American Go E-Journal » Youth

China Sweeps World Youth Championships

Wednesday August 17, 2011

Thirteen-year-old Ki Jie 2p and his compatriot, ten-year-old Liao Yuanpei have conquered the World Youth Go Championships, shutting out 11 other nations who sent representatives to Bucharest, Romania, to compete. The semi finals, held this morning, August 17th, saw Ke take down Chen Cheng-Hsung 7d of Chinese Taipei in a pay-back match. Chen was the only player to beat Jie in the previous rounds, but couldn’t do it a second time. Meanwhile, Korea’s Song Sang-Hun knocked out Japan’s Koyama Kuya, setting the stage for the final showdown this afternoon. Song (at left above), was overwhelmed by Jie (at right), and forced to resign in just 102 moves. In the Junior Division US champ Aaron Ye 4d did his best against China’s Liao Yuanpei 5d, but had to resign when the situation became hopeless. Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chi-Jui 6d rose to the occasion to defeat Korea’s Lee Ye-Chan 4d, and then went on to face Liao again in the finals. Chen drew black and opened with the Low Chinese, fitting in a game with two Chinese boys under 4.5 feet tall, and seemed to be getting everything he wanted. Liao seemed perfectly happy to crawl on the second line in his own moyo, perhaps planning on demolishing Chen’s third line stones even then, ultimately forcing him to resign. SGF game records of all of these matches are available on EuroGoTV. With all the fighting on the go board, the kid’s all got a chance to have some fun on yesterday’s sightseeing tour. Everyone was delighted with Peles and Bran Castles, and the kids found time to blow of some steam playing soccer as well . New friends have been made all across the globe now, and international barriers seem small when kids like this can come together from all over the world. No one seemed happier than Yang Yu-Chia of the Ing Foundation himself, who jumped right in to play soccer with the kids even after a long day of sightseeing. The Ing Foundation has sponsored the WYGC for the past 28 years, and has made it possible for strong children to compete live internationally. Winners Report: Junior Division: 1st: Liao Yuanpei (China), 2nd: Chen Chi-Jui (Chinese Taipei), 3rd: Lee Ye-Chan (Korea), 4th: Aaron Ye (US); Senior Division: 1st: Ke Jie (China), 2nd: Song Sang-Hun (Korea), 3rd: Chen Cheng-Hsun (Chinese Taipei), 4th: Koyama Kuya (Japan). Story and photos by E-J Youth Editor Paul Barchilon, who is covering the event from Romania. Photos: Top: Song Sang-Hun 4d, Korea (l) vs. Ke Jie 2P, China (r); bottom: Liao Yuanpei 5d, China, waves to the camera while visiting Bran Castle on the day off.

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

China Leading in World Youth Championship

Monday August 15, 2011

E-J Youth Editor Paul Barchilon reporting live from Romania.

China is at the head of the pack in this year’s World Youth Go Championship, in Bucharest, Romania, with a first place lead in the Junior Division, and a finalist in the top 4 in the Senior. Round 2 saw Liao Yuanpei 5d (China) take an early lead by defeating Shibano Toramaru 6d (Japan) in the Junior Division (under 12), while Ke Jie 2P (China), Koyama Kuya 6d (Japan) and Cheng Cheng-Hsun 7d (Chinese Taipei) all won their games in the Senior division. Yuanpei continued his lead in rounds 3 and 4, by defeating Chinese Taipei and Korea in the Junior, while Cheng-Hsun pulled a surprise upset in the Senior Division, by defeating 13-year-old Chinese pro Ke Jie, but then lost to Japan’s Kuya in Round 4, who in turn was defeated by Ke Jie in round 5. The top four in each bracket are now set for the finals: China, Japan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei in the Senior; China, Chinese Taipei, Korea, and the US in the Junior, which will be held Wednesday Aug. 17th. American Junior contestant Aaron Ye 4d won entry into the finals by a stroke of luck – he drew China as his first opponent, a game he lost, but then gained three wins in a row by competing against other kids who had lost, narrowly edging Shibano Toramaru 6d (at left, in photo below, in his match against Singapore’s Yi Fei 3d).

