American Go E-Journal » Events/Tournaments

WAGC Orientation & Pairings

Saturday May 12, 2012

By 2:35 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, most of the contestants in the 33rd World Amateur Go Championship had made a good start on recovering from jetlag, had sampled the breakfast and lunch buffets at Guangzhou’s Baiyun Hotel, and were ready for the orientation meeting. The meeting opened with an address by chief referee Hua Yigang 8P, who described go as a sport, an art, and a good platform for communication, and noted that east or west, Canton cuisine is the best. Executive chief referee Liu Jing 8P then went over the tournament rules and the computerized pairing system, which were the same as used in Hangzhou in 2010, and announced that since only 55 contestants were coming, an extra Chinese player had been added to make an even number. Next came the main business, which was to draw the numbers that the computer would use in determining the pairings throughout the tournament…click here for Ranka Online’s complete report.
– James Davies; photo: Carlos Andres Acuna Silva (right) drawing for player numbers; photo by Ivan Vigano

Categories: World Amateur Go Championships

Maryland Open Next Stop in TYGEMGO Pro Prelim Series

Saturday May 12, 2012

Next up in the TYGEMGO Pro Prelim series is the Baltimore Go Club’s 39th Maryland Open on May 26-27 in Catonsville Maryland just outside Baltimore. The top finishing player with qualifying citizenship earns the right to compete for pro certification this summer in North Carolina the week before the US Go Congress. Top players also earn points to represent the US in the World MindSport Games in France. “However,” stresses local organizer Keith Arnold, “ALL players of ALL strengths are welcome to play and be present for this historic event.” Click here to pre-register or contact Keith Arnold at hlime81@comcast.net with any questions.

Categories: U.S. Pro Tournament,U.S./North America

2012 WAGC Readies for Launch in Guangzhou

Friday May 11, 2012

To a casual passerby it was just a couple of guys playing go on a Friday night. But this was the Friday night before the 2012 World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) in Guangzhou, China, and the go players were Hideo Otake 9P (right), Chairman of the Nihon Kiin Board of Directors and IGF President Zhenming Chang (left), Vice Chairman and President of the CITIC Group, a major Chinese firm dealing in finance, real estate, resource development, manufacturing and telecommunications. The two sat down for a quiet game in the lounge on the 30th floor of the Baiyung Hotel, where players from around the world continued to arrive and check in for the 33rd annual event, which begins Sunday and features players from 64 countries in an 8-round championship to determine the top amateur player. Click here for the list of players and here — Warming Up for Guangzhou — for Ranka Online’s report on how some of the WAGC contestants have been taking advantage of the extensive slate of European tournaments to get into shape for this tournament.
– Chris Garlock; photo by John Pinkerton

Categories: World Amateur Go Championships

“My Father’s Last Game” Translated into Chinese; Cool Players; “Liking” Iwamoto’s Go Centers; Cotsen Correx

Wednesday May 9, 2012

“My Father’s Last Game” Translated into Chinese: Betsy Small’s Traveling Board column in the March 29 E-Journal, “My Father’s Last Game” has been published in China, on the sina blog and major go websites, as well as in the publication Sports Fan, which has a circulation of about 150,000. “Some readers told me they were in tears after reading the story,” Simon Guo, who translated the article, tells the E-Journal. “Me too.”

Cool Players: “I could be mistaken, but the men in that photograph (Go Photo: Cool Game 4/22 EJ) look like Igor Grishin (left) and Maksim Tikhomirov (right) from the Russian Go Federation,” writes Nikolas. “ Alexandre Dinerchtein sent me more photos of them” on the All About Go blog.

“Liking” Iwamoto’s Go Centers: Noting that “The Seattle Go Center is in serious jeopardy because the Nihon Ki-in has decided to sell the building that has housed it since its inception” and that “the unilateral manner in which the decision was made raises questions regarding the future of all of the Iwamoto Go Centers,” NY Go Center Board member Roy Laird is urging go players to “like” any or all of the three Iwamoto Go Centers that have Facebook pages: The Seattle Go Center, The New York Go Center and The European Go Cultural Centre. “This public groundswell of support could open the door to a more effective partnership between the Nihon Ki-in and Western Go,” suggests Laird.

Cotsen Correx: Myung-wan Kim is 9P (not 3P as mistakenly reported in our 5/2 post In Appreciation: The 2012 Cotsen Open Team), Chris Sira was the Tournament Director. Our apologies for the error and oversight.

