American Go E-Journal » 2021 » July

The 2021 eGo Congress will feature a brand new challenge designed to encourage players to participate in problem solving and improve their reading skills. Leon Chen 4p’s Tsumego Challenge was created and will be presented by Leon Chen 4P and Stephen Hu, and consists of 40 tsumego (life-and-death problems) of varying difficulty, generally ranked from easiest to most difficult. The problems are divided into five levels, with one puzzle of each level posted per day spanning over the course of the eight days of the congress. Participants have most of the day to work on the puzzles, submit their answers and (optionally) provide a brief justification of their thought processes. Solutions will be posted every evening during the live broadcasts on the official AGA Twitch channel, and the best challengers will be rewarded with free copies of Leon Chen 4p’s original tsumego collections, Spindrift and Planet.

As the number of registered attendees passes 300 players, congress staff is working hard to make this year’s tournaments great for the players. The event isn’t just about the tournaments, though!
The annual Bob High Memorial Song and Poetry contest opens this weekend. This annual event looks for the best go-related songs and poems from around the country, with winning entries featured online and in the closing ceremony. 
A new contest, Picture A Go Player, has also launched, focused on the Go Congress logo. Check out the entry pages and design your own version of this year’s logo! The winner of the contest will see their logo become a t-shirt available for purchase by all players from the Merch Store.

Speaking of Merch Store … 2021 e-Go Congress shirts, hoodies, and mugs are now available from the online store! Play your games in style like you’re at the in-person congress. Order soon to have your swag available for the start of the events! Most items offer free shipping from the store. The new merch store will offer more items with the AGA logo on it soon.

Remember to fully register for tournaments through the site. Only those registered for tournaments through the go congress site will be able to play. If you cannot make any rounds, please email the TD to let them know. We’re looking forward to all the games to be played in a few weeks!

The Bob High Song and Poetry Competition opens soon! This unique tournament is more than 30 years old and has produced many interesting songs and poems over the years. Join the many who have riffed off of popular songs and created original poems based on their go experiences. These erudite comperitors give it their all to come up with the most interesting and exciting entries. Head on over to the Go Congress Tournament page to learn more and enter your entry for this year!