For full results visit the WYGC website. The E-J is partnering with EuroGoTV to provide coverage, and we are broadcasting games on KGS daily. Records of many games are here, and we are providing live video streaming of several boards as well. The players will all take a break tomorrow, for the traditional day-off sightseeing trip, which will take us to Bran Castle, one of several that can claim some connection with Vlad Tepes, the real person behind the legend of Dracula. We will also visit Peles Museum and castle, and visit scenic Gradistei in Brasov. Assuming no parties are lost to vampires while we are gone, the finals will commence on August 17th, at 9 am GMT+2. Look for live broadcasts on KGS from EuroGoTV1-4, with a corresponding video feed if possible. Photos and story by Paul Barchilon: Top: I am dubbing Yuanpei , at left, “the boy with too much time on his hands.” Having recorded almost all of his games, I have noticed he barely uses any of the time on his clock, while his opponents, like Lee Ye-Chan 4d, at right, tend to run out of it. Aside from playing faster, Yuanpei seems to play better as well, and is the only player at this event to be undefeated. Bottom: neither of these boys made it to the top 4, but I felt this photo captured the spirit of the event.

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

US Team Down One in World Youth Championships

Saturday August 13, 2011

E-J Youth Editor Paul Barchilon reports live from Romania.

Some of the strongest kids in the world have gathered here in Bucharest, Romania, for the 28th annual World Youth Go Championship, which began this morning August 13. 22 children, from 13 different countries, have all come to the beautiful Parcul Herestrau, Bucharest’s equivalent of Central Park, with the sponsorship of the Ing Goe Foundation. Players arrived from all over the world on Friday, some as late as midnight local time. Activities began with a Team Leader meeting in the morning, where first round opponents were selected by lottery, this was followed by a presentation on the Ing Rules from Yang Yu-Chia. The first round began at 3 pm, and was broadcast live on both KGS and EuroGoTV. The opening ceremonies were held after the first round, and organizer Catalan Taranu has set a new standard by which to measure the event. Three different Romanian dance troupes performed, ranging from break dance to traditional folk dancing, and representatives from the Chinese, Korean, and Canadian Embassies were all on hand to show their support for Romanian go. Romania is at GMT +2, which makes the start time 11 pm PST in the US, but game records are available on EuroGoTV. We will be broadcasting both rounds daily (look for EuroGo TV in the English Game Room) 2 and 3 are Aug. 14, 4 & 5 will be on the 15th, and the finals will be on the 17th. I will be updating daily, with commented game records whenever possible. US Junior Champion Aaron Ye 4d, age 9, drew Liao Yunpei 5d, age 10, of China for the first match, while Senior Champion Vincent Zhuang 6d, age 15 drew Vanessa Wong 5d, also 15, of the UK. Both US players lost their first match, but spirits remain high. The Chinese team leader, Huang Yizhong 7p, was kind enough to comment both game records for the E-J – which are included here as a freebie. To get great benefits like this, join the AGA for weekly game records, a steal at only $10 for a youth membership. Photo: Liao Yuanpei 5d, China (l) vs. Aaron Ye 4d, US (r), by Paul Barchilon.

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Categories: Europe,Game Commentaries,U.S./North America,World,Youth

Redmond Plays Redmond

Saturday August 6, 2011

Michael Redmond 9P treated the winners of his namesake tournament to a special simultaneous game at the US Go Congress Friday August 5th. The six players were current Redmond Cup champions Aaron Ye 4d, age 9, Calvin Sun 7d, age 14; last year’s winners: Redmond Meijin Curtis Tang 7d, age 18, and Oliver Wolf 3d, age 12; and current runners-up Gansheng Shi 7d, age 17, and Sammy Zhang 4d, age 11. It was the Junior Division that scored points though, with both Ye and Wolf notching wins against Redmond, at 4 stones, while all of the Senior contestants lost! – Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo: Nine-year-old Aaron Ye 4d (l) forces Michael Redmond 9P to take heed.or : Former Redmond Junior Champion Oliver Wolf 4d, age 12, gives Michael Redmond 9P cause to reflect.
– report/photos by Paul Barchilon

