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Michael Sherman

This class is designed to teach the basic rules of the Board game Go. It should help players who are just starting at the rank of 30 kyu to reach 20 kyu. Although it's just the basic rules they have good examples of the fundamentals and concepts that can help new players.

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What's inside

Learning objective

How to play the board game go, baduk, weiqi

Syllabus

Play the game at a 30 - 20 kyu level.
What is Go, Baduk, or Weiqi
Capture Go
Lesson 2b Examples of Capture Go
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Aims to elevate players from 30 kyu to 20 kyu, providing a structured path for improvement in the game
Covers essential concepts like capture, territory, life and death, and special situations like Ko and Seki
Includes game reviews and analysis of established principles, fostering critical thinking and strategic development
Focuses on the fundamentals, which are crucial for building a solid foundation in Go strategy and gameplay
Requires learners to review their own games, which may require additional software or tools for recording and playback

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Reviews summary

Basic rules and fundamentals of go

According to learners, this course provides a largely positive introduction to the game of Go, Baduk, or Weiqi. Students find the coverage of basic rules and fundamentals to be particularly clear and easy to understand. The course is frequently praised as being ideal for complete beginners looking to grasp core concepts like territory, capture, and life and death. Reviewers highlight the use of helpful examples and a logical progression that makes the learning curve gentle. While it effectively covers the initial steps (aiming for 30-20 kyu), learners note that the course focuses strictly on fundamentals and does not delve into more advanced strategies or tactics, aligning well with its stated objectives.
Limited scope, covers only introductory topics.
"It covers the basics well but don't expect intermediate strategy or advanced tactics."
"Just the fundamentals, as advertised, no deep dives into complex positions."
"Good for rules, you'll need more study or another course for tactics and strategy beyond the basics."
"The course scope is limited to the absolute fundamentals."
Effective coverage of core rules and principles.
"It covers the basics well, providing a strong understanding of core mechanics."
"The course teaches the fundamental rules needed to play a basic game."
"I learned the essential rules, shapes, and concepts like Ko and Seki."
"Focuses exactly on the fundamentals advertised."
Perfect starting point for new Go players.
"This course is exactly what a beginner needs to start playing Go."
"As someone who knew nothing about Go, this course was incredibly helpful."
"It gives you a solid foundation if you've never played before, making the first steps easy."
"Highly recommended for anyone just starting out in Go."
Concepts are explained clearly and simply.
"The explanations for territory and life/death were very clear and easy to follow."
"Everything was explained well, even complex concepts felt accessible."
"I found the way concepts were presented easy to understand, even as a complete novice."
"The clarity of the basic rules was excellent."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Go, Baduk, Weiqi, basic rules and fundamentals with these activities:
Read 'Go for Beginners' by Janice Kim
Introduce yourself to the basic rules and strategies of Go before the course begins.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Go for Beginners'.
  • Read the book cover to cover.
  • Practice the examples provided in the book.
Practice capturing drills
Reinforce your understanding of capturing stones through repetitive exercises.
Show steps
  • Set up a Go board with a simple capturing scenario.
  • Practice capturing stones from different positions.
  • Repeat the drill multiple times to improve speed and accuracy.
Create a diagram of common Go shapes
Solidify your understanding of Go shapes by creating a visual aid.
Show steps
  • Research common Go shapes (e.g., tiger's mouth, bamboo joint).
  • Draw a diagram illustrating each shape.
  • Label the shapes and explain their properties.
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Play practice games with other students
Reinforce your understanding of Go by playing practice games with other students.
Show steps
  • Find other students who are interested in playing Go.
  • Schedule regular practice sessions.
  • Analyze your games together and provide feedback to each other.
Study 'Graded Go Problems for Beginners, Volume 1'
Improve your tactical skills by solving graded Go problems.
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'Graded Go Problems for Beginners, Volume 1'.
  • Work through the problems systematically.
  • Review the solutions and analyze your mistakes.
Analyze professional Go games
Deepen your understanding of Go strategy by studying professional games.
Show steps
  • Find records of professional Go games online.
  • Replay the games on a Go board or using Go software.
  • Analyze the moves and try to understand the reasoning behind them.
  • Focus on the opening, middle game, and endgame strategies.

