American Go E-Journal » Go News

Now your AGA membership could win you a free pro commentary! Send in your dan-level game record by next Monday and it could be chosen for a commentary by three-time U.S. Open champion Myung-wan Kim 9P (r), the latest addition to the E-Journal’s growing roster of contributing professionals and top players. Kim – whose other titles include the first Strong Player’s Online Tournament (SPOT1) in May 2010 – is a Korean professional (he made the quarterfinals of the 10th Samsung Cup in 2005 and took second place in the 12^th BC Card Cup) who now lives and teaches in the Los Angeles area and who’s also widely-known for his 2008 historic demonstration game against MoGo running on an 800 processor supercomputer. Kim’s debut commentary will be on a dan-level game; email your game (sgf file required) to us at journal@usgo.org with “Kim commentary” in the subject line BY MIDNIGHT JANUARY 24. Please be sure to include your AGA number, as this is a member’s-only benefit.
photo by Yixian Zhou

Registration is now open for the first-ever Young Kwon National Online Tournament, featuring a prize fund of nearly $3,000. The tournament, sponsored by Young Kwon, will be held online beginning January 22, 2011. “The purpose is to promote the game of go in the United States,” Mr. Kwon told the E-Journal. The 5-round tournament is open to all current AGA members, from 35 kyu to professionals, and eligibility rules include at least six months of residence in the U.S. in 2010. Registration deadline: January 7, 2011; Click here to register.
– Edward Zhang, AGA National Tournament Coordinator

The AGA Tournament Coordinator team welcomes Dennis Wheeler of Seattle and Yixian Zhou of Los Angeles on board as Assistant National Tournament Coordinators. Wheeler (l) has been actively assisting the AGA for many years, and is a “veteran” director of online qualifiers. Zhou, 7d (r), is both a strong player and a go activist. He assisted in organizing the 2008 Toyota Denso Oza, and co-directed the 2010 N.A. qualifiers of both the Fujitsu Cup and BC Card Cup. Both are active and well-known in their regions. The new Assistant Tournament Coordinators will help bring more tournaments, fun, convenience and value to AGA members.
– Edward Zhang, AGA National Tournament Coordinator

The online North American Fujitsu Cup Qualifier featured exciting games and a few surprising upsets last weekend on KGS. In the early rounds, 17-year-old Curtis Tang 7d knocked out Feng Yun 9P in a hard-fought match late Thursday night. Huiren

Yang 1P ran short on time in byo-yomi to advance Dae Hyuk Ko 7d to the final, and Andy Zhiyuan Liu 7d defeated Jie Li 7d by just 1.5 points to advance to the final. On Sunday, Liu defeated Dae Hyuk Ko to win the right to represent North America in the upcoming 2011 Fujitsu Cup. Edward Zhang and Oren Laskin handled the extensive organizing and scheduling logistics for the event and directed the early rounds. Dennis Wheeler was the director for the weekend rounds with Yixian Yhou assisting. Big thanks, as always, to KGS server admins Akane Negishi, Ian Davis and Daniel Short. Click here for full game results and records.

Despite dire weather warnings, “29 players fearlessly came to the December 11 Chicago Winter Tournament,” reports TD Bob Barber. “New players from Indiana, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and even Romania, by way of Northern Ireland,” turned out. “Noticeably absent was Rich Brown from Madison, WI, who chose cautiously to stay at home,” Barber notes. Tengxiao Yang 5d took first place in the dan division. Other results: 1st Place High Kyu:  ROHDE, David, 5k; 1st Place Low Kyu:  MARTINEZ ORTEGA, Jorge, 9k; 2nd Place Low Kyu:  BOYLAND, Peter, 10k. “This was the first AGA tournament for Yang and Boyland,” says Barber. “We hope to see a lot more of them in the future.”
– photo by Mark Rubenstein