March 3, 2008; Volume 9, #11

ANDREW FU TOPS CLEVELAND TOURNEY: Andrew Fu topped a field of 20 players at the the March 1 Cleveland Go Tourney. Winner's Report: Dan section: Andrew Fu, 3-0; High Kyu section: Dave Warzinski 2-1; above 5k section: Seth Johnson 3-0. - Report/photo: Steve Colburn

U.S. CONGRESS REGISTRATION OPENS: Online registration for the 2008 US Go Congress is now open, reports Director Peter Freedman. The 24th annual event - which attracts hundreds of the nation's most dedicated go players -- runs August 2-9 in Portland Oregon and features major tournaments, lectures by professional go players and more.

YOUTH GO UPDATES: Ing School Team Championships Begin; Free Go Sets For Canadian Schools; New Youth Site Off To Roaring Start
- Ing School Team Championships Begin: Over two hundred young players on fifty teams have now registered for the Ing School Team Championships, reports the American Go Honor Society (AGHS), which organizes the event. Sixteen teams registered just before the registration deadline, evidence of the excitement of young players across the nation and in Canada for what has now become the single largest youth tournament held in North America. "This Ing tournament has really invigorated my club," reports Fern Hill School, Ottawa, team advisor Tyler Reynolds, "Now my kids are wanting me to play with them on KGS every night!" Games began this past weekend, and the first round will take place over the next two weeks. For pairings, and the most recent standings on each round, click here. "I am overjoyed that so many youth go players are participating in the tournament," says AGHS Board Chair Matthew Mallory. "I hope everyone plays well and enjoys the matches," Mallory adds. The E-J will be reporting on each round and will feature interviews and game commentaries as the event progresses. Photo: A student at Hebbville Academy tries out the Elbow Tesuji; photo by Amy Nan
- Free Go Sets For Canadian Schools: A new program to bring free equipment to school children in Canada has been launched by the American Go Foundation (AGF) and the Canadian Go Association (CGA). Now any school or youth program serving kids under 18 can apply for the AGF's classroom starter set. "The Starter Kit arrived today; the kids will go crazy when I show them the new equipment on Wednesday," reports Hebbville Academy school teacher Amy Nan, from Nova Scotia. "We only have one set of bi-convex stones and there are often arguments about who gets to play with them each day. To have three more sets of the 'preferred' shape is fantastic." The Fern Hill School in Ottawa is another early recipient of the program, and both schools are participating in the Ing team event (ING SCHOOL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGIN). The AGF is providing and distributing the equipment, and the CGA is funding the program. Canadian citizens who wish to support the program may make donations directly to the CGA, U.S. citizens who want to help can make earmarked donations to the AGF. Photo of the Fern Hill School club in Ottawa by Tyler Reynolds.
- New Youth Site Off To Roaring Start: Over 3,000 unique visitors have dropped by the American Go Foundation's (AGF) new youth website Tigersmouth since the site launched a few weeks ago. The Tigersmouth forums have been active with posts from kids across the country, and a room specifically for Tiger's Mouth members on KGS was launched last week. Kids and teens are playing each other and receiving teaching games every day; one lucky 7 kyu even got a teaching game in with 18 year old 6 dan Calvin Lee. But it is the beginners who are benefiting the most, with a friendly and encouraging online community just for kids. "I'm really happy to of joined the Tiger's Mouth room! I met a new friend and everything!" says 12-year-old Forum member Almeadia. The room will also feature tournaments monthly, with a $50 prize budget for each. Tournaments will select the best player in three ranges: 20-30 kyu, 10-19 kyu, and single digit kyu and higher. Winners will receive the go book of their choice from any go vendor. The Tiger's Mouth KGS room is a private room, open only to kids and teachers. To gain entry, you must register as a member of Tiger's Mouth and post in the forum requesting admission. - reported by Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor

MORE USER-FRIENDLY WEBSITE COMING: The AGA is developing a more up-to-date, user-friendly website. Working with Internet4Associations, a professional website developer, the new website will be a Content Management System (CMS) that's fully integrated with a built-in database. "The CMS will enable us to update web pages much more quickly and easily, improving the timeliness and accuracy of information on the website," says AGA website project manager Mark Rubenstein. "The database will open up a whole new world of opportunities for us and our members," adds AGA President Mike Lash. New features will include enable members to easily search for each other by city, state, etc, as well as easily update personal information and set preferences for how much information they wish to share with other members. An improved events calendar is also planned, with increased ability to list - and sign up for - events, such as tournaments. The new website - which will have improved navigation and a new interface -- will have also have exclusive content for members and an online store. "We plan to have the new website completed before the Congress," says Rubenstein, "Stay tuned!"

