American Go E-Journal » 2014 » May

Club News: Evanston Boosts Tourney Turn-Out; Austin Hosts May Tourney

Monday May 12, 2014

Evanston Boosts Tourney Turn-Out: The Evanston Go Club held its regular quarterly tournament on May 10, with 22 players attending. Players ranged from beginner to 6 dan.  Albert Yen took the dan prize with a 4-0 record, Nathan Chan dominated the single-digit kyu division with a 4-1 record, and new-comer Mary Skolnik, playing in her first tournament, won the double-digit kyus at 4-1. “We tried something a little different this time.”, said TD Mark Rubenstein. “In an effort to get more participants, we offered free attendance to anyone who had not been to one of our tournaments in the last 16 months. And in an effort to boost attendance at our weekly club, we also offered free entry to anyone who came to three club meetings before the tournament. Of the 22 players, 9 were first-time attendees, so we think we are onto something. Since there was less money available prizes, books were given instead. Many thanks to Bob Barber for donating the entire 6-volume set of Yilun Yang’s Workshop Lectures series.”
photo: Albert Yen, 6 dan plays teaching games with Teddy Garrison and Emily No, both 25k.

Austin Hosts May Tourney: Sixteen players participated in the “May…you win” tournament held in Austin, TX on May 10th. Players came from as far away as Houston and Dallas to participate in this 4-round handicap tournament held at Great Hall Games, which hosts the Austin Go Club every Tuesday night. Gift certificates were awarded to 5 players who each had 3 wins: Michael Ruiz 1K (3-0); John Zhang 4D (3-1); Andy Olsen 3D (3-1); JT Jackson 8K (3-1); Kyle Highful 13K (3-1).

Share

Go Quiz: New York’s Go History Mystery

Monday May 12, 2014

LICENSE TO FILL the US Open Field.  Respondents were evenly split between Tacoma ’05, Lancaster ’07, and Washington ’09 but Lancaster is the correct response with 379 players in the US Open field, second was Washington with 364.  Lisa Scott explained her reasons for her correct answer: “I had expected Portland, since Portland had the largest number of registered people in total, but Lancaster was a close second.” While overall attendance has been somewhat lower, the percentage of non-players has gone up of late, explaining the “ancient” leader.  Last year’s Congress had an open field of 285.  So, the gauntlet is thrown down for New York to make us proud.   Congrats to this week’s winner, Steven Burrall of Elk Grove, CA, chosen at random from among those answering correctly.

This Week’s Quiz: This week’s quiz focuses on the proud history of the beginnings of go in New York City, but your only clue is that the particular history I have in mind is referenced in what old television cartoon show? Is it “Hong Kong Phooey”, “Underdog”, “Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales” or “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”? Your quizmaster remains convinced that the players of this fascinating game are up for the most obscure challenge and while I really hope someone impresses me with the correct answer, please feel free to make up something creative for me to share. Click here to submit your answer.
– Keith Arnold, HKA

Share
Categories: Go Quiz
Share

Nominations Open for 2014 AGA Board Elections

Saturday May 10, 2014

Four American Go Association (AGA) Board of Director seats are up for election this year, including the three regional seats and the At-Large seat. Broad authority for organizational decisions and management throughout the year resides with the AGA Board, which selects the President. The current terms of office expire this September. Nominations may be made by full AGA members for the At-Large seat and the regional seat in which the member resides and must be received by June 15. Nominations and questions must be emailed to elections@usgo.org. Click here for complete election information and qualifications.

Share
Categories: U.S./North America
Share

Ge Bei Lead UK Challenger; Chris Volk Wins Bar-Low

Saturday May 10, 2014

The Candidates’ Tournament, first stage in the British Championship, was held over the bank holiday weekend, Saturday May 3 – Monday May 5, with Ge Bei 6d (right) of no club winning all six rounds. Ge has previously been British Champion two years running after displacing longtime champ Matthew Macfadyen 6d in 2006. Reigning champion Andrew Kay 5d – who once again this year waived his right to bypass this event – placed second, losing only to Ge. The top eight will now contest a Challengers’ League, to be played next bank holiday weekend in London, to decide the two finalists. The other six challengers are: Alex Kent 2d, Boris Mitrovic 2d, Sandy Taylor 2d, Des Cann 5d, Tim Hunt 3d and Bruno Poltronieri 3d. Alistair Wall 4d is reserve. The event was organized by Bruno Poltronieri on behalf of the British Go Association (BGA) at Warwick University in the Midlands of England. Click here for full results.

The Bar-Low Tournament, traditionally held the same weekend, was also played at Warwick alongside the Candidates’ on Sunday May 4 and was won by Chris Volk 1k of Reading, with Ben Ellis 3k of Milton Keynes runner-up. Click here for full results.

Click here to see Tanaka Kiyohiko’s (placed 10=) photo journal of the Candidates’ Tournament.

