News from the American Go Association

April 20, 2007
Volume 8, #33 (Member's Edition)

NYC SAKURA MATSURI VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT
2010 ASIAN GAMES TO INCLUDE GO
JAPANESE FALLING BEHIND IN FUJITSU
TEEN IYAMA YUTA GAINS TENGEN
GU LI TAKES FIRST GAME IN CHINESE TIANYUAN
YAMASHITA EVENS IT UP IN JUDAN
WEEKEND ACTION: Menlo Park, Somerville, Rosh HaAyin
GAME COMMENTARY: Voice From a New Generation
GO QUIZ: Hard To Believe
ATTACHED FILE: 2007.04.20 zhao-rimUSYGC Philadelphia

NYC SAKURA MATSURI VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT: The New York Go Center Outreach Team is looking for volunteers to teach at Sakura Matsuri on April 28 or 29. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden annual festival celebrates Japanese culture. Volunteers will spend at least two or three hours greeting visitors, talking about go and giving lessons, and will also have an opportunity to walk around and enjoy the festival. Write to roylaird@gmail.com if interested; specify whether you prefer Saturday or Sunday. photo from 2005 courtesy Marc Palmer

2010 ASIAN GAMES TO INCLUDE GO: Go will be one of the competitive games in the 2010 Asian Games, reports Thomas Hsiang. "China Qiyuan (Go Association) has successfully obtained confirmation from the Chinese IOC that the 2010 Asian Games -- the 16th Asian Games -- to be held in Guangzhou will have weiqi (go) as one of the competition items," Hsiang tells the E-Journal. "Some consider this move a natural follow-up of the inclusion of chess in the 15th Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar in 2006 and the significance of this new development for all go players cannot be understated." The actual format of the tournament is as yet undetermined, but "will surely include Pair Go," says China Qiyuan.

JAPANESE FALLING BEHIND IN FUJITSU: In the third round of the international Fujitsu, there will be three Koreans and three Chinese players, but only two Japanese. Details on Monday.

TEEN IYAMA YUTA GAINS TENGEN: Japanese teen phenom Iyama Yuta 7P (right) has reached the third round of the Tengen tournament. Details on Monday.

GU LI TAKES FIRST GAME IN CHINESE TIANYUAN: Gu Li 9P defeated Liu Shizhen 6P by resignation in the first game of the defense of his Tianyuan title. Details on Monday.

YAMASHITA EVENS IT UP IN JUDAN: Yamashita Keigo 9P (left) took the fourth game to make the score 2-2 in his challenge of Cho Chikun for the Judan title. Details on Monday.

WEEKEND ACTION: Menlo Park, Somerville, Rosh HaAyin
- April 22: Menlo Park, CA: 4th California High School Goe Team Tournament: Mingjiu Jiang mingjiu7p@hotmail.com 650.969.2857
- April 22: Somerville, MA MGA Spring Handicap Tournament: Zack Grossbart zack@massgo.org 617.497.1232
- April 24: Rosh HaAyin, IL Mind - Independence Day Tournament: Shavit Fragman info@go-mind.com +972.54.4500.453

GAME COMMENTARY: Voice From a New Generation
       "I don't really know what I was thinking here, but it turns out that this move doesn't do anything," says Zhongxia "Ricky" Zhao 3d in today's game commentary from last weekend's USYGC Qualifier Senior Division Finals in Philadelphia. The 12-year-old's refreshing candor combines with sharp, mature analysis to provide a glimpse at a new generation of go players and we look forward to following his career and hearing more from him in the months and years ahead.
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 click here to get them for most platforms at Jan van der Steen's Gobase.

GO QUIZ: Hard To Believe
       Mike Leary is this week's quiz winner as not just one, but three competitors with previously perfect records were tripped up by this week's question. Gareth Williams, Richard Hayes and, last but not least, Philip Waldron were not among the five (out of 11) of you who knew Ishi published and distributed 8 books in hardback, and only two - Kim Salamony and Theo van Ees -- listed them correctly in their comments. I will let Mr. van Ees provide our answer. "Tricky question...Modern Joseki and Fuseki I, Basic Techniques, Modern Joseki and Fuseki 2, Middle Game, Strategic Concepts (sorry Phil), 1971 Honinbo Tournament, All About Thickness, and The Go Players Almanac." Van Ees goes on to identify some of the tricks of the quiz - "Treasure Chest Enigma also was hardcover, but only distributed by Ishi...(as was)Mathematical Go Endgames...Invincible, another hardcover, was published by Kiseido (the first in fact)not Ishi." Grant Kerr - now in the lead amongst those with perfect scores (6/6)adds "Go for Beginners had a hardcover edition published by Pantheon, but Ishi published it in paperback" You can see my collection of the 8 in the photo at (above left). Four are signed by the author; which ones...no, that's not fair.
        THIS WEEK'S QUIZ: This week, E-Journal editor and Washingtonian Chris Garlock takes the opportunity to recognize the Washington Post for its coverage of the recent Cherry Blossom Tournament, which was also, of course, covered by the E-Journal, which broadcast the top board games. Here's an excerpt from Michelle Boorstein's April 1 report: "I'm just trying to rest," Joey said between rounds in a side room, where some players practiced moves on the square, wooden board and others sifted through high-end stones made of jade and clamshell. Inside the main room, a small crowd surrounded table No. 1, where the top round was being played by a teenage boy and a middle-age man wearing an "I love Go" pin on his baseball cap." Name that middle-aged man! Was it Mike Lash, Steve Fawthrop, Alan Abramson or Keith Arnold? Click here to submit your answer and read the entire article
- Go Quiz Editor: Keith L. Arnold, hka

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

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