American Go E-Journal » World Amateur Go Championships

CHINA TO LEAD IGF INTO NEW ERA

Tuesday May 25, 2010

The election of Chang Zhenming of China as President of the International Go Federation (IGF) highlighted the International Go Federation’s General Meeting (r) on Monday as the 31st edition of the IGF’s flagship event – the World Amateur Go Championship – formally launched in Hangzhou, China. “I will give my best effort to promote go to the whole world,” Chang promised, “Go is a benefit for everyone.” The other major news was that while there have been setbacks in the attempt to achieve recognition for go as an Olympic sport, mind sports are making significant progress. IGF Director Thomas Hsiang reported that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) includes mind sports as a category that has “no realistic chance of entering either the Summer or the Winter Olympics,” and so won’t be recognized. The good news is that SportAccord (formerly the General Association of International Sports Federation, or GAISF) is expanding its definition of sport to include mind sport and plans to sponsor a number of new events, including Mind Sport Games. Planning for a second World Mind Sports Games (WMSG) in August 2012 is now underway, with Manchester UK as the leading candidate to host. In even more exciting news, the International Federation of Poker has applied to become an IMSA and SA member, which has attracted interest from several major marketing firms, with which the IGF is now in discussions. Upcoming events either sponsored by the IGF or with major IGF involvement are the 21st International Pair Go Championships October 16-17 in Japan, the 16th Guangzhou Asian Games November 12-27 and the 32nd World Amateur Go Championship in Shimane, Japan.
– Chris Garlock; photo by John Pinkerton. Click here for the complete report and more photos on Ranka Online.

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Categories: SportAccord World Mind Games,World,World Amateur Go Championships
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HANDICAPPING THE WAGC

Tuesday May 25, 2010

Sixty players from 60 countries and regions. Eight rounds over four days. For 31 years, the World Amateur Go Championships (WAGC) have assembled a global gathering of top amateurs to compete, meet and spread the game of go around the world. This year’s WAGC is being held this week in Hangzou, China, organized by the China Qiyuan, the Chinese agency responsible for board and card games, under the supervision of the International Go Federation, and co-organized by the Hangzhou Branch of the China Qi-Yuan (Chinese Go Association). After arriving on Monday and participating in the IGF General Meeting and opening ceremonies on Tuesday, the tournament proper commences on Wednesday morning. This year, DPR Korea, playing in the WAGC for the first time since 2006, joins China and the Republic of Korea as top contenders for the title. China’s Chen Wang is just 17 years old but won the Chinese Evening News Cup. Taewon Jo of DPR Korea, a veteran at age 21, won the individual amateur event in the World Mind Sports Games in 2008. And Hongsuk Song, a year older at 22, has been doing well in the Republic of Korea, winning the international Korean Prime Minister’s Cup last October and more recently taking the amateur Kuksoo title and the Korean Sports Cup. Two more 17-year-olds who bear watching are Nai San Chan of Hong Kong, China, and Thomas Debarre of France, who finished third and eighth, respectively, in the World Amateur Go Championship last year. Also hoping to place in the top eight are newcomers Cheng-hsun Chen (age 11, at left) of Chinese Taipei and Yohei Sato (29) of Japan, but they will be vying with a group of twenty other players ranked 5 dan and above, including established stars such as Ondrej Silt (23) of Czechia.
– Based on James Davies’ report on Ranka Online; photo (top right): panel in front of the WAGC playing site with signatures of the players (photo by Ivan Vigano); photo of Cheng-hsun Chen by John Pinkerton

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E-JOURNAL’S WAGC COVERAGE COMMENCES

Tuesday May 25, 2010

The American Go E-Journal‘s special coverage of the World Amateur Go Championships (WAGC) begins with tomorrow’s edition. Each morning’s edition will include our reports through midday local time in Hangzhou, China; click here anytime for the latest live news, posted as it happens by the EJ/Ranka Online team. The daily WAGC E-Journals will also include special game commentaries usually only included in the Member’s Edition, provided as part of our support for world go. We hope you enjoy our complete coverage of the 31st annual competition among top amateur players from around the world, which runs through May 31. The weekly E-Journal will resume next week.
– Chris Garlock; photo: WAGC players warm up Monday morning; photo by John Pinkerton

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LIVE FROM THE WORLD AMATEURS!

