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Teach Yourself Go
Path: Study   · Prev: BeginnerStudySection   · Next: HowAndWhatToStudy
  Difficulty: Introductory  

Ways to teach yourself Go:

  • Play Go:
    • Don't be afraid of 19x19
    • Don't be afraid of strong players or very much stronger players
    • Shake up your playing in different ways:
      • Play Go variants that make you better player in normal Go
      • Play different sized boards
      • Play different openings from your usual [1]
      • Play different styles (ex. conservative if you usually fight)
      • Play different people from your usual opponents
      • Play in person instead of on Go servers or vice versa
      • Play slower games instead of faster or faster instead of slower.
      • Play fast games as a beginner. In the future you will be able to quickly notice good and bad moves.
      • Play as White against a stronger player
      • Play with and against Free Handicaps placed anywhere
      • Play even games against a stronger player instead of handicaps or vice versa
      • Play unrated games instead of rated for a change
      • Play team Go or Rengo
    • Play handicap games against weaker and stronger players
    • Don't be greedy
      • Play as White (not only just as Black against stronger players)
      • Play weaker players
    • Play lots of Go
  • Review:
    • Use the reviewing and teaching software of the Kiseido Go Server (KGS) and the KGS Tutors
    • Review professional games available from sources such as [ext] Commented Pro Games from [ext] gobase.org and try to play from memory
    • Review your own games
    • Get (your) games reviewed by software (e.g. GNU Go's --replay feature)
    • Review games of players just a few stones better, looking for a few techniques you can easily grasp
    • Review other people's games for them
    • Participate in the Go Teaching Ladder

Do something with Go every day and you will get stronger.


Though I have not had the pleasure of reading Charles Matthews' Teach Yourself Go book, I do teach myself Go. In truth, this is not a solitary pursuit because many people have helped me. Like most people, I have not taken formal lessons. I have been the beneficiary of many kind reviewers of my games on KGS and some free lessons there. Sensei's Library becomes ever more useful as it deepens and extends. -- Hu of KGS


[1] SnotNose: At some strength it becomes valuable to stick with one kind of opening for a while, so as to really learn it. Maybe single-digit kyu is a good time to do this.



Path: Study   · Prev: BeginnerStudySection   · Next: HowAndWhatToStudy
This is a copy of the living page "Teach Yourself Go" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2004 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.