The 2015 AGHS Young Lions Tournament, the premier competition for North American youth players, will take place this weekend (November 14-15) on KGS. This year, an unprecedented 54 players have signed up, including 2 from Canada and 8 from Mexico. There will be 5 divisions, including an Open Division for strong dan players with even games; top games will be streamed live by AGHS promotional head Stephen Hu and secretary April Ye on Twitch.
American Go E-Journal
Exciting Pandanet-AGA City League Round 2 games set for this weekend
Thursday November 12, 2015
Another exciting round of games for the Pandanet-AGA City League starts this Sunday. Check the schedule to see who your favorite team is playing. Will Canwa Vancouver, Washington DC 1, and Atlanta 2 keep their leads? We’ll see after this round!
– Steve Colburn, TD
The Power Report: Over-40 Lightning Go Tournament; Honinbo League; Murakawa reaches Kisei play-off; Women’s Meijin League; Obituary: Hiroe Katsuhiko
Thursday November 12, 2015
by John Power, Japan correspondent for the E-Journal
Over-40 Lightning Go Tournament: The term “haya-go” is usually translated as “rapid go,” and a haya-go in the NHK format actually 
takes around 90 minutes. In the Over-40 Lightning Go Tournament, which is open to veteran Nihon Ki-in players, the term “lightning” is justified, as the time allowance is ten seconds per move (plus three minutes’ thinking time). This is actually the second term of this unofficial tournament, but I think I missed the first last year. In the original, the name reads “OVER40 Haya-go Tonamento-sen,” but, if the report in Go Weekly is correct, this should be “40 or over.” First, 56 players competed in four preliminary blocks, held on October 27. These were won by O Meien 9P, Nakaonoda Tomomi 9P, Oya Koichi 9P, and O Rissei 9P; they qualified for the main tournament, held on November 7. Cho Sonjin, the winner of the first tournament, lost to Nakaonoda in the final of his block. In the semifinals, held on the morning of November 7, the time expanded to 30 seconds per move plus ten minutes’ thinking time, that is, the NHK format. O Meien beat Oya and O Rissei beat Nakaonoda. In the final, held in the afternoon of the same day, Rissei (W) beat Meien by resignation (photo). First prize is 500,000 yen.
Honinbo League: Good starts for Ida and Motoki: As a former challenger, Ida Atsushi Judan probably feels he has a lot to prove in the Honinbo League, especially against a junior player. In his opening game in the 71st league, played on October 29, Ida (B) defeated Ichiriki Ryo 7P by resignation. In his debut game, the 20-year-old Motoki Katsuya, a newly minted 7-dan by virtue of winning his league place, beat veteran player Cho U 9P, also by resignation. Motoki had white. This completes the opening round of the league.
Murakawa reaches Kisei play-off: Yamada Kimio 9P’s charge through the knock-out section of the Kisei tournament was halted when he ran into Murakawa Daisuke Oza, second-place winner in the S League, on October 29. Taking black, Murakawa won by 2.5 points. That meant that for the third year in a row, the play-off to decide the challenger would pit Murakawa against Yamashita. The big difference is that previously, as the winners of the old A and B Leagues, they met on even terms. This time Yamashita starts the play-off with a one-win advantage, so the only way Murakawa can become the challenger is by winning two in a row. (This play-off is referred to by Go Weekly as “an irregular best-of-three,” the fact that there can never be three games played justifying the adjective.)
Women’s Meijin League: Fujisawa suffers setback: The fourth round of the 28th Women’s Meijin League was completed on November 2 when Okuda Aya 3P (W) defeated Fujisawa Rina by resignation. This was Fujisawa’s first loss, putting her on 2-1, so she dropped into a tie for third place with Mannami Nao 3P. The sole lead is held by Aoki Kikuyo 8P, on 3-0, and Okuda is second. Thanks to her number-two ranking, Aoki just has to win two of her remaining three games to win the league. See chart at left for standings.
Obituary: Hiroe Katsuhiko
Hiroe Katsuhiko died of an eating disorder on October 27 at the age of 75. Born in Gifu Prefecture, Hiroe was a disciple of Sakai Toshio 8P. He qualified as 1-dan in 1960 at the Nagoya branch of the Nihon Ki-in and reached 7-dan in 1981. He was promoted to 8-dan when he retired in 2006. Hiroe Hiroyuki 9P is his son.
Your Move/Readers Write: McCallister, Not Boz; More Levels in Go Than Poker
Thursday November 12, 2015
McCallister, Not Boz: “Thanks for the interesting update about Kiseido (Bozulich Brings It All Together in New “Encyclopedia of Go 
Principles” 11/11 EJ),” writes Frank B. “FYI the essay ‘Einstein and Go‘ was not written by Bozulich; it is by Robert A. McCallister.”
Graphic from the Science is Everywhere ‘Einstein a Go Go’ radio show in Melbourne, Australia, which — as far as we know, has nothing to do with the game of go, we just like it and think it works here.
More Levels in Go Than Poker: “Notice that I have left the question mark off the subject line,” writes Roland Crowl, in response to More Levels in Go Than Poker? (11/8 EJ). “Many (~20-25) years ago I saw a rating of game complexity based a level being distinguished from the next level by one player being able to beat the other 75% of the time. Most games – poker in multiple disguises, backgammon, checkers (draughts for our British friends) – came in at about 3-4 levels, chess was 12, and go was 19 all to the best of my recollection.”
