At the British Go Congress in Bognor Regis, England, Cornel Burzo 6d (right) of Baia Mare, Romania first won the British 
Lightning on Friday February 28, then followed it up with a sweep of the six-round British Open, March 1-2. In all, 61 players took part in the Open, including nearly 25% from mainland Europe and beyond. Prizes were awarded in eight separate divisions based on grade, and the runner-up in the first division, Robert Rehm 5d of the Netherlands, also took first prize in the second division, with Bei Ge 5d (UK ) runner-up. Click here for the British Go Association’s (BGA) report giving full list of divisional prize-winners and here for full tournament results. The Stacey Grand Prix, which bestows the Terry Stacey Memorial Trophy on the player with most wins above the McMahon bar in tournaments since the previous Congress, went this year to Toby Manning 2d.
The Congress also took in the BGA’s Annual General Meeting on the evening of Saturday March 1 and rounded off on Monday March 2 with a teaching day featuring Japanese Nihon Ki-in professionals Minematsu Masaki and Kobayashi Chizu, who have also been teaching and reviewing throughout the weekend.
Meanwhile the European Youth Go Congress, running in parallel at the same venue with eighty-nine players in three age divisions, also finished March 2. The tournament continued at presstime and will be reported soon, but the impatient may click here for full results.
Report by Tony Collman, British correspondent for the E-Journal; photo courtesy of European Go Congress 2014 website.
Update (3/8): there was no communal meal on March 1, as previously reported.
Forty four kids and adults came to Berkeley, CA on February 22nd to play in the Winter Go Tournament organized by Bay Area Go Players Association. Eleven year old Jeremy Chiu 6d (right in photo at right), winner of the 2013 US Youth Go Championship junior division, led the open section with a 4-0 record. He faced a strong field, however, including 2012 European Women’s Go Championship winner Vanessa Wong 7d, three-time Redmond Cup champion Aaron Ye 6d, and 2012 Korea Prime Minister Cup contestant Matthew Burrall 7d.
Bay Area Go promoted the tournament as appropriate for players of all levels, and in fact a wide range of players participated. Three handicap sections in addition to the open section ensured that all players had a good shot at winning prizes. “It is nice that the really strong players had stiff competition in the open section,” says organizer Roger Schrag, “But I am especially glad that the kyu players, double-digit kyus, and even 20+ kyu players all had people at their level to play.”
