With the publication of volume 4, the “AlphaGo to Zero” series by Michael Redmond 9P and Chris Garlock is now complete. ”Ghosts in the Machine: AlphaGo Zero vs. Zero” discusses the twenty AlphaGo Zero self-play games. Chris Garlock: “Drawing on nearly a decade of reflection, Michael Redmond revisits these extraordinary games move by move, explaining how AlphaGo Zero’s style differs from both human play and earlier AlphaGo versions while revealing the strategic ideas that continue to shape modern Go. The result is both a capstone to the AlphaGo story and an enduring guide to understanding the AI that forever changed the game.”

In my opinion, volume 4 is the best of the series, with Michael Redmond’s deeper understanding occasionally helped by KataGo, and Chris Garlock giving an insightful introduction to each game. Each book in the series is $14.99, and available in the SmartGo One app or as EPUB at https://gobooks.com/books-by-series.html#alpha-go-to-zero.

Note that Michael Redmond will be at the Go Congress in Boston this year; if you’re lucky to have a printed copy of one of his books, bring it and get it signed.

Staying connected

Any questions or suggestions, please reach out with an email to support@smartgo.com. And you can follow me on Mastodon: @smartgo@mastodon.social

I hope to see many of you at the Go Congress in Boston!

Anders Kierulf