2nd Jin Long Chen Cup Seeks Teams from around the World
Wednesday November 11, 2015
The American Go Association (AGA) and Candian Go Association (CGA) are seeking players interested in forming teams and traveling to Guangzhou, China, to compete in the second Jin Long Cheng World Team Go Championship from Dec. 15 to 23. The three players for the US team must be US citizens and be able to pay for their own travel and lodging (550 RMB per day) in Guangzhou; they may also bring a team official. Likewise, the Canadian team must comprise three Canadian citizens able to pay their own way. The tournament will include seeded teams from China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan, as well as three wild card teams from China, Japan and Korea. According to the China Qiyuan, teams from other countries are welcome as well. If more than nine teams register from the rest of the world including the US and Canada, then there will be a preliminary qualifying round to reduce the number to nine. (Teams eliminated at that phase will have a chance to participate in tourism, friendly matches with local players and other go activities.) The final group of up to 16 teams will compete in a five-round Swiss tournament, with the top four teams winning prizes up to 2 million RMB. Teams with no more than one pro player will be in competition for amateur team prizes of 100,000 RMB for winning three rounds, 50,000 RMB for winning two rounds and 30,000 RMB for winning one round. Players or already arranged teams should contact AGA President Andy Okun at president@usgo.org or CGA president James Sedgwick at james_sedgwick2003@yahoo.com by November 20. Given the short time line, preference will be given to already formed teams and to players who get in contact fastest.
Club Report: Portland, OR
Wednesday November 11, 2015
The Portland (Oregon) Go Club meets almost every day of the week at various locations, but every Tuesday evening the meeting is at Powell’s City 
of Books at 10th and Burnside. And every second Tuesday of the month the club hosts a self-paired ratings tournament. Of course, AGA membership is required, but you do not have to be a PGC member to participate — all are welcome to play whether just passing through or driving in from a neighboring city. The photo shows some of the games in progress on November 10. At the front right is the tournament director, Daniel Wagner.
– Roy Schmidt
Reports — and photos — about local club activities are welcome! Send them to us at journal@usgo.org
Bozulich Brings It All Together in New “Encyclopedia of Go Principles”
Tuesday November 10, 2015
Kiseido has just released “Mastering the Basics, Volume Nine, An Encyclopedia of Go Principles,” by Richard Bozulich. Bozulich’s purpose is 
nothing less than “bring(ing) together all the strategic and tactical principles of go,” collecting 100 principles, supplemented with examples. Kiseido has also posted fascinating essays by Bozulich, like “Einstein and Go,” the story of Edward Lasker’s attempt to interest Albert Einstein in go. While you’re at Kiseido’s site, check out their go equipment site as well as their “Luxury Go Equipment Bargains“.
Go Spotting: Vagabond Manga; The Uncommon Series
Monday November 9, 2015
Vagabond Manga: “A favorite coffee barista of mine suggested I read the manga Vagabond, a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by
Takehiko Inoue,” writes Devin Fraze. “It portrays a fictionalized account of the life of Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s novel Musashi. In Volume 6, go is being played by the hero’s love interest. Unfortunately more of the game play is not shown as her opponent “accidentally” knocks over the board.
The Uncommon Series: One of the protagonists in The Uncommon Series is an avid go player. “The thriller trilogy follows a pair of entrepreneurs that drop out of college to found a new tech startup and get caught up in an international conspiracy along the way,” author Eliot Peper tells the E-Journal. “James Chen is the protagonist who’s a go enthusiast. He’s Chief Technology Officer of the startup in the book and the brains behind the whole operation. He develops a complex algorithm that identifies fraud in large financial datasets, allow law enforcement to take down money laundering rings, etc. He loves go because it’s all about pattern recognition and is the perfect analog for the breakthrough software he’s developing. He even uses online go players to train the software’s artificial intelligence routines. As the startup in the book skyrockets from garage to IPO, they have to use his technology and their own wits to take down a major cartel that’s in bed with the big banks and government regulators.”
Spotted go somewhere? Let us know by emailing us at journal@usgo.org!
Lei Xu Wins in Austin; Pizza for All
Sunday November 8, 2015
Players traveled from as far away as Houston and Dallas to play in the Austin Go Club’s tournament on Saturday, November 7 in Austin, Texas. 
Lei Xu 3k, with a 4-0 record, was the overall winner, topping a field of 17. Six other players went 3-1 including John Zhang 4d, Matthew Machado 1d, Stephen Walker 3k, Tracey Su 4k, Ray Heitmann 5k and John Ruder 6k. “We were able to take advantage of the AGA Chapter Rewards Program and supply a pizza lunch to all participants,” reports organizer Bart Jacob.
photo: (l-r) Tracey Su, John Ruder, Ray Heitmann, John Zhang, Matthew Machado, Lei Xu and Stephen Walker; photo by Bart Jacob
Gotham Go Tourney Filling Up Fast
Sunday November 8, 2015
With less than a week to go, there are less than two dozen places left in the upcoming Gotham Go Tournament this Saturday, November 14 in
New York City. There are cash prizes in all sections and an open section for strong dan players; click here to register. On Sunday there’s a Pair Go tournament, with $500 in cash prizes from the AGA; click here to register.