Nihon Ki-in red cover series

(進級シリーズ) This red cover series is usable without being able to read Japanese, though there is Japanese text that you are going to miss out on. Familiarity with intermediate japanese for reading go books is enough.

For kyu-level readers, published by the Nihon Kiin in 2002 and 2003 (out of print). 318 pages each.

Book 1 第一感の死活 (Life and death at the first glance), isbn13=978-4818205109

PeterHB: An initially easy life & death collection of 150 problems. Gets harder in the second half. Always difficult to estimate, but I feel the level goes from 12k to 2k.

Problem 23, white to play  

Problem 79, black to play  

Book 2 置き去りの傷を探せ (Search for undefended defects), isbn13=978-4818205116

150 tactical problems on nearly completed 9x9 boards. Spot the capturing tesuji type of thing. A result of this format is you know whose turn it is to play, but you don't know if you are looking for just one tesuji sequence, or more than one in separate parts of the board. So added realism making it nearer to a game. Perhaps 15-8k level.

Problem 62, black to play  

Book 3 強くなる手筋 (Get strong with tesuji), isbn13=978-4818205123

120 problems. Perhaps 15 - 4k level.
Section 1 - 40 problems. Nets and break throughs. Tesuji where the explanation needs 2 or 3 pages to explain. Real board situations and often joseki related.
Section 2 - 20 problems. Connections near the edge.
Section 3 - 20 problems. Common positions where kyu players go wrong. Mainly joseki related.
Section 4 - 20 problems. Common invasions.
Section 5 - 20 problems. Endgame tesuji, e.g. monkey jumps.

Book 4 級の実力テスト (Kyu-level rank test), isbn13=978-4818205338

150 problems. Perhaps 9 - 3k level.
Section 1 - 75 problems. Tesuji, often sub-parts of joseki.
Section 2 - 75 problems. Life & Death.

Section 1, problem 44, black to play  

Section 1, problem 48, black to play  

Section 2, problem 16, black to play  

Book 5 序盤の感覚力 (Intuition in the Opening), isbn13=978-4818205437

115 problems. Perhaps 9 - 1k level.

Focused on fuseki. Full board problems looking for the correct next move in a full-board situation in the opening. Mainly even game problems, but some handicap game positions too. The positions are often the result of a joseki being played out, and then a consequence waiting to be recognized. For instance, some thickness has been created, your other groups are safe, but one of your opponent's groups isn't entirely settled. So work out how to take advantage and use your thickness at the same time. Mainly about finding the first 1 or 2 moves at a key point, not long complex sequences. Only for 3 or 4 problems does it switch into the 'joseki book' style of long finely balanced sequences that have to be played correctly to get an acceptable result.

(This volume of the five has the most Japanese text that just having the skills from intermediate japanese for reading go books doesn't let you read. So sometimes you definitely are missing out by not being able to read the Japanese text. Still usable, but occasionally missing the necessary guidance that being able to read the text would give you. )

Answer, p27  

Answer, p284