Monday August 29, 2016
The Bay Area Go Players Association held its quarterly tournament at the Japan Center in San Francisco on July 23. Thirty-
three players from 7d to 24k competed in four divisions.
The winners:
Division 1: 1st- Linden Chiu 3d; 2nd- Eric Lee 6d
Division 2: 1st- Tai-An Cha 4k; 2nd- Eric Branlund 1k
Division 3: 1st- Steven Chen 7k; 2nd- Srjdan Krstic 6k
Division 4: 1st- James Bennett 18k; 2nd- B Byrne 13k
– report/photos by Steven Burrall
Monday August 29, 2016
Looking to acquire a modest set of slate and shell stones to pass on to my son (who has finally become interested in the game after 34 years). Any orphan sets out there that need a good new home? Will pay (but not looking for $$$$). Contact Terry Benson terrybenson@nyc.rr.com
Monday August 29, 2016
The French Open Championship took place from August 26-28 in Grenoble. Motoki Noguchi, the 2015 
champion, defended his title against a slew of tough opponents, including Dai Junfu, Thomas Debarre, and Tanguy Le Calvé. The tournament was held this year at the Minatec campus in Grenoble.
It was a vintage year with 32 participants, a number not seen since 2009, and a large number of dan players. The first day offered few surprises, with the top eight players (5-dan and above) alone ending unbeaten, thus promising a interesting fight for the second day.
The first big upset was scored by Tanguy Le Calvé, who beat Motoki Noguchi in the fourth round after a fierce game. In the fifth round the game between the only two undefeated players, Dai Junfu and Tanguy Le Calvé, took place. Despite some good resistance, Tanguy could not avoid defeat, and it was only Dai who ended the second day unbeaten.
Of course the championship was not yet finished, and Dai (right) had more work to do on the third day, beating Motoki Noguchi and Rémi Campagnie, before becoming the 2016 French Open Champion. At the same time, Tanguy confirmed his good form by beating Thomas Debarre by half a point. So in the end Tanguy took second place, ahead of his two unhappy opponents Thomas Debarre and Motoki Noguchi.
After taking into withdrawals, the eight players qualified for the French Amateur Championship are Antoine Fenech, Louis Dumont, Dai Junfu, Jérôme Salignon, Baptiste Noir, Jean-Loup Naddef, Denis Karadaban and Tanguy Le Calvé.
Thanks to everyone who helped organize the event. All the games which were broadcast on the server OGS (this was a first for us, and a success – there were more than 400 spectators for the game of Dai against Thomas) can be found here, you can also find photos here.
– Ian Davis, adapted from the original report by Simon Billouet in Revue Française de Go
Sunday August 28, 2016
When a player passes in go it’s an indication that the game is over. In Peter Zandveld’s case, he’s just marking the beginning 
of a new era for Schaak en Go winkel het Paard, the Amsterdam games shop specializing in go, chess, 
bridge, backgammon, puzzles and other games. Zandveld (right) started the shop — whose name translates as “Chess and Go Shop Keima” nearly 30 years ago with Marianne Diederen and Marieke Diederen, Marianne’s eldest daughter, will carry it on. Zandveld and Diederen built Schaak en Go winkel het Paard into “one of the largest game and thinking sport stores in the world,” the company wrote in an email earlier this month. “Peter’s knowledge and expertise of go books has been of immeasurable value to the world of go. It is not an exaggeration to say that without him there would not be as many great go books available.” Zandveld has decided that he wants to spend more time with his family, his job at the RIVM, the EGCC board and his huge stamp collection. “Maybe he will even have time to play some serious go,” het Paard’s email added. “I hope to help Peter decide to attend the US Go Congress in 2017,” Marianne Diederen told the E-Journal.
Sunday August 28, 2016
Attachments and how to improve will be the main topics at the September 10 go seminar in Littleton, Colorado, led by Kellin
Pelrine 7 Dan (right). The first half of the seminar — which runs 2-4:30 at the Columbine library — will discuss attachments, particularly isolated ones used in the opening and early middle game to create forcing moves and toeholds in new areas rather than ones that defend or expand from existing stones. The second half — after a brief pizza break — will be about ideas on how to improve, illustrated in the context of a game review, and the seminar will conclude with a Q&A. There’s no charge to attend, but please RSVP to littlegoclub@gmail.com. “I look forward to seeing you there!” says Pelrine.
Sunday August 28, 2016
by John Power, Japan Correspondent for the E-Journal
Ichiriki grabs share of Kisei S League lead: A key game was played in the Kisei S League on August 18. Playing white, Ichiriki Ryo 7P (right) beat Kono Rin 9P by resig. In the third round, Kono had taken the sole lead, but this win gave Ichiriki a share of the lead. It also helped out Murakawa Daisuke 8P, who had shared the lead with Kono in the second round. All three are on 3-1.
Oza challenger: Takao or Yo: Takao Shinji is doing badly in the Kisei S League, but he is doing well in other tournaments. Besides becoming the Meijin challenger, he has also reached the play-off to decide the challenger for the 64th Oza title. In the semifinal, held on August 15, Takao (B) beat Hane Naoki 9P by resig. His opponent in the play-off is Yo Seiki 7P, who beat Yamashita Keigo in the other semifinal, held on August 18. Taking white, Yo won by resig. If anything, Yo will be more determined to win the play-off than Takao, as he has missed a number of opportunities recently. Last year he lost the Oza play-off to Iyama Yuta, who went on to take the title. Yo also lost this year’s Judan play-off to Iyama, giving the latter his chance to try for a grand slam. Yo will be hoping for third time lucky.