Career center

Learners who complete Go, Baduk, Weiqi, basic rules and fundamentals will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Artificial Intelligence Researcher
An artificial intelligence researcher designs and develops machine learning models and algorithms. This course, by teaching the fundamental rules of Go, may be useful for those working in the field of AI. Go has been a key focus of AI research for decades, and understanding the nuances of the game, such as capturing stones, managing territory, and determining the life and death of groups, may help inform the design of AI agents. Reviewing one's own games and analyzing the strategic aspects of Go develops the kind of thinking needed to develop artificial intelligence for planning and decision making. An artificial intelligence researcher may find that this course offers insight into complex, strategic interactions.
Game Designer
A game designer creates and develops the rules, mechanics, and overall experience of games. This course, by teaching the rules and fundamentals of Go, may be useful for a game designer who wishes to better understand the core principles of a complex strategy game. Understanding the intricacies of Go, including capture, territory, movement, and life and death, helps build a foundation in strategic game design, which applies to many other types of games. Reviewing one's own games and analyzing strategic aspects helps develop the critical thinking skills needed for good game design This course may also be useful for designers working on digital versions of Go or similar abstract games.
Risk Analyst
A risk analyst identifies and analyzes potential risks for an organization to help mitigate or avoid them. This course, by teaching the basic rules and gameplay of Go, may be useful for a risk analyst. The game of Go involves evaluating various strategic options, understanding potential threats, and carefully considering the consequences of actions. Analyzing moves and strategies, including how to capture, create territory, and understand life and death, develops a risk analyst's analytical and decision-making skills. The process of reviewing ones own games may help a risk analyst learn to better understand the impact of their choices.
Strategy Consultant
Strategy consultants help organizations make high level decisions by analyzing complex situations and developing strategic plans. This course, by teaching the underlying rules and strategies of Go, may be useful for a strategy consultant. Analyzing the game of Go, including the concepts of territory, movement, and life and death, helps build critical thinking and strategic planning skills. Reviewing games and analyzing past moves can translate well to evaluating business decisions. A strategy consultant may find that the principles learned in this course, like aggressive play balanced with careful reading, to be applicable to complex problem solving in strategy.
Business Analyst
A business analyst identifies business needs and recommends solutions to stakeholders. This course, by teaching the rules and fundamentals of Go, may be useful for a business analyst. A business analyst must have the ability to critically analyze situations and strategically plan for future goals, and these skills are developed by studying and reviewing games of Go. Analyzing the game, including managing territory and assessing the life and death of stones, may improve decision making skills. A business analyst may find that this course helps sharpen their strategic thinking skills, which are important to identifying problems and opportunities, especially those that are not immediately obvious.
Financial Analyst
A financial analyst is responsible for analyzing financial data and providing insights for investment and planning decisions. This course, by teaching the fundamental rules of Go, may be useful for a financial analyst looking to enhance their strategic and analytical abilities. The game of Go teaches strategic thinking and planning for long term goals. Learning to evaluate the board, identify threats and opportunities, and plan ahead may be useful. Reviewing games can help a financial analyst learn how to look for patterns and draw conclusions about the success of various strategies. For a financial analyst, this course teaches valuable skills in strategic thinking.
Data Analyst
A data analyst interprets complex data sets in order to provide actionable insights. This course, by teaching the basic rules and fundamentals of Go, can be helpful to a data analyst. Analyzing game situations, including capture and territory, life and death, and movement of the pieces, helps hone the ability to recognize patterns and assess situations in a strategic way. Reviewing past games and learning from previous plays helps to develop the analytical skills necessary to analyze large data sets. For a data analyst, this course may help provide a unique perspective on problem solving.
Product Manager
Product managers define the vision and strategy for a product. This course, by teaching the rules and fundamentals of Go, may be useful for a product manager as they strategically plan the future of a product. The game of Go involves understanding a complex system and making strategic decisions about how to position oneself for long term success. By learning Go, including the concepts of capturing territory and evaluating risks, a product manager may improve their strategic thinking. Reviewing past games and analyzing past plays may offer a framework for analyzing and optimizing product strategy. A product manager may find this course to be a unique way to build skills in long term planning.
