American Go E-Journal » Go News

NAKAYAMA’S QUIET FAREWELL

Wednesday May 26, 2010

It was a wet afternoon in Tokyo on May 23 when a quiet memorial service was held for the beloved and irrepressible Nakayama Noriyuki-sensei. As the hall at the Okura Hotel filled with Nakayama’s friends, there was time to contemplate the oversize photos showing Nakayama watching the legendary Go Seigen play tournament games. Nakayama’s appearance had not changed much over the years. There was no mistaking the impish smile, the shock of hair. Nakayama’s poetry was also displayed, with each stanza introducing another archaic, almost forgotten character of the ancient Japanese alphabet. In the next room, we paid our respects to Nakayama’s family and to Nakayama while a priest intoned the sutras before Nakayama’s photo, framed in an array of blue and white flowers. We gathered for a meal, after which several people spoke, including Otake Hideo 9P. Takemiya Masaki 9P spoke of Nakayama’s many books and how he had been the choice of so many top go professionals as their ghost writer because of his comprehensive knowledge of go as well as his skillful writing. Michael Redmond 9P also spoke, noting that Nakayama had been very popular in the United States, where he was a frequent and longtime visitor at the annual U.S. Go Congress. Nakayama touched many of us with his wit and wisdom, and the memorial service captured the quiet stillness that grounded both.
– None Redmond, special correspondent for the E-Journal; photo of Nakayama at the 2007 U.S. Go Congress by Chris Garlock

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Categories: World
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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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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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TARANU DEFEATS POP FOR BALKAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Tuesday May 25, 2010

Catalin Taranu 7d defeated Cristian Pop 7d in an exciting Balkan Go Championship 4th-round game that led to Taranu’s sweep of the May 19-23 event. Pop was second at 5-1 and Cornel Burzo 6d took third.  Burzo did take first in the Blitz event, with Mihai Serban 4d second and Pop third. In the Pair Go event, Serban and Laura Avram 2d went 4-0 and captured first place.  The tournament took place  just outside of Bucharest, Romania.
EuroGoTV

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Categories: Europe
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HWANG UNDEFEATED TO WIN PANDANET MADRID

Tuesday May 25, 2010

Hwang In-Seong 8d went 5-0 to take top honors at the 13th Madrid Go Tournament, held May 15-16. Lluis Oh 6d was second with four wins, while Mao Feng 4d came in third at 3-2, including a surprising upset of Li Yue 5d.  Hwang is currently third in the European Go Federation rankings.  63 players took part in the tournament.
EuroGoTV

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Categories: Europe
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DEBARRE TAKES FIRST IN CLOSE FRENCH YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP

Tuesday May 25, 2010

Thomas Debarre 5d (r) won the French Youth Championship, held May 8-9 in Cachan, France. Debarre — who will represent France in this week’s World Amateur Go Championships in Hangzhou, China — edged out three other players with only one loss in the under-18 group. Debarre lost to Benjamin Dréan-Guénaïzia 4d, who lost to Paul Bivas 3d, who lost to Debarre. David Horowitz 1d came in second, while Dréan-Guénaïzia and Bivas came in third and fourth. In the under-15 group, Tanguy Le Calvé 1d took first for the second year in a row, Florian Melcer 2d was second, and Osmin Lacombe 1k finished third.  For the youngest, under-12, group, Hector de Framond 14k took his first title after coming in second last year, Guillaume Ougier 20k, and Anais Khenniche 17k were second and third.
EuroGoTV

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Categories: Europe,Youth
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MISSION SAN JOSE ACES SCHOOL TOURNEY

Sunday May 23, 2010

Mission San Jose won the Bay Area High School Go Tournament, held April 25th in Cupertino, CA, which attracted five schools and 24 players. Organized as a team tourney, Saratoga High was favored to sweep the A division with a 3-dan and two 1-dans competing. However, Mission San Jose narrowly claimed victory when their 1st and 2nd boards slipped by with single digit margins of victory, in a heated Round 3 match against their Saratoga rivals. The tourney debuted this year as a collaborative effort of the AGF, the Bay Area Go Players Association (BAGPA), and several high school organizers. The tourney was organized by David Su, and directed by Steve Burrall. Winners Report: A Division: Mission San Jose; B Division: Monta Vista; C Division: Saratoga High. Photo: Mission San Jose (left) defeats Saratoga (right) in the deciding match.
–  Paul Barchilon;
photo by David Su

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Categories: Youth
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MYUNGWAN KIM 9P WINS FIRST STRONG PLAYERS ONLINE TOURNEY

Saturday May 22, 2010

Taking advantage of an attack on his opponent’s central group, Myungwan Kim 9P won the first Strong Player’s Online Tournament (SPOT1) Saturday, May 22. Kim won Game 2 Saturday to sweep the match 2-0 against his young Canadian opponent Jianing Gan 6d. The game featured a complicated battle in the bottom-hand right corner in which any mistake would lead immediate collapse. Gan responded correctly, but had a few slow moves and Kim took sente to attack another group and while Gan managed to survive, Kim consolidated a huge territory on the left and  Gan resigned at move 174. Earlier in the day, Eric Lui defeated Zhaonian Chen — once again killing a giant group to seal victory — to take third place. Lui, playing white, succeeded again with a moyo strategy; White 24 and 32 focused on the moyo while Black 25 and 33 stole White’s corner territory. Black invaded by attaching at 73, and White’s attack set up a favorable trade of 28 black stones while only sacrificing 13, keeping a lead of about 15 points and winning by resignation. Kim won the $1,000 top cash prize, runner-up Gan won $400 and Lui won $100. All three players automatically qualify for the Top 32 in the next SPOT tourney. Kuo Yin 3P provided live commentaries again for SPOT1 from Beijing, China, and Jie Li 7D commented game 2 of the finals.
– Edward (Zhiyuan) Zhang; photo by Yixian Zhou

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Categories: U.S./North America
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KUO KIN 3P & JIE LI 7d TO COMMENT ON SATURDAY SPOT1 GAMES ON KGS

Friday May 21, 2010

Kuo Yin 3P, former China Ing Cup Universities Champion, will give live commentaries for both Strong Player Online Tournament (SPOT1) games this Saturday, May 22. First up Saturday morning is the battle for third place between Eric Lui 7d (MD) and Michael Chen 7d (NJ). The game starts at 10a EST on KGS and Lui leads 1-0 in the best-of-three match. Next, at 1p, Jie Li 7d, four-time US Open and three-time NAIM Champion, will comment on Finals Game 2 between Myungwan Kim 9P (r) and Jianing Gan 6d (l) as Kim — on a 19-win streak — tries to close out the best-of-three series and collect the SPOT1 trophy.  
– Reported by Tournament Director Zhiyuan ‘Edward’ Zhang

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Categories: U.S./North America
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KAZANC DEFEATS KILIC FOR TURKISH YOUTH TITLE

Friday May 21, 2010

Omer Kazanc 1k defeated his main rival Selman Kilic 1d in the final fifth round of the Turkish Youth Championship, held in Istanbul May 15-16. Kazanc swept the tourney. Kilic took silver, while Muhammet Emin Kucuk 16k won bronze.  20 players took part in the tournament.
– Peter Dijkema, EJ European correspondent

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Categories: Europe,Youth
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