Report by Tony Collman, from reports (Candidates’ , Bar-Low) and other sources on the BGA website; photo (cropped): Ge Bei plays Harry Fearnley 2d in round one, by Tanaka Kiyohiko

Share

British Youth Squad Launches

Saturday May 10, 2014

Following the successful hosting of the 19th European Youth Go Championship (EYGC) in Bognor Regis, England earlier this year – but with only seven British youths actually entering – the British Go Association has undertaken to assemble and train up a UK Junior Go Squad to take to next year’s EYGC in Zandvoort in the Netherlands (Holland). Alison Bexfield 1d (left), who runs the Letchworth Junior Chess and Go Club and has two go-playing daughters of her own, is heading up the initiative which aims to get as many young players as possible to 20k or better in time for the EYGC. It launched on bank holiday Monday May 5 with an event at the Mrs Howard Memorial Hall in Letchworth, attended by 16 youngsters aged from around eight or nine to 16. They were split into four coaching groups with Matt Selby 4k and Natasha Regan 1k, who are the parents of Oscar Selby 7k, and Paul Smith 1d, the father of Edmund Smith 13k, also coaching. In addition, five rounds of the UK Go Challenge were held over the course of the day. Bexfield told the E-Journal, “Everybody enjoyed the day and all are looking forward to the next [which is yet to be announced].”

Tony Collman, British correspondent for the E-Journal; photo: Alison Bexfield plays Francis Roads at the recent Welwyn Garden City Tournament.

Share

Go Spotting: Lesley Downer’s ‘On the Narrow Road’

Thursday May 8, 2014

“About 300 years after the Japanese poet Basho wrote his famous book The Narrow Road to the Deep North a woman named Lesley Downer wrote an account of her own 1989 journey following in Basho’s footsteps,” writes None Redmond. “It was called On the Narrow Road and halfway through she is as far north as Basho went and watching the river Mogami.  She writes ‘At Goten the river narrowed and frothed. With the help of a little imagination the rocks could have been flat and evenly spaced enough to be Go-ten, the counters you use for playing Go.’”

“It’s a good book,” Redmond adds. “I am fascinated by her travels and envy her her knowledge of the Japanese language.”

Share

What Can A Game Tell Us About China’s Politics?

Wednesday May 7, 2014

In this May 6 report, the BBC’s China Editor Carrie Gracie speaks with political analyst Deng Yuwen about “what an ancient Chinese game can tell us about China’s current political landscape,” where an epic power struggle is under way.
Thanks to David Saunders for sending this along.

Share
Categories: World
Share

Canwa Vancouver 1, Chicago & Katy TX 1 Lead AGA City League After 4th Round

Wednesday May 7, 2014

After four rounds in the AGA City League, Canwa Vancouver 1 is leading the A League. Hot on their heels are Seattle 1 and Greater

[link]

 Washington with one match behind. May’s final matches will decide which two teams will meet at the Pandanet City League Finals in New York City at the US Go Congress. Chicago is leading the B League with NY City their only contender. Can Raleigh take down Chicago in their match up in just a few weeks? The teams in the C League were closer matched before this round. Now Katy TX 1 has come way out ahead in their matches. Katy TX 2 and Memphis are in the 2-3 seed respectively. With three more rounds to go the lineup could change a lot before the end. See right for an exciting 4th-round game between Eric Lui (W, Greater Washington) vs Bill Lin (B, Canwa Vancouver 1) from the A League. See below for complete 4th-round results.
– Steve Colburn, TD

A League: Los Angeles Def Toronto (3-0), Seattle 1 def Boston (2-1), Canwa Vancouver 1 def Greater Washington (2-1)
B League: Washington DC 1 def NC Raleigh (2-1), Chicago def San Francisco 1 (2-1), New York City def Washington DC 2 (3-0)
C League: West Tennessee/Memphis def Katy TX 2 (2-1), Brentwood/Nashville def Seattle 2 (3-0), Katy TX 1 def Lincoln (2-1)
Still in progress: Central New York/Syracuse vs Canwa Vancouver 2 (0-2)

Share

Straus Washington Open Baduk Championships Photo Album Posted

Wednesday May 7, 2014

Photographer (and former AGA president) Phil Straus has just posted an album of 28 high-resolution photos from the April 27-28 Washington Open Baduk Championships, which includes portraits of many of the players and dignitaries in attendance. The photos may be freely used but must credit Straus.
photo: Baltimore Go Club organizer Keith Arnold (left) gets a lesson; photo by Phil Straus 

Share

EuroGoTV Update: Lithuania, Turkey, UK

Tuesday May 6, 2014

Lithuania: Andrius Petrauskas 3d took the Vilniaus Taure on April 27 while Vladas Zaleskas 2d came in second and Ernestas Romeika 1d placed third. Turkey: The 3. Adana Go Tournament finished on April 20 with Cagdas Yeloglu 2d in first, Ertug Akkol 1d (left) in second, and Eren Kurter 2d in third. UK: Paul Taylor 2d bested Alistair Wall 2d at the Welwyn Garden City Go Tournament on April 26. Francis Roads 2d was third.
– Annalia Linnan, based on reports from EuroGoTV, which include complete result tables and all the latest European go news; photo courtesy of EuroGoTV

Share