American Go E-Journal » 2014 » August

Zhang Named Co-President of AGHS

Saturday August 9, 2014

Hugh Zhang 7d will be serving a second term as co-president of the American Go Honor Society (AGHS), alongside Calvin Sun, who will be serving his first term.  The organization, run entirely by high school students, has opted for two presidents several times before.  “I have been concerned that we were getting lower and lower turnouts for our events, especially the School Teams Tournament ,” Zhang told the E-Journal. “A lot of new ideas were suggested by various members this year, and we hope to implement some of them in the coming year.” -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo: Hugh Zhang 7d competing in the 2013 Korean Prime Minister’s Tournament. 

Share

2014 US Go Congress Begins Today

Friday August 8, 2014

Early arrivals for the 2014 US Go Congress found themselves helping set up the main playing room at the famed Hotel Pennsylvania in midtown Manhattan and assembling Congress packets on Friday, but Brady Daniels (right) and Josh Larson found time amid the flurry of activity to play the first game of the Congress late Friday afternoon and Congress Director Matthew Hershberger (standing) stopped by for a few minutes to enjoy the game this annual event is all about.

Registration begins on Saturday, 8/9 at 10a and will continue throughout the day. The opening ceremony will take place on Saturday, 8/9, at 7PM and will include an address by keynote speaker Frank Lantz, Director of the New York University Game Center.For those staying on site, accommodation check-in will largely proceed through the hotel front desk. However, please speak with Congress staff and complete your check in BEFORE speaking with the hotel front desk as you will need proof of check-in to receive your room-key. (Please note that the hotel check in time is 3PM; for early arrivals, the hotel has luggage storage available.) There will be a Congress staff member in the lobby to direct you to the Congress registration area, and as a last resort, the hotel front desk will also know this information.

Follow us on Twitter @theaga and on Facebook (American Go Association) for latest tweets and posts.
– report/photo by Chris Garlock

Share

Michael Chen Wins Samsung Prelim World Division, Advances to Round of 32

Friday August 8, 2014

Michael Chen topped 11 players to win the Samsung Cup world division preliminaries this week, making it through four tough rounds to advance.  “I’ll play in the main tournament in the round of 32 on August 26th,” Chen told the E-Journal. His opponents were Victor Chow (South Africa), Rob Van Zeijst (Netherlands), Eric Lui (USA) and Xiang Zhang (Singapore). “I had a tough draw, with an especially strong first round opponent in Victor,” said Chen. The final round against Xiang was played in the BadukTV studio and was a TV broadcast game. “It was amazing and exciting to play in that environment,” Chen told the EJ. Click here for an interview on WBaduk

Share
Categories: World
Share

US Go Congress Player Profiles: Wu and Zhou

Thursday August 7, 2014

The American Go E-Journal will be broadcasting top-board US Go Congress games live on KGS beginning this Sunday, August 10. This week we’re profiling some of the top players who will be competing at the Congress. The US Go Congress is the largest go activity in the United States. It happens once a year and spans one week. Events include the US Open, the largest annual go tournament in the US, professional lectures and game analysis, continuous self-paired games, and all kinds of go-related activities from morning to midnight. “Come for the go, come for the camaraderie of old friends, come for the thrill of the big city!” say organizers. “Whatever your reason, we are looking forward to seeing you there.” Also, AGA members, please note that voting for 2014 board elections closes on August 8.

Changlong Wu 7D is a 40year-old environmental engineer in Chapel Hill, NC. He’s been playing for 25 years and has won the Triangle Memorial Go Tournament eight times (2004, 2006-2012). His favorite thing about go is its “Competitiveness. I am always excited and thrilled playing a tournament, big or small.” Hobbies include hiking, music, and movies. He’s married, with two children, 6 and 1.

Yuan Zhou 7D is a 39-year-old consultant and go teacher from Germantown. MD who’s been playing since the age of six. He’s won 30 US Go titles from 1990 through 2012 (see www.zhouyuan.com for detailed info). His favorite thing about go is that “Go is very similar to life. It combines skills, cultures, knowledge and psychology together.” Hobbies include movies and reading.

Share
Categories: U.S. Go Congress
Share

Go Spotting: Kore-eda’s Hana yori mo Naho

Thursday August 7, 2014

“In Kore-eda Hirokazu’s 2006 mock- or anti-samurai film Hana yori mo Naho (花よりもなほ, Hana – the Tale of a Reluctant Samurai), go has a small but very important place as the link between the main character and his deceased father,” writes Richard Neer. “The characters are impoverished and play with shabby equipment and although it’s a minor film, Kore-eda is one of the best known and most important Japanese film makers working today.” Click here for a trailer (in Japanese).

Share
Categories: Go Spotting
Share

Follow Us on Twitter & Facebook

Thursday August 7, 2014

Now you can catch breaking go news by following us on Twitter @theaga and Facebook at American Go Association. This will be especially handy during the upcoming US Go Congress  – which starts this Saturday, August 9 — when we’ll be posting ongoing real-time updates, including latest US Open and other Congress tournament results.

Share

Your Move/Readers Write: Congress Player Profiles a Big Help; More Clossius!

Wednesday August 6, 2014

Congress Player Profiles a Big Help: “I have really been enjoying reading the go player profiles (US Go Congress Player Profiles: Chen, Liang, Lee & Chiu 8/4 EJ, & US Go Congress Player Profiles: Sun, Ko, Koh, Lin, Teng & Ye 8/5 EJ) for the upcoming Go Congress,” writes Dennis Wheeler. “It’s really going to help me get a better idea of who these top level US players are as I watch their games.”
It’s going to help him as a Congress game recorder for the EJ, too; watch for our live broadcasts starting Saturday afternoon with the Pandanet-AGA City League Finals and then the US Open starting Sunday morning. 

More Clossius! “The Clossius commentary (Clossius in the Land of Baduk: At Home Abroad 8/5 EJ) was great,” writes Chris Uzal. “I hope that is not the last one.”
We’re pleased to welcome Shawn Ray as a regular EJ contributor; look for his next column soon!

Share

Go Classified: Teacher Wanted in San Jose

Wednesday August 6, 2014

I have been teaching at the Berryessa Chinese School for 14 years now and am honored to have had this opportunity,” writes Jean deMaiffe.  “Because of my rewarding relationship with BCS, I am hoping to help them find other (preferably English-fluent) regular and substitute go teachers for their culture program. BCS has three campuses in the Berryessa neighborhood of San Jose, California.  One is for ‘the little kids’, one for the middle range (roughly eight through twelve years old) and one for high schoolers.  My venue has been the middle range school, which I have very much enjoyed. Currently, BCS needs a teacher for the high school, may need one for the little kids, and may also need one for my school this coming year or the year after (negotiable) when I plan to retire.  Clearly, if a teacher does well with the BCS school students, the teaching relationship can continue indefinitely.  The middle school has its own equipment and a set of problem books.  BCS has been willing to acquire classroom materials as necessary for my class.  Interested teachers can contact BCS directly through their website, and may contact me via email at jean@dougandjean.com

Share

US Go Congress Player Profiles: Sun, Ko, Koh, Lin, Teng & Ye

Tuesday August 5, 2014

The American Go E-Journal will be broadcasting top-board US Go Congress games live on KGS beginning this Sunday, August 10. This week we’re profiling some of the top players who will be competing at the Congress.

Calvin Sun 1P (right) is a 17-year-old student in Cerritos, CA. He learned go when he was 6 and won the 2012 Cotsen and 2014 Pro Qualifier. His favorite thing about go is that it “forces me to concentrate” and his favorite hobby is “sleep.”

Dae Hyuk “Danny” Ko 7D (left) is 38 and works in finance in Southern California. He’s been playing since the age of 6 and won the 2009 Samsung Qualifier, 2010 Cotsen Cup, 2013 World Mind Sports Qualifier, and is a 4-time Santa Monica Coffee Cup winner (2008, 2011, 2013, 2014). His favorite thing about the game is making friends.

Juyong Koh 7D (right) is a 34-year-old insurance broker from Vancouver, BC. He’s been playing since the age of 10, winning the 2002 and 2008 Canadian Open, as well as many local tournaments. His favorite thing about go is “The game is exciting and you can try anything you like on the board unlike real life. I love to express my imagination on the go board.” Hobbies include weight training and choir practice.

Bill Lin 7D (left) is a 17-year-old university student in Vancouver, BC who’s been playing go for 11 years. He was the 2013 Canadian Open Champion, took 5th place in the 2013 US Open, 3rd in the 2013 NA Masters, 3rd in the 2013 Prime Minister Cup World Amateur and 2nd in the 2014 Canadian Open. His favorite thing about go is “The complexity, the countless number of variations, and the serenity I feel when I play the game.” Hobbies include swimming, running, triathlons, and movies.

Justin Teng 7D (right) is an 18-year-old undergraduate student at the University of Maryland–College Park. He started playing go at 12 and played in the 2012 AGA-Tygem pro finals qualifier and 2012 WMSG. His favorite thing about the game of go is “meeting and making all kinds of diverse friends, and challenging myself to become stronger.” Hobbies include “piano and chatting with friends.”

Aaron Ye 6D (left) is a 12-year-old student in Cupertino, CA. He’s been playing since the age of 5, and was the US Redmond Cup Junior division Champion three straight years (2011-2013), the US Youth Go Junior division Champion 2010, 2011 & 2012, and US representative for World Youth Go Junior division in 2011 and 2012. His favorite thing about go is “The challenges you constantly face.” Ye is on the School Math Count team, representing his middle school competing in the Silicon Valley Chapter for math count. His hobbies include tennis and programming robots.

Share

IGF Launches Facebook Page

Tuesday August 5, 2014

The International Go Federation has launched a Facebook page and is urging go players worldwide to check it out and “like” the page. Recent posts include photos and updates from the European Go Congress in Sibiu, Romania as well as promoting the upcoming US Go Congress, which starts this Saturday in New York City.

Share