Go News « American Go E-Journal

Chiu Sweeps Bay Area Go Monthly in San Francisco

Tuesday July 24, 2012

Bay Area Go’s monthly ratings tournament was held July 14 in San Francisco’s Japantown Center. This month’s event featured a field of 39 players ranging from 18 kyu to 7 dan. Linden Chiu 2d, who was awarded an honorary dan-level certificate from the Korean Baduk Association at last year’s US Go Congress, swept the dan division with a 4-0 record. In the kyu division, Jay Chan 1k, Allen Louderback 4k, Cameron Yu 7k, and Ciaran Fitzgerald 18k all led with 3-1 records. “Next month’s ratings tournament is scheduled for August 18 in Palo Alto, CA,” reports organizer Roger Schrag. Photo by Karoline Burrall.

Categories: U.S./North America

International Submissons Flood Go Art Contest

Monday July 23, 2012

The second International Children’s Go Art Painting Contest has received almost seventy entries. Submitting countries include Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, The Philippines, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Argentina, Mexico and the United States (including Hawaii). The deadline was July 13th, and the artworks are being exhibited at Espacio Japón, the Japanese embassy in Mexico city’s cultural center. Go workshops, talks and an Ukiyo-e Go prints exhibition are also featured. The panel of judges was composed of members devoted to arts and education, including Fumiko Nakashima, Alma G. Juárez, Yuko Kosaka (Yuro), Daniella Campirano, Miguel A. Ramírez and Lilian R. Romero. The judges made a final decision on three top places and two notable submissions for each category. The results will be announced August 5th at the International Go Symposium in Black Mountain, NC and the artworks will be on display during the U.S. Go Congress. The Mexican Youth Go Players Association would like to thank Japan’s Cultural Attaché in Mexico Miwa Yoshizawa; Ph.D Marcela Zepeda Zaleta, the Principal at the Pipiolo Educational and Artistic Research Center; Israel Rodríguez Nava, President of Asociación Mexicana de Baduk-Igo-Weiqi; A.C. and the volunteers that supported us. Special recognition goes to all the enthusiastic children around the world that expressed their love for go through painting, they have many things to share with us at the International Go Symposium. –Siddhartha Avila, Comunidad Mexicana de Go Infantil y Juvenil. Photo: Art by Aaron Ye 5d, 2nd place winner from last year’s A section.

Categories: Europe,Go Art,U.S. Go Congress,U.S./North America,World,Youth

U.S. Fields 21-Player WMSG Team

Monday July 23, 2012

Four additions bring this year’s U.S. World Mind Sports Games (WMSG) team to a total of 21 players. “Some will be flying direct from the U.S. Go Congress in North Carolina to London or Paris and then by train to Lille, France,” reports Chris Kirschner, “arriving just in time to start Round 1 of the individual competition at 2 PM local time on August 13. As previously reported (“Youthful” U.S. WMSG Team Announced 7/16 EJ) the U.S. team is young – over half are under 18 – which Kirschner called “A good portent for our future competition in these games. Unlike in 2008, professionals are not permitted to participate this year, so our team has a good chance to do well.”

The U.S. WMSG team line-up: Men’s Individual: Hugh Zhang, Forest Song, Yang Xu, Justin Ching, Ricky Zhou; Women’s Individual: Jasmine Yan, Yinli Wang, Tina Zhang and Cherry Shen; Team Go: Matthew Burrall, Guozhong Zhuang, Li Zhang, Philip London, Jerry Shen & Cherry Shen; Pair Go: Guozhong Zhuang, Wan Chen, Lionel Zhang, Amy Su; Youth Team: Andrew Lu, Vincent Zhuang, Gabriella Su, Kellin Pelrine, Justin Teng.

Categories: U.S./North America,World

San Diego Kids Learn Go

Monday July 23, 2012

Youngsters in San Diego were treated to go lessons from Ted Terpstra, the new AGA Executive VP, at a summer camp at the Japanese Friendship Garden on July 18th. “This week it was first and second graders, next week is third & fourth graders and then fifth and sixth the week after,” reports Terpstra. “It was the first time that the children had played the game; we started with 5×5 boards so they could get a feel for trying to surround territory and capturing. They had been exposed to go on Monday at camp when a couple of episodes of Hikaru no Go were shown on HULU. I used go sets and accessories from the AGF Class Room Starter set I just received for the La Jolla Library class I am teaching this fall. I also checked out several volumes of Hikaru No Go from the neighborhood library that the children eagerly read while waiting for the class to begin. I had wifi so I put up a game being played on KGS just to give the kids a feel for how a real game developed. It was great to see how quickly these children learned the game and exuded enthusiasm,” said Terpstra. – Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor, Photo by Ted Terpstra.