Categories: Cotsen Open,Traveling Go Board,U.S./North America

Champagne Celebrates Go Congress Contest Win

Tuesday May 8, 2012

“Watching a young player, whose feet didn’t even touch the floor, cling to his teddy bear while he beat opponent after opponent…sitting with Noni Redmond in North Carolina as she patiently taught an interesting craft to other non-players…the lack of greens on the menu in Rochester….the whitewater rafting kayak trip in the Chicago River when one of the players went overboard and had to get decontaminated…the players and non-players whom I’ve met and whom I look forward to seeing year after year after bloody year.” These U.S. Go Congress memories won Laura Champagne the recent 2012 Go Congress Registration Story Contest — and a free Congress meal plan — when her submission was selected at random from those sent in. Meanwhile, go players continue to sign up for the August 4-12 Go Congress in Black Mountain, NC at a record-setting pace, organizers report. “So if you’re planning to come and still have not registered and reserved your rooms, you should do so now!” says Congress Co-Director Paul Celmer. Registration prices go up in June, he notes. And with well over 400 go enthusiasts planning to attend, the first-ever North American Go Symposium – free for Congress attendees – and lots of other great go activities, including the inaugural AGA Pro Certification Tournament, which ends just as the Congress begins, “you have a fantastic chance of meeting some of the most interesting and enjoyable people on the planet!”
– photo: Michael Redmond (l) & Nakayama Noriyuki at the 2006 U.S. Go Congress in Black Mountain, NC

Categories: U.S. Go Congress

Edward Kim 7d wins Seattle Pro Prelim

Monday May 7, 2012

Edward Kim (r) won all five of his games to win the first AGA-Tygem Seattle Pro Prelim, held May 5-6 at the Seattle Go Center. Ten players competed for the opportunity to go to the AGA-Tygem Pro Final in North Carolina, which will be from July 28th to August 4th. Second place was earned by Yixian Zhou 6d, who had a 4-1 record. Third went to David (Dong) Ma 6d, fourth (on a tie breaker) to young Vincent Zhuang 6d and fifth to Nicholas Jhirad 6d. The second band, which was not competing for the pro position, had six dan level players. Kum Kang Lee 4d placed first, Job Betcher 2nd and Louie Liu 3rd. The tournament also generated points for the 2012 World Mind Sports selection process.

The Seattle Go Center expressed “special thanks” to Tournament Director John Hogan, “who did a great job starting a new tournament tradition.” Bill Chiles was Asst. TD, while Dennis Wheeler, Oren Laskin, Bill Camp, and Bill Thompson recorded games from the top two boards. The games are available here.
– photo by Brian Allen

Categories: U.S. Pro Tournament,U.S./North America

World Amateur Championship Set for May 11-17

Sunday May 6, 2012

Top amateur go players will compete in the 33rd World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) May 11-17 in Guangzhou, China, the first time that this event will take place in South China (click here for last year’s reports from Japan). The American Go E-Journal and Ranka online are teaming up again this year to provide daily coverage.

The field of 58 players will range in age from 13 to 67 and in official rank from 8 kyu to 8 dan. Nearly half will be newcomers to the WAGC, and eleven will still be in their teens. One teenager to watch will be 16-year-old Qiao Zhijian who has been cutting a wide swath through the Chinese tournament scene, winning the Evening News Cup to earn the right to represent China at the WAGC and then defeating the legendary Nie Weiping in the annual Evening News pro-amateur match. Three others will be Hong Kong’s 14-year-old Chan Chi-Hin, who took 15th place in the WAGC last year and then worked up to a 9-dan rating on the Kiseido Go Server, Chinese Taipei’s 7-dan Chen Cheng-Hsun, the youngest in the field, and the Czechia’s Lukas Podpera, who won the U20 division of the recent European Youth Go Championship. These four will be battling for top spots with formidable opponents from Japan, the two Koreas, Southeast Asia, Eastern and Western Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, India, and Oceania. Well-known go teacher Yuan Zhou 7d is this year’s U.S. representative.

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is the capital city of Guangdong Province. It is enjoying great economic prosperity, flourishing development, cultural diversity and dynamic modernization. With a history of more than 2800 years, Guangzhou is forging its way ahead between its cultural heritage and fashionable skyscrapers. It offers tourists and visitors a feast of sights with unique charm, including the Flowery Pagoda, the Pearl River, the Baiyun Mountain, and the Temple of Six Banyan Trees. In 2010, when Guangzhou hosted the 16th Asian Games, the whole city improved itself comprehensively and impressed guests from all over the world with its ebullience and hospitality.

Guangzhou Chess Institute (left) has been chosen as the venue of the 33rd WAGC. Located in scenic surroundings near the Baiyun Mountain, Guangzhou Chess Institute was rated “the most culturally attractive venue of the Asian Games”. Listening to the ripple of the stream, looking around at the traditional Lingnan houses, you may think you are in a famous garden. The simple and natural design of the playing hall speaks of calmness and harmony to the players and audience.
– excerpted from Ranka Online’s report

Categories: World,World Amateur Go Championships

In Appreciation: The 2012 Cotsen Open Team

Wednesday May 2, 2012

It may not take quite a village, but it definitely takes a good-sized team to pull off a tournament like last weekend’s Cotsen Open.

