Over 60 people watched the broadcast of the first game between Lee Sedol and the Google Deepmind AlphaGo program at the Seattle Go Center. They enjoyed pizza, fresh bread baked by Chris Kirschner, and some Korean take-out food. About 25 people stayed until Lee Sedol resigned at 11:30 pm local time. The second game attracted a smaller group — they only had two pizzas, compared to the six ordered the night before.
The watch parties attracted a few new players, most of whom were invited by go playing friends. More noticeable were the old friends from the Eastside of Lake Washington, where the Microsoft campus is. Rush hour traffic often makes it hard for Eastside residents to come to the Go Center for the evening, but since these games started later, at 8 pm, it was easier for them to drive.
The Seattle will have watch parties for all of the remaining games, with Dennis Wheeler as host. “There will be three more, as Lee Sedol has committed to play the entire five-game match,” noted Go Center Manager Brian Allen. The schedule will be posted on the Go Center Google Calendar. Photos: Left: Finishing a game on a goban as the first AlphaGo game starts, Right: Exploring variations during the 2nd game. Photos/report by Brian Allen.