Operations Coordinator
An operations coordinator oversees and optimizes day to day business processes. This course, by teaching the basic rules and concepts of Go, may be useful for an operations coordinator. Analyzing complex game states, including evaluating territorial control and assessing the life and death of groups of stones, helps build the kind of critical thinking needed to manage dynamic and complex situations. Reviewing games and analyzing past plays helps develop the skills needed to optimize processes. An operations coordinator may benefit from the strategic thinking this course helps cultivate.
Teacher
A teacher educates students in a wide variety of subjects. This course, by teaching the rules and fundamentals of Go, may be useful for a teacher. The ability to communicate complex ideas clearly is useful in teaching, and this course includes clear explanations of rules and strategies. A teacher will also benefit from the experience of learning a new and complex skill, which helps to inform their own approach to teaching. The process of learning Go may help a teacher better understand how to approach teaching complex subjects in the classroom.
Project Manager
A project manager plans, organizes, and oversees the completion of specific projects. This course, by teaching the basic rules of Go, may be useful for a project manager. Analyzing game situations and determining the best strategic moves, including managing territory, capturing stones, and evaluating life and death, helps build strategic planning skills. Reviewing past games to identify mistakes, learning from them, and improving future plays translates to project planning and execution. A project manager can use this course to develop their strategic and planning skills.
Logistics Coordinator
A logistics coordinator manages the movement and storage of goods. This course, by teaching the basic rules of Go, may be helpful for a logistics coordinator. Go involves strategic planning, resource management, and an understanding of spatial relationships, which are concepts that may be useful in logistics management. Analyzing games and understanding how movements affect a player's position is similar to the planning and spatial reasoning involved in logistics. By understanding the abstract planning involved in Go, including considerations of territory and position, a logistics coordinator may improve their strategic thinking.
Software Developer
Software developers write and maintain code to create software applications. This course, by teaching the rules of Go, may be useful to a software developer. By working with the rules and abstract logic of the game of Go, a software developer may build their analytical and problem-solving skills. This course allows them to think strategically and improve their ability to approach challenges methodically. The abstract concepts learned in this course, including the rules for capture and territory, may be applicable to different problems encountered in software development. A software developer may find this course to be a unique approach to problem solving.
Actuary
An actuary measures and manages financial risk for organizations using mathematical and statistical models. This course, by teaching the rules and strategies of Go, may be helpful for an actuary. The game of Go requires strategic thinking, the ability to assess risk, and to understand how different choices may affect long term outcomes. The abstract thinking and pattern recognition skills required to play Go may be helpful. An actuary may find that the strategic thinking practiced in this course may help them when analyzing complicated financial models.
Technical Writer
A technical writer creates and edits technical documentation and materials. This course, by teaching the basic rules of Go, may be helpful for a technical writer. Understanding and explaining complex systems, like the rules of Go, may be useful for a technical writer who needs to explain complex information clearly. The course itself, in teaching the fundamentals of Go, illustrates a way to break down complex rules into simple concepts that are easy to understand, This may be applicable to other types of technical information. A technical writer may find that this course offers a unique way to think about simplifying complex topics.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Go, Baduk, Weiqi, basic rules and fundamentals.
Is specifically designed for beginners and covers the fundamental rules and strategies of Go in a clear and accessible manner. It provides a solid foundation for understanding the game's basic concepts, such as capturing stones and claiming territory. Reading this book before starting the course will help you grasp the core principles more quickly. It commonly recommended resource for new Go players.
Provides a series of graded problems designed to improve your tactical skills in Go. It focuses on basic capturing techniques, life and death situations, and other fundamental concepts. Working through these problems after completing the course will help you solidify your understanding and improve your game. This book valuable resource for players looking to advance beyond the beginner level.

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