Fifteen-year-old Yunxuan Li 5d once again led the pack of youth go players, with a convincing 4-0 record, in the annual Young Lions Tournament, held November 17th on KGS. “The final round of the tournament, with Li facing off against USYGC Champion Aaron Ye 5d, was especially breathtaking, with Li playing an exquisite tesuji combo while under time pressure to save his group from death and clinch the game,” reports tourney organizer Hugh Zhang 7d. The tournament, hosted by the American Go Honors Society (AGHS), is one of the premier youth competitions in the US. “I think the AGHS did a great job with this tournament,” Li comments, “they kept the tournament organized and fun, and made a good opportunity to play against youth players in America.” Li, as well as second place finishers Aaron Ye and Eric Su 4d, will receive as one of their prizes a free teaching game from newly minted go professionals Andy Liu 1P and Gansheng Shi 1P. Willis Huang 1d, another strong contender in the open division added that “I think the Young Lion’s Tourney was intriguing. It shows the potential younger players [like me] have.” Winners of the Young Lions tournament usually go on to do extremely well in the United States Youth Go Championship. Vincent Zhuang 6d, the 2011 winner went on to win the USYGC, while last year Yunxuan Li nearly made the finals. This year, Li is one of the top contenders and has a strong chance of winning the USYGC and representing the US at the world championships. The American Go Honors Society also hosts the School Team Tournament, in which schools each send teams of at least three players, and fight for the title of North America’s strongest school, more info here. – Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor, with Hugh Zhang. Photo: A crowd gathers to watch Yunxuan Li 5d, at left, in a match with Yoo Changhyuk 9P, at right, at a simul in LA last April. Photo by Wenguang Wu.
