Tuesday December 17, 2013
Mingjiu Jiang 7P (center), Stephanie (Mingming) Yin 1P and Zhaonian (Michael) Chen 8D will make up a U.S. team at the upcoming Zhu Gang Cup World Team Go Championship
. The brand-new event for both professionals and amateurs features a significant prize-money pool and runs December 19-26 in Guangzhou, China. It’s hosted by the Chinese Weiqi Association and the Guangzhou All-Sport Federation.
Tuesday December 17, 2013
While others were out fighting the holiday crowds at local malls in Northern Virginia, some 20 area go players had a better plan. “Win books to give as holiday gifts!” report Slate and Shell Open local organizers Gurujeet Khalsa and Gary Smith. Sponsor Slate and Shell supplied the prizes, which were won by Kelsey Dyer 1D and Quinn Baranoski 9K – who topped the event – along with other first place finishers, including Edward Zhang 6D, John Gipson 5K, and Mulan Liu 17K. Second place finishers included Allan Abramson 2D, Mohan Sud 4K, Anderson Barreal 9K and Timothy Koh 22K.
Tuesday December 17, 2013
The US Pro Qualification Tournament, which will be held in Los Angeles Jan. 2-8, is adding a youth tournament for all ranks, to be held Jan 4-5, announced Myungwan Kim 9P, chair of the AGA’s pro system committee. The event will be called the Milton N. Bradley Youth Go Championship, in honor of the late Bradley, who was devoted to youth go. Players must be under the age of 17 (born on or after Jan. 5th 1996). “I think it’s a good idea to hold a youth go tournament in LA area every year,” Kim told the Journal. “We already have a great location, the Hotel Normandie, and kids can see professionals, the professional system and very serious games. It will help to stimulate kids to learn go, watching all these top players and their games. I will play 13×13 simul games as well.” Orange County organizer Kevin Chao will be the Tournament Director, and will handle registration. He plans two four round tournaments, both 19×19 and13x13, for a total of eight games in two days. 19×19 games will be AGA-rated. To register e-mail pogychao@yahoo.com. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Image: a page from Bradley’s Go for Kids, illustration by Seho Kim. Bradley’s cartoon form is seated at right.
Monday December 16, 2013
Romania: Cristian Pop 7d (left) took the Cupa Romaniei Finala in Sinaia on December 8. Behind him were Dragos Bajenaru 6d and Mihai Valentin Serban 5d. Spain: Also on December 8, Ignacio Cernuda 3d bested Oscar Anguila 4d at the Spanish Championship Finals in Barcelona while Pau Carles 3d placed third. Poland: The Polish Championship League finished December 8 in Olsztyn with Marcin Majka 3d in first, Majus Misiak 2d in second, and Sebastian Pawlaczyk 3d in third.
– Annalia Linnan, based on reports from EuroGoTV, which include complete result tables and all the latest European go news; photo courtesy of EuroGoTV
Friday December 13, 2013
Registration for the next AGA On-Line Games Self-Paired Tournament — which will run January 1 to March 31, 2014 on KGS — begins December 15. The initial Self-Paired Tournament — in which 24 players have so far played 44 games — will end December 31, with results announced in early January. 
Players must be AGA members current through March 1, 2014. A player’s current AGA rating is the default tournament rating. Tournament Ratings may be adjusted by the Tournament Director for those without an AGA rating or for those who whose current AGA rating clearly does not reflect their current playing strength. Games are played and tournament documents are linked in the AGA Tournament Room on KGS.
Simultaneous games will also be offered during this upcoming quarter in the AGA Community Room on KGS by volunteers AGA 4 dan and above. The room is open to all AGA members current through March 31, 2014. Email bobgilman.aga@gmail.com with your AGA ID number and KGS username for access to the room. A schedule is linked in the room and in the AGA Tournament Room. “These games are a fine opportunity for players to test their understanding and technique against stronger players,” says Gilman.
