American Go E-Journal » 2019 » January

Misc go news: Montclair Go Club

Tuesday January 29, 2019

“I recently started a new AGA chapter and I’m trying to generate some awareness of our newly established monthly game,” writes Matthew. “I’ve convinced the library at which I’m hosting it that if we get enough attendance for a few months in a row, they’ll let me start an actual teaching program for kids!”

The club meets the first Saturday of February:
Montclair Go Club
Montclair, NJ
Montclair Public Library
50 South Fullerton Ave
Montclair, NJ 07042
10am – 1pm
1st Saturday of every month

Got go club/chapter news? Let us know! journal@usgo.org

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AlphaGo vs. AlphaGo; Game 27: That kind of a game

Sunday January 27, 2019

2019.01.27_AG-27-thumbnailMichael Redmond 9p, hosted by the AGA E-Journal’s Chris Garlock, continue their popular series with a review of the 27th game of the AlphaGo vs. AlphaGo selfplay games. The 50-game series was published by Deepmind after AlphaGo’s victory over world champion Ke Jie 9p in May 2017.

2019.01.27_AG-27-thumbnail-redmondThis game features two of the AG 3-3 invasions, a symmetrical shape and then “group after group appear on the upper side, right next to each other, and we’re going to have fun counting the number of groups,” says Redmond. “So it’s going to be that kind of a game.”

“Simply astounding game,” writes GerSHAK. “One of my favourites so far. Incredible detective work from Michael. Thank you so much.” Adds Rory Mitchell: “Wow! Just…wow!”

These videos are made possible by the support of the American Go Association; please consider joining today!

Video produced by Michael Wanek & Andrew Jackson.

[link]

 

 

 

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Strong players under 20 wanted for 6th GLOBIS

Saturday January 26, 2019

The AGA is seeking a representative from North America to participate in the 6th GLOBIS Cup U-20 World Go Championship to be held in Tokyo, Japan between April 18-22. To be eligible, the player must be under 20 years old as of Jan. 1, 2019. Food and lodging will be paid for (including for a chaperone if the player is under 18), but NOT the cost of getting to and from Japan. If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please write to tournaments@usgo.org no later than Sunday, Feb. 3. Depending on the number of entries received there may be a preliminary tournament sometime between Feb. 4 and Feb. 15 to make the final selection.
– Jeff Shaevel, AGA National Tournament Coordinator 
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Multilingual Go Book Project launches

Friday January 25, 2019

The simplest ideas are often the most complex. For example: a basic go book in multiple languages to spread the game around the world. That’s the idea behind the Multilingual Go Book Project. “The project came to be due to the difficulties2019.01.25_A-Go-Guide-cover of promoting go in my home country, Greece,” says H. Kapolos. “We didn’t have educational material in our language and there were young people and adults who wanted to learn the game, but could not read English.”

When Kapolos participated in the European Go Championship, he noticed “that some countries around our division and our region didn’t have too many young players in them either,” and it occurred to him that “maybe they need a book in their language as well. Something that could circulate in libraries, schools, universities and game shops. Places where young people with a passion for board games might be found.” So, he thought, “why should we stop at only English and Greek? We should make the book in more languages and have it be free for everyone.”

So far, the project has two books of 192 pages of content — more than 700 diagrams each — in English and Greek, both completely free. Kapolos is now looking for collaborators to translate it into other languages, “especially in Spanish and Portuguese, whose translations have already begun.”

 

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The Power Report (4/4): Ishida Yoshio scores 1100th win; 2018 stats and recent promotions

Wednesday January 23, 2019

by John Power, Japan correspondent for the E-Journal

Ishida Yoshio scores 1100th win: In a game in Preliminary C of the 45th Gosei tournament, Ishida Yoshio 9P (also known as 24th Honinbo Shuho) (W) beat Tsurumaru Keiichi 7P by resignation. This was his 1100th official win (to 692 losses and one no-result). He is the 15th player to reach this landmark.

Promotion: To 4-dan: (Ms.) Okuda Aya (50 wins, as of January 18)

2018 statistics: Here are some of the statistics for last year.
Most wins: 1. Shibano Toramaru 7P (second year in a row): 46 wins, 23 losses; 2. Ichiriki Ryo 8P, (Ms.) Fujisawa Rina 4P: 43-23; 4. Fujita Akihiko 6P: 41-8; Onishi Ryuhei 3P: 41-11; 6. Yamashita Keigo 9P: 40-23
7. Mutsuura Yuta 7P: 37-18; 8. Koike Yoshihiro 3P: 36-12; 9. Seki Kotaro 2P: 35-15; (Ms.) Ueno Asami 2P: 35-20; (Ms.) Nyu Eiko 2P: 35-23; Iyama Yuta: 35-26; 13. Kyo Kagen Gosei: 32-13; Kono Rin 9P: 32-16; 15. Hane Naoki 9P: 30-17
Best winning percentage: 1. Fujita Akihiko: 83.67%; 2. Onishi Ryuhei: 78.85%; 3. Koike Yoshihiro: 75%
Most successive wins: 1. Koike Yoshihiro: 19; 2. Seki Kotaro: 15; 3. Onishi Ruhei: 14

