I have been playing go for about one and a half years, mainly on PandaNet, but I’ve reached only 5-kyu level (about 15-kyu on PandaNet). I have high ambitions: I’m aiming at 1-dan. I would like to know if there is any way for someone of my level to improve in a relatively short period. Consultation One: Mr. Nakamura Hello, Mr. Nakamura. I think you’ve done very well to reach 5-kyu in just one and a half years. If you want to improve in a short period, then studying life-and-death problems to develop your reading ability is, of course, a good method. It would also be effective to study good and bad shape and vital points. How about studying a collection of go proverbs? There are many useful proverbs, such as, ‘Extend one when crosscut’, ‘Always hane at the head of two stones’, ‘Cut across the knight’s move” and so on. Learning go proverbs makes it easier to evaluate good and bad shape. I think that books on the go proverbs are fun and easy to read and help you learn really quickly. Good luck with your project to make 1-dan!