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

Sun and Ye Sweep Redmond

Wednesday August 3, 2011

Calvin Sun 7d and Aaron Ye 4d both won their second round matches in the Redmond Cup Tuesday, Aug. 2nd, at the US Go Congress. Sun, who placed second to Gansheng Shi 7d in the qualifiers, ended up sweeping the finals with two wins in a row. Redmond finals are a best two out of three matches, so there will not be a third round. In the Junior Division, Sammy Zhang 4d fought valiantly, but was overwhelmed by Ye in both matches. All four kids won a free trip to congress to compete, and will split a $1,000 prize fund from the AGF. This year they will receive a special treat as Michael Redmond 9p will present the Redmond Cup in person at the awards banquet at the US Go Congress. Sun’s second round win is below, all of the final matches are on the crosstab. – Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo: Gansheng Shi (l) and Calvin Sun (r).

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

Sun and Ye Leading in Redmond Cup

Monday August 1, 2011

Calvin Sun 7d and Aaron Ye 4d both won their first round matches in the Redmond Cup this afternoon. Sun, who is 14, battled Gansheng Shi 7d, age 17, in the senior division, while Ye (at left above) squared off against Sammy Zhang 4d (at right) in the Junior Division. Ye, who is only 9 years old, took his afternoon nap before the 3 pm match against Zhang, who is 11. The games were broadcast live on KGS, and Redmond Meijin Curtis Tang 7d, provided live commentary. Tang, who has won the Redmond Cup five times, has competed against both Sun and Shi, and knows their styles well. Hundreds of observers checked out the action in the English Game Room, where E-J staff broadcast the games on USGO1, 2, and 3. Tangs commentary is attached in this game, the Jr. Division match is up on the congress crosstab. Round 2 will be at 3 pm PST on Tuesday, Aug. 2, again with commentary by Tang, the third round will be on Thursday the 4th, at 3 pm. – Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo: Aaron Ye 4d 9 (l) vs. Sammy Zhang (r) while Redmond Cup founder None Redmond looks on.

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

Japanese Insei Win Friendship Matches With U.S. Youth

Monday July 25, 2011

Ten of America’s young players competed against Japanese insei online last Thursday, July 21, in the first-ever youth friendship matches between the two countries. The insei, who are studying professionally at the Nihon Kiin, walloped the US team with a 7-3 record. The insei played live from the Nihon Kiin, while their US counterparts were competing from all across the country. The matches were held on the Japanese Yugen no Ma Go Server, which is accessible in English through wBaduk.com. On the top board, US favorite Calvin Sun 7d lost against Shodai Hirano 6d, both boys are 14 years old. The two youngest competitors were both 9, Asami Ueno 6d (in pink bow above) and Aaron Ye 4d. Ueno got off to a good start, with a large capture in the corner, and then proceeded to create living groups effortlessly everywhere she invaded, before Ye was forced to resign. It wasn’t all losses though, Vincent Zhuang 6d, Andrew Lu 6d, and Ashish Varma 4d pulled out all the stops to win their games. Zhuang, who along with Ye will represent the US at the World Youth Go Championships in Romania next month, scored a commanding win by resignation against 11-year-old Kazuma Yamaguchi 6d, while Lu bested Saeka Iwata 6d. The darkhorse victory went to 16 year old Ashish Varma 4d, who vanquished Tomohiro Watanabe 6d, age 15. A full players gallery, with pictures, results and game records is available on Tigersmouth.org. The members edition of this story contains a commented game record on Varma’s win, by Feng Yun, 9P. AGA youth membership is a steal at only $10, and gets you commented games every week in your mailbox, click here to join.
– Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo: Japanese insei at the Nihon Kiin, by Tom Urasoe.

