“You may have just made your resolutions for the new year, but young kyu players under the age of 18 from North America will not have to wait long to vie for glory in the 6th North American Kyu Championships (NAKC) on February 2nd,” says Youth Coordinator Justin Teng. “This one-day, four-round tournament will be hosted on KGS, where the top Junior (under 13) and Senior (under 18) players in each of 5 divisions can win a marvelous crystal trophy engraved with his or her name.” The champions of the top division will also be granted entry into this year’s Redmond Cup, a tournament traditionally open only to dan-level players. In addition, courtesy of the American Go Foundation, players who participate in all rounds of the tournament are eligible for a $200 scholarship to the 2019 US Go Congress in Madison, Wisconsin. Register for the NAKC by January 27th, and read more about the rules and format here. – Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor
American Go E-Journal
Registration Open for the 6th North American Kyu Championships
Saturday January 5, 2019
Seattle hosts 6th annual Pair Go tourney
Thursday January 3, 2019
The Seattle Go Center hosted its 6th annual Pair Go Tournament on December 8, 2018. Thirty go players teamed up in pairs, and
each table had four teams, with Round 1 winners facing each other in Round 2 to determine the table winner.
Between rounds, the players enjoyed punch and gourmet desserts — cakes from a local bakery, with berries and hand-whipped cream. Pair Go stalwart Bill Thompson organized and officiated, and Ann Thompson once again used her doll collection and the Go Center’s miniature floor goban to create an arresting poster to publicize the event.
Lee Hajin, professional 4 dan, and her partner Dan Maas defeated 
popular Go Center lecturer Nick Sibicky and his partner Sonny Cho, in Round 1 (right). Sibicky reviewed the game during a subsequent DDK lecture at the Go Center. Lee and Maas lost to Seattle Go Center Board of Directors members Lee Anne Bowie and Bill Chiles in Round 2.
Final results:
Table 1 – Lee Anne Bowie, 4k and Bill Chiles, 3k
Table 2 – Xiangnan Chen, 3k and Brian Dai, 7k
Table 3 – Monique Nickerson, 15k and Rick Campbell, 14k
Table 4 – Ann Thompson, 18k and Bill Thompson, 13k
Photos by Catherine Ozols Photography
Mexico edges out Korea in special cross-cultural tournament
Friday December 28, 2018
Mexico edged Korea, 13-12, in the December 8 cross cultural baduk tournament “Encuentro de Baduk México-Corea 2018.” The 
5-round event was organized by the Korean newspaper “El Coreano.” Playing for Team Mexico was its leader and current Mexican champion Abraham Florencia 5d, followed by Sebastián Ríos, Mario Mercado, Alejandro Curiel and José Chacón. Team Korea consisted of Changha Kim, Jungik Jang, Chaejoong Kook, Sungoh Kim and team leader Nicolas Kim. There were special extra matches for junior players as well: Diego Luciano and Mateo Nava played for Mexico against Chan Kong; the three of them are 12 years old and around 1-2 Dan.
Kijin Song, Director of the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico City, where the event took place, welcomed the contestants with praise for baduk – as go is called in Korea — as a valuable cultural element. Sungmin Lim from “El Coreano” then introduced the players and explained the rules. There was a lot of excitement about the event, which Mexico finally clinched by the narrowest of margins after five rounds of intense games. The Fighting Spirit award went to Changha Kim, a korean 5-dan player who went undefeated. Trophies were awarded to all the members of the winning team on behalf of Chun Bee-ho, Korea’s Ambassador to Mexico. International observers included Philipp Neubert, from the Department of Baduk Studies at Myongji University and Alvaro Tirado from the Venezuela Go Association. All agreed the event was very well organized event and the intention is for it to be held annually and attract more players from both countries at future editions.
– reported by Sid Avila
Steve Burrall 3d wins Davis/Sacramento Winter Quarterly
Friday December 28, 2018
was a field of 12 players including one who flew in from Southern California. Division I was 
won by Steve Burrall 3d (left), with a 3-1 result. Barry Becker 6k (right), won Division II on tie breaks over David Barren 7k. Both had 4-0 records.– Willard Haynes
Justin Teng 6D wins NGC Winter Warmer
Friday December 28, 2018
A field of 20 came in out of the cold to compete in the Winter Warmer tournament at the National Go Center on December 8. 
Justin Teng 6D was the overall winner with a 3-1 record. All 4-0 and 3-1 winners received the coveted US Go Congress mug with a colonial design from this year’s Congress in Williamsburg, VA. Other winners were: Shane Tellier 1D, Nathan Epstein 1D, Anderson Barreal 7K, John Christensen(4-0!) 10K, Jonathon Barlow 10K, Janus Chidester 14K.
