Monday February 4, 2013
“This is the last chance to sign up for the Brunei Friendship Cup,” reports Andrew Huang, AGHS Tournament Organizer. “Registration will close Wednesday night at midnight. The team is still short on female players for pair go, so ladies, I urge you to find a partner and try for pair go.” More info can be found on the AGHS website. To register, follow this link. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor
Thursday January 31, 2013
Our friends at Go Game Guru have just posted their 2012 album of favorite go 
photos, which are great fun to look at – the captions are amusing too — and many of which would make terrific screensavers or wallpaper. Click here for the 2011 collection.
Tuesday January 22, 2013
Hopefully the third time with be the charm for go9dan.com. Technical snafus on Monday once again derailed the Andy Liu-Lee Sedol game, which had been rescheduled from Sunday, when lag problems on the server caused Lee Sedol’s clock to run out.
The game is now scheduled for this Saturday, January 26 at 8a EST. “We presume that the tech team can get the major bugs out in a few days,” says Michael J. Simon, CFO and Head of English Activities for 82 Limited, which is launching the new server. The Liu-Sedol game is the first in a 10-game series against the two new U.S. professionals, Andy Liu and Gansheng Shi, and Romanian pro Catalin Taranu 5P.
The pressure is on, as the new server is also set to host the first World Go League Invitational game at 7a EST this Sunday, January 27 between Sedol and Chen Yaoye. Ten of the world’s top professionals will play for $100,000 in prizes. Organizers plan to run tests this week “where a bunch of people from different continents will play and bet on the games, chat, and generally stress our system,” says Simon.
Sunday January 20, 2013
“Andy Liu 1p and Lee Sedol 9p started off a pretty interesting game this morning in go9dan.com’s 10-game kadoban (Andy Liu 1P Takes on Lee Sedol Sunday on go9dan.com) but ran aground when lag problems on the server caused Lee Sedol’s clock to run out,” reports AGA President Andy Okun. “Andy had already noted the lag problem and asked if there was a way of changing the time settings but there wasn’t.” It was agreed that the two will play a new game tomorrow (Monday, January 21) at 8a EST (5a on the West Coast) with longer byo-yomi settings. Here’s the SGF of the game up to the point of stoppage.
Friday January 18, 2013
In a surprising series of upsets, three players, all under 16 and who turned pro 
earlier this year, have defeated some of the top-rated Korean players.
Byun Sangil 2P (right) was born in 1997 and became a pro in early 2012; he’s currently ranked number 18 in Korea, and recently played in the Bailing and Olleh KT Cups.
Shin Minjoon 1P (left) and Shin Jinseo 1P (below right) both became pros this July at the “Prodigy Pro Draft qualifier for ‘young talented students under 15.” They were born in 1999 and 2000 respectively.
Top players Lee Changho 9P, Lee Sedol 9P and Choi 
Cheolhan 9P each agreed to play exhibition matches against the rising stars. Unexpectedly, Lee Changho and Choi lost to their respective opponents, Shin Jinseo and Shin Moonjoon.
Lee began his game with an old-fashioned opening, and took the lead, but had the game reversed through the middle and end games.
“I can’t say that much about Shin after playing only one game,” said Lee afterwards, “but he seems to be very good at making good shape and fighting. He’s already quite strong, so if he keeps studying hard, I’m sure he’ll reach the top in the near future.”
Choi’s style of play is aggressive, and served him well when he defeated Shin in the preliminary rounds of the GS Caltex Cup. However this time Shin was about to seize on an early opportunity and held up through the endgame for a 2.5 point win.
“It’s easy to improve a lot at Shin’s age,” said Choi, “and if he can win some important matches, he’ll become a great player in the future.”
Lee Sedol was the only pro who managed to hold off his opponent, defeating Byun Sangil, his former student, by half a point.
“I was quite surprised to see the results of the other two games. I know the young players are already quite strong, but it’s still very impressive,” said Lee. He added that, “this is kind of event isn’t the same as a real match, so I don’t want the youngsters to become too excited. But they should reflect on this experience and keep going.”
Adapted from a report on Go Game Guru; click for game records and more information. Edited by Ben Williams
Thursday January 17, 2013
It’s going to be a busy online go weekend. On Friday, go fans can watch 
Myungwan Kim 9P comment on the Bailing Cup live on Tygem, as Chen Yaoye 9P (left) — down 0-2 — tries to stay alive in his battle for the title against Zhou Ruiyang 5P. And on Sunday, Andy Liu 1P will play Lee Sedol 9P on go9dan.com.
Kim’s commentary starts at 8:30p EST Friday, January 18 on the Tygem World Server, while the Liu-Sedol game is at 8a EST on Sunday, January 20 on go9dan.com.
In his online reviews of the first two games, Kim said that although Chen, currently the top player in China and considered one of the strongest players in the world, was expected to have a slight edge, “he was not able to stand up to the pressure of the championship series.” Zhou on the other hand, the number one player in China in 2011, has handled the pressure well, Kim said, “perhaps because he has played in a world championship once before.” In this best-of-five Cup, Chen will have to win all three of the remaining games to win the $300,000 prize and the international title. Whoever prevails in the series, the winner will have his first world championship.
