World Go News from the American Go Association
October 1, 2007; Volume 8, #68

U.S. GO: 1st Int’l Mind Sports Games Set For ‘O8 In China; Jang Bi Tops Tacoma Tourney; Strohm Wins Last Dango In VT; Burrall Tops NorCal Fall Tournament; Jung Hoon Lee & Terry Rosen Top Rocky Tourney; U.S. To Vie In ING; U.S. Youth Championships To Return; 2008 U.S. Go Congress Off To Great Start; Shodan Challenge Returns; All About Ko
CALENDAR: East Coast Triple
WORLD GO: Cho U Takes Lead In Meijin; Teen Xie Yimin Wins First Game In Women's Honinbo; Yoon 5p Weds Buchmann 2d In Germany
GO PHOTOS: Go in The Grand Canyon
GO QUIZ: Everyone’s Favorite
GO CLASSIFIED
MEMBER’S EDITION BONUS CONTENT: Yamashita Keigo 9P plays Kobayashi Satoru 9P in the 31st Kisei Title Match in today’s game commentary. This was the final game in what turned out to be a 4-0 defense of his Kisei title by Yamashita. The commentary is by Yamashita Keigo 9P, reported by Kawakuma Hiroyuki, and translated by John Power from Monthly Go World, May 2007 and taken from the just-published Go World #112 (Autumn 2007). Go World is a quarterly English language go magazine that contains a wealth of pro news and commentaries as well as additional instructional material. It is published by Kiseido. 108 back issues are available on DVD. Today’s bonus file is a simple life and death puzzle from a game played on a Grand Canyon rafting trip this summer (see story below) Non-members: all this great content is just a click away!

1ST INT’L MIND SPORTS GAMES SET FOR ‘O8 IN CHINA: The First International Mind Sport Games will be held in Beijing in October, 2008, reports Roy Laird, Chairman of the AGA Board of Directors. Calling it “An Olympics for mental competition,” Laird tells the EJ that “The concept became a reality on September 26, when International Mind Sports Association (IMSA) President Jose Damiani announced that the four IMSA members (Go, Bridge, Chess, Draughts), along with Xiang-Qi (Chinese Chess), will hold the first ever World Mind Sports Games (WMSG) from October 3 through 18, 2008 in Beijing,” which will have just hosted the Olympic games a few weeks before. This will be the first such international mind sport competition under General Association of International Sports Federation (GAISF) auspices. “GAISF works closely with the Olympics movement, but don't expect to see go being played between ice skating and gymnastics on Wide World of Sports,” says Laird. “Instead, a parallel set of competitions is evolving, through the recently formed International Mind Sports Association.” It is expected that more than 2,500 players from over 100 countries will compete in 25 to 30 medal events in the WMSG. In addition to individual events, team and pair competitions will be also be held. “Through the International Mind Sport Games, more people will become aware of the value and joy of mental competition,” says Laird, who promises that “American players will be there! But we're going to need your help. The American Go Foundation is seeking sponsors who would like to support the 2008 US go team with a tax-deductible donation. Your employer might also appreciate the opportunity to support such a historic event.” To help the AGA send a team to this historic competition, write agf@usgo.org.

JANG BI TOPS TACOMA TOURNEY: An undefeated Jang Bi 7d topped Tacoma Go Club's September 29 "Back to School" tournament in Tacoma, WA. The3-round event drew 18 players, including four who took the train up from Oregon. “The field ranged from 22k up to 7d, with no unpleasantly large gaps,” reports organizer Mike Malveaux. Undefeated were Jang Bi 7d, who won $70; Kim Won Jong 2d, who won $50, and Mike Tobias 22k, who won a set of jade go stones with bowls. Ma Dong 6d won two of his three games to claim a $30 prize. Other two-game winners were Darrell Malick 3k, Frank Brown 8k, and Gordon Castanza 13k, all of whom won a prize from a table of books on go. “Young rivals Tai Nguyen 20k and Kevin Burton 15k, who both attended the West Coast Go Camp this summer, faced off again,” Malveaux tells the EJ. “Tai revenged himself for previous losses, and helped his friend Kevin qualify for the dreaded ‘Fighting Spirit’ category.” Darrell Malick 3k nearly won the "Farthest Traveler" award, “but was disqualified for sandbagging since he no longer lives in Florida.” Instead the prize went to Jim Levenick 3k from Salem, Oregon. “A big Thank You goes to Samarkand, Slate and Shell, Yutopian, and Yunnan-Arts, for help stocking the prize tables,” adds Malveaux.