Categories: U.S./North America,World,Youth

71 Turn Out at Mexican Youth Go Championships

Sunday July 17, 2011

Mexico City drew 71 kids to it’s recent youth tournament, held June 4th. “The children were from different schools and clubs, and ranged in rank from 30k to 10k,” reports organizer Siddhartha Avila, “this was a great opportunity to round up the majority of young players in the same place, and to make new friends. After this we’re looking forward to consolidating the existing go clubs, and to eventually create more go programs for youth in México. The event wouldn’t have been possible without the collaboration of go teachers, players, and volunteers who offered their efforts to run the tournament. We want to thank them as well as the AGF for their donation of 20 sets of stones, which we needed to make this possible.” Winners Report: 1st: Fernando Álvarez 13k, 2nd: Vicente A. Cortez 17k, 3rd: Adam S. George 13k. Full results here. A retro style photo album from the event, by Alma Juárez is here. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor, photo by Alma Juárez.

Categories: U.S./North America,World,Youth

US Youth to Play Japanese Insei

Sunday July 17, 2011

Ten of America’s youth players will compete in the first ever friendship matches with Japanese insei this coming Thursday, July 21st. The insei are youth that are studying to become professionals in Japan, their lifestyle has been portrayed in the Hikaru no Go manga and anime, inspiring countless American kids to reach for the stars themselves. Insei in classes B through D will compete, as will the top four high school players in Japan, according to Nihon Ki-in Overseas Coordinator Tom Urasoe. The match has been organized by AGA Youth Coordinator Paul Barchilon, who chose the ten member US team based on both playing strength and dedication to the go community. The matches will be held on the Japanese Yugen no Ma Go Server. An English language version of the client is available at Wbaduk.com games will be held in the Japanese Go Room. The US team, and a list of their opponents, can be found on Tigersmouth.org. To observe the matches, download the client and create an id. Matches will be held Thursday, July 21, at 5 pm PDT. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Image: insei characters from Hikaru no Go

Categories: U.S./North America,World,Youth

Balwit Named Teacher of the Year

Sunday July 17, 2011

Portland go teacher Fritz Balwit has been selected as the American Go Foundation’s Teacher of the Year. “My selection is a great honor,” says Balwit, “it has been a unique privilege to introduce go to children. They immediately recognize its magical properties, and are receptive to its aesthetic allure at an intuitive level. I have found that it brings people together in friendly collaboration based on respect and shared appreciation. I hope to continue working with kids in schools and to create a space at our local go salon where kids can discover the beauty of the game. I teach go daily at Portland English Language Academy where I also teach English as a second language. We have a very lively group that plays for fun. Many of the Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese students are newly introduced to their traditional game. These are mostly younger adults and a few teenage kids. One kid- Shohei Jinno- came forward in a class and shyly mentioned his rating was 6 dan; he subsequently rolled over all Oregon players at the AGA tournament in Salem.”

Balwit started showing up on the radar in 2008, according to longtime organizer Peter Freedman: “For a number of years he had taught chess in the public schools, but about the time I met him he had recently fallen in love…with go. He morphed his chess clubs into ‘chess/go clubs’, but in fact all his chess clubs became go clubs. During 2008 he had clubs in seven schools. As a result of his efforts over 125 children and youth were exposed to go, and 90 played in one of the school go clubs. Fritz also ran several go camps during school breaks.” Many of the programs Balwit launched in 2008 continued in the following years, and he is running five programs now. “I’ve assisted Fritz teach at many of these schools,” adds Freedman, “I call him ‘the pied piper of go’ in Portland. He has a magical way with children. He is gentle, funny, articulate, gives out tons of positive reinforcement, and continually amazes me with the way he explains go to children, making it more than a game. He talks about how in go you must share, just as in life. When talking about building a wall, he remarked, ‘If you don’t play here there will be a little hole for a ferret to crawl through. You don’t want a ferret running around in your house, do you?” Actually, Fritz has two ferrets running around his real life house, along with three children ranging from elementary to middle school age, all of whom play go. One of them was his assistant in the go club he organized at her school.” Balwit has won an all expenses paid trip to the US Go Congress in Santa Barbara, where he will be honored at the awards banquet. He will be speaking at the congress as well, in a special round table for teachers, and anyone who wants to work with kids, on Tuesday, Aug. 2, at 5:00 pm. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor. Photo by Fritz Balwit: Balwit (r) teaching his son Theo (l).

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

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