March 17, 2008; Volume 9, #13

THIS JUST IN: JIMMY CHA BEATS IMAMURA TOSHIYA 9P IN CHUNLUN: North American rep Jimmy Cha pulled out a win over Imamura Toshiya 9P in the Chunlan Cup today in Hangzhou, China. Game record attached. Click here for full tournament grid. - Reported by Phil Waldron, Special Correspondent to the EJ

SOBOLOWSKI TOPS VT "IDES" TOURNAMENT: Chris Sobolowski 6k took first place in the March 15 One Ide Beats No Ides go tournament, held at Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. "Fifteen players participated including the TD, who got to play one game," reports Pete Schumer. "Prizes included a 25-pound bag of Thai rice, the stunning book, ‘Asian Games: The Art of Contest', a set of jujube go bowls, a paper fan with Go Seigen's calligraphy, a go poster, and go books. It was a fun event!" Schumer told the EJ. Four players finished with 3 - 1 records; top finishers were: 1st: Chris Sobolowski 6k; 2nd: Zack Garrett 3k; 3rd: Jack Cary 8k; 4th: David Pearson 4k.

GUO AND ZHANG REPEAT AT BAY AREA YOUTH TOURNEY: Fifteen-year-old Jimmy Guo (l in photo) 6d and 10-year-old Hugh Zhang (below right) 6d topped their divisions at the United States Youth Go Championship (USYGC) qualifier held at the Ing Goe Center in Menlo Park, California this past weekend. "Like last year's qualifier, this year's was also very exciting," Guo told the EJ, "However, my triumph was a little bittersweet, as my final and deciding victory was a win by time against Matthew Burrall, and I also had to defeat Tony Zhang, a good friend of mine, again." Guo was undefeated in a field of six-dan players including runner-up Matt Burrall 7d, age 17. "I am very grateful for this victory, and I hope both Matt and Tony are able to qualify at another qualifier," adds Guo, "If not, I hope I may do well for them." In the Junior division, Zhang and Andrew Lu, 3d, eliminated two other contenders, Zhang then remained undefeated to win the final best-of-three match in the junior division. USYGC action shifts to the east coast next week for the Feng Yun qualifier in New Jersey, which is expected to have the most youth competing in any of the qualifiers. With 15 dan-level youth playing in New Jersey, strong competition is expected in both brackets. One to watch is thirteen-year-old Ricky Zhao, now ranked at 7 dan, who defeated two 6-dans at last year's finals in Seattle when he was 3d, before losing in the semi-finals. In other qualifier news, Florida has signed on for the 8th USYGC qualifier, which will be held at Lexington Middle School in Fort Myers. Details are being worked out, but the qualifier is expected to be in April and will be run by Joshua Frye. - reported by Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor; photos by Zhini Zhang

HUAN YANG WINS SYRACUSE TOURNEY: Huan Yang (l) 1d of Kingston, Ontario won the Salt City Paired Tournament, held March 8 in Syracuse, NY. "We had twenty-seven players brave the elements to participate in our first four-round tournament," reports organizer Richard Moseson. "All first and second place winners had identical 3-1 records." Huan Yang was the A Division winner, while Binghamton University student Qian Wan placed 2nd. Maggie Lo 10k, also from Binghamton University, won the B division, with Peter Day, a high school senior from Manlius Pebble Hill School (MPH) placing 2nd. Justin Oh 20k won the C Division followed by Avery Stone Fish; both are 8th graders at MPH. "All participants received prizes," Moseson says, "and Slate and Shell donated some book prizes and provided others at discounted prices." The tournament was co-hosted by the Syracuse Go Club and the MPH School Go Club, both AGA chapters. Photo by Richard Moseson

ZHOU & SCHATTKE WIN IN CHI DOUBLE-HEADER: Will Zhou (r) 7d topped the Chicago Youth Qualifier on March 8, the second consecutive year he's won the event, which is part of the U.S. Youth Go Championships. Robert Schattke 2d won the handicap tournament held simultaneously; 44 players turned out for the events, with Bob Barber as Tournament Director. Winner's Reports: YOUTH QUALIFIER: 1st Senior: ZHOU, Will, 7d (two years in a row); 2nd Senior: LI, Henry, 11k; 1st Junior: HUANG, Andrew, 4d (Andrew flew in from New Jersey to compete). HANDICAP: Dan: SCHATTKE, Robert, 2d; 2nd Dan: HUYNH, Lee, 1D; Tie 1st Low Kyu: RUBENSTEIN, Mark, 4k and STRAIN, Douglas, 8k; 1st Mid Kyu: SEIFRID, Alicia, 15k; 1st High Kyu: WU, Josh, 26k.