STROHM WINS LAST DANGO IN VT: Jed Strohm 10k swept all four rounds to take first place in the Last Dango in Vermont tournament, held on September 29 in Middlebury, VT. “There were just 14 players,” reports organizer Peter Schumer, “but they represented four states.” Winners collected a total of $225 in gift certificates from Slate and Shell. Winner’s Report: 1st: Jed Strohm 10k, 4–0; 2nd: Lihu Ben-Ezri Ravin 8k, 3–1; 3rd: Noel Kinnear 14k, 3–1; 4th: David Felcan 2k, 3–1.

BURRALL TOPS NORCAL FALL TOURNAMENT: Matthew Burrall 7d clinched the Northern California Fault Tournament title with a 4-1 record September 22-23 at the American ING Goe Center in Menlo Park, CA. Burrall topped a field of 39 players, including a competitive 7d to 2d section with nine players 5d and above, four of whom played earlier this year in the US Youth Go Championships. In other divisions, James Senesac 1k and Daniel Liu 13k both went undefeated. Steve Burrall directed and Reid Augustin assisted. Winner’s Report: 7D-2D: 1st: Matthew Burrall 7d; 2nd: Jimmy Guo 6d; 3rd: Tony Zhang 5d. 1D-8k: 1st: James Senesac 1k; 2nd: Vishank Jain-Sharma 6k; 3rd: Felix Feng 1k. 10k-22k: 1st: Daniel Liu 13k; 2nd: Henry Zhang 14k; 3rd: Kevin Fang 17k.
- report/photo by Lawrence Ku, West Coast Correspondent for the E-Journal. Photo: Reid Augustin (l) and Steve Burrall (r) finishing up their game with a crowd watching them.

JUNG HOON LEE & TERRY ROSEN TOP ROCKY TOURNEY: Jung Hoon Lee 8d won the September 29 Rocky Mountain Fall Tournament Open Section while Terry Rosen 16 topped the handicap division. “While the Colorado Buffaloes defeated the third-ranked Oklahoma Sooners in Boulder, Colorado, 57 go players gathered from all over Colorado, as well as some visitors from Wyoming and Utah,” reports David Weiss, who co-directed with Stu Horowitz. “No one from Oklahoma.” Winner’s Report: 1st: Jung Hoon Lee 8d; 2nd: Cye Stoner (Wyoming) 5k; 3rd: Patrick Lacz 2k; 4th: Mayeul d'Avezac 3k; 5th: Nathan Harwit 6k; 6th: Luke Smidt 10k. The top players in the handicap section: 1st: Terry Rosen 16k; 2nd: Ching Ong 21k.

U.S. TO VIE IN ING: The U.S. will be sending a player to the next ING Cup, “a prestigious event held just once every four years,” reports AGA President Michael Lash. Featuring 32 of the top players from around the world, “the ING Cup features substantial cash prizes and a rare opportunity to compete for an exclusive international title open only to the world’s best,” Lash tells the EJ. The ING Foundation’s Yang Yu-chia confirmed the U.S. participation during a meeting at the recent ING-sponsored World Youth Go Championship in Boston; details on location, date and other player criteria will be announced soon.

U.S. YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS TO RETURN: In an ING-related story, the AGA has announced that the second US Youth Go Championship season will begin in January 2008. “Using the same rules and format as last year’s successful inaugural event -- and again generously supported by the ING Foundation -- we will have eight qualifiers around the country followed by a live 2-day finals event hosted by an AGA chapter,” reports AGA President Mike Lash. Chapters interested in participating should contact USYGC Coordinator Nicole Casanta at nicole@seraphine.us as soon as possible. “The AGA wants to spread the qualifier locations around the country to maximize access for as many youth players as possible,” Lash says. “A final decision of locations will need to be made by Christmas so people can make their plans.”

2008 U.S. GO CONGRESS OFF TO GREAT START: The 2008 U.S. Go Congress in Portland, OR has already lined up its first corporate sponsor. Congress Co-Director Peter Freedman reports that Powell’s Books, “the home of the Portland Go Club, and reputedly the largest retail book store in the United States,” has signed on as the ’08 Congress’ first corporate sponsor. “Our thanks to Michael Powell,” says Freedman, “Please return the favor and buy your books at Powell's!” In other Congress news, Portland Go Player Truman Collins has donated over $800 to help with start up costs, Freedman reports, adding that he and Co-Director Akane Negishi "are looking for 1-2 signature sponsors at the $5000 level." For more information contact Freedman at peter.freedman@comcast.net

