American Go E-Journal

4th SportAccord World Mind Games Kick Off Next Week

Sunday December 7, 2014

The 4th SportAccord World Mind Games (SAWMG) will be held in Beijing December 11-17. Contestants will compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals in five areas: go, chess, contract bridge, draughts and xiangqi (Chinese chess). The go competition will follow the same format as last year: 18 men representing China, Chinese Taipei, Europe, Japan, Korea, and North America will compete in a three-man team round-robin; 12 women from the same areas will compete in an individual double knockout; and 16 of these contestants will also compete in a single knockout mixed pair tournament.

The Chinese team this year is comprised of 5 professionals, four 9 dans and a 5 dan. The players participating in this year’s SAWMG are older than last year’s, with only 3 teenagers divided between the Chinese, Japanese, and North American teams, including the granddaughter of Fujisawa Shuko, who is returning for her second SAWMG.

The European and North American teams are fielding mixed pro-amateur teams. The North American team is comprised of three veteran players and one young Canadian woman, Ming Jiu Jiang 7P, Huiren Yang 1P, Daniel Daehyuk Ko 7D and Irene Sha 6D. The European team is primarily Russian, but also includes a professional 2 dan from France.

Coverage of the SAWMG will begin on the 11th, with daily reports and commentaries posted on the RANKA website. Click here for the schedule.
– Amy Su, based on reports on Ranka.
Correction: updated to reflect that it’s the granddaughter of Fujisawa Shuko (not the daughter) who will be playing

Categories: SportAccord World Mind Games,U.S./North America,World

EuroGoTV Update: Ukraine, Turkey, Russia

Friday December 5, 2014

Ukraine: Yevhen Kolodin 4k took the Vitalii Trost Memorial on November 30 in Odesa. Serhii Stupachenko 9k placed second and Oleksandr Viter 7k was third. Turkey: Also on November 30, the Turkish Go Championship finished in Istanbul with Ozgur Degirmenci 3d in first, Kerem Karaerkek 2d in second, and Hayri Kilic 1d in third. Russia: Anton Zantonskikh 6d bested Andrej Arkharov 2d at the Championship of Khabarovsk District on November 23. Sergej Kastorin 4d came in third.
– Annalia Linnan, based on reports from EuroGoTV, which include complete result tables and all the latest European go news

Categories: Europe,Events/Tournaments,Go News

Your Move/Readers Write: Where to Play Go

Friday December 5, 2014

“Do you have any info on Washington DC or Northern VA Go association?” asks Jonathan Kim.
Click on a state here to see a list of AGA chapters and other clubs and meeting places for go players in that state. Official chapters of the American Go Association are indicated by the AGA logo. Click on a chapter or club name to visit their webpage, if available.

Categories: U.S./North America

China, Japan, and Korea All Contenders in 16th Nongshim Cup Finals

Thursday December 4, 2014

Players met from November 28 to December 3 in Busan, Korea for the 2nd round of the Nongshim Cup. China’s performance was especially stunning with Wang Xi 9p winning four games in a row before he was defeated by Korea’s top player Park Junghwan 9p. Pressure was on Japan in game ten when Park faced Japan’s top player Iyama Yuta 9p (right). However, Iyama came through and secured a place for Japan in the Nongshim Cup Finals for the first time since the 12th Nongshim Cup in 2010-2011.

Shanghai will host the final round of the 16th Nongshim Cup in March 2015. Kim Jiseok 9p will represent Korea while China has Shi Yue 9p, Mi Yuting 9p, and Lian Xiao 7p on its roster. Historically, the Nongshim Cup has been dominated by Korean players (11 wins) while Japan has only won once. For more information on this year’s Nongshim Cup including photos, game records, and commentary, please visit Go Game Guru.
–Annalia Linnan, based on a longer article by Go Game Guru

Categories: China,Events/Tournaments,Go News,Japan,Korea

Strong Young North American Player Sought For Brand-New Hangzhou Tournament

Thursday December 4, 2014

The AGA has just received a request to send a young North American (US or Canadian) player to Hangzhou, China, for the new Li Min Cup World Best Go Star Championship Finals from December 18 to 24, AGA President Andy Okun reports to the EJ. The player, who can be a citizen or permanent resident, should meet the AGA’s eligibility requirements and must have been born after Jan. 1, 1991. Food and lodging are being provided by the organizers along with travel expenses of up to 10,000 RMB (about $1,600).

“While this is a last-minute thing, I have been to Hangzhou and this is a trip worth making if at all possible,” Okun said. The venue of the tournament, Hangzhou Qiyuan’s Tianyuan Tower, is a 34-floor go-themed luxury hotel with a major go school and library and a go museum in the lobby (THE TRAVELING GO BOARD: HANGZHOU’S TOWER OF GO 5/27/2010 EJ). Interested players should respond as soon as possible to Okun at president@usgo.org and Cherry Shen at tournaments@usgo.org. If there are multiple interested players, a quick play-off may be held.