Promotions based on 2018 prize-winnings
These promotions are based on the prize-winnings list, but note that there may be players who won more but were promoted by other means, that is, cumulative wins or entering a league, etc. Only prize money for the top seven titles is counted. One 6-dan is promoted, accompanied by two each from the lower ranks. Promotions take effect as of January 1, 2019.
To 7-dan: Fujita Akihiko
To 6-dan: Tsuruta Kazushi, Adachi Toshimasa
To 5-dan: Yo Chito, Ito Masashi
To 4-dan: Onishi Ryuhei, Koike Yoshihiro
To 3-dan: Otake Yu, Hirose Yuichi
To 2-dan: Shibano Ryunosuke (older brother of Toramaru), (Ms.) Kaneko Maki

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World Collegiate Weichi Championship set for July 7-13 in Australia

Wednesday January 23, 2019

The 2019 International Collegiate Go Tournament, hosted by the Ing Foundation, will be held at the University of Sydney, in 2019.01.20-collegiate-tourneyAustralia this summer. The event runs July 7-13 and is open to any current, future, or recently graduated college (both undergraduate and graduate) student who will, or has attended school in the year 2019. All costs related to room, board, tours, and travel during the event will be covered by the Ing foundation. The student is responsible for getting to and from the tournament site (both international and domestic travel costs), and for any personal expenses.

Links for more info and to register: Facebook; schedule; regulations; registration form.

Players of all skill levels are welcome to participate. There will be five divisions this year: a high dan, low dan, single digit kyu, double digit kyu and women’s division. “There is currently no deadline for applying, but please apply early as there are a limited number of spots available,” says Mike Fodera, who notes that “The selection process will be on a first come first serve basis.” You can send your registration forms directly to him at mdf116@gmail.com.

 

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Categories: Main Page,Youth
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Go in the News/Go Spotting (the catch-up edition)

Tuesday January 22, 2019

Go in Cuba: Chinese board game GO experiences wide popularity in Cuba: The Chinese board-game GO has been played 2019.01.22_Go in Cubasince ancient times, but it remains popular around the world even today. One country with a large GO following is Cuba. CGTN’s Luis Chirino took a look at the rise of the game in Havana.

Mecha Samurai Empire: “Found a short reference to go in Mecha Samurai Empire by Peter Tieryas,” reports  Michael Goerss. “Protagonist is a mecha pilot in a world where Japan and Germany won World War 2 a la The Man In The High Castle. Page 304, ‘I’ve become all too aware of how we are just numbers to those in charge, go pieces on the field that help them on their march to glory. We’re young and disposable.’”

The New Yorker (1): How the Artificial-intelligence Program Alphazero Mastered its Games; “What may be most surprising is that we humans have done as well as we have in games that seem, now, to have been made for machines,” James Somers reports in the 12/30/18 New Yorker.

The New Yorker (2): “It may be that references to go are becoming common enough to make go-spotting too easy,” writes Fred D. Baldwin. “But I liked this passage from The New Yorker (December 24 & 31), ‘China’s Bizarre Program to Keep Activists in Check.'”  The focus is on government surveillance of  Zha Jianguo, “a veteran democracy activist.”  The article’s author includes this quote from an interview with Jianguo: Jianguo views these developments soberly. He has long since shed any illusions of fast social change or enduring media attention. “If I’m sentenced for another nine years, or twelve or thirteen years,” he told me calmly, “I’ll just forget about the outside world and focus on my life inside prison. Family and loved ones—well, those thoughts will be there for a while. It will take time. I’ll read some books, play some Go, get on with my cellmates. I’ll try to make the best out of each day. I’ll think about nothing else, nobody else.”

“Pine Gap”: In Netflix’s episode 6 of the new 6-part sh2019.01.22_Blindspotow ‘Pine Gap,’ a show about US/ Australian/ Chinese military/political/economic relationships, there is a brief monologue by a Chinese character talking to an American about how Chess v.s. Go thinking affects how each country responds to the other, reports David Doshay. “And to drive home the point, a few scenes later the same Chinese guy compliments another person on how well they played ‘the long game.’”

