems I SL26
Liping Huang's Problem Series: Vol. 1 I SL41
Magic of Placements A Y47
The Magic of Go B G41
Magic on the First Line E SL70
Making Good Shape I K73
Master Go in Ten Days B Y11
Mastering Ladders E SL60
Mastering the Basics of Go E SL43
Master of Haengma I OR31
Master Play: Kitani and Cho I SL67
Master Play: The Fighting Styles of Kato Masao and Seo Bong Soo I SL64
Master Play: The Style of Go Seigen A SL58
Master Play: The Style of Lee Changho I SL56
Master Play: The Style of Takemiya I SL61
Masterpieces of Handicap Go, Vol. 1 I SL02
Masterpieces of Handicap Go, Vol. 2 I SL06
The Middle Game I G5
Modern Joseki and Fuseki Vol 1 A G1
Modern Joseki and Fuseki Vol 2 A G3
Monkey Jump Workshop E SL08
New Go Proverbs Illustrated E Y42
Ni Weiping on Go I Y03
Opening Theory Made Easy E K36
Oriental Strategy in a Nutshell (EZ-GO) B EZGO
Otake's Secrets of Strategy A H05
Pair Go E ZPA
Perceiving the Direction of Play A H03
Playing the Endgame E SL53
Positional Judgment I K45
Power Builder, Vol. 1 I Y19
Power Builder, Vol. 2 I Y35
The Power of the Starpoint I G32
Pro-Pro Handicap Go I Y13
Proverbs — NK Handbook Vol. 1 E Y23
Punishing and Correcting Joseki Mistakes A SL19
Pure & Simple Takao's Astute Use of Brute Force A H02
Reducing Territorial Frameworks I K29
Reflections on the Game of Go any SL46
Rescue and Capture I Y18
The Road to One-dan: Vol. 1 I OR21
A Scientific Introduction to Go B Y34
The Second Book of Go (Ishi) E G31
The Second Book of Go (Kiseido) E K31
Shuko: The Only Move, Vol. 1 A H11
Shuko: The Only Move, Vol. 2 A H12
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 1 B OR11
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 2 B OR12
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 3 B OR13
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 4 B OR14
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 5 B OR15
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 6 B OR16
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 7 B OR17
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 8 B OR18
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Vol. 9 B OR19
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Answers (1-3) B OR1D
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Answers (4-6) B OR1E
Speed Baduk for Beginners: Answers (7-9) B OR1F
Star Point Joseki — NK Handbook Vol. 3 I Y30
Step up to a Higher Level E Y37
Strategic Concepts of Go A G6
Strategic Fundamentals in Go A Y24
Teach Yourself Go by Charles Matthews B TYGO
Test Your Go Strength (What's Your Rating?) * E G18
Tesuji E K12
Tesuji and Anti-suji of Go I Y06
The Theory and Practice of Go (Korschelt) B ZPT
Think Like a Pro, Vol. 1, Haengma (shape) A OR26
Think Like a Pro, Vol. 2, Pae (ko) I OR27
This is Go the Natural Way I H10
This is Haengma E ZTIH
Top European Players Training A ZEPT
Tournament Go 1992 I KPP1
Treasure Chest Enigma I SL24
Train Like a Pro, Vol. 1 A ORO1
Train Like a Pro, Vol. 2 A ORO2
Train Like a Pro, Answers A OROA
Trick Plays I Y02
Tricks in Joseki I Y29
Understanding Dan Level Play I SL71
Understanding How to Play Go I SL01
Utilising Outward Influence I Y07
Vital Points and Skilful Finesse for Sabaki A H01
The Way of Creating a Thick and Strong Game I H07
The Way of Go any ZFP1
A Way to Play for the 21st Century I ZBP1
Weichi in Culture B Y41
Whole Board Living Tesujis I Y38
Whole Board Thinking in Joseki (Vol. 1) I ZWB1
Whole Board Thinking in Joseki (Vol. 2) I ZWB2
Winning a Won Game I Y21
The Workshop Lectures Vol. 1 E SL25
The Workshop Lectures Vol. 2 E SL29
The Workshop Lectures Vol. 3 E SL55
The Workshop Lectures Vol. 4 E SL57
The Workshop Lectures Vol. 5 I SL59
The Workshop Lectures Vol. 6 I SL62
The World of Chinese Go by Guo Juan I K70
Yilun Yang's Go Puzzles, Vol. 1 A SL21
Yilun Yang's Go Puzzles, Vol. 2 A SL22
Zone Press Park A H08

* these books (G18,G19,G24,G27 and G34) are available on CD

Last updated Fri May 26 2023.
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