With several days to go, nearly 200 have already registered for this weekend’s Cotsen Open in Los Angeles, one of the
year’s biggest and most popular go tournaments in the United States. With thousands of dollars in prizes, the April 28-29 tournament is bringing out players of all strengths, and competition will be especially tough on the top boards as players like Joey Hung 8D, Juyong Koh 8D, Danny Daehyuk Ko 8D, Curtis Tang 8D (at right; click here for the April 24 LA Times story on how this “Child prodigy took a pass on Go”) and Calvin Sun 7D battle it out. The E-Journal will be broadcasting top games on KGS, hopefully with commentary from one of the visiting Korea Baduk Association pros, Cho Hun-hyun 9P, Yang Jae-ho 9P, and Yoo Chang-hyuk 9P. The Cotsen also features big cash prizes for the clubs whose players win the most games, so a number of area clubs are sending teams to compete.
photo by Gary Friedman/LA Times
Twenty-six kids and adults gathered in Palo Alto, CA, on April 14 for this month’s ratings tournament run by Bay Area Go Players Association. Players ranged in strength from 7 dan to 18 kyu, and four players won three games apiece: Yue Fang 1d, Tai-An Cha 5k, Bryan Tan 12k, and Sybil Fu 15k. As is usual at the Bay Area Go tournaments, go books were handed out as prizes to everyone playing in their first tournament and those who won all of their games.
But everyone was a winner at this tournament, because during the lunch break between the first and second rounds, local amateur 8 dan Joey Hung gave a lecture. He reviewed game openings, discussed some common joseki, and covered what he calls ‘the first rule of the opening’. “In the front row there was a 7 dan player, and sitting near him an 18 kyu player. It is very challenging to teach such a wide range of players at once,” explained Joey later. “But I think everyone learned something.” Indeed, a lot was learned that day.
