More than 120 members of the American Go Association will vie for nearly $3,000 in prizes in the inaugural Young Kwon National Online Tournament (YKNOT), which begins this Saturday. The field includes AGA Life Members from Asia and Europe as well as AGA members in the United States – click here for complete list — and dan winners will be awarded Korean Baduk Association’s Dan-level certificates. Nearly twenty players applied or renewed their AGA membership to qualify to play YKNOT, and over a dozen players tested their web camera and Skype during the Q/A session last Saturday. With many players are new to online tournaments, co-director Zhiyuan ‘Edward’ Zhang is strongly recommending that all players familiarize themselves with the relevant software. “A reliable internet connection is critical,” Zhang adds. He notes that while it may seem inconvenient at first to have to use software and a web camera, “we are confident that the benefits of low costs, no transportation expenses, more supervision, and a quasi face-to-face experience far outweigh the drawbacks.” For details and complete YKNOT notices, click here. Tournament pairings will be announced soon. The tournament will be held over five days: January 22, 23, 29, 30 and February 5; game times are 1p ET for dan and 6p ET for kyu divisions.
