The North Carolina State Championship and 20th Annual Memorial Go Tournament was held on September 25 and 26, 2021, at Umstead State Park in North Raleigh. A total of 42 Go enthusiasts from North Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Illinois participated. “We were especially impressed by and appreciated the presence of Richard Hugh, a 93 year young Go player who played well and lifted everyone’s spirits,” says Bob Bacon. “He was the unofficial champion of the tournament.”
The games took place in an open air shelter in a beautiful park setting. Masks and hand sanitizer were provided and their use encouraged. All participants were required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. Lunch was provided both days courtesy of the Triangle Go Group. Jeff Kuang directed, and trophies and cash prizes were awarded in five sections, topped by a very competitive open section. “The previous NC State Champion, Chen An, was unable to compete due to academic demands,” says Bacon, “but he visited Sunday and played an exciting game against the new State Champion. Well over half of the participants were dan level, which was unusual for our gatherings but extremely enjoyable!”
Section D, with players 9 kyu and lower was won by Bhaskar Bharath and Russell Herman, who tied for top honors. Justin Su came in second. Section C, 6 kyu to 8 kyu, saw Bob Bacon in first, and Tom Roncoli second. Section B, 1 kyu to 5 kyu, was won by Stephen Choung, followed closely by Robert Qi in second place. Section A, 3 dan to 1 dan, enjoyed great competition and the victory of young Huo Sheng. Second place was a tie between veterans Nianci Gan and Suyoung Yoon.
Finally, in the Open Section, 7 dan to 4 dan, Yi Li, an undergraduate student at Duke University, handily won the section and became the new North Carolina State Champion. Second place was secured by Alexander Qi.
“Thank you to all participants and especially to Adam and Arlene Bridges who coordinated and provided the lunch fares,” continues Bacon. “Another outstanding year!”
-report and photos by Bob Bacon