Georg Jellinek: “In a recent Amazon search for the works of German political theorist Georg Jellinek, I discovered that the cover design for the Spanish translation of his Allgemeine Staatslehre (General theory of the state) features go,” writes Colin Grant. “I am not familiar with the text, so I can’t vouch for the felicity of the match.”

Sandra and Woo; Blindspot: “Saw and heard about two different go sightings today, reports Steve Colburn. “One is from a webcomic I read about a young girl and her talking raccoon, Sandra and Woo. The other is from the season premiere of Blindspot (left) which was told to me by my boss. I’ve included a screenshot from the show from Hulu.”

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Categories: Go Spotting,Main Page
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The Power Report (3/4): Ueno makes good start in Women’s Kisei; Xie to challenge for Women’s Meijin

Tuesday January 22, 2019

by John Power, Japan correspondent for the E-Journal2019.01.20 Ueno left

Ueno makes good start in Women’s Kisei: The first game in the 22nd Women’s Kisei title match was held at the Hotel Sunlife Garden in Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, on January 17. The defending champion Ueno Asami (W, at left in photo) beat Fujisawa Rina by 2.5 points after a marathon 310 moves. The challenger took the lead in territory early on, but 2019.01.20 Xie WMeijinUeno attacked tenaciously and finally overhauled Fujisawa in the endgame. The second game will be held on January 28.

Xie to challenge for Women’s Meijin: Xie Yimin 6P (left) may be titleless for the first time in over a decade, but you can’t keep her out of the action. In the play-off to decide the challenger for the 31stWomen’s Meijin title, she beat Koyama Terumi 6P by resignation after 179 moves. She will challenge Fujisawa Rina for the title. Koyama, who has won this title four times, was hoping to play in her first title match for 13 years.
Tomorrow: Ishida Yoshio scores 1100th win; 2018 stats and recent promotions

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SoCal Chinese Club hosts Southern California Go Championship Feb 16-17

Monday January 21, 2019

The Southern California Chinese Go Club will host a 2-day, 6-round major tournament February 16-17 in Irvine, California. This will be the sixth consecutive year that Jay Zheng has sponsored this event, formally known as the Southern California Go Championship. The event, which will expand to six rounds, will be held at a venue in Orange County near the John Wayne airport. In addition to cash awards and trophies, snacks and refreshments will be provided to ensure that players have enough energy to play long hours of go. Record turnout of around 100 is expected, including a very competitive Open section. Click here to pre-register by Feb 13.
– Kevin Chao

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The Power Report (2/4): League updates; Judan challenger

Monday January 21, 2019

by John Power, Japan correspondent for the E-Journal2019.01.20 Honinbo league

Honinbo League: The fourth round of the 74th Honinbo League has been completed. Instead of one player breaking clear, the position has become complicated, with four players sharing the lead. On January 7, Yamashita Keigo 9P (W) beat Anzai Nobuaki 7P by half a point. That improved Yamashita’s score to 2-2, so he is still in the running to win the league (he’s also helped by his number one ranking). Anzai goes to 0-4, so he looks unlikely to retain his league seat. However, the narrow margin shows that he is not being outclassed. In the second game, played on January 10, Yo Seiki 8P (B) beat Hane Naoki 9P by resig. Yo and Hane are now both on 3-1. The only undefeated player at this point was Ichiriki Ryo 8P, who was on 3-0. On January 17, he played Shibano Toramaru 7P; taking white, the latter beat him by resignation, so both went to 3-1. On the same day, Kono Rin 9P (W) beat Ko Iso 8P by resignation. Kono improved to 2-2, but Ko went down to 0-4. Ko also looks like losing his place, but being ranked number two gives him a slight advantage over Anzai.

Meijin League: Two games in the second round of the 44thMeijin League were played on January 10. Kono Rin 9P (B) beat2019.01.20 Meijin league Mutsuura Yuta 7P by resig. and Shibano Toramaru 7P (W) beat Murakawa Daisuke 8P by 2.5 points. Two more games were played on January 17, and one of them could have a big effect on the league. Suzuki Shinji 7P (B) beat the favorite, Iyama Yuta, by half a point. In the other game, Son Makoto 7P (W) beat Hane Naoki 9P by resignation. On 2-0, Kono is the provisional leader.

 

 

Judan challenger: Murakawa or Takao: The first semifinal of the 57th Judan tournament was played on December 27, with Takao Shinji 9P (W) beating Yamashita Keigo 9P by 2.5 points. The second was held on January 7. Murakawa Daisuke 8P (W) beat Onishi Ryuhei 4P by resig.
Tomorrow: Ueno makes good start in Women’s Kisei; Xie to challenge for Women’s Meijin

 

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