PARK YEONGHUN WINS MAXIM CUP: Park Yeonghun (l) 9P defeated Mok Jinseok 9P in the decisive third game by 3.5 points to win the Korean Maxim Cup on March 9. The Maxim joins an impressive list of wins for the young player who notched his first title win at the Chunwon (Japanese: Tengen) when he was in his mid-teens. He also won four straight games in the Nong Shim Cup international team match while still a teenager and took the international Fujitsu Cup in 2004 when he was not yet twenty. He won the Fujitsu again last year, defeating Lee Changho 9P in the finals and also won the GS Caltex Cup by defeating Lee Sedol 9P. Runner-up Mok -- five years older than Park -- has taken second place a number of times in national events. Mok won the BC Card Cup while a teen, as well as the New Stars Best Ten. His only other title win was the KBS Baduk Wang title in 2000. In 2007 he won more games than any other pro in the world, 93, with a 76% winning rate. PHOTO: 2008.03.17_Park YuongHoon

CHO TIES UP KISEI: Down 1-3 in the best-of-seven-games Kisei title match against the much-younger Yamashita Keigo 9P, Cho Chikun (r) 9P has come back to tie the match at 3-3, eking out narrow victories in must-win games five and six by 3.5 and 4.5 points respectively. Yamashita, who has held this title for the last two years, is more than twenty years younger than Cho, who is in his fifties. Since turning fifty two years ago, Cho has defended his Judan title successfully twice and won the NHK Cup, bringing his total list of title wins to 71 and making him a remarkable phenomenon in modern professional go, which these days is generally dominated by players in their twenties. Yamashita, who turns thirty this Fall, also holds the Japanese Oza title, another of the top seven in Japan, but his record in the last two years has not matched Cho's. The decisive game of the Kisei title match is scheduled for this Wednesday and Thursday, March 19-20.

WOMEN'S TEAM EVENT REACHES FINAL STAGE: The Japanese are down to their last player in the Jeongganjang Cup while the Koreans and Chinese still have two players each. The Jeongganjang is a team event for women pros with the same structure as the Nongshim Cup, three five-member teams that play one game at a time in a single elimination format; the team with the last player standing wins. The sixth edition of the Jeongganjang Cup is underway and has reached the third and final stage. Kato Keiko 5P is the Japanese team's last player , while the Chinese and the Koreans both have two players left, including two of the three 9P women pros in the world, Rui Naiwei 9P for the Chinese and Park Jieun 9P for the Koreans. Tang Yi 3P from China won the last two games of the second stage, played in Seoul, and is paired against Lee Minjin 5P of Korea in the first game of the final stage, to be played in Beijing, China, beginning April 1st. In recent matches Park - who's twenty years younger -- has been doing better and better against Rui. The best performance so far has been from Aoki Kikyuo 8P of Japan, who won three games early on (click here to see her game against Kim Sesil); none of the other Japanese players have managed to win a game. Aoki is one of the most successful women players in Japan, having won several national titles over the last twenty years, while Japan's last hope, Kato Keiko, has won only one title, the Japanese Women's Meijin last year.

GO QUIZ: Dosaku Everyone?
Indeed, all 19 of you knew Dosaku was part one of the "D&D" question last week. Reactions ranged from "Easy one!" to "That was a very vague question," but both got it right. Two of you linked the great Dosaku with his eventual successor, Dochi, not Ogawa Doteki, the prodigy who died before he could head the Honinbo house. All in all, very sharp responses: 16 correct, 2 very close and the guy who came up with Dosaku and Dosaku Jr. Congrats to Russ Williams, this week's winner, selected at random form those answering correctly. "A further geeky D&D/Gygax homage might be ‘Did go appear in any published D&D modules?'" suggests Russ. Like him I have no idea, and agree that it would be interesting to find out. Email us at journal@usgo.org if you know.
THIS WEEK'S QUIZ: The initial phase of the quiz continues with another name play question. One of the traditional "big 7" Japanese titles was won by three different players in its first three years, and each shared a common initial in their name. Which title was it? Click here with your answer. - Keith Arnold, Quizmaster

YOUR MOVE: Readers Write

KUMASAKA CORRECTION: "While Naoko Kumasaka has a European 6d rating, you say she is ‘of the European Go Federation'" (Third Argentinian Go Congress Coming Up 3/10 EJ)" writes Tony Atkins, noting that "she lived in Europe for a while about 8 years ago when she played some tournaments, but she in no way represents the EGF." Atkins is President of the European Go Federation.

GO CLASSIFIED
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GO PLAYERS WANTED: New Brunswick, NJ. The Rutgers Go Club is looking for new members of any level experience for its first official meeting on March 28th. Please contact Andrew at tenorfella@gmail.com (3/17)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: North Georgia or Chattanooga, TN. Looking for players in the Chattanooga area to play join newly-founded North Georgia Go Club. Please contact david.johnson.saunders@gmail.com (3/10)
FOR SALE: Complete set of Go World magazine, nos. 1-103. Pristine condition. Owned by retired librarian. Read only on Sundays. Make me an offer. Bob Barber. komoku@earthlink.net (3/3)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Blowing Rock or Boone, NC. Looking for players in Boone or Blowing Rock to play casual games with. Please contact emily.mount@gmail.com (3/3)
KS: Looking for Go players in Kansas (especially in the Wichita area) to join the city's Go Club. For more information contact Andrew Wrinn email: wichitagoclub@gmail.com or visit our website (2/25)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Vernon Hills, IL: The new Lake County Baduk Club in Vernon Hills, IL is looking for new members and possibly teachers. Email xflamarialx@gmail.com (2/18)
GO PLAYERS WANTED: Houston, TX: