American Go E-Journal » Events/Tournaments

INAF and Nihon Kiin upcoming events

Wednesday July 21, 2021

The Iwamoto North America Foundation (INAF) and the Nihon Kiin announce two upcoming joint online events.  Anyone may sign up on a first-come-first-served basis.

Above, Mitani 7p and Tormanen 1p. Photos provided by Nihon Kiin.

Event 1 –  August 2  2021, US Eastern time 21:00 to 22:30.   Lecture for kyu players by Mitani Tetsuya 7p (三谷哲也) and Antti Tormanen 1p.  This pair has frequently visited Europe and given many popular lectures since 2012. This event is limited to the first 100 people. Register for this webinar.

Above, Taijiri 5p. Photo provided by Nihon Kiin.

Event 2 – August 7 2021 US Eastern time 21:00 to 22:30.  Interactive AI play for kyu players with Tajiri Yuto 5p (田尻悠人).  All participants will join in to play with AI, led by Mr. Taijiri who will also provide Q&A, quizzes, and commentary. Register ahead of time for this webinar.

Additional events will be forthcoming.  Please check INAF website and on AGA e-journal for announcements.

  • Lecture by Tsuruyama Atsushi 8p, a student of Cho Chikun, on “Key points of Capturing Race” (single-digit kyu to 4d players); 
  • Lecture by Michael Redmond 9p on “Technical Improvements” (dan players); 
  • Lecture by Mitani Tetsuya 7p and Antti Tormanen 1p on “Understand Go Rules and How to Play on 9×9” (beginners); 
  • Lecture by Ichiriki Ryo 9p, commentary on his recent games (all players). This will be presented on YouTube.

Go to the INAF website to sign up: http://www.inaf-go.org/2021/07/sign-up-for-joint-inaf-nihon-kiin-online-events/
 Zoom links will be sent to all registrants by the end of July.

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Triangle Go Group summer park tournament a success

Thursday July 15, 2021

A summer tournament was held at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC on July 11, 2021. Twenty four Go players participated. This was the Triangle Go Group’s first paired tournament in nearly 2 years. In keeping with tradition, all entry fees were returned to the players as prize money.

In the very competitive Open Section, there was a 3 way tie for first place honors: Jeff Kuang, Nianci Gan and Sheng (Thomas) Huo each racked up 3 wins and 1 loss. Second place was earned by Xiaoping Wu. Strengths in the top band ranged from 1d to 4d.

Players enjoyed typical North Carolina summer weather that varied from comfortably warm to occasional late day showers, perfect for playing Go. Tournament Director Jeff Kuang ran the show smoothly and pairings appeared quickly. Charles Alden provided invaluable offsite support. A pizza lunch was provided by the Triangle Go Group, along with donuts and iced water.

First place in Section B was captured by Leroy Anderson III with an impressive 3-1 record, losing only to a strong player from the Open Section. Justin Blank placed second with 2 wins and 2 losses. Section C was won by Tom Roncoli, finishing the day with a 3 and 1 tally, and second place was shared by 4 players each winning 2 games: Stephen Gilbert, Andrew Thieman, Harrison Pedigo and Bob Bacon.

The only perfect record of the day was attained by Justin Su in Section D, handily winning all 4 of his games. Second place in Section D was awarded to Russel Herman with a 3-1 performance.

-report and photos provided by Bob Bacon

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Registration open for the 2021 New York Youth Open

Thursday July 15, 2021

The annual New York Youth Open (NYYO) will take place on Saturday, August 7, 2021 in the KGS AGA Tournament Room. The NYYO is a one-day, 4-round open Go tournament for all players under the age of 18. The tournament will begin with a short opening ceremony online at 11:30 – 11:45 AM EDT on Saturday, August 7, 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 website. Registration will close on August 4, 2021. Interested players can also join other young fighters preparing for the tournament at the NYIG summer Go camp.

-report by Stephanie Yin

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Last day to register for the US e-Go Congress

Thursday July 15, 2021

Are you registered for the 2021 e-Go Congress? Registration ends today, July 15th, at 5pm EST. Head on over to https://www.gocongress.org and register today! A week long of go events awaits you!

