American Go E-Journal

Do you have extra Go Equipment? Consider donating an item to this charity auction for the American Go Foundation! We are looking for gear, lesson vouchers, art, or even direct donations. Our goal is to raise $5000 for this non-profit.

This silent auction will start (and finish) with the 2021 US Go Congress, July 17th-25th. Visit https://charityauction.bid/AmericanGoFoundation and help us spread the word!

The e-Go Congress starts this weekend!  With registration still open and 436 registered players, including 352 players for the e-Go Open, 120 players for the daytime Blitz tournament, and 60 players for the Double-Digit Kyu Tournament, this year’s congress is turning out to be one of the most popular ever!  Haven’t registered yet, or want to change your registration?  Check out the e-Go Congress website!

Not sure if you can make it to the e-Go Congress this year?  Fortunately, no travel is involved, so you can feel free to register for one event or every event!  The e-Go Open is designed for people who are only available over the weekend, while the Blitz Tournament is accessible to US players available during the day, as well as overseas players who may not be able to attend events during the US evening.  The Double-Digit Kyu Tournament is a chance for developing players to meet each other and get in some good competition that might be hard to find elsewhere, while the Pair Go Tournament is a chance to enjoy a rengo game with a friend (mixed gender pairs expected). We also have a 9×9 Tournament on the first evening (July 17), and a Tsumego Challenge 

Are you looking to do more than just play go?  Check out our online store for merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags, as well as special go-themed socks and all our goodies from last year!  This year we are also continuing the tradition of the Bob High Memorial Song and Poetry Contest with a deadline of Monday, July 19.  Interested in doing something artistic, but you aren’t much of a word person?  We have a new Picture a Go Player contest, with a deadline of Friday, July 23.  This contest is open to all players of any age, and includes nifty prizes for the winners, such as your design on a Congress t-shirt!  

Looking to give back to the Go Community?  This year the AGF is going above and beyond with the 2021 E-Congress AGF Fundraiser.  The auction currently includes an 18cm floor board accompanied by agate and onyx stones, but look for more auction items to appear soon! 

You can also keep up to date with all of the e-Go Congress happenings by watching our Twitch stream [link needed], including a broadcast of the Pandanet AGA City League Finals on Friday, July 23 at 8pm EDT.

The 2021 eGo Congress will feature a brand new challenge designed to encourage players to participate in problem solving and improve their reading skills. Leon Chen 4p’s Tsumego Challenge was created and will be presented by Leon Chen 4P and Stephen Hu, and consists of 40 tsumego (life-and-death problems) of varying difficulty, generally ranked from easiest to most difficult. The problems are divided into five levels, with one puzzle of each level posted per day spanning over the course of the eight days of the congress. Participants have most of the day to work on the puzzles, submit their answers and (optionally) provide a brief justification of their thought processes. Solutions will be posted every evening during the live broadcasts on the official AGA Twitch channel, and the best challengers will be rewarded with free copies of Leon Chen 4p’s original tsumego collections, Spindrift and Planet.

As the number of registered attendees passes 300 players, congress staff is working hard to make this year’s tournaments great for the players. The event isn’t just about the tournaments, though!
The annual Bob High Memorial Song and Poetry contest opens this weekend. This annual event looks for the best go-related songs and poems from around the country, with winning entries featured online and in the closing ceremony. 
A new contest, Picture A Go Player, has also launched, focused on the Go Congress logo. Check out the entry pages and design your own version of this year’s logo! The winner of the contest will see their logo become a t-shirt available for purchase by all players from the Merch Store.

Speaking of Merch Store … 2021 e-Go Congress shirts, hoodies, and mugs are now available from the online store! Play your games in style like you’re at the in-person congress. Order soon to have your swag available for the start of the events! Most items offer free shipping from the store. The new merch store will offer more items with the AGA logo on it soon.

Remember to fully register for tournaments through the site. Only those registered for tournaments through the go congress site will be able to play. If you cannot make any rounds, please email the TD to let them know. We’re looking forward to all the games to be played in a few weeks!