Sunday’s Liu-Sedol game is the first in a 10-game series against the two new U.S.
professionals, Andy Liu and Gansheng Shi, and Romanian pro Catalin Taranu 5P, sponsored by the new go9dan.com server (New Go Server Launches With 10 Top Pros in $100,000 Invitational). photo: Andy Liu (right) receiving his professional certificate from Myungwan Kim 9P in August 2012 after winning the AGA-TYGEMGO Pro Tournament; photo by Steve Colburn
Thursday January 10, 2013
“This February, the American Go Honor Society (AGHS) is looking to renew its relations with Brunei, Malaysia, and Canada in a reinstallment of the Brunei Friendship Cup,” reports event organizer Andrew Huang 6d. “This tournament, aimed at go players in high school and younger, gives all players, regardless of strength, an opportunity to represent the United States in an international and friendly competition.” A qualification tournament to pick the national team will be held on February 9-10, with the Brunei Friendship Cup set to take place on February 16. Players of all ranks and pair go participants are needed. For more information and registration, please visit the AGHS site, to register go here.Saturday January 5, 2013
In a surprise move, the Ing Chang-Ki Goe Foundation, sponsors of the World Youth Goe Championships (WYGC), have decided to hold their own qualification process, instead of accepting the US Youth Champion as their representative to the WYGC. “After a long and serious consideration,” writes Executive Secretary Yang Yu-Chia, “[we] would like to inform you that the selection process of World Youth Goe Championships in North America will be conducted by the Foundation and its liaison office in Menlo Park, California, with the hope that we can expand our influence of promotions for the youth there in the future.” No further reason was given. AGA President Andy Okun, in a formal response, stated that “The AGA’s practice is to support nearly all go activities in the US, regardless of who organizes them. For the most part, we welcome the Ing Foundation doing activities on its own. However, regarding international representation, this is one area where we do care who does what in the US. While the Ing Foundation is a private group, and may choose to invite whomever they like to their events, it should be made clear that if the Foundation selects an American player for the WYGC without AGA involvement and endorsement, that player cannot be called the US representative.” The AGA Board moved swiftly in approving a new set of prizes for the USYGC, which will still be held on Jan. 19th, and will select the AGA’s national champions. The winner of the top sections, in both age divisions, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the US Go Congress. All other brackets will also still receive their national titles, as well as etched crystal trophies. Everyone who enters will also be eligible for AGF Scholarships to the AGA Go Camp, or the US Go Congress, first-come first-serve.. – Paul Barchilon, E.J. Youth Editor.
Thursday January 3, 2013
European Youth Go Championship: The 18th European Youth Go 
Championship, organized by the Hungarian Go 
Association in Budapest, Hungary, will take place 3/7-10… London Open: The London Open, played from 12/28-31 in London, United Kingdom, was won by Lukas Kraemer 5d (left), second was Matthew Cocke 5d and third was Volkmar Liebscher 3d… Austrian Championship 2012 Playoff: The Austrian Championship 2012 Playoff, played from 
12/16-30 in Vienna, Austria, was won by Schayan Hamrah 4d (right), second was Viktor Lin 5d… Hungary New Year’s Tournament: Dominik Boviz 3d won Group A; second was Renato Tolgyesi 1k and third was Mate Matolcsi 6k; Barnabas Kollner 9k won Group B; second was Viktor 
Toth 14k and third was Judit Bovizne Detre 17k; Szilvia Toth 18k won Group C; second was Aniko Tothne Temesvari 18k and third was Nikoletta toth 18k…SM-finaali: The SM-finaali played 12/29 in Oulu, Finland, was won by Antti Tormanen 6d (left), second was Juri Kuronen 5d… Sociable Go Tournament: The Sociable Go Tournament, played on 12/29 in Bratislava, 
Slovakia, was won by Viktor Lin 5d (right), second was Miroslav Smid 1k and third was Jakub Berka 4k… Velika Gorica Tournament: The 462nd Velika Gorica weekend go tournament, played on 12/29 in Velika Gorica, Croatia, was won by Mladen Smud 1k, second was Robert Jovicic 2k and third was Drazen Odobasic 17k….Peter Gaspari Memorial: The Peter Gaspari Memorial, played on 12/22 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was won by Marjan Drobez 2d, second was Dalibor Cotar 5k and third was Miran Gorenec 1k… GO7 Rapid: The GO7 Rapid 2012, played on 12/22 in Vienna, Austria, was won by Monika Cernikova 6k, second was Lothar Spiegal 4d and third was Ivan Oravec 5k…
Adapted from EuroGoTV, which includes winner reports, crosstabs, game records and photos. Edited by Taylor Litteral
Myungwan Kim 9P to Comment Bailing Cup Live on Tygem This Weds & Fri
Tuesday January 8, 2013
The next in Tygem’s series of live world championship commentaries by Myungwan Kim 9P will be this Wednesday and Friday as Zhou Ruiyang 5P and Chen Yaoye 9P vie for the inaugural Bailing Cup, the go world’s newest
international title. Game One of the best-of-five series will start at 5:30p Pacific Standard Time (8:30p EST) on Wednesday (9:30 a.m. in Shanghai, where the games will take place.) Game 2 will be two days later at the same time. Kim’s live commentary can be seen on Tygem’s World Server, which organizers promise “will not have any crowding problems.” Chen (right) is one of the strongest go players in the world and is currently number one in China. He plays very well in domestic tournaments but has not had success in world championship games, so this final will be a big chance for him to make his mark on the world stage. Chen showed his talent when he became pro at the age of ten and earned the rank of 9P at just 17. He is 
also in the finals of the Chunlan Cup, where he’ll play Lee Sedol for that title. Zhou (left), meanwhile, was number one in China for most of 2011 but like Chen has not yet won a world championship. Even though Chen has a slight edge over Zhou, this match will be an interesting for fans. They both are very strong and their styles are totally different. Chen’s game is conservative and defensive while Zhou’s style is aggressive and offensive, a match of sword against shield.
– reported by James Kim