American Go E-Journal » Youth

While the pandemic may have put a pause on many tournaments, the annual suite of AGA youth tournaments will remain in full swing for 2021. Registration is now open for the 8th North American Kyu Championships (NAKC), the 28th Redmond Cup, and the 4th AGA Girls Cup. For all three tournaments, competitors must reside in North America and be a member of the his or her country’s national Go organization.

The 8th North American Kyu Championships will be held on February 20th and is a four-round, one-day tournament on the KGS Go Server for North American kyu players under the age of 18. Top junior (under 13) and senior (13-17) players in each division can win personalized crystal trophies, and the junior and senior champions of the top division will be invited to play in the Redmond Cup, which traditionally requires one to have a dan-level rank to compete. Players who complete all rounds of the NAKC will also be eligible for a $200 scholarship to the 2021 US Go Congress (USGC) in Cleveland, Ohio courtesy of the American Go Foundation. If there is no in-person USGC in 2021 due to the pandemic, the scholarship will be transferrable to the next in-person USGC. Registration for the NAKC closes on February 14th, and interested competitors can read about the rules and additional details for more information.

The 28th Redmond Cup and 4th AGA Girls Cup are premier tournaments for North American youth under 18 and females under 16 respectively. Players must have an accredited rank of 1-dan or higher to participate in the Redmond Cup, and an accredited rank of 10-kyu or higher to participate in the AGA Girls Cup. The Redmond Cup features both a Junior (under 13) and a Senior (13-17) division, while the AGA Girls Cup will feature one division. Both tournaments are online preliminaries to determine two finalists in each division who will be invited to play in a best-of-three match at the 2021 US Go Congress. The American Go Foundation will cover all reasonable expenses for the finalists of both tournaments to travel to and compete at the 2021 USGC. If there is no in-person 2021 USGC, the Finals will be played at the following in-person USGC. Players who complete all rounds of either tournament will also be eligible for a $200 scholarship to the next in-person USGC. Registration for the Redmond Cup will close on March 10th, with competition starting on March 15th. Registration for the AGA Girls Cup will close on March 17th, with competition starting on March 22nd. Interested competitors can read about the rules for the Redmond Cup and rules for the AGA Girls Cup for more information.

— Story by Justin Teng; photo by Paul Barchilon, AGA Youth Coordinators

“The Eastern Youth Open (EYO) is a 4-round open youth tournament hosted by the New York Go Association (NYGA) for players of all levels under the age of 18. Having started in 2019, the EYO provides an opportunity for young players to play in a high-standard formal tournament. Due to the pandemic, this year’s tournament will be held virtually on the KGS Go Server,” says Stephanie Yin, President of the New York Go Association.

The top three players in each division will receive certificates and trophies. This year’s tournament will take place on Sunday, February 21st with registration closing on February 14th. For more information and to register, please visit the NYGA event page. In addition, the NYGA is hosting a 5-day Spring Intense Training Camp from Feb 15-19. Come have fun with excited Go peers and prepare for the tournament!

“On November 22nd and 29th, over 140 youth players from across North America participated in the largest ever Young Lions Tournament, AGHS’ longest-running tournament,” says Promotion Head Jenny Li, “After four competitive rounds, two 4 dan players Tianyi Li and Zixuan Gao tied for first place and emerged as the champions for this year’s Young Lions Tournament.”

Winners report: Open Division 1st place: Tianyi Li, Zixuan Gao; Division A 1st place: Sophie Lin, 2nd place: Chase Lin, Juanshu Lan; Division B 1st place: Albert Tang, 2nd place: David Wu, 3rd place: Steve Zhang; Division C 1st place: Andy Zhou, 2nd place: Stephanie Tan, 3rd place: Jason Liu; Division D 1st place: Mathew Wang, 2nd place: Anna Zhou, 3rd place: Alexander Lo; Divison E 1st place: Joshua Wong, 2nd place: Lucia Moscola, 3rd place: Isaac Zhang; Divison F 1st place: Tianning Li, 2nd place: Tony Li, 3rd place: Amari González; Divison G 1st place: Irene Zhang, 2nd place: Yiting Liu, 3rd place: Ava Gao; Divison H 1st place: Eric Wang, 2nd place: Noah Carrafa, 3rd place: William Xiang; Division I 1st place: Woody Yin, 2nd place: Enzo Moscola, 3rd place: Austin Reyes; Division J 1st place: Kyle Tang, 2nd place: Michelle Wong, 3rd place: Andy Li