SHODAN CHALLENGE RETURNS: The Shodan Challenge is back! The fourth annual Challenge - which drew over 50 participants from around the world last year - features contests designed to aid studying and prizes including donations from go vendors, simuls with strong players and more. "The Challenge provides a great opportunity to make studying more effective and more enjoyable," say Shodan Challenge organizers Lee Huynh and Laura Kolb. The Challenge is open to players of all strengths who want to improve significantly by the 2008 US Go Congress, scheduled for August 2nd - August 9th at Portland, Oregon. For more info or to sign up, email challenge@usgo.org

ALL ABOUT KO: Quick, how many kinds of ko can you name? There’s the flower-viewing ko, the direct ko, the one-move approach-move ko, the round-robin ko…Find out about these and more in “All About Ko,” the latest volume in Kiseido’s “Mastering the Basics” series. Written by Rob van Zeist and Richard Bozulich, “All About Ko” breaks down the complex subject of ko into 19 short chapters, plus 122 problems, from easy to increasingly complex. Now available for $18.

CALENDAR: East Coast Triple
October 7: New York City, NY: NYGC Team Tournament

October 7: Somerville, MA: MGA Fall Handicap Tournament
Zack Grossbart zack@massgo.org 617.497.1232

October 7: Catonsville, MD: UMBC Fall Tournament
FREE PIZZA & SODA if you pre-register!
Patrick Allen umbcgo@gmail.com 410.530.2969

CHO U TAKES LEAD IN MEIJIN: Cho U 9P (l) won the third game of his title match against current Meijin Takao Shinji 9P by one and a half points with White on September 26-27 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven-game match. Cho had held this title for two years before Takao took it away from him last year to become Meijin-Honinbo. The fourth game is scheduled for October 10-11.

TEEN XIE YIMIN WINS FIRST GAME IN WOMEN'S HONINBO: Xie Yimin 3P (r), who became a pro at 14 and last year at 17 won the Strongest Woman title, her first, won the first game in the Women's Honinbo title match with Yashiro Kumiko 5P on September 27th. Yashiro has held the title for the last two years. Xie (aka Shie Imin) lost to Kato Keiko 5P and current women's Meijin in the semifinals of this year's Strongest Woman. Xie is tied for seventh with another woman pro, Suzuki Ayumi 4P, on the list of Japanese pros with the most wins so far in 2007 with 26 wins and 11 losses for a 70% winning percentage.

YOON 5P WEDS BUCHMANN 2D IN GERMANY: With family, go players and jugglers in attendance, Yoon Young Sun 5P and Rasmus Buchmann 2D (below) were married on Saturday, September 29 in Hanover, Germany, reports European EJ Correspondent Peter Dijkema. “Besides their families, Rasmus invited some of his juggling colleagues, while Young Sun asked a few baduk players,” Dijkema reports. Buchmann is a math student who enjoys reading and music and is a self-described “dedicated juggler, with the unique record of teaching it to at least four baduk pros.” For more on Yoon Young Sun 5P -- who did EJ commentaries at the 2007 European Go Congress last August – see “Yoon Youngsun 5P on Marriage and Go” in the September 24 EJ. Also attending were Young Sun’s best friend Kang 2P, Kim Min-hee 2P -- who accompanied Young Sun on her first teaching trip to Europe at the Dublin EGC 2001 in Ireland -- Chang Cheng Ping 1P from Taiwan and some strong Korean amateurs, as well as Cho Changsam, President of Oromedia Co., which published Yoon Young Sun’s "Think Like a Pro" series. Europeans attending were Martin Stiassny, IGF Director and main organiser of the EGC's in Germany of 1979 and 1988 (and co-organiser of the 2008 EGC in Sweden), along with his wife Martina and Dijkema, of The Netherlands.

GO PHOTOS: Go in The Grand Canyon
Go players Bill Phillips (r) and Chris Eusebi (photo at top right of EJ) were among a group on an 8-day Grand Canyon rafting trip last July. Phillips and Eusebi and their daughters Grace Phillips, Erin and Kelly Eusebi played go on the trip, as well as teaching two of their fellow rafters to play. When the life and death problem in the attached file came up in one of the games between Phillips and Eusebi of our games, “I told Chris he faced a life or death challenge in the Canyon. He rose to the occasion and found the move that let him live and win.” Photos courtesy Bill Phillips

