On the season finale of Season One of Arrested Development (available on Netflix), Maeby Funke can be seen playing Go with her adopted Korean cousin “Annyong,” reports Greg Kulevich. The Go board they are using appears to be the mass market board sold in bookstores with small plastic stones. The board position is realistic for 20+ kyu players, which is probably the case. However, Maeby places a black stone, Annyong places a white stone, and then Maeby places a white stone, so they are not following the rules of Go. In addition, six minutes into Episode 2 of the show ‘Humans’ (streaming on Amazon), “there is the end of a Go game and some following discussion,” reports David Doshay.
by John Power, Japan correspondent for the E-Journal
Kono keeps lead in Meijin League: As of my previous league report, (May 12) Kono Rin was the sole undefeated player. He tripped up in the May round, but his nearest rivals, Shibano Toramaru and Hane Naoki, also suffered losses. Kono won his June game, and, on 5-1, retains the sole lead. He is followed by three players on 4-2: Iyama Yuta, Shibano, and Yamashita Keigo. Recent results: (May 16) Iyama Yuta (W) beat Yamashita Keigo 9P by resig.; Son Makoto 7P (B) beat Kono Rin 9P by resig. (May 30) Mutsuura Yuta 7P (B) beat Suzuki Shinji 7P by 4.5 points. (June 13) Yamashita Keigo (B) beat Murakawa Daisuke Judan by resig. (June 27) Iyama (B) beat Son by resig.; Kono (B) beat Hane by resig.
44th Kisei Leagues S League: This league is proceeding slowly, so there is not much to report. After just two rounds, there is only one undefeated player: Murakawa Daisuke. Recent results: (May 9) Murakawa Daisuke Judan (W) beat Kyo Kagen Gosei by resig. (May 30) Kono Rin 9P (W) beat Yamashita Keigo 9P by 1.5 points; Murakawa Daisuke Judan (B) beat So Yokoku 9P by resig. A League: Ichiriki Ryo, on 4-0, has the sole lead. Two players follow him on 3-1: Cho U 9P and Shida Tatsuya 8P. B Leagues: In the B1 league, Hane Naoki has the provisional lead with 4-1. He is followed by Yoda Norimoto 9P, Tsuruyama Atsushi 7P, and Onishi Ryuhei 4P, all on 3-1. In the B2 league, Motoki Katsuya 8P has the sole lead on 4-0.
Shibano wins 10th Gratitude Cup: This is a tournament for players 30 and under. The 16 players who survive the preliminary round meet in the main tournament, which this year was held in “Gratitude Alley” in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, on May 14 and 15. The sponsors are a group of tourism-related restaurants and shops. Conditions are NHK-style, with 30 seconds per move plus ten minutes of thinking time (to be used in one-minute units). First prize is 3 million yen (about $27,000), which is quite reasonable for a unofficial junior tournament. In the semifinals, held on the morning of the second day, Adachi Toshimasa 6P (B) beat Kyo Kagen Gosei by resig.; Shibano Toramaru 7P (B) beat Ichiriki Ryo 8P (I don’t know the margin). In the final, Shibano (W) beat Adachi by resig. In the play-off for 3rd place, Ichiriki (W) beat Kyo by resig.
Tomorrow: Ueno to challenge for Hollyhock Cup; Nakamura Sumire update
The Davis/Sacramento Go Club held its Summer Quarterly at the Arden-Dimick library in Sacramento on June 29th . The upper division was won by Ki Young Choi 2d (left) and Valerie Wong 19k won the lower division. Both had 3-1 records.
In round seven of the Transatlantic Professional Go Team Championship, played on June 30, EGF pro Artem 2P defeated Eric Lui 1P, ending Lui’s streak at three wins. The AGA team now has only one player remaining – Ryan Li 1P – while the EGF team has Artem Kachanovskyi 2P and Ilya Shikshin 3P.
