August « 2018 « American Go E-Journal

Michael Redmond coming to National Go Center next weekend

Friday August 31, 2018

Michael Redmond 9P is coming to the National Go Center in Washington DC September 7-9. The teaching visit by the popular American-born pro is being sponsored by the Nihon Ki-In in association with the Iwamoto North America Foundation. The main public events are an AlphaGo game analysis Friday night, a tournament Saturday and game reviews on Sunday. To guarantee a seat in the 4-round tournament — which has cash prizes in the open section — pre-register here and get a 20% discount off the tournament fee. Redmond and E-Journal Managing Editor Chris Garlock will be doing live game commentaries on Twitch on Saturday from the NGC’s brand-new broadcasting facility. Friday night Redmond and Garlock will do a live AlphaGo game analysis at the NGC, which will also be broadcast on Twitch. On Sunday, Redmond will do game reviews of select games from the previous day’s tournament. Other activities include a visit to two Japanese language immersion schools in Fairfax County and a visit to the satellite NOVA Go Club in Arlington; stay tuned for more details soon.

Categories: Main Page,Master/AlphaGo Commentaries,U.S./North America

Local Ning Shao wins 4th annual Cincy Go Tournament

Tuesday August 28, 2018

On August 11, about 40 go players gathered in Mason, Ohio, for the 4th annual Cincy/Tri-state go tournament. The tournament’s impact reached beyond Ohio and neighboring states like Kentucky and Indiana, as passionate go players traveled from Wisconsin and Tennessee to the south-western corner of Ohio.

Local resident Ning Shao won the tournament champion by defeating Shawn Ray 4D from Tennessee. “This is the first time in the past four years that a local go player won the title,” reports local organizer Frank Luo. Since no youth played in the dan level open division, Shawn Ray also won a trophy. In order to encourage participation, trophies have always been awarded to both adult and youth winners in each division in the 4-year history of this tournament. Other winners of the tournament include: Matthew Qiu (9K, youth division B), a Mason Middle School student; Wilson Parks (6K, Division B) from Middle Tennessee Go Club; Kyler Huang (18K, Division C) a UC Berkeley student and Cincinnati resident; and Manny Jauregui (18K, youth Division C) from Cleveland, Ohio.

During the main 4-round tournament, a fun-mini-game tournament was also held in the middle of the day, attracting seven local young players. Both William Xiang (9 years old) and Ethan Tu (10 Years old) achieved four wins. Although no trophy was awarded for winners, every kids left with a medal and a go-themed T-shirt designed by Claire Meng, a local high school student.

photos courtesy Frank Luo

Categories: Main Page,U.S./North America

Redmond to provide live English commentary on 1st Meijin match

Monday August 27, 2018

For the first time, Michael Redmond 9P will be providing an English live commentary on the first game of the Meijin title match between Cho U and Iyama Yuta. The match will be held on August 28-29 in Tokyo, starting at 9am local time each day, making it about 8pm EDT in the US. “I will be providing an English live commentary for the first time,” Redmond tells the E-Journal, “and it will be mostly text comments, with a few videos at chosen times during the game.” Check it out on the Asahi newspaper digital site, “which will be mostly Japanese, but there will be an English link to my commentary.”
Michael Redmond will visit the National Go Center the second week in September, with a full schedule of commentaries, simuls and other appearances; stay tuned for further details soon.

Categories: Japan,Main Page

Mingjiu Jiang defeats Andy Liu to take second N.A. slot at Tianfu Cup

Sunday August 26, 2018

In the final round of the Tianfu Cup Preliminary, Friday night on KGS, Mingjiu Jiang 7P defeated Andy Liu 1P to be the second North American representative. Jiang will join Eric Lui 1P the end of next month in China for the first Tianfu Cup. “Thanks to all the participants who have played this week,” said Tianfu Cup Preliminary Tournament Director Jeff Shaevel: Dalhoon Ahn 9P, Feng Yun 9P, Ming-jiu Jiang 7P, Andy Liu 1P, Eric Lui 1P, Huiren Yang 1P, Ryan Li 1P, and Stephanie Yin 1P.

Click here for the crosstab, including game records.

Categories: Main Page,U.S./North America

AlphaGo vs. AlphaGo; Game 21: Less alien, plus exciting fighting

Saturday August 25, 2018

In AlphaGo self-play game 21, the AI’s play is “a little less alien,” says Michael Redmond 9P in his latest game commentary, hosted by the AGA E-Journal’s Chris Garlock, adding that the game features some moves that human players have been playing recently. “And then towards the end of the games there’s just a lot of exciting fighting.” Redmond’s commentaries return after a late-summer break; he’ll also be doing some live commentaries on Twitch in early September during a visit to the National Go Center in Washington DC; stay tuned for more details soon.

