This was the first Go book I read, when I was about 15kyu. I remember at the time a lot of what Otake had to say was a revelation to me.

The first chapter deals with what you could call the "basics" of fuseki. A bit on the meaning of different corner moves, making pincer-extensions, the difference between third and fourth line moves etc...

After that, it seems to abandon the topic of the book a little to talk about shape. I don't think this is a bad thing because Otake has some very interesting things to say. He lays all his principles out in easy to remember proverbs, I still remember "family feuds waste resources," today.

Chapter three is mainly about the middle game. It talks about reducing, attacking and sacrificing. Only the first chapter is directly relevant to the opening, but I think the other principles Otake discusses will also help you improve your opening play.

All in all, I remember being pretty happy with this book when I first read it. I didn't mind that it seemed to diverge from the subject matter a little because it was interesting. I flicked through it again when I was about 5kyu and was surprised to find some of the principles were just the ideas I needed to improve my game. I would recommend this book to any kyu player who is interested in fuseki.

I traded chess for go in May of this year. I played in my first tournament here in Colorado the first weekend of November and managed to score three out of four points, which put me in the 10-12 kyu range.

Presented in three loosely assembled sections with the headings, "Fuseki Fundamentals," "Good Shape," and "Strategy," Otake brings his twenty principles to life with very basic, easy- to-read diagrams and commentary that is clear and understandable for the beginner. His discussions on extensions and pincers as well as dealing with invasions gave me insights I'd been searching for since I started playing the game. He not only explains which moves are fundamentally sound, but why.

You'll be introduced to concepts such as "family feuds," "pushing the cart from behind," and also shown the power of a ponnuki and building "box-like" moyos. Otake's main objective is for the reader to commit these principles to memory like proverbs so they become second nature and are ready to use when you encounter similar situations in your own games.

What's more, there is a sharp wit lurking deep in many passages which makes the book a real pleasure to read.

If your experience with this book is anything like mine, you'll be playing the opening with a new sense of understanding and confidence, keys to playing a better game of go.

This is an introductory book on the opening, and it's a very user-friendly one. It contains 20 strategic principles, divided up into a chapter on Fuseki Fundamentals, one on Good Shape, and one on Strategy. The writing is clear and straightforward, giving you simple principles to remember which are explained well while not overloading you with information. I would recommend that beginners make this the first book on the opening that they read.