American Go E-Journal » Cotsen Open

Looking to collect his fourth consecutive Cotsen Open title, Mark Lee 7d is facing a tough field of strong players this year, including Andrew Lu 7d, Bowen Zhang 7d, Hoon Jo 6d, William Lee 6d, Bo Luan 6d, Yi Wang 6d, Yixian Zhou 6d and Shengjie Zhou 6d. Registration for the 2-day tournament October 13-14 is already at 155, with players from 30 kyu to 7 dan, and walk-ins Saturday morning will be permitted: all players who want to play in the first round must be on line to sign in or register by 9:15a on Saturday. The tournament is held at the Korean Cultural Center (5505 Wilshire Blvd). Any questions, email cotsenopen@gmail.com. In addition to two days of competition, the Cotsen features free food truck lunches both days, roving masseuses and a pro-pro game Sunday morning. Follow the Board 1 action via the E-Journal on KGS and photos and news on AGA social media @thegaga on Twitter and @AmericanGoAssociation on Facebook.
photo: setting up on Friday; photo by Chris Garlock

Registration for the upcoming Cotsen Open closes on October 9th; click here now to register. The tournament is October 13-14 at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles. In addition to the usual free shoulder massages, Kogi BBQ is catering both Saturday and Sunday; free lunch for all pre-registered attendees. Three Korean professionals — Dalhoon Ahn 9P, Seo Nungwuk 9P, and Na Jonghoon 8P — will be on hand for simul games on Saturday. “We will be streaming Hikaru No Go on the 3rd floor for anyone who wants to watch,” says TD Christopher Saenz.

Volunteers wanted for set-up, registration, game recording and post-tourney takedown; volunteers get a special dinner invitation and game recorders get E-Journal caps. Email cotsenopen@gmail.com ASAP if interested.

photo: 2015 Cotsen; photo by Brian Ferrari

What’s the fastest way to the top boards at the upcoming Cotsen Open? Volunteer as a game recorder! No previous experience necessary but you do need a laptop with KGS on it and must be available all day Saturday and/or Sunday, October 13/14 at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Free E-Journal caps and lunch for all game recorders, plus credit in all our coverage. Email journal@usgo.org ASAP if interested.

photo: top-board game recording at 2016 Cotsen; photo by Chris Garlock

The website for the 2018 Cotsen Open is back up. The tournament is on October 13th-14th; pre-registration will close on Tuesday, October 9th, at 11:59pm. Day-of registration will also be available for $25. Pre-registration comes with benefits, including $20 entry fee and free food truck lunch on both days. As always, everyone who pre-registers and plays in all 5 of their matches has their full entry fee refunded. Also on tap: the Kogi food truck both Saturday and Sunday and Yilun Yang will do his pro game on Sunday.

With the annual US Go Congress just wrapped up, go fans looking for their next big go event can mark their calendars for the 2018 Cotsen Open, set for Oct 13-14 in Los Angeles. Registration has just opened; click here to sign up. As always, pre-registration ($20) will allow attendees to get their money back on Sunday after competing in ALL five matches, AND a free food voucher for Saturday and Sunday. Otherwise pay $25 at the door and get no refund.  Organizers encourage using the PayPal system “to allow us to have a more accurate count of who is competing this year, which helps cut down the pairing time delay and speeds up the tournament starting on time.” If you have any questions please feel free to email Tournament Organizer Christopher Saenz cotsenopen@gmail.com. “We look forward to seeing you all again in October,” say Cotsen organizers.

Free massages. Free lunch. Pro analysis. Oh yeah, and one of the best fields in the AGA tournament calendar. Mark your calendar now for this year’s Cotsen Open, which has just confirmed for October 13-14 at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Watch this space for registration, which is expected to open soon.

Meanwhile, organizers are looking for volunteers for set up, take down and during the event. Contact Ryan Murray ryan@thelec.com if interested.

Also, the E-Journal will be covering the tournament again this year, and is looking for a few good game recorders for the team. Email journal@usgo.org if interested.

photo: Eric Cotsen (r) and friends at the 2016 Cotsen Open; photo by Chris Garlock