Categories: China,U.S./North America,Youth

Chess and Go Tourney in Portland

Wednesday December 3, 2014

Three Portland schools competed in a chess and go tournament, on Nov. 30th, reports organizer Peter Freedman. Four go players and four chess players from each school participated. Go was played on 13×13 boards. Irvington edged out Beverly Cleary to take the go trophy, and also edged out Richmond to take the chess trophy. Chess results: Irvington 9 wins, Richmond 6 wins and Beverly Cleary 3 wins. Go results: Irvington 8 wins, Beverly Cleary 7 wins, and Richmond 3 wins. -Paul Barchilon, E-J Youth Editor

Categories: U.S./North America,Youth

INAF Takes Next Step Towards New East Coast Go Center

Tuesday December 2, 2014

The Iwamoto North America Foundation (INAF) has taken another step toward establishing a new East Coast Go Center, releasing an Announcement of Intended Request for Proposals. INAF “seeks proposals from interested parties for the establishment of a center that would help promote Go in the center’s local area, serve as a resource for east coast go activities, and contribute to a more vibrant Go community nationally.” A formal request for proposals is expected to be released in July 2015 with proposals due in November 2015 and an award made in January 2016. Interested groups should contact INAF for discussions on how to proceed.

Categories: U.S./North America

AGA City League Off to a Good Start

Tuesday December 2, 2014

Most of the games for the first round of the 2014-2015 AGA City League have been played already “and they were spectacular,” says TD Steve Colburn. “With many of the strong AGA and CGA players playing we have seen some exciting games.”

Results:
A League:
Boston def Canwa Vancouver 1 (2-1), Greater Washington def San Francisco 1 (2-1), Los Angeles def Seattle 1 (3-0)

B League:
Bay Area def Washington DC 2 (2-1), Princeton def Canwa Vancouver 2 (2-1)
Still ongoing: NC Raleigh vs Katy TX 1 (1-1), last game to be played Dec 18 9:30ET

C League:
DC Team 3 def Boston 2 (3-0), SF Bay Area/Berkley def Atlanta 2 (2-1)
Still ongoing: Atlanta 1 vs New Orleans, times TBA

Categories: Pandanet-AGA City League

“Great Master” Go Seigen Dead at 100

Sunday November 30, 2014

Go Seigen, regarded by many as the greatest go player ever, passed away at 1:11 am on November 30 in Japan. Go Seigen had celebrated his 100th birthday earlier this year, joined by go players around the world. “We mourn the passing of a truly great master and celebrate his life and the deep understanding of the game he left us with,” said American Go Association President Andy Okun.

Born in China on June 12, 1914, Go Seigen (Wu Qingyuan in Chinese) did not start learning the game of go until he was nine, a relatively late age for a professional. But he quickly excelled and soon became known as a go prodigy, immigrating to Japan in 1928 at the invitation of Baron Kihachiro Okura and Inukai Tsuyoshi (later prime minister of Japan), where he embarked on a professional career. He was tutored by Segoe Kensaku, the same teacher as Hashimoto Utaro and Cho Hunhyun.

In 1933, along with his great friend Kitani Minoru, Go Seigen developed and popularized the Shinfuseki that broke away from the traditional opening patterns. It is for this very important contribution that Go Seigen and Kitani Minoru are recognized as the fathers of modern go. Starting in 1939, Go Seigen began a spectacular series of Jubango matches against other top players of the day. It was through these matches that Go Seigen convincingly demonstrated an overwhelming dominance over his contemporaries. Go Seigen had only one formal disciple – Rin Kaiho, Honorary Tengen. Go Seigen’s star began to fade in the early 1960s due to health reasons and he had to virtually retire from playing professional go by 1964. However, he continued to remain active in the go community through teaching, writing, and promoting go around the world.

“I still study Go every day, placing stones on the board,” Go Seigen wrote in “A Way of Play for the 21st Century.” “You might think study is meaningless for me, since I retired so many years ago. But for people who play it, Go is like an eternal friend, a permanent art form. I’ll continue playing and studying Go. Probably just like you.”

Read more about Go Seigen here Go Seigen: The Go Master and here. We welcome your thoughts about Go Seigen’s influence on the game of go or on you as a go player; please add your comment below or send them to us at journal@usgo.org

Includes reporting in Go Game Guru and Wikipedia; photo (left) by Zhang Jingna.

Categories: Japan

Traveling Go Board: Gotham Go, Thanksgiving Week

Sunday November 30, 2014

Dropped in on the Gotham Go Club last Tuesday night during a visit to New York City to see longtime friend and go colleague Roy Laird. Despite Thanksgiving being just two days away, the club was bustling with activity, as it reportedly is each week. Had a fun time watching games and a quick pick-up game with a young student from China; it’s a great club well worth the visit if you’re in town!
– Chris Garlock, Managing Editor, American Go E-Journal. Check our Facebook page for more photos. Got go travel tales — or photos — of your own? Send ’em to us at journal@usgo.org!

Categories: Traveling Go Board