Sunday May 23, 2010

The American Go E-Journal will publish special daily editions this week live from the World Amateur Go Championships (WAGC) in Hangzhou, China. We’re teaming up again with Ranka Online this year to provide complete coverage of the 31st annual competition among top amateur players from around the world, which will run May 24-31. American-born pro Michael Redmond 9P will provide game commentaries for the Ranka/E-Journal effort – which will include ongoing updates on both Ranka and the AGA website , as well as via the daily E-Journal reports — while Ivan Vigano, James Davies and Chris Garlock will report and John Pinkerton will provide photos.
– Chris Garlock; photo: WAGC players warm up Monday morning; photo by John Pinkerton

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LIVE FROM THE WORLD AMATEURS!

Monday May 17, 2010

The American Go E-Journal will publish special daily editions next week live from the World Amateur Go Championships (WAGC) in Hangzhou, China. We’re teaming up again with Ranka Online this year to provide complete coverage of the 31st annual competition among top amateur players from around the world, which will run May 24-31. American-born pro Michael Redmond 9P will provide game commentaries for the Ranka/E-Journal effort – which will include ongoing updates on both Ranka and the AGA website , as well as via daily E-Journal reports — while Ivan Vigano, James Davies and Chris Garlock will report and John Pinkerton will provide photos.

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Categories: Europe,U.S./North America,World,World Amateur Go Championships
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RANKA & E-JOURNAL TEAM UP AGAIN FOR WAGC

Monday May 10, 2010

The American Go E-Journal will team up again with Ranka this year to provide complete coverage of the World Amateur Go Championships (WAGC). The 31st annual competition among top amateur players from around the world is set for May 24-31 in Hangzhou, China. American-born pro Michael Redmond 9P will provide game commentaries for the Ranka/E-Journal effort – which will include ongoing updates on both Ranka and the AGA website , as well as via daily E-Journal reports — while Ivan Vigano, James Davies and Chris Garlock will report and John Pinkerton will provide photos. NOTE: if you have tips about go places to visit in Shanghai — or have go contacts there — please email journal@usgo.org immediately. Click here to see last year’s coverage, and here for this year’s WAGC details, including the schedule. photo: Hall of Hangzhou Tian Yuan Tower, where the WAGC will take place.

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World Pair Go Registration Deadline Extended

Monday February 1, 2010

The registration deadline for the World Pair Go Tournament has been extended to this Thursday at  midnight. Recognizing the World Pair Go Tournament as a special one-time celebration of the 20th anniversary of the creation of Pair Go, the AGA Board Sunday night voted to waive both the one-year continuous membership requirement and the 10-game minimum requirement for the qualification tournament, as it had waived some requirements for the World Mind Sports Games last year under similar circumstances. U.S. citizenship and U.S. residency for at least six of the past twelve months still are required. Interested pros and amateurs must contact President@usgo.org with names and AGA ID’s by the deadline

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INT’L TOURNEY REP ELIGIBILITY EXPLAINED

Monday November 2, 2009

“From time to time someone asks how the AGA selects players to attend international championship tournaments,” says Tournament Coordinator Phil Waldron. “Eligibility is not complicated, but it does require some planning.” To be eligible, players must be US citizens or Green Card holders and reside in the United States. “We also expect players to support the American go community and so players must have been a continuous member of the AGA over the past twelve months and have played at least ten rated games over the same time,” Waldron says. “Finally, potential competitors must meet any additional eligibility requirements set by the tournament sponsors; for example, you won’t be going to a youth event if you remember Woodstock.”  Full details about the various international tournaments and their selection tournaments can be found on the AGA Major Tournaments webpage.

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Categories: Events/Tournaments,SportAccord World Mind Games,World Amateur Go Championships
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