In the opening, Eric Lui, playing black, built up a wide area on the right side. White approached lightly, trying to limit black’s potential. Black launched a full-on attack of white’s group, surrounding it from the outside. However, black’s shape had some weaknesses. White allowed black a small ponnuki, then cut on L16, forcing black to give up one or the other of his surrounding groups. Black chose to give up both, and instead swallowed the upper-left corner, keeping game balanced. Complicated fights ensued, but white was slightly ahead. White then successfully invaded the upper-left corner, leading black to resign.
The EGF has announced that Ilya Shikshin 3P will substitute for Artem in the next round under the wildcard rule*. Kachanovskyi is unable to play next round due to his upcoming wedding in Romania. If Shikshin defeats Ryan Li, the AGA’s last remaining player, this championship will be over. If Ryan Li wins, he will face Artem Kachanovskyi in the final game.
The next round, Ryan Li 1P vs. Ilya Shikshin 3P, will take place on July 7, starting at 14:00 US Eastern time. The game will be played on OGS and live-streamed on Twitch.
*Wildcard rule: Each team has one wildcard that can be used in an emergency. When a currently winning player is not able to play the next round, a team can nominate any not-yet-defeated teammate to substitute for one game. The original winning player must come back in the following round, regardless of the substitute player’s result.
Although Pie by the Pound is closing on Sunday, New York City Go organizer Peter Armenia reports that he’s “found a new place where folks can play go on Wednesday evenings from 6-10.” The new meeting place will be the Barnes & Noble at 33 E 17th St (in the cafe on the third floor) right on the north side of Union Square. “So please do come out for the inaugural meeting at the new location this Wednesday!” Armenia urges. “And remember to thank the good folks at B&N by purchasing something at the cafe or the bookstore while there!”
While attending the Osaka Go Camp, we had an opportunity to attend the World Go Festival. In the morning session, there was an exhibition match between Nakamura 1P who recently became the youngest pro play at age 9 (she has since turned 10), and Murakawa, who recently won the Judan tournament and thus given the honorary rank of 10P. Game commentary was provided by Cho Chikun 9P. It was a great experience and a chance to see and interact with many Go legends. Murukawa had also visited the Go Camp a few days earlier and I was lucky enough to play him in a simul games with four others.
The National Go Center has just launched its new website. It features a prominent calendar of upcoming Go events, a go news feed, latest NGC tweets and more, including albums of photos from recent NGC events. You’ll also find details on NGC membership, Go classes and volunteer opportunities.
Fourteen players participated the Second Greater Boston Youth Go Tournament on June 22nd in Lexington, MA. Andrew (Hancheng) Xu won senior division and Ruihan Cao won junior division. The second to fourth place winners of the senior division are: Chengyou (Charlie) Zhong, Hanchi Ou and Jiayong (Justin) Liu. The second to fourth place winners of the junior division are: Siyu (Steven) Chen, Christopher Huang and Andy Zhu. They were awarded trophies and Go books. All participants were issued certificates. The tournament was organized by New Legacy Cultural Center and Massachusetts Go Association.
(top) Ruihan Cao (right): Siyu Chen; (bottom): Andrew Xu (right): Charlie Zhong
Remembering the No Exit Go Club: “When I got married in 1980, my wife and I found an apartment in Rogers Park,” writes Bob Barber (Your Move/Readers Write: No Exit update? 6/26/19). “I had no idea that this was THE neighborhood where non-Asians played Go. I spent countless happy Monday nights at the No Exit, (which) hosted go players for decades. It was a coffee shop, complete with Open Mike, poetry readings, lots of tie-dyed. A great place to hang out. And inhale some cigarette smoke. The focus on Go now has moved a few miles north, to the Evanston Go Club, ably run by Mark Rubenstein.”
Why the Western Mass. Go Club doesn’t meet in a library: “Thanks for the article (The Traveling Board: One library at a time 6/28/2019) about playing in the public library,” writes Eric Osman. “The only reasons that the Western Mass. Go Club doesn’t meet in the library are 1) We love to drink coffee and eat dessert while we play and the library doesn’t allow food and drink 2) We play on Thurs. eve later than the library is open.”
