Instant Go Booklet (vol 1) + CD

by Bruce Wilcox

** Please note: The booklet is in acceptable condition (old/soiled from shelving/storage since 1993) pages are still clear and readable **

This booklet includes diagrams and examples of amateur and professional games. The accompanying CD includes additional examples of these concepts and more explanation in the context of games. The CD runs with our NEMESIS Go software under Windows and Classic under MAC OS X. All necessary software is included on the interactive CD.

The aim of Instant Go™ theory is to provide visual perceptions and rules to use when viewing the go board and deciding what move to play next. Instant Go defines rules of thumb to use to improve your judgment and play.

The four basic concepts covered are: Sector Lines and Running across them, Walls, Avoiding Piecement, and Contact fights. The instant go rules of thumb which this booklet covers are usually violated (inappropriately) by amateur players of all strengths at least 25% of the time, usually from ignorance of a rule or failure to notice the application of a rule to a specific situation. And the result is costly!

The section on Sector Lines and Running across them includes: A useful definition of sector lines, How to identify enclosure, and Rules for when to run and why.

The section on Walls includes: An explanation of walls, When to build walls and when not to, and When and how to use walls.

The section on Avoid Piecemeal includes: A useful definition of piecemeal and wholesale attacks, Dangers of attacking piecemeal verses wholesale, Rule for avoiding piecemeal and when it is useful, and Strategic value of global perception.

The section on Contact Fights includes: A definition of a contact fight, Evaluating the stability of your stones, Recognizing dangerous defects, Rules for how to recognize and create solid (thick) tactical positions with a minimal amout of reading (lookahead), Basic principles for how to fight, and What to avoid fighting.

Reader comments:

Palo Alto CA: This sort of radical thinking breathes life into positional analysis as opposed to the more standard (classical) approach seen frequently in Go world and in all chess periodicals/publications. I can stay awake reading the stuff Bruce writes!

Vancouver BC: I believe I became two-rank better in kyu ˜Instantly™. I am playing with a confidence now. My only regret is that I did not buy it sooner.

Summit NJ: In my opinion it is an epochal advance. What has been added by Wilcox is a sweeping, thematic approach which gets a first-order approximation to a good plan without detailed reading, thus reserving the effort of intense reading to concentrate on a plan which is already basically good.