American Go E-Journal

Huang Tops 1st U20 Eastern Youth Go Open

Tuesday September 10, 2019

31 young players came out to the New York Institute of Go in Little Neck, NY to compete in the 1st U20 Eastern Youth Go Open on August 31st. The tournament was sponsored by the NYIG and organized by NYIG President Stephanie Yin 1p as part of an initiative to create more opportunities for youth to have face-to-face tournament play. In order to be eligible to play in this tournament, players had to be at least 10 kyu or stronger, which Yin hopes will encourage newer players to improve their playing level. Players came from as far as Chicago and Maryland to play in the tournament, which featured over $1,500 of prizes. In the open section, Willis Huang 6d from New Jersey went undefeated to be crowned the undisputed champion. In a rare turn of events, the other four players in that section defeated each other in a circle, creating an unbreakable tie for second. In the other divisions, Shuhui Lin 2d, Chase Lin 1k, and Xinyu Chen 6k demonstrated their prowess with undefeated 4-0 records.

The NYIG plans for this tournament to be an annual event, and looks forward to more young players competing in the future. Additional tournaments and events for both youth and adult players are also in the works, so stay tuned for future announcements.

Top tables at the 1st U20 Eastern Youth Open

Winner’s list:

Division A (Open)
1st: Willis Huang 6d
2nd (4-way tie): Alex Qi 4d, Sophia Wang 4d, Frederick Bao 5d, Minzhi Wang 5d

Division B
1st: Shuhui Lin 2d
2nd: Jiayang Su 1d
3rd: Niel Ni 1d

Division C
1st: Chase Lin 1k
2nd: Samantha Soo 4k
3rd (tie): Marcos Yang 1k and Jerry Ju 3k

Division D
1st: Xinyu Chen 6k
2nd: Jonathan Chen 9k
3rd: Crystal Yihan Pang 8k

-Report and Photos by Justin Teng

Categories: Main Page,U.S./North America,Youth

Go Spotting: Game of Stones? Pattern Stones?

Tuesday September 10, 2019

A couple of AGA members have recently told us about references to games with stones in science fiction novels. Could these folks be playing Go?

Peter Freedman points out that in the science fiction trilogy Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley, the warriors play “a game of stones” with black and white stones. Unfortunately, we have no more information about this.

Meanwhile, Mike Goerss points out that in Machineries of Empire by Yoon Ha Lee, another science fiction trilogy, the characters play a game called “pattern stones” that seems like it could possibly be Go. Few details about this game are provided, but there is a reference to a three-stone handicap, and also the line, “Brezan placed a black stone – naturally he was the weaker player.” (These references appear on pages 152-154 of Raven Stratagem, the second book in the series.)

If you find more clues about what game these characters are playing, or if you spot references to Go in other popular literature, please let us know by dropping us a line at journal@usgo.org.

Categories: Go Spotting,Main Page

Washington Go Festival to include Virginia state championship this month

Sunday September 8, 2019

This month’s Washington Go Festival promises to give players a full day of competition, featuring four tournaments including the three-round Virginia Open, which this year will serve as a qualifying tournament for the first Virginia State Championship tournament. “The top four Virginia resident players will qualify to compete for a final-four state championship,” reports organizer Edward Zhang. “We also want to encourage more youth and women to join us, as there will be prizes for the youth and women’s champion as well!” Three AGA chapters – NOVA Go, Capital Go, and the Korean American Baduk Association – have joined together to host the state championship as part of the AGA’s new State Championship System. The festival will be held Saturday September 28th and also include team tournaments and a free computer-aided tournament during the lunch break. Players can register here.

Categories: Events/Tournaments,Main Page

AGA website content managers wanted

Saturday August 31, 2019

Want to help make the AGA’s website an even more useful resource for Go players worldwide? Join our website content team! Team members will review the existing pages to determine what needs updating, work with experienced team members to make the changes, and implement updates going forward. No html experience is necessary; a keen eye for detail and commitment to the global Go community is a must. The AGA is looking for other volunteers for the organization, as well. Some of these include AGA Treasurer, Services Coordinators, and Application Developers. Our full list of positions can be found on the Get Involved! page on the sidebar. Those interested in any of these opportunities can email volunteer@usgo.org for more information.