“Registration for the American Go Honor Society (AGHS) Weekly Go Problems Season 1 is now open, and all players are welcomed,” says Promotion Head Jenny Li, “Each Sunday, we will provide Go problems with five different levels from the most beginner to the most advanced level. Practicing problems is a great opportunity to enhance your skills and will benefit you tremendously in your games. This year, we will be dividing the program into two seasons, one in the winter and the other in the spring. Each season lasts ten weeks, with prizes being awarded at the end of each one.”

Register here if you would like to participate

The deadline to sign up is January 9, 2021, 11:59 pm PST. Season 1 will begin on January 10th. If you have any questions, please contact aghsregister@gmail.com.

Melissa Cao and Brandon Zhou have been voted as the American Go Honor Society (AGHS) presidents for the 2020-2021 year. The AGHS, a youth organization run by primarily high-school students, strives to promote Go and develop the strength of the youth across the nation. The annual Young Lions and School Team Tournament are some of AGHS’ most popular events. Cao and Zhou “are excited to lead AGHS this year, and hope to make Go more accessible throughout the US amid the global pandemic.” Cao and Zhou are proud to announce this year’s AGHS Board Members:

Melissa Cao – Co-President
Brandon Zhou – Co-President
Sophia Wang – Vice President
Jenny Li – Promotion Head
Seowoo Wang – Tournament Director
Andrew Zhang – Tournament Director, Website Manager
Katherine Xie – Treasurer
Frederick Bao – Treasurer, Secretary
Alice Cai – Content Creator

“The AGHS Young Lion’s tournament is just a few weeks away,” says Promotion Head Jenny Li, “This is one of AGHS’ longest running events and will be held on November 22nd and 29th this year. All eligible participants must be 18 years of age or younger, or currently enrolled in high school, and are citizens/permanent residents of North America.”

The Young Lions Tournament is funded by the American Go Foundation.
Registration deadline is 11/15/2020 at 11:59 pm PST.

For rules and regulations, click here
For registration, click here

“Registration for the American Go Honor Society’s 2020 Young Lions Tournament is now open,” says Promotion Head Jenny Li, “This is one of AGHS’ longest running events and will be held on November 22nd and 29th this year. All eligible participants must be 18 years of age or younger, or currently enrolled in high school, and are citizens/permanent residents of North America. The tournament will be held in the AGHS Tournament Room on KGS. Prizes will be awarded to top finishers in each division. The registration deadline is November 15th, so be sure not to miss it! If you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact aghsregister@gmail.com.”

For rules and regulations, click here
For registration, click here

“Registration for the annual American Go Honor Society Youth League is now open,” says Promotion Head Jenny Li, “We welcome all players who are citizens of the US, Canada, or Mexico, and under the age of 18 to participate. Each month will consist of four to five rounds. Players will be paired with opponents of similar strength using a ladder system. All games will be played in the AGHS Tournament room on KGS. The top players of each division will receive awards at the end of each monthly league.”

The registration deadline for this event is October 30th, 11:59 PST, and the first round will begin on November 1st. If you have any questions, feel free to email aghsregister@gmail.com.

For rules and regulations, click here.
For registration, click here.

Applications are now being accepted for the American Go Foundation(AGF) college scholarship. The program  recognizes high school students who have served as important youth organizers and promoters for the go community. To apply, download and complete the application form here.  Applicants should describe their accomplishments and volunteer work in a short essay. Letters of recommendation may also be included. Applicants whose enthusiasm and ambition have helped spread go in under-served areas will be given special consideration. Strong players who spend much of their time voluntarily teaching will also be considered, although the award focuses on promoters and organizers who have made substantial contributions during their go career. Applications are due Nov. 5th this year. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor.