A glorious fall day at the Umstead State Park in Cary, North Carolina welcomed the 14th annual Triangle Memorial Go Tournament on 
September 20. Despite the tranquil surroundings, mental chaos reigned under the picnic shelter as 34 contestants from four states battled through four rounds. The early prediction for a final repeating last year’s showdown between the two 7-dan prior champions, but all expectations changed when the top three players all fell in the first 
round. Ultimately Seth Cardew (at right, in white shirt) of Tennessee, entered as 2-dan, emerged as the Open champion with a perfect score of 4-0, defeating both 7-dans in the process, including an astonishing kill against many-time champion Changlong Wu in the final round (right), taking just two stones, which secured the $500 top prize. Second place went to Liqun Liu 7D at 3-1.
Other prize winners were Justin Blank at 4-0 followed by Anthony Long, both 4k, in Group A, Alvin Chen 10k scoring 4-0 in Group B, and Dale Blann 14k sweeping section C at 4-0 with Ellen Zeng at 3-1. Following long tradition, all entry fees were returned to the players in prizes, augmented by a gift from the sponsoring Triangle Go Group, and all players were treated to lunch and snacks throughout. The tournament was directed by AGA membership coordinator Charles Alden (left), with logistical assistance from Bob Bacon, Paul Celmer and Adam Bridges.
– report by Charles Alden; photos by Bob Bacon