GO QUIZ: Everyone’s Favorite
There’s quite a gap between the greatest and your favorite go player. In contrast to last week’s overwhelming vote for Go Seigen as the greatest go player, this week’s top vote getters for favorite go player only managed 3 votes each: Fujisawa Shuko, Lee Chang Ho, Cho Chikun, Shusaku, and Lee Se Dol. Garnering a pair of votes each were Yoda Norimoto, upcoming pro Gan Si Yang and KGS man of mystery Tartrate. Just one vote each for Kobayashi Koichi, Go Seigen, Feng Yun, Takao Shinji, Dosaku (by the way, those were Peter Schumer's comments about Dosaku last week, not Peter Shotwell's), Kitani, Kobayashi Chizu, Kobayashi Izumi, Takagawa, Shuei, Kato Masao, Rin Kaiho, Michael Redmond, Sakata Eio, Kageyama, Fernando Aquilar, Jie Li, Fujiwara no Sai, Hikaru, and Takemitsu. No one voted for themselves this time, although one person voted for a personal friend. Three of your choices are pictured at right (and that might be Kobayashi Chizu in the back...).
It is interesting that “greatest go player” Go Seigen was just one person's favorite - perhaps his amazing style is just too hard for us amateurs to understand. Overall, the choices here favored current players, reflecting active fandom. Notable comments included: Lee Se Dol -- "He always goes for the kill, or for an impressive win...He's to go what Brazil is for soccer, ‘play beautiful’" (Vladimir Gonzalez); Tartrate --"Mystery, notoriety and power" (Solomon Choe); An anonymous poster justified a fictional favorite by saying "Hikaru taught me to love the game"; Kageyama (author of "Lessons in the Fundamental") - "His books are funny, his games are really inventive" (Hicham Van Burn); Gan Siyang -- "For a professional player, his audacity is really inspiring. A testament that we should all play the go we believe in and not always conform to the status quo" (Jing Wei Lim); Jim Lindsay picked someone who is on all of our top ten lists for sure - Michael Redmond "He is a very classy guy. He plays elegant go, and continues to contribute to the game here"; Phil Waldron shone with his comment about Takagawa - a lesson for all students of the game: "Watching his simple moves makes me hope that one day I can get strong too." Finally, my vote has to go to Fujisawa Shuko: I love his brilliant style, his amateurish blunders, his love of the game and his support for go in China. If he could take back one move a game, he would be the strongest player ever.
THIS WEEK’S QUIZ: Who of the following has NOT -- repeat NOT – (no trick here) been AGA President? Roy Laird, Phil Straus, Paul Matthews or Barbara Calhoun? Click here to submit your answer.
- Quizmaster Keith Arnold, HKA. Photo courtesy Go World; includes three of your favorites - Shuko, Takagawa and Cho Chikun – and that might even be Kobayashi Chizu in the back, along with Shinkai Hiroko, who attended the first U.S. Go Congress.

GO CLASSIFIED

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GO PLAYERS WANTED: Katy, TX. We are starting a club on the West side of the Houston, TX, metropolitan area. Players of all strengths are welcome. Please e-mail all inquiries to Paul Wheeler at pkwheeler@ti.com (10/1)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Athens, OH: Looking for go players experienced or not. Looking for a study partner or teacher to understand the philosophy of go and to play on a frequent basis. I have a philosophy/science background and want to approach go from those understandings. My email is stahl8@gmail.com (10/1)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Bellefontaine,OH area. I'm trying to get a club started around here; if interested contact Jessy Ferguson yoh_love_aeralee@hotmail.com Also tell me if you have your own go board. (10/1)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Franklin/Oil City, PA area. Meadville? Clarion? If the Erie club is still meeting, could someone contact me since your official contact seems to be gone. Ron: whiterg@acm.org (9/17)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Oldenburg, Batesville Indiana area. Contact: dkobakofm@gmail.com Any level. Would like to begin a Go Club, or join one. (9/17)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Holland, MI: Looking for players in Holland Michigan area. We have 2 members and are thinking of starting a permanent club, its tough getting a good club down, but I believe that with more members we could get a more solid club formed. Contact Alex McNeal, Email: TheClamxD@gmail.com or call 616-405-8562. (9/17)

FOR SALE: Complete collection of Go World issues #1 through latest (#111).
Issues #1-10 are protected by hard binding. All issues are in perfect condition.
Asking price: $900 plus shipping & insurance. Please contact bwbgo@yahoo.com (9/10)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Urbana-Champaign, IL: Go is played at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign! If you want to play, or better still, help form an official AGA chapter, please contact Phil Wall (phil.wall@pobox.com). We've got a few players, but we're always looking for more. (9/10)

GO PLAYERS WANTED: Hartford, CT: Looking for players in Hartford, CT, contact Benjamin Harter (benjamin.harter@pw.utc.com). We have only about 3-4 people trying to get a regular meeting going over here, almost enough to start a permanent club. It's rough going getting one started... I'm sure there are other players in the area! (9/10)

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