New Honinbo League: Two of the four vacant seats in the 72nd Honinbo League have been decided. On August 18, Ko Iso (W) beat Tsuruyama Atsushi 7P by resig.; on August 25, Yuki Satoshi 9P (B) beat Cho Sonjin 9P by resig.
Start of new Women’s Meijin League: The first round in the 29th Women’s Meijin League has been completed and 
one game in the second round has been played. Results are given below.
(August 11) Fujisawa Rina 3P (B) beat Sakakibara Fumiko 6P by 19.5 points.
(August 18) Aoki Kikuyo 8P (B) beat Ishii Akane 2P by resig.; Okuda Aya 3P (B) beat Kato Keiko 6P by resig.
(August 25) Fujisawa Rina (W) beat Suzuki Ayumi 7P by resig. For the time being, Fujisawa has the sole lead on 2-0.
One thousand wins to Hikosaka: On August 18, Hikosaka Naoto 9P (right) became the 19th Nihon Ki-in player to reach the landmark of 1,000 wins. He had 544 losses, 3 jigos, and 1 no-result for a winning percentage of 64.8. At 54 years 5 months, Hikosaka is the 10th oldest to reach this mark. It took him 40 years 4 months, which is the 10th quickest. His winning percentage is the 10th highest. Hikosaka won the Judan title in 1998 and came fourth in the 11th Fujitsu Cup in the same year. He has played in the three leagues once each.
Tengen challenger: Yamashita or Ichiriki: The semifinals in the 42nd Tengen tournament were held on August 22. Yamashita Keigo (B) beat Kyo Kagen 4P by resig. and Ichiriki Ryo 7P (W) beat Murakawa Daisuke, also by resig.
Veterans dominate Agon Kiriyama Cup: The go press in Japan has been making much of a number of strong teenagers who have emerged in the last couple of years. However, the older generation is not moving aside graciously for them. The line-up in the 23rd Agon Kiriyama Cup semifinals illustrates this. The pairings are: Cho Chikun (aged 60) v. Takao Shinji (aged 39) and Yamashita Keigo (aged 37) v. Kono Rin (aged 35). That’s an average age of nearly 43. It’s hard to imagine this happening in Korea or China. The semifinals were played on August 25. Cho (W) beat Murakawa by resig. and Kono (W) beat Yamashita by 1.5 points.
Sunday August 28, 2016
Weekend players wanted near Stafford, VA: I am a stuck-in-the-upper-kyus player who wants to start growing again. I prefer in-person matches, but I only have time on the weekends due to work and school. If you are looking for even games, looking for a teacher/stepping stone, or are willing to teach me, please let me know! I can bring three 19×19 go sets and one reversible 9×9/13×13 board to play in public places or in someone’s home. Please contact me at joseph.axilrod.craig@gmail.com
Saturday August 27, 2016
Final tournament winner reports for the 2016 US Go Congress are now available online. Reported tournaments include the 
US Open, US Open Masters Division, NAMT and Evening League, as well as the Senior Cup, Women’s Tournament, Lightning Tournament, Die Hard, Redmond Cup, Under 16 Girls’ Championship, and Adult/Youth Pair Go. Note that these are winner report, not crosstabs. Click here for the US Open crosstab and the US Open Masters Division crosstab. If you’d like your sgf game record(s) added to the crosstab, send to us at journal@usgo.org
photo: 2016 US Open; photo by Chris Garlock
Saturday August 27, 2016
SmartGo’s Anders Kierulf recently published a nice post-Go Congress blog post. In it you’ll find out why Kierulf will be 
bringing a a 9.7″ iPad to the next Congress instead of his 12.9″ iPad Pro, gives shout-outs to Brady Daniels for making a good case about why you should come to the next Go Congress and Kevin Hwang’s Go Talk about “What did you like most about the Go Congress?” both of which he says “clearly show that people are a main feature of the annual Go Congress.” Kierulf also reports that he just launched a new app for Othello, “a game that go is often confused with.” SmartOthello is written in Swift, Apple’s new programming language, “and is the first step in a redesign of my go apps,” Kierulf tells the E-Journal. “Most of the E-Journal readers are probably not interested in Othello/Reversi, but many might be interested to see the direction of the SmartGo apps.”
photo: Kierulf at the 2016 US Go Congress with Yasuko Imamura, a go instructor and SmartGo user from Kyoto
Saturday August 27, 2016
Ralph Hewins’ The Japanese Miracle Men (1967) provides portraits of the most influential Japanese tycoons of the post-war
period, “and for several of them it is highlighted that they were keen go players,” writes Erwin Gerstorfer. “Some of them even having the highest amateur Dan level of that time.” Among the go-playing tycoons behind the economic rise of Japan after World War II were Taizō Ishizaka and oil magnate Taro Yamashita. In the book, Ishizaka, who was president of the Japanese Federation of Economic Organizations and 
promoted go internationally, relates his go experience and his success in business, Gerstorfer says.
“Recently saw the films My Golden Days (2015) and Dragon Inn (1967, left) at the Cleveland Cinematheque,” writes Steve Zilber. “The first has the boyfriend starting to teach his new girl friend how to play (just a few seconds) and the second has two Chinese soldiers playing before they’re attacked (again, just a few seconds). Zilber is president of the Cleveland Go Club.