American Go E-Journal » 2013 » August

Seattle Go Center Expecting Visitors Around Go Congress

Friday August 2, 2013

With the U.S. Go Congress happening just an hour’s drive away in Tacoma, the Seattle Go Center is preparing for special events before and after the Congress. Professional Ryo Maeda will be visiting the Go Center before the Congress, on Aug. 1 and 2, while Masaki Takemiya 9p and Chihiro Chujo 1p will be giving lectures and playing simultaneous games Aug. 12-15 after the Congress. The calendar on the Go Center website has the details.

The Seattle Go Center will be closed during most of Go Congress, but it will be open on Tuesday, Aug 6, from 3 – 10 p.m. “Tuesdays are our biggest day, so it’s always great time for visitors to drop by; everybody can find a game, from beginners to 6 dan players,” reports Manager Brian Allen. Photo: Brian Allen washing the Go Center sign. Photo by Luke Allen.

Categories: U.S. Go Congress,U.S./North America

Your Move/Readers Write: Following Congress Tournaments; Watching Congress Games on an iPad

Friday August 2, 2013

Following Congress Tournaments: “Since I (and the large majority of AGA members / US go players) cannot attend the U.S. Go Congress,” writes Kate Collin, “the most important thing for me is to have an up-to-date reference regarding what’s going on with the tournaments. I’d love to have something like the daily sports section of my newspaper, that would tell me: Results, Current standings, Broadcast schedule. I notice that the Congress web site does not even seem to be set up to anticipate posting results, which is frustrating, and I don’t see a central place on the AGA web site that would do that either. Another thing that would be very useful, since I generally won’t be able to watch games live, would be a reference for what KGS IDs are used to broadcast the various games, so that it is possible to search the archive for the games. Good luck! And thanks in advance for your efforts!”
The E-Journal will once again be coordinating tournament coverage, including broadcasting top-board games on KGS (mornings 9-12 and evenings 7-11; look for USGO), and posting results, game records and photos. Click here to see an example of the 2012 U.S. Open tournament grid; our post-Congress wrap-up from last year also includes grids from the NAIM and Strong Player’s Open as well as pro game commentaries and more, all of which we expect to do again this year. We also try to do a daily recap in the EJ of highlights from each tournament and other Congress events. If there’s more or other coverage readers are interested in, just let us know and we’ll do our best to get it for you!

Watching Congress Games on an iPad: “Can I use my Ipad to watch the games from the Congress?” wonders Joe Walters. “If so, how?”
Unfortunately, probably not, since iPads can’t run the KGS java client. “People have done this by running the client on their computer and then sending the display output to their iPad,” KGS’ Bill Shubert tells the EJ, “but I don’t personally know how to do this, so I think an iPad won’t work at this time.” If anyone has information on how to make KGS work on an iPad, let us know at journal@usgo.org and we’ll pass it along.

Categories: U.S. Go Congress,U.S./North America,Your Move: Readers Write

Go Goes to London AnimeCon

Friday August 2, 2013

Go demonstrations and teaching games were featured at the recent London AnimeCon 2013, held at the Rocket Complex, London Metropolitan University from July 20-21. British Go Association (BGA) VP Tony Atkins and go and anime enthusiast Ben Murphy of Billaricay Go Club (“feather” on KGS) demonstrated the basic rules on 9×9 boards and then played against about 40 visitors, introducing subtleties like ko as they played. One novice was so immediately hooked that he downloaded a go app to practice overnight then asked Atkins for a return match the next day. Many were familiar with go from the anime/manga Hikaru No Go and some had even played before. Leaflets about the game were also handed out.

The exhibition was the initiative of 25-year-old BGA member Murphy, who approached the convention organizers, animeleague, who then invited the BGA to participate without charge. “It was a very interesting and fun experience teaching people and I really enjoyed seeing how much people enjoyed the game,” Murphy told the E-Journal. He hopes to be at next year’s event too, provisionally set for February 8-9 2014.
– Tony Collman, British Correspondent for the E-Journal. Graphic courtesy of animeleague.

Categories: Europe,Go News

European Go News: Pandanet European Team Championship, 2013 EGC

Friday August 2, 2013

At the 3rd Pandanet Go European Team Championship — being played at this year’s European Go Congress in Poland — the Czech Republic triumphed, with Russia in second and Ukraine in third. According to reports, Russia asked the first match between the Czech Republic and Ukraine to be replayed due to an issue with the clock. However, Ondrej Silt 6d (manocska) (left), Jan Simara 6d (flashback), and Jan Hora (JanHora) 6d still led their team to victory. For complete results and full team listings, please visit the official Pandanet website.

Pavol Lisy 6d is the current leader of the main tournament at the 2013 European Go Congress in Olsztyn, Poland. Behind him are Hui Fan 7d and Polish player Mateusz Surma 6d. However, Lisy must continue to play sharply as Fan recently won both the EGF qualifying tournament for Beijing 2013 and the Leksand Open. Meanwhile, Alexander Dinertchein 7d and Ilja Shikshin 7d remain just outside the top ten. According to the official schedule, round four of the main tournament will commence on August 1. For the latest updates, full results, photos, and more, visit the official 2013 European Go Congress website.
— Annalia Linnan, with additional reporting by Alain Cano; photo by Karin Valisova

Categories: Europe,Events/Tournaments,Go News,World

The Traveling Board: Innoshima, Birthplace of Honinbo Shusaku

Friday August 2, 2013

by Jan Engelhardt

Western go players sightseeing in Japan won’t want to miss Innoshima in the Hiroshima prefecture. That’s the birthplace of Honinbo Shusaku, the most famous go player ever. Shusaku was born as Kuwahara Torajiro on June 6, 1829 in Innoshima. At the age of 10 he moved to Edo (now called Tokyo) to join the legendary Honinbo go house. Even after he became a professional go player, Shusaku returned to Innoshima for long stays. The people of Innoshima are very proud on Honinbo Shusaku and value his heritage, calling themselves a “Go playing city” where as much as ten percent of the 20,000 inhabitants play go and twice a year Innoshima hosts a a “Shusaku Honinbo Go Festival” for professional and amateur go players.

The “Honinbo Shusaku Igo Memorial Hall” is a fascinating museum honoring Shusaku’s life and accomplishments, showcasing many artifacts of his life, including the old goban on which his mother taught him go. In the museum’s back yard there is a reconstruction of the actual living house of the family. The museum’s memorial hall is also used for go events, including professional ones. There are always go boards available for guests and it’s amazing to see all the letters, game records and go material related to Shusaku’s fascinating life. Next to the hall one can find a shinto shrine constructed by a later Honinbo in Shusaku’s honor.

Not far away is Shusaku’s grave. It is said that one becomes two stones stronger by touching the gravestone, and it’s traditional for visitors to light an incense stick there in the great player’s memory.
– Engelhardt, who was in Japan recently to attend the Osaka Go Camp, is the E-Journal’s German Correspondent. photos by Jan Engelhardt

Categories: Traveling Go Board

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