Played throughout eastern Asia for thousands of years, go has captured the imagination of more game players than any other strategy game. Today, go is becoming increasingly popular in the western world as more and more people discover its beauty, elegance, and strategic depth.

This book is the best and most authorative introduction to this ancient and fascinating game. Written specifically for the western reader by one of the strongest players in the world, it presents the rules, tactics, and strategy of this unique game in a step-by-step, easy to understand way.

Besides showing you how to play, it contains essays about the world of go which will broaden your knowledge and understanding as well as pique your interest. From history to modern tournament play, from traditional playing sets to computer go, you'll find it in these pages.