GO CALENDAR: Chicago & Syracuse
March 8: Chicago, IL: 2nd Annual Youth Qualifier (Plus)
Bob Barber komoku@earthlink.net 773.467.0423
March 8: Syracuse, NY: Salt City Paired Tournament
Richard Moseson rmoseson@gmail.com 315.682.7720

LEE SEDOL SURVIVES TEEN SCARE TO WIN LG CUP: Lee Sedol (l) 9P added a third current international title to his collection this week, and it's one of the most prestigious, but he had a real scare getting there. His opponent in the finals of the 12th LG Cup was a relatively unknown teenager, fellow Korean Han Sanghoon (r) 2P, who has never won a professional tournament. That Han was in the finals was the result of some impressive wins in earlier rounds. He defeated China's Gu Li 9P in the second round and China's Liu Jing 8P, who had just defeated Cho Chikun 9P by a half point, in the third round. The semifinals were next and included three Korean and one Chinese representative. Lee polished off Hu Yaoyu 8P of China, while Han defeated Korea's On Sojin 4P. It must have been quite a shock to Lee -- one of the strongest pros in the world -- when underdog Han won the first game in the best-of-three-games finals. However, Lee came storming back to take the last two and the title. It will be interesting to see what Han does next.

CHO CHIKUN STAYS ALIVE IN KISEI: Cho Chikun (l) 9P hung on in the Kisei title match, winning Game 5 against Yamashita Keigo 9P, making the score 3-2 in Yamashita's favor. Cho won on February 27-28 by 3.5 points. Yamashita is just a win away from retaining the title for a third consecutive year; the two remaining games are scheduled for mid-March. Cho has held this title eight times, most recently in 1999; this is the first time he has played in the title match since losing to O Rissei 9P in 2000.

MOK JINSEOK TAKES FIRST GAME IN MAXIM CUP FINALS: The new kids are in town. Mok Jinseok (r) 9P took the first game in the best-of-three Korean Maxim Cup against Park Yeonghun 9P. Both players are in their twenties. The Maxim has had some memorable moments. It's one of the two "open" tournaments won by Rui Naiwei 9P (the other was the Kuksu) and it's the only pro tournament in which the finals were between a husband and wife (Rui again, versus her husband Jiang Zhujiu "Jujo" 9P; she lost that one, but won the next year.) Lee Sedol 9P, who has won the Maxim Cup for the last three years, is not even in the finals this time. Park had a very good year in 2007, winning the international Fujitsu Cup by defeating Lee Changho 9P, taking the GS Caltex Cup by defeating Lee Sedol 9P, and also successfully defending his Gisung (Japanese: Kisei) title. Mok has been much less successful at winning titles: despite being number one on the Korean list of pros winning the most games in 2007 with 93 victories and a 76% winning rate, he's taken no titles. With the first game of the Maxim Cup in hand, Mok is now one win from his first title. The second game is scheduled for March 8th.

GO QUIZ: Round Up The Usual Suspects: Many quiz veterans were among the 12 of 17 who got this week's quiz answer, including Phil Waldron, Terry Fung, Kim Salomony, Ramon Mercado and, of course, ultra precise Grant Kerr who details the answer - "Kato Masao challenged 4 times: 1976, 1988, 1991, 1993..." He goes on to comment that both Takemiya (3 guesses) and Rin (1) challenged three times (and yes he gives the years). He also notes that Kobayashi Koichi (1) won the title 8 times in a row. He then goes on to applaud Cho Chikun's record...anyway, it was Kato. Congrats to Steve Fawthrop, this week's winner, chosen at random from
those answering correctly.
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ: Kato, Takemiya and Ishida Yoshio made up the "Three Crows" of the Kitani Dojo. How many books authored by this trio (or at least credited to them) have been translated into English? For those who may spot a trick, the number I am looking for is the total number of individual books, so a multi-volume set would count as more than one - Is the correct answer 6, 7, 8 or 9? List the book titles in the comment section for a Grant Kerr bonus point - click here to submit your choice. - Keith Arnold, Quizmaster

YOUR MOVE: Readers Write
GU LI REAL "LAST MAN STANDING": "I read from different sources that Gu Li (not Chang Hao 9P, as reported in last week's EJ report on CHINESE WIN THEIR FIRST NONGSHIM CUP) was the last man in the Chinese team," writes Romain Basset, "and he didn't play since Chang Hao defeated all the remaining Korean and Japanese players." Bassett (and the other sharp-eyed readers who caught this) is correct; we were caught off-guard because we'd never seen a team member in the Nongshim fail to play.