Categories: U.S./North America,Youth

Iyama Yuta Wins 67th Honinbo in Exciting 7th Game Showdown

Sunday July 22, 2012

Iyama Yuta 9P won his first Honinbo title on July 19. Iyama bested the defending title holder Yamashita Keigo 9P, 4-3 in the title match series. Go fans who’d been anticipating the game were not disappointed. The pair produced an exciting and highly unusual game that kept observers on the edge of their seats, providing serious competition for the Tour de France. A series of kos in the early middle game resulted in a division where white (Iyama) took over 70 points of solid territory and black took thickness across the remainder of the board. White went on to win by 7.5 points after some impressive shinogi (fending off black’s severe attacks). This year is also the 400th anniversary of the formation of the Honinbo house, making the tournament even more special than usual.
David Ormerod; based on his original article Iyama Yuta becomes Honinbo at Go Game Guru. An Younggil 8P has commented game 5 and game 7 of the Honinbo title match. Photo: Yamashita Keigo 9P (left) and Iyama Yuta 9P prepare to play the final game.

Categories: U.S. Pro Tournament,World

Tags: Honinbo, Iyama Yuta, Yamashita Keigo

Downloadable U.S. Go Congress Handbook Released

Saturday July 21, 2012

Saying “Welcome to our little gathering in the mountains,” U.S. Go Congress organizers today released a downloadable PDF of the 2012 Go Congress Handbook, the 43-page guide to the biggest U.S. go event of the year, coming up August 4-12 in Black Mountain, NC. The pocket-sized handbook – easily viewable online as well as on your handheld device — provides a comprehensive guide to the complete schedule of dozens of activities, from daily tournaments to pro lectures, as well as special events this year, including the first International Go Symposium to be held in North America, the Keith Arnold Challenge, Mountain Top Go, a Friday Night Campfire, pig picking and live bluegrass music. Also included are brief bios of the 17 professionals attending, a handy “Week at a Glance” overview, and site maps. “If you’re already registered, download the Handbook PDF now to begin planning how to get the most out of the week,” say Co-Directors Paul Celmer and Peter Armenia. “If you haven’t signed up yet now, check it out to see all the great go activity and then register online!”

Categories: U.S. Go Congress,U.S./North America

Eric Lui 7D Sweeps NOVA Congress Tuneup

Saturday July 21, 2012

Eric Lui 7D took on all challengers at the NOVA Congress Tuneup giving handicaps of three stones and more and winning undefeated at 4-0. Second in the top dan division was Jimmy Yang 5D at 2-2. Other winners in the 28-player field were: Keiju Takehara 3D (2-2) and Kabe Chin 3D (2-2) in the 3D to 1K group, Julian Erville 4K (4-0) and Theodore Van Dyke 3K (3-1) in the 3K to 6K group, Mohan Sud 7K (2-2) and Garrett Smith 9K (2-2) in the 7K to 10K group, Tristin Tran 15K (4-0) and Elmer Martinez-Rivas 13K (3-1) in the 12K to 15K group, and Edward Lane 25K (3-1) in the over 20K group.
– report/photo by Gurujeet Khalsa, TD

Categories: U.S./North America

Xihan Zhang 2d Tops Skip Ascheim Memorial Tourney

Thursday July 19, 2012

Xihan Zhang 2d topped a field of 28 at the July 15 Skip Ascheim Memorial Tournament in Somerville MA. In second was Jason

McGibbon 4k and Makio Ogawa 5k took third place. Eva Casey directed.
photo (l-r): Makio Ogawa, Xihan Zhang & Jason McGibbon; photo courtesy Eva Casey

Categories: U.S./North America

Big Tuesdays a Tradition at the Seattle Go Center

Thursday July 19, 2012

Over 50 players visited the Seattle Go Center on Tuesday, July 17. They ranged from complete beginners to 4 dan players. Tuesdays are always well-attended at the Go Center. “Even on slow weeks we will have 25 players. Our priority is teaching beginners and intermediates, but everybody can find a game.” reports manager Brian Allen. Members also shared fresh bread baked by Chris Kirschner, caught up with old friends, and made new ones. Visiting AGA members are encouraged to come by on Tuesdays. “It’s a tradition that makes Seattle special.” Photo: 6 p.m. on a Tuesday night in April. Report and composite photo by Brian Allen. More info: seattlego.org

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

Your Move/Readers Write: Searching Members

Tuesday July 17, 2012

“The AGA website provided a search capability of members in your state under ‘Ratings’,” writes Sid Kobashigawa. “Is this capability available somewhere else now on the website? I want to be able to find if any new members in my state (Hawaii) join AGA.”
While we haven’t added that capability to the new ratings page, those interested in finding out, say who the members of the XYZ go club are, or who’s rated between 4k and 2k, can download the TDListA file, open it in Excel, and then search and filter from there.

Categories: U.S./North America

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