American Go E-Journal

Next AGA Board Meeting Sunday 2/23

Monday February 10, 2020

The AGA Board is meeting on Sunday, February 23rd at 8pm EST. Topics of discussion include: updates on several on-going projects as well as new domestic and international tournaments, the creation of two new commissions, congress, staff reappointments, teaching, the accessibility of board meetings, and access to go clubs. For more information, you can find the detailed agenda here.

Are you an AGA member interested in listening in to the meeting? Please contact the Chairperson at lisa.scott@usgo.org for call-in information.
Are you interested in commenting on past board meeting minutes? You can submit your comments using this form, and they will be available to board members and relevant officers. Past board meeting minutes are available on usgo.org.

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

Spindrift: Leon Chen 4P’s Original Tsumego now available on OGS

Monday February 10, 2020

Need some fresh life-and-death Go problems for inspiration? Check out Spindrift: Leon Chen 4p’s Original Tsumego, featuring 136 original tsumego puzzles of various levels written in both traditional Chinese and English. It is available for purchase electronically for 10 USD, and accessible after purchase through the buyer’s OGS account.

This is Hsi “Leon” Chen (陳禧) 4P’s first published tsumego collection of many more to come. Chen – one of Taiwan’s top professional players – has crafted thousands of puzzles and is excited to share his work with Go fans all over the world. “To me, every life-and-death puzzle is a condensed gem discovered by the tsumego creator,” says Chen, “like a precious cloud of spindrift resting on top of a reef rock. Puzzles encapsulate memories; but more importantly, they tell the stories of our times. I can’t call this a valuable gift, but it’s a little something from my heart!”

In addition to the tsumego variations, each puzzle includes a short story written by frequent E-Journal contributor Stephen Hu, who designed the cover and wrote the English language text. “Every original tsumego reminds me of a painting, a song, or perhaps a certain story,” says Hu. “It is the imagination that breaks all bounds; despite the simplicity of Go stones on the wooden board, they are capable of composing melodies that mesmerize. I just wish I could look through the artist’s kaleidoscope, and capture all the vibrance beyond the black and white.”

Interested players can order a copy today or start with a free preview of 5 puzzles.

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

San Diego tournament ends with pizza and a YLY lecture

Saturday February 8, 2020

Winners in the various sections: Aaron Jones, Evan Tan, Yixian Zhou, Ted Terpstra (President, SDGC), Angel Zhou (Yixian’s daughter)

On Sunday, January 19, 2020, twenty-six players braved the Southern California sunshine and warmth on a “winter’s day” to compete in the San Diego Go Club / Yellow Mountain Imports Go Rating Tournament. Competitors aged from 4 to 74. Yixian Zhou 6d, who bested the handicapped field with a 3-0 record, won a YMI board, stones and bowls. Aaron Jones 9k, Evan Tan 14k, and Angel Zhou 20, all won magnetic go boards furnished by Yellow Mountain Imports for winning their sections.

After a break for free pizza, most of the players remained at the San Diego Chess Club to hear well-known go lecturer Yilun Yang 7P give the last of his fall/winter classes for the San Diego Go Club.

report and photos by Ted Terpstra

Competitors in the SDGC Rating Tournament

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

Hajin Lee 4P wins 28th Jujo Ing Cup

Saturday February 8, 2020

The 28th Jiang ZhuJiu Ing Cup was held in San Francisco at the Hotel Kabuki on Sunday February 2, the second year the tournament has been held on Super Bowl Sunday – players were able to watch the game between rounds on a large screen display set up in the hotel lounge. Jiang ZhuJiu 9P and Rui Naiwei 9P made the trip from China to host the event, where 63 players competed in 5 divisions for a total of $3,000 in prizes. The tournament was sponsored by the Ing Foundation of California, and Hajin Lee 4P, who won all four rounds in the Open section, won the grand prize. The tournament was directed by Karoline Li and Julie Burrall. Click Complete results can be found online for both the open and handicap sections. Click here for more tournament photos.

photos by C.O. Armistad
report by Ernest Brown

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

2020 GLOBIS Cup qualifier set to begin this weekend

Saturday February 8, 2020

The qualifier for the 2020 Globis Cup will take place as a double-elimination tournament over the next two weekends. Spectators can tune in on KGS for the following scheduled rounds:

Round 1: Saturday 2/8, 12 Noon EST
Round 2: Saturday 2/8, 5 PM EST
Round 3: Sunday 2/9, 5 PM EST
Round 4, FINAL #1: Saturday 2/15, 12 Noon EST
If after Round 4 both players have only one loss there is an additional game
Round 5: FINAL #2: Sunday 2/16, 12 Noon EST

The player with no more than one loss after Game #6 or #7 will be selected as the representative to the 7th annual GLOBIS Cup, a U-20 world championship for professional and amateur players under 20 years of age.