[link]

Categories: Computer Go/AI,Main Page,Master/AlphaGo Commentaries,Redmond Reviews

Ming-jiu Jiang 7P vs. Andy Liu 1P Friday night for 2nd berth in Tiangfu Cup

Friday August 24, 2018

Over 100 people watched online Thursday night as Ming-jiu Jiang 7P eliminated Ryan Li 1P in the 4th round of the Tiangfu Cup Preliminary. Jiang will play Andy Liu 1P Friday night at 7p — also on KGS — in the final game. The winner will be the second North American representative to the Tiangfu Cup, joining Eric Lui, who secured the first spot earlier in the week.
– Jeff Shaevel, Tiangfu Cup Preliminary Tournament Director

Categories: Main Page,U.S. Pro Tournament,U.S./North America

Eric Lui 1P in as 1st N.A. rep to Tianfu Cup; Andy Liu awaits result of Ryan Li vs. Mingjiu Jiang Thursday night

Wednesday August 22, 2018

Eric Lui 1P defeated Andy Liu 1P on Wednesday night to become the first North American representative to the Tianfu Cup. Eliminated from the competition on Wednesday night were Stephanie Yin 1P and Huiren Yang 1P. Winners Ryan Li and Ming-jiu Jiang will compete Thursday night at 7:45pm on KGS as the lower bracket continues. Andy Liu will play the winner of that round on Friday for the second representative slot.
– Jeff Shaevel, Tianfu Cup Preliminary Tournament Director

Categories: Main Page,U.S. Pro Tournament,U.S./North America

Chinese Weiqi Association’s Yang Yi 6P drops by Seattle Go Center

Wednesday August 22, 2018

Chinese professional Yang Yi 6P, Vice Chairman of Chinese Weiqi Association, played a simul with seven local players at the Seattle Go Center on July 7. He had dropped by the previous month while in town visiting family and agreed to return after a trip to Hawaii. Yang is a widely respected go player and teacher in China, “where many famous Chinese go players, including Gu Li, have benefited from his instruction,” reports Seattle Go Club manager Mike Malveaux. “The simuls event on July 7 was very successful,” Malveaux reports. “The Go Center is very grateful to Mr. Yang for making time to visit and teach!” Yang has visited the west coast before, visiting the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles after the 2013 Go Congress in Tacoma, WA.

– reported by Zhang Yue and Chen Xiangnan; photos by Chen Xiangnan

Categories: Uncategorized

Tags: professional visit, yang yi

Feng Yun and Dalhoon Ahn out in Tianfu Cup Preliminary; Round 3 set for Wednesday night on KGS

Tuesday August 21, 2018

Feng Yun 9P and Dalhoon Ahn 9P were eliminated in the second round of the Tianfu Cup Preliminary, played online on KGS on Tuesday. The first round was played on Monday. In the third round, to be played Wednesday on KGS at 7P EDT in the AGA Tournaments Room, Andy Liu 1P will play Eric Lui 1P in the top bracket and the bottom bracket will feature Stephanie Yin 1P (who defeated Feng Yun) vs. Ryan Li 1P and Ming-jiu Jiang 7P vs. Huiren Yang 1P (who defeated Dalhoon Ahn). The five-round double-elimination tournament runs through Friday and will select two professional representatives to represent North America in the first Tianfu Cup in China. AGA National Tournament Coordinator Jeff Shaevel is the Tournament Director.

Categories: Main Page,U.S. Pro Tournament,U.S./North America

Your Move/Readers Write: How many Nakayama? Poughkeepsie go players wanted; Thought experiment idea; Where to score a scoresheet?

Tuesday August 21, 2018

How many Nakayama? “I’m wondering how can I find out how many books Nakayama Noriyuki wrote in Japanese,” writes Kent Olsen. “I would like to start a Go Fund Me page to get some of them translated.”

Poughkeepsie go players wanted: “I have been trying to find local players in the Poughkeepsie, NY area and have not had any luck,” writes David. “It seems the majority of events/clubs are too far from my home for me to attend. The only go club relatively close to me is the New Paltz Go Club, but on your website there are times listed, yet no meeting place. I have tried getting in touch with the organizer of the club but I have not heard back from them. I get the feeling that the club might not be meeting anymore. I am writing this e-mail in the hopes that you might be able to help me find some local players.”

Thought experiment idea: Philosopher/scientist Pat Conover, who’s “currently working with issues of logic and consciousness,” writes to share a thought experiment “y’all might want to take on for the fun of it, to drive the creators of artificial intelligence crazy, or just to expand reflection on how go masters construct and integrate tactical and strategic aji.” Imagine an elliptical shaped board with about half again as many points as a standard go board, Conover says, “with three carve out spaces: a triangle, a pentagon, and an approximate circle, irregularly placed in the ellipse. Set up a Go Prime tournament or tournaments with allowed pauses for players to take notes, express feelings and considerations, etc. Let some observers construct narratives that could be of interest to scientists and philosophers.”

Where to score a scoresheet? “Do you know where I can find a printable score sheet (such as a PDF file), possibly with a primer on how to score a game (proper notation, etc.),” asks Glen Hart.

Email responses to us at journal@usgo.org

Categories: Main Page,Your Move: Readers Write

American Go E-Journal » 2018 » August