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AGA City League Finals and League Winners

Tuesday July 13, 2021

Congratulations to all of the players for this year’s Pandanet AGA City League. Each of these teams fought hard in their games to win their leagues. The top two leagues are very tough with the strongest players in the US and Canada. The other two leagues are no slouches either. All of those players battled their many opponents to find out the strongest team across many cities.

The AGA City League Finals will take place on July 23rd at 8pm EST/5pm PST on Pandanet in the AGA City League room. These games will be played between New York City, the reigning champs, and Canwa Vancouver 1. Based on their last matchup this will be an exciting series of games. They will be reviewed starting at 9pm on the AGA Twitch channel with Michael Redmond 9p and Chris Garlock. Make sure to tune in to watch these games and reviews!

Congratulate your cities teams on their winning performances this year:


A League
1/2 – Watch on July 23rd!
3 – Greater Washington
4 – Toronto
5 – Chicago

B League
1 – Boston
2 – Seattle 1
3 – Los Angeles
4 – Chicago 2

C League
1 – Seattle 2
2 – Canwa Vancouver 3
3 – Washington DC 2

D League
1 – North Corvalis
2 – New Mexico
3 – New York City 4

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Announcing the 2021 AGF Auction!

Tuesday July 13, 2021

Do you have extra Go Equipment? Consider donating an item to this charity auction for the American Go Foundation! We are looking for gear, lesson vouchers, art, or even direct donations. Our goal is to raise $5000 for this non-profit.


This silent auction will start (and finish) with the 2021 US Go Congress, July 17th-25th. Visit https://charityauction.bid/AmericanGoFoundation and help us spread the word!

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2021 e-Go Congress Registration Closes July 15, Congress Begins July 17

Monday July 12, 2021

The e-Go Congress starts this weekend!  With registration still open and 436 registered players, including 352 players for the e-Go Open, 120 players for the daytime Blitz tournament, and 60 players for the Double-Digit Kyu Tournament, this year’s congress is turning out to be one of the most popular ever!  Haven’t registered yet, or want to change your registration?  Check out the e-Go Congress website!


Not sure if you can make it to the e-Go Congress this year?  Fortunately, no travel is involved, so you can feel free to register for one event or every event!  The e-Go Open is designed for people who are only available over the weekend, while the Blitz Tournament is accessible to US players available during the day, as well as overseas players who may not be able to attend events during the US evening.  The Double-Digit Kyu Tournament is a chance for developing players to meet each other and get in some good competition that might be hard to find elsewhere, while the Pair Go Tournament is a chance to enjoy a rengo game with a friend (mixed gender pairs expected). We also have a 9×9 Tournament on the first evening (July 17), and a Tsumego Challenge 


Are you looking to do more than just play go?  Check out our online store for merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags, as well as special go-themed socks and all our goodies from last year!  This year we are also continuing the tradition of the Bob High Memorial Song and Poetry Contest with a deadline of Monday, July 19.  Interested in doing something artistic, but you aren’t much of a word person?  We have a new Picture a Go Player contest, with a deadline of Friday, July 23.  This contest is open to all players of any age, and includes nifty prizes for the winners, such as your design on a Congress t-shirt!  


Looking to give back to the Go Community?  This year the AGF is going above and beyond with the 2021 E-Congress AGF Fundraiser.  The auction currently includes an 18cm floor board accompanied by agate and onyx stones, but look for more auction items to appear soon! 


You can also keep up to date with all of the e-Go Congress happenings by watching our Twitch stream [link needed], including a broadcast of the Pandanet AGA City League Finals on Friday, July 23 at 8pm EDT.

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New at this year’s eGo Congress: Leon Chen 4p’s Tsumego Challenge

Wednesday July 7, 2021

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.

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Applications Open for South Central On-Line Leagues Season 2

Sunday July 4, 2021

Registration is open for the second season of The South Central On-Line Leagues, a system of six-player leagues in a round robin competition played on KGS and OGS. There will be one game every two weeks, with six players in each league. In the first season, 90 players enrolled in 15 leagues. Recruitment is underway for Season 2, scheduled to begin early August. Organizers are looking to fill 42 open slots, with 43 players returning from Season 1. The basic rules can be found here, and the application form to participate is can be found here.

-report by Bob Gilman

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e-Go Congress Updates

Saturday July 3, 2021

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!

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