Categories: China,Events/Tournaments,Main Page,U.S./North America

Redmond’s Reviews, Episode 19: Michael Redmond 9P vs Kudo Norio 9P

Friday February 7, 2020

Michael Redmond 9P and Chris Garlock return with their latest Redmond’s Review, Episode 19, posted on the AGA’s YouTube Channel.

Kudo is a seasoned 9-dan professional in his late 70s. Though not as well-known in the West as some other players, he’s posted good records throughout his career and was a contender for titles from the 1970s through the 1990s, including taking the Oza from Cho Chikun and the Tengen from Rin Kaiho. “He’s a very steady player,” says Redmond. “As a younger player he had an attacking style, and doesn’t bother so much about territory. Still what you might call a very thick player, he likes to build strong positions and doesn’t like to be under attack. He’s got a well-balanced game with a solid opening. And interestingly for a player of his age, he’s been integrating a lot of AI stuff too.” Redmond also discusses how he prepares for matches like these, although he warns viewers at the outset that “This is not a well-played game on my part, so you can probably learn more” from his opponent’s play.

The commentary was originally streamed live on Twitch, which gave viewers a chance to interact with Redmond and Garlock, who will be live-streaming more game commentaries in the weeks ahead on the AGA’s Twitch channel, which you can follow to get notified of live streams.

Video produced by Stephen Hu, Allen Moy, Chris Garlock and Andrew Jackson.

[link]

Categories: Main Page,Redmond Reviews

Redmond’s Reviews, Episode 18: Michael Redmond 9P vs Ri Ishu 8P

Friday January 31, 2020

Tune in to the AGA’s YouTube Channel at 6p EST today when Redmond’s Reviews Episode 18 with Chris Garlock and Michael Redmond 9p is released.

In this episode, Michael reviews his Oza tournament game with Ri Ishu 8P from Taiwan. This game, played in Tokyo, came after Redmond’s win against Otake, and was the final game in the Oza B section. “Ri Ishu is a very strong young player,” says Redmond. This game features some modern, post-AI joseki, “and then a fairly dangerous fight develops near the end of the game, so the game actually resembles AG-AG 35”

The commentary was originally streamed live on Twitch, which gave viewers a chance to interact with Redmond and Garlock, who will be live-streaming more game commentaries in the weeks ahead on the AGA’s Twitch channel. Follow the AGA’s Twitch channel and get notified of live streams.

Video produced by Stephen Hu, Allen Moy, Chris Garlock and Andrew Jackson.

[link]

Categories: Main Page,Redmond Reviews

Redmond on AG-AG Game 36 tonight on Twitch

Thursday January 30, 2020

Michael Redmond 9P and Chris Garlock return to the AGA’s Twitch channel tonight at 7p EDT with their latest live game commentary on the AlphaGo vs AlphaGo series. ” Entertaining and enlightening review,” commented SpaceTimeMachine on the previous commentary. “I recommend this series to my friends all the time.”

Categories: Computer Go/AI,Main Page,Master/AlphaGo Commentaries,Redmond Reviews

Ing Cup postponed in wake of coronavirus outbreak

Wednesday January 29, 2020

The quadrennial Ing Pro Cup, originally planned to start in Shanghai this April and involving players from all over the world, has been temporarily suspended by the Ing Chang Ki Goe Educational Foundation because of the epidemic being caused by what health officials are calling a novel coronavirus. “The first phase of the event will be postponed, and the exact time will be announced after the epidemic is under control,” the foundation said in a communication to players and other attendees. The disease, which the foundation called “Wuhan pneumonia” after the Chinese metropolis where the epidemic originated, has infected more than 6,000 people and killed at least 132, according to media reports late Tuesday. While most of the victims are in China, 83 cases have been identified in other countries. Several countries have put travel limits in place and the US Centers for Disease Control has recommended avoiding non-essential travel to China. Canadian Ryan Li 1p is scheduled to represent North America in the tournament.

report by Andrew Okun

Categories: China,Events/Tournaments,Main Page,U.S./North America

Motchisuki festival attendees learn Go in Portland

Wednesday January 29, 2020

Each year Go players in Portland host a table teaching Go at Portland’s Mochitsuki festival, an annual Japanese and Japanese-American cultural festival and celebration of the Japanese New Year held at Portland State University. Several thousand people attended this year, and volunteers Neal Wright, Patrick Easley, Stewart Towle, Rick Steinfeldt, Olin Wexler, and Peter Freedman were busy all afternoon teaching new Go players of all ages, from 4 to 74.

Teachers at the table ran a Hikaru no Go anime to attract attention and provided Way To Go pamphlets, along with some Go Worlds, Go books, and of course information on Go locally and nationally. “It was a great day, I am hoarse,” reports Peter Freedman, and not for nothing. Their engagement and enthusiasm have gotten them invited to host a table at the Cherry Blossom Festival at Clark College in Vancouver this April by an impressed attendee of Motchitsuki Portland.

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