Categories: Main Page,U.S./North America

Kim In Kuksu International Baduk Championship seeks players

Thursday August 29, 2019

If you’re a male Go player born before December 31, 1969 or a female player born before December 31, 1989, the 13th Kim In Kuksu International Baduk Championship could be just the ticket! The tournament is set for October 25-28 and all you have to do is get yourself to Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea and the Korea Baduk Association will cover your room and board, ground transportation in Korea and sightseeing costs for the participants during the period of the event. AGA president Andy Okun has been there before and calls it “an amazing Go trip and culinary delight; not to be missed!” For details and to register, email assam1023@nate.com

Categories: Korea,Main Page

Kuksu Mtn. a hit with kids

Wednesday August 28, 2019

Children compete at the Kuksu Mountains Tournament in Korea.

The Sixth Kuksu Mountain International Baduk Festival was held in Korea August 2-7, in Jeollanamdo. Children from ten countries attended, in teams of varying sizes, and local Korean children participated as well. The US sent three kids: Jiayang Su, Henry Lyman, and Sun Lee.

“Henry and Jiayang won all of their matches and got a special certificate,” reports his mother Christin Lyman. “The team got to play a simul with a pro. They had 3 pros playing 8 kids each. The closing ceremony was amazing with traditional folk performances (dancing and singing). We visited Lee Sedol’s birthplace (a remote island called Sinan), a celadon museum (Gangin is the celadon capital of Korea), and a water park that was lots of fun for the kids.”

Jiayang Su, Sun Lee, and Henry Lyman, representing the US in Korea.

Sponsored by the Korean Baduk Association, the Kuksu Mountains event has been drawing lots of kids in a spirit of international cooperation. Children attended from China, Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, the US, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and Korea this year. – Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor. Photos by Christine Lyman.

Categories: Korea,Main Page,U.S./North America,World,Youth

New US Go Congress room on KGS

Wednesday August 28, 2019

“Can’t wait for the next Go Congress?” asks Terri Schurter, founder of the Wings Go Club. “Perhaps you want slow games with people you know. Experience the fun and fellowship of a Congress all year long on KGS. Chat and play with people you know from previous years, and with people who hope to attend a Congress in the future. Make online go less hurried and impersonal by hanging out with friends. Join us in the “US Go Congress” room on KGS, under Social in the room list, and consider adding your AGAID# to your info.”

Categories: AGA Chapters,Main Page,U.S. Go Congress,U.S./North America

First U20 Eastern Youth Open this weekend, online registration closes Wednesday

Wednesday August 28, 2019

Young Go players under the age of 20 will compete for a $1,500 prize pool at the August 31 U20 Eastern Youth Open. The event is being organized by the New York Go Association, which intends to host this competition annually and make it the largest youth Go tournament in the East. “It is time to provide an opportunity for young players to compete in a high quality face-to-face tournament,” says New York Institute of Go founder Stephanie Yin.

All players must be under 20 years old by the date of the tournament, ranked 10 kyu or higher, and current AGA or CGA members. Players whose AGA ranks are out of date but who have a KGS rank with at least 10 most recent games at the rank of 10 kyu or higher may enter. Pre-registration is required.

The U20 Eastern Youth Open will be held Saturday, August 31 from 9:30AM-4:00PM at the New York Institute of Go, 255-05 Northern Blvd, 2FL, Little Neck, NY.

Categories: Events/Tournaments,Main Page,Other

Leela for all, maybe Bender and Fry too

Wednesday August 28, 2019

Plenty of go players have tested their hand against Leela, but what about Bender, or Fry? Ever wanted to play a go game against Dr. Farnsworth? Andreas Hauenstein has modified Leela Zero – an open source superhuman-strength go program – and created different “players” with different strengths after some experimentation and public feedback. That those “players” should be named after Futurama characters, Leela being the strongest, seems natural. To read a little more about his process and to test your skills against the character of your choice, take a peek at his English translation of a piece he wrote up for the German Go Journal here.

Categories: Main Page,Tools: books, software & hardware

Go-inspired clothing

Tuesday August 27, 2019

Would you like to have a t-shirt that shows a Go board with a Go stone getting captured? How about a tank top that depicts a ko fight? Tenuki Normal is a new clothing brand offering apparel with Go-themed imagery. T-shirts are available in men’s, women’s, and children’s styles, and tank tops and sweaters are also available. Check out Tenuki Normal’s website here; you can also find them on Facebook.

“Our goal is to create Go/weiqi/baduk/igo style clothing for comfortable and casual wear that stays true to the aesthetics of the game,” reports the company’s website. Founder Matthew Leong tells the E-Journal that Tenuki Normal is a nonprofit organization, and that 20% of proceeds will be donated to the American Go Association in support of its efforts to promote and sustain the American go community.
– Roger Schrag

Categories: Main Page,Tools: books, software & hardware