CAN'T STOP THE MONKEY JUMP: Five Kyu-Level Player
by Motoko Arai
    Let's move on. The five of us kyu-level players continued to study and learn together. Especially for me, after these epiphany-like experiences with Mr. A regarding seki and the bulky five shape, I felt like the scales really fell from my eyes. Just crumbled away. This is when I first began to realize the difference between fretting over eyes and just kind of feeling whether stones were alive or not.
    When I say "feeling," I mean through a kind of "life and death sense." I began to realize that, "Ah, life and death problems are not just mere mathematical logic puzzles; they help you understand life and death on the board." This realization had a huge affect on me.
Which is to say, almost overnight, I became a go problems fanatic. Until this point I had thought of them as clever puzzles. Now I understood better, and life and death problems became my full-time hobby.
    So, back to the story. The five of us continued to study together, and we each began to find our own favorite ways of learning. "Mr. Circle looks for people to play online and then asks them to teach him afterwards." "I heard that Mr. X has already read seven go books!"
    Yeah, yeah, so we're all doing our best, right.
    Mr. Circle on the internet...? But me... online... definitely not. (I mean, for me, computer go or online go are out of the question. I don't know if it's a computer problem, or a mouse problem, or a problem with me, but whenever I've tried to play online I always, always mis-click at least once or twice in a game.)
    To lose because of your own poor playing can still be satisfying, but to lose because your cursor slipped or the mouse skipped-and thereby to lose simply because of a mechanical error in placing a stone-don't you think that's just a bit too frustrating?
    So, Mr. X has read seven go books...? I mean, I love reading. But reading go books? Unless you carry a go board around in your head, it's pretty difficult, and I find it flat out impossible.
    "Mr. Triangle found a local Go club and..." Ah, this one is the worst, isn't it? I have no social skills, and I have no intention of making a trip to my local go club! I mean, even the thought of such a thing is scary, isn't it?
    And certainly it's just because I'm so against this that one day my husband came up to me and said: "Hey, tomorrow we have an appointment in Shinano Ward, don't we? Before that, would you mind if we stop off in Ichigaya Ward too?"
Motoko Arai is an award-winning science fiction author in Japan. Translated by Chris Donner from the Nihon Kiin's Go Weekly (February 26, 2007 issue).

GO CLASSIFIED
SELL IT, BUY IT OR TRADE IT HERE with over 12,000 go-players worldwide! Classified ads are FREE and run for 4 weeks; email your ad to us now at journal@usgo.org
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Blowing Rock or Boone, NC. Looking for players in Boone or Blowing Rock to play casual games with. Please contact emily.mount@gmail.com (3/3)
FOR SALE: Complete set of Go World magazine, nos. 1-103. Pristine condition. Owned by retired librarian. Read only on Sundays. Make me an offer. Bob Barber komoku@earthlink.net (3/3)
KS: Looking for Go players in Kansas (especially in the Wichita area) to join the city's Go Club. For more information contact Andrew Wrinn email: wichitagoclub@gmail.com or visit our website (2/25)
GO TEACHER WANTED: Baltimore, MD: AGA-rated 4k looking to become strong. Teacher can be in the area or online, but must be willing to do at least two intense one-on-one training sessions per month and oversee my general study. Willing to negotiate payment. Please look at my games as "notsomuch" on KGS to see if you can help me. If interested, please contact Joseph at joseph.axilrod.craig@gmail.com (2/25)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Vernon Hills, IL: The new Lake County Baduk Club in Vernon Hills, IL is looking for new members and possibly teachers. Email xflamarialx@gmail.com (2/18)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Houston, TX: Looking for players in North West Houston to start a go club. Please contact swsws@sbcglobal.net (2/18)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Portland, ME: I am looking for go players of all strength and age to come play at the ME, Greater Portland Area Go Club in Gorham, Maine. Contact me at eragon90902@maine.rr.com or by phone at 207-839-2987. (2/11)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Walla Walla, WA, at least 10k; am very bored with online playing. contacts: walkskooter@yahoo.com or, phone at (509) 526-4328. (2/11)

Published by the American Go Association
Managing Editor: Chris Garlock
Assistant Editor: Bill Cobb
Text material published in the AMERICAN GO E JOURNAL may be reproduced by any recipient: please credit the AGEJ as the source. PLEASE NOTE that commented game record files MAY NOT BE published, re-distributed, or made available on the web without the explicit written permission of the Editor of the E-Journal. Please direct inquiries to journal@usgo.org Articles appearing in the E-Journal represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the American Go Association.