American Go E-Journal » Events/Tournaments

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

The North Carolina State Go Championship Tournament will be a two day event September 25 and 26, 2021, at Umstead State Park in north Raleigh. The State Go Champion must be an amateur Go player who has resided in North Carolina at least 50% of the past year. Students meeting these criteria are eligible. The tournament will be held at shelter #2 at the Reedy Creek entrance to the park.

Preregistration will be required to be paired in the first round. To play in the first round you must register before 6:00pm EDT Friday, September 24th. Register online and read more details on the website. Jeff Kuang will be the Tournament Director for the six round tournament, with three games on Saturday and three games on Sunday. Players will have one hour main time, with five byo-yomi periods of 30 seconds each. This is an AGA rated tournament. Players should be sure they have a current AGA membership or renew their membership before the tournament begins at usgo.org.

Entry fees will be $25 for adults and $15 for youths and students. Players may register for a single day of play only for a reduced tournament fee of $15 for adults and $10 for youths and students. There will be generous cash prizes and trophies in all sections. Participants must attend both days to be eligible for prizes.

Since this is an open-air tournament, COVID risks are reduced. Organizers will provide masks and hand sanitizer and players are encouraged to use them. Players older than 12 years old must be vaccinated to participate. Lunch will be provided onsite on Saturday and Sunday, courtesy of the Triangle Go Group and the AGA. Players can join the group and enjoy easy communication with other area Go players at the Triangle Go Group Facebook page.

Kevin Yang 6d went undefeated to win the San Diego Go Club Matsuokai/Sakakibara Go Tournament held at the San Diego Chess Club in Balboa Park on Sunday. Kevin beat his brother Tony Yang 5d – who finished tied for 2nd – in the final round of a strong Open Section to claim the championship. Adam Miller 3d, who flew in from Palo Alto, was the other second place finisher in the Open. A total of 42-players contested for the title in the first open in-person go tournament in Southern California in over a year.

Following Covid-19 protocols, all adults had to be vaccinated and everyone wore masks in the playing room. Many games were played one per table, and several players opted to play outdoors on the picnic tables. Bottles of hand sanitizer were available on every game table.

Two professional players were in attendance to watch their students play: Hai Li, a Chinese 5P, who has Go schools in Irvine and San Diego, and Han Han, also a Chinese 5P, newly arrived and living in Temecula, CA. “It was great to note that almost half of the players were youth and half of those were girls,” reports San Diego Go Club president Ted Terpstra. ‘Many of these young players were playing in their first AGA rated tournament and have now been added to the memberships of the AGA and SDGC.”

Winners in the Handicap Sections:

Division 1: 2-dan to 4-kyu
1st Place – Pasco Kwok 2d 
2nd Place – Lester C Lanphear 1k 
3rd Place – Enrique Garcia 3k

Division 2: 5-kyu to 9-kyu
1st Place – Angel Shunying Zhou 5k 
2nd Place – Angelina Zhao 5k 
3rd Place – Warren T Andrews 6k 

Division 3: 10-kyu to 24-kyu
1st Place – Zoe Tan 15k 
2nd Place – Lucia Moscola 10k 
3rd Place – David Saponara 17k

Southern California Go tournaments coming up:
The Dapu Cup North America Go Open: Sunday, October 17, 2021 in Temecula
4th Annual California Go Championship: November 27&28, 2021, San Diego

-report and photos by Ted Terpstra

The North American Youth Go Open is an annual open tournament sponsored by the American Go Foundation for all young players of all levels under the age of 18. “Since the US Youth Go Championship was discontinued many years ago, we all missed having it,” says Stephanie Yin. “The goal for the NAYO is to provide an opportunity for young players to once again compete in a high-standard North American tournament. We are proud to host the 2nd NAYO this year and believe to make this event the largest open youth Go tournament in North America.” Originally intended as a face-to-face competition, the first tournament was held online due to the pandemic. Organizers plan to hold the tournament in-person in the future, sponsored by the New York Institute of Go as well as the American Go Foundation.

The day will begin with a short and greeting ceremony, which all participants can join, at 11:30 – 11:45 AM EDT on Saturday, September 4, 2021. There is no rank requirement to enter. The top three players in each division – based on rank – will receive certificates and trophies. For registration, schedule, and rules, tournament video requirements, please visit the tournament website. Registration will close Wednesday, September 1. “Players can join other young fighters preparing for the tournament at the NYIG summer Go camp!” concludes Yin.

-report by Stephanie Yin

Last Sunday, over 50 Go players, students, and parents of Hai Li’s go school gathered in an Irvine, CA park to celebrate in-person Go for the first time in over a year.

Hai Li 5P of China relocated to Southern California about a year after bringing several of his Go students from his school in China to attend the 33rd U.S. Go Congress in San Diego in 2017. He has since has become a well-known local teacher with students in San Diego and Orange counties. His students are regular participants in tournaments and Li himself has assisted with coordination of the California and San Diego Go Championships.

The party naturally featured Go games between the students and players, but the focus of the afternoon was the reacquaintance of friends. A lavish lunch, featuring many Chinese dishes provided by the families, capped the afternoon.

-report and photos by Ted Terpstra

The San Diego Go Club participated in the Japanese Friendship Garden’s celebration of its ancestors at the annual Toro Nagashi Festival in honor of the tradition of Bon Odori. Toro Nagashi (floating lanterns) is a ceremony in honor of those who have passed. The floating lanterns commemorate loved ones and wish them peace.

SDGC took over the exhibition hall during the festival to teach Go, recruit new members, and demonstrate how the game is played. Over 65 copies of “The Way to Go” (provided by the American Go Foundation) were handed out to those festival participants who asked for a Go lesson. All were required to wear masks in the indoor spaces. The eight-hour event, attended by thousands of people on a perfect 73-degree San Diego day, also included food vendors, dancers, singers, sales of Japanese products, and ended with the traditional floating of lanterns down the creek running through the garden.

For over ten years, the SDGC has been giving weekly Go lessons at the Japanese Friendship Garden (JFG), located in Balboa Park. Based on it volunteer work, the SDGC is invited to participate in the JFG’s special celebrations.

-report and photos provided by Ted Terpstra, President of the San Diego Go Club