Friday December 13, 2013
Thursday December 12, 2013
T Mark Hall died on Monday, December 9 after a long illness. Perhaps best-known throughout the global go community as 
the co-creator of GoGoD (Games of Go on Disk), the exhaustive go encyclopaedia, Hall “was a long and faithful servant of the British Go Association, of British go in general,” said BGA president — and longtime friend — Jon Diamond. “He was on our Council for some 22 years, serving for 20 of these as Treasurer, a record of service that will surely be unsurpassed.” “T Mark Hall’s work benefited go players around the world,” said American Go Association president Andy Okun. “We extend our thanks and deepest sympathies to our British go colleagues who so generously shared his gifts with us.” John Fairbairn, Hall’s longtime friend and GoGoD colleague, said that “British Go has been blessed with many fine servants, but very high among them will rank T Mark Hall. I was with him in the last months and hours and so I can testify that he had borne his long illness with great dignity and courage – nonchalance even.” Hall continued to work on GoGoD until very near the end and as recently as April played in the British Open, where he came in fourth. “Mark wished to continue his work for the British Go Association even after he was gone, and has made substantial bequests accordingly,” Diamond says. He also donated his antique go board to the British Museum and asked that GoGoD continue; Diamond says “I hope to keep his flame alive there, although frankly he will be quite irreplaceable.” Diamond added that “Mark was not just well known. He was popular…He will be remembered by many for sitting at tournaments and other events after his game was over with his pipe and chatting to all and sundry. He will be sorely missed.”
– photo courtesy BGA
Thursday December 12, 2013
Fourteen pairs of go players gathered at the Seattle Go Center Saturday night, December 7, for a gala dress-up event that included two rounds of Pair Go and three kinds of cake provided by the stylish Bakery Nouveau of Capitol Hill. Among the strong players, the winning team was “EASTWEST” – Momoko Tsutsui and Jon Friedman. TD Bill Chiles reported that the middle group was led by Deborah Niedermeyer and Brian Allen. The aptly named “DRESS TO KILL”, Marilyn and Rainer Romatka, ruled the last group. Participants enjoyed door prizes from Pandanet Internet Go, while the winners received fans with calligraphy from the Go Center. At the end of the holiday evening, organizer Bill Thompson revealed his secret plan to make this an annual event, and there was no objection. Photo by Joe Schneider, report by Brian Allen
Wednesday December 11, 2013
Chinese rising star Tang Weixing 3P (left) has overcome Korean legend Lee Sedol 9P (right) to claim the 2013 Samsung Cup. Before the 
match, played December 9-11 in Suzhou, China, Lee said that he was desperate to win for his country. Having won the Samsung Cup four times, Lee, the defending champion, was considered the favorite by many, including his challenger, but Tang, in his debut in an international final, showed nerves of steel to win the title 2-0. The first game was an intense battle that came to a thrilling climax in a complex ko fight. Many commentators thought that Lee had won this fight with some clever exchanges, as did Lee himself. However Tang was equal to the task, extending his threats and gaining enough from the ko to win by half a point. In the second game Lee, holding black, went on the offensive from the get-go and established a commanding position. Once again, however, Tang resisted solidly to claw his way back, and in the end black did not have enough points. It has been 17 years since Korea has not claimed a major international title. This had Korean fans cheering for Lee in the Samsung final, the last major tournament of the year. Instead, Tang reaffirmed the recent Chinese dominance, leaving Korea winless in 2013. Click here for Go Game Guru’s report on the Samsung semi-finals, which includes interviews with Lee and Tang, photos and game records from the semis.
– Ben Gale, Korea Correspondent for the E-Journal
Game Commentary: Redmond on the Samsung Final
Thursday December 12, 2013
After a very calm start for both players, Lee Sedol 9P starts to attack in the middle game of the Samsung Game 2 final (Korean Fans Shocked By Loss in Samsung Cup Final As Tang Weixing 3P Sweeps Lee Sedol 9P) on
[link]
December 11, sparking a very exciting fight, where I’ve concentrated most of my comments. Tang Weixing 3P ably parries Lee’s attack and after the dust settles it’s a very close game.
– Michael Redmond 9P