Plans are underway for a brand-new major go event in the U.S. early next year. Organizers for the North American Go Convention (NAGC) plan to run the event from February 8-17, book-ended with weekend tournaments in New York City (February 9-10) and Washington, DC (February 16-17), with the overall winner declared NAGC Open Champion. Both weekend open tournaments offer 8 rounds of rated games for kyu players, and 6 rounds for dan. Like the annual U.S. Go Congress, the NAGC organizers also plan to include simuls, lectures and game reviews with professional players, who thus far include Joanne Missingham 6P, Stephanie Yin 1P and Myung-wan Kim 9P. Also on tap are Blitz go, Pair Go, awards for top youth, female and senior players and more. The North American Go Convention is sponsored by the AGA Capital Go Club, NOVA Go Club and Days Inn Hotel, and organized by Yue Zhang, Sam Zimmerman, Garrett Smith, Tengxiao Yang, Edward Zhang, Liang Yu, Xiliang Liu, Joshua Guarino, et al. Click here for online registration; groups of 10 or more qualify for a 5% discount. For facility reservation reasons, registration fees will rise 10% after 12/25/2012.

The 2012 International Go Symposium in Black Mountain, North Carolina attracted leading scholars and researchers from around the world for two days of presentations and discussions on the many aspects of the game of go. Dozens of hours of footage have now been edited down and posted online to accompany the conference papers. This 3-part series covers highlights of Symposium presentations by teachers, scientists, historians and anthropologists.

Games may be a major key to learning, suggested keynote speaker Nolan Bushnell (right) at the 2012 International Go Symposium, August 4-5, 2012. The entrepreneurial wizard behind products as diverse as Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, Bushnell is now applying principles such as “thalamic engagement” and “spaced repetition” to develop Brainrush, a game-based learning app that aims to help students learn all kinds of material more effectively. Mexican Go Assoiation President Israel Rodriguez offered some interesting speculations on the nature of the barriers to developing a go culture. Yet go is a superb medium for growth and development, as Dr. Roy Laird – a clinical social worker who manages treatment programs for The Children’s Aid Society in New York City and former President of the American Go Association – explores in his talk “Play Go And Grow,” about the unique aspects of go that favor positive development, and some interesting recent research on go and the brain. While go is popular in Asian communities and has developed a growing base among Caucasians in the West, its presence is very limited in other Western cultures. In Playing Under and Pushing Through the Stones, Roxanna Duntley-Matos, a member of the Western Michigan University School of Social Work faculty, describes how she used go as a tool for “emancipatory education” with the Ann Arbor Hispanic community, promoting leadership, camaraderie and success among a marginalized minority. At the upper end of the learning spectrum, Peter Schumer described a for-credit course on go  that he has taught at Middlebury College for years, offering tips on everything from curriculum development to teaching style. In “How Rules, Terms and Attitude Help or Hinder the Game,”, American Go Foundation (AGF) President and AGA Rules Committee Chairman Terry Benson (left) urges a rethinking of what it means to “play go,” and what we teach. Peter Freedman, an experienced go teacher from the Portland area, looked beyond simply teaching children the game to how to help them develop a lifelong love for go, while go teacher Siddhartha Avila’s Mexican school is committed to teaching through the arts. On a practical level, AGF VP Paul Barchilon  outlined some of the many ways that the AGF can help aspiring organizers in the US. Laura Martinez ended the go teacher’s panel, and the conference, by unveiling the winners of The Second International Go Art Contest.

The AGA and the 2012 US Go Congress are extremely grateful to the International Go Federation for financial support that made this event possible, and to the American Go Foundation for additional support.  All presentations can be found at the Symposium’s YouTube channel. In addition, links to all the videos and to associated papers, links and contact information be found at the Symposium website. NEXT WEEK: Historians and anthropologists at the Symposium.

With Go World ending publication (Endgame for Go World Magazine After 35 Years 11/16) we want to know which was your favorite Go World article. Click here to participate in the My Favorite Go World Story Contest. Page through your hard copies for reminders of all the great content over the years, or check out Go World’s handy Index for Go Worlds #1 to #122 if your memory needs jogging. Three winners will be selected to receive a choice of three GW issues, courtesy of the American Go Foundation. Deadline is 6P on Sunday, December 2. 

“People having been playing go for 4000 years,” says the Seattle Go Center. “And people have been eating cheese for 4000 years. But they were usually not the same people, until the Seattle Go Center invented Tuesday Pizza Night, where we play go and eat cheese pizza in the same room (but at different tables).  We usually have fresh baked bread to share as well.”

This week 40 players, ranging in age from 5 years old to over 80, turned out for pizza and some of Chris Kirschner’s freshly-baked loaves of bread. “Four visitors were new to the Go Center, but had played a little on their own,” reports club manager Brian Allen. “Millie is back after touring with her band. Alex is moving to New York City – he will be looking for go players there.”
photo: at the November 13 Pizza Go Night; photo by Brian Allen