Tournament sponsor Eric Cotsen’s team this year included Tournament Organizer Jenna Stewart, lead coordinator Hunter Knight, Noah King, David Fein, Maile Fulton and masseuses Nini, Priscilla and Cindy.

The tireless and always cheerful staff at the Korean Cultural Center, led by Director and Consul Jaewon Kim and Vice Director and Consul Jongmoon Kim, included Program Manager Tammy Chung, Facility Manager Seunghoan Roh, Sports Manager Sungwoo Park, Tech Manager Jaewoo Kim, along with Aryf Hussain, Miguel Hernandez and Domingo Hernandez.

AGA leaders and volunteers who lent a hand included AGA President Allan Abramson, who flew in from Virginia, Tournament Director Chris Sira, Jeff Shaevel from Texas, AGA Board Chair Andy Okun (who lent a whole more than a hand) and of course Kim Myung-wan 9P, who played a key role coordinating the tournament planning.

Others who pitched in were the Bay Area Go Club’s Roger Schrag, who set up the tournament registration page, Wende Mate, who designed the tournament banner, Jay Chan, who brought in additional clocks, along with Paru Maheta-Sargon, Shih-peng Sun and Robert Schrader (who helped moved stuff late Friday night), as well as Wenguang Wu, James Kim and Yixian Zhou.

Professionals who did simuls and lectures included Cho Hun-hyun 9P, Yoo Chang-hyuk 9P, Yang Jae-ho 9P, Kim Myung-wan 9P, Yang Yilun 7P, Janice Kim 3P, Kim Hyo-jung 2P and, online from China, Wang Qun 8P.

Sponsors this year were the Korean Baduk Association, the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles, Vitaave.com, Choi Gun-ho and the LA Go Club, and Hinoki Press, which donated a big pile of books.

Last but never least was the E-Journal’s crack team, which broadcast an astounding 25 games – plus half a dozen pro commentaries – live on KGS over just two days. Assisting EJ Managing Editor Chris Garlock were KGS Liaison Akane Negishi, who flew down from Portland, lead game recorder Solomon Smilack from Denver, and locals Richard Dolen, Joe Cepiel and Dustin Pluta, with assistance from Jim Woh.
Collage: Registration (top left photo, clockwise): Chris Sira, Jenna Stewart, tournament sponsor Eric Cotsen, Noah King, Hunter Knight and Andy Okun; Pairings (top right): Chris Sira (l) & Okun; Please Massage: masseuses (need names); Game Recorders: middle bottom: Solomon Smilack (front, with goatee), Richard Dolen (left, in suit) & Dustin Pluta (right, in blue); far left: Chris Garlock recording Cho-Yang pro-pro game.

Categories: Cotsen Open

Go Symposium Call for Papers Closes

Monday April 30, 2012

From a Q&A session with Hikaru no Go creator Hotta Yumi to presentations on the state of the art of supercomputer go, weiqi in Chinese poetry, and designing a college go course, more than 20 talks have now been scheduled for the 2012 International Go Symposium. Organizers have now closed their Call for Papers to the Symposium, which will be held at this year’s U.S. Go Congress, August 4-12 in Black Mountain, NC. Click here for the full list of presenters and topics; short abstracts will be posted soon.

Categories: U.S. Go Congress

Calvin Sun Wins ’12 Cotsen

Sunday April 29, 2012

Calvin Sun won the 2012 Cotsen Open, sweeping all five rounds and earning an invitation to the AGA’s first-ever professional certification tournament, which will be held at the US Go Congress this summer in Black Mountain, NC. Runner-up Curtis Tang also collected an invite to the pro certification tournament. Click here for the tournament crosstab with links to top-board game records.
Other top Cotsen winners in the Open section were Chun-hong Chen (3rd), Deuk Je Chang (4th), Daniel (Dae Hyuk) Ko (5th) and Joey Hung (6th). The Santa Monica Go Club won the team prize, collecting the $1,000 prize. Other winners: Section A: 1st: Sang-suk Kim; 2nd: Anthony Chen; 3rd: Gary Shen. Section B: 1st: Yunxuan Li; 2nd: Ho-byun Young; 3rd: Jeremy Chiu. Section C: 1st: Jinming Pan; 2nd: Michael Wanek; 3rd: Daniel Liu. Section D: 1st: Jack Cai; 2nd: April Ye; 3rd: Wait-to Char. Section E: 1st: Sang-chul Lee; 2nd: Sum Kim; 3rd: In-soo Hwang. Section F: 1st: Jiayue Li; 2nd: Gary Huang; 3rd: Yongqiang Chen. Section G: 1st: John Ye; 2nd: Hong L Bach; 3rd: Scott Nichols. photo: Cotsen winner Calvin Sun (2nd from right) with tournament sponsor Eric Cotsen (far left), AGA Board Chair Andy Okun (2nd from left) and AGA President Allan Abramson (far right). photo by Chris Garlock.

Categories: Cotsen Open,U.S./North America

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