– Gurujeet Khalsa
Annual Syracuse self-pair tourney has “best-ever” turn-out
Wednesday December 12, 2018
The Syracuse Go Club’s annual self-pair tournament on December 1 had 32 players, “its best turnout ever,” reports organizer 
Richard Moseson. Twenty students participated, ranging in strength from beginner (eight students from the CNY Chinese School who played their first rated games), to quite strong (local high school senior Zhengbokang “Tony” Tang 8d and two 5d Cornell University students). Out of town players came from all directions (Ithaca, Utica, Rochester, and Oswego).
“Wonderful refreshments were furnished by many of the local players, allowing those who came for the whole day to play on without needing to run out for lunch, and at the end of the day everyone was able to select a new go book or other go-related-prize to take home,” says Moseson.
Historic Mexico-Korea baduk match set for Dec. 8
Friday December 7, 2018
Encuentro de Baduk México-Corea 2018, a cross cultural baduk (go in Korean) tournament is set for December 8th in Mexico 
City. The match will be held in honor of South Korea’s ambassador to Mexico, the event will take place at the Korean Cultural Center and the opening ceremony will feature its Director, Mr. Kijin Song. The format is a fast-paced, round robin match consisting of 5 team members, on one side Mexican nationals and on the other Korean residents and/or Korean descendants born in Mexico. Philipp Neubert, a german student from Myongji University who is doing field research for his Ph.D thesis about go in Latin America is invited as an international observer.
The Korean Cultural Center and a Korean newspaper “El Coreano,” both with established headquarters in Mexico City, are organizing the event. “For many years there have been active Korean players with a limited interaction in their own community,” reports organizer Sid Avila, “perhaps only Kim Chang-Ha, a gentle friend and strong player has showed up and participated at the successful Mexican Go Congresses organized so far.”
“Since the Korean Cultural Center opened their baduk workshop two years ago, there has been a steady increase in public interest for go. There have been two Baduk Festivals, workshops at universities, exhibitions and even international events like the recent Pan-american Baduk Championship 2018 where Aaron Ye, from the US claimed the title. The Korean community seems to be welcoming the exciting idea that there are strong Mexican players who can compete with them. They are also surprised that baduk is taught at elementary schools, and played at universities, and that there are quite well organized events by the Mexican Go Association,” adds Avila. -Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor.
GO Without Borders seeks beta testers
Wednesday December 5, 2018
Bill Frezza and his colleague John Gaby have developed an online go variant called GO Without Borders that they say is perhaps
the first practical online implementation of Toroidal GO, the concept of removing the edges of a go board by allowing the board to “wrap around” both horizontally and vertically.
“What is most fascinating about playing GO Without Borders is the fresh approach required regarding tactics and strategy because every joseki you ever learned is useless,” Frezza, a 12 kyu player, tells the E-Journal. “There is also a premium on good fighting skills. And yet it is still go with all the same rules.”
Frezza and Gaby are actively recruiting a small circle of beta testers to help debug and fully feature the program before public launch. Email go-without-borders+subscribe@googlegroups.com if interested.
Go in the News: Game Enthusiasts Gather Weekly in Brentwood to Play Ancient Board Game; Baduk Drives Success of Nongshim Noodles in China
Wednesday December 5, 2018
Game Enthusiasts Gather Weekly in Brentwood to Play Ancient Board Game: Every weekend, you’ll find a group of people playing an ancient board game called Go at Fulin’s in Brentwood. Shawn Ray, of the Middle TN Go Club, spoke with us about the game and how the Middle TN Go Club came to be. The Club plays at Fulin’s in Brentwood every Saturday from 12p-4p and Sunday 5p-9p. Read more here.
Baduk Drives Success of Nongshim Noodles in China: Instant noodle giant Nongshim has capitalized on the popularity of go to drive sales of $280 million in China this year. In cooperation with the Korea Baduk Association, Nongshim founded a world championship known as the Nongshim Cup when it entered the country in 1999. Nongshim chairman Shin Chun-ho is a go enthusiast and wanted to link local fever for the game to the brand. When the tournament is held in China (the 20th edition was held there last month), fans gather in front of the venue or at large outdoor televisions to watch the match, which further promotes the brand. Read more here and here.
AlphaGo vs. AlphaGo; Game 25: The shoulder hit, with a twist
Sunday January 6, 2019
Michael Redmond 9p, hosted by the AGA E-Journal’s Chris Garlock, resume their popular series with a review of the 25th game of the
amazing AlphaGo vs. AlphaGo selfplay games.
These videos are made possible by the support of the American Go Association; please consider joining today!
Video produced by Michael Wanek & Andrew Jackson.
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