News from the American Go Association

August 11, 2006
Volume 7, #66 (Member's Edition)

LIVE FROM THE US GO CONGRESS
KOREANS TOP MAIN EURO CONGRESS TOURNEY
THIS WEEK'S GO QUIZ
GAME COMMENTARY: Yang Kyu Game & Latest Haruyama
KERWIN'S CONGRESS PREP GUIDE: Just Play
ATTACHED GAMES: 2006.08.11, Anonymous kyus, Yang; 2006.08.11 McGuigan Series #22

LIVE FROM THE US GO CONGRESS: North America's biggest annual go event begins tomorrow when the 2006 US Go Congress kicks off in Black Mountain, North Carolina. More than 400 are expected to attend, including professional and amateur go players from across the United States and around the world. Eight days of near-non-stop go will feature several major tournaments, lectures, simuls, lessons and as many casual games as participants can cram into their schedule. Details at www.gocongress06.org/  The E-Journal will provide daily reports, and will be broadcasting top board games from the US Open and Ing tournaments on the IGS and posting news, photos and games online at www.usgo.org  Watch for Round 1 of the US Open live Sunday around 10A on the IGS, and Round 1 of the Ing around 7P.

KOREANS TOP MAIN EURO CONGRESS TOURNEY: With two rounds to go in the ten-round contest, two Korean visitors, both former insei, are number one and two in the main tournament of the European Go Congress, which concludes this Saturday. Meeting in Frascatti, Italy, just outside Rome, there are 292 players in the main event. In first place, and undefeated, is Lee Ki Bong 7d of Korea. Park Chi Seon 6d, also of Korea, is second, having lost only to the Russian pro, Svetlana Shikshina 1P, who is in third place. Alexandre Dinerchtein 1P of Russia and Geert Groenen 6d of the Netherlands are tied for eighth. Hotta Yumi, creator of Hikaru no Go, was a special guest at the Congress. Pictures and some other results can be found at http://egc2006.blog.aruba.it/

THIS WEEK'S GO QUIZ: What US amateur defeated a Japanese pro in the finals of an official tournament? Thomas Hsiang, Jie Li or Joey Hung? Click here to vote: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=330212370809  One winner will be drawn at random from the correct answers and will be awarded a gift certificate from one of our fine go vendors, or a free Limited membership.

GAME COMMENTARY: Yang Kyu Game & Latest Haruyama
       Today's game is a thorough commentary by popular teacher Yilun Yang 7P on a kyu game that was played on the Dragon Go Server.
       Our bonus file is the twenty-second installment of Haruyama Isamu 9P's series of studies brought to us by Robert McGuigan in translation from "Jissen ni tsuyoku naru 80 dai (80 questions for getting strong at real play)"
       To view the attached .sgf file(s), simply save the file(s) to your computer and then open using an .sgf reader such as Many Faces of Go or SmartGo. Readers who need .sgf readers can get them for most platforms at Jan van der Steen's http://gobase.org/sgfeditors.html

KERWIN'S CONGRESS PREP GUIDE: Just Play
By James Kerwin 1P
        This is it; you leave for the Congress tomorrow. You're either ready or you're not. Whatever your hopes for the Congress are all that's left is to have fun.
        I have found that the sites are often quite large and the Congress only takes up a small corner. Get on the website, http://www.blueridgeassembly.org/, and check out the map. (I hope you have better luck than I did, I couldn't load it.) You'll have an easier time when you arrive if you're already oriented.
        If you've been training, or if you just want to do well in the US Open, one last tip. When you're playing forget your ambitions, forget winning, forget losing, just play. If you have a goal during the game that goal is not to win, it is to make sure the opponent does not outwork you. There is no shame in losing, but to lose and know you didn't make your best effort is shameful. And you should have the grace to be ashamed when you win if you know you didn't make your best effort.
        There is often a party room in the evenings. It's a place where you can hang out and relax. There is usually a card game or two going on, mostly playing Pit. Sometimes there's liars dice. I've spent many hours over the years unwinding there.
        The Congress is organized and run by volunteers. As a result there are glitches that wouldn't occur in a professionally organized event. If some glitch interferes with your activities show some patience. Tell the volunteers who make the Congress possible that you appreciate their efforts.
        We humans tend to be hierarchical. Strong players are often deemed more 'important' than weaker players. I'm an anarchist at heart and I don't believe that. Every member of the go community is as important as any other. No matter how strong you are there is someone stronger. No matter how weak you are there is someone weaker. Enjoy the community of go. Give every player there the respect s/he deserves as a member of the community, and demand that respect in return. Have fun.

Published by the American Go Association
Managing Editor: Chris Garlock
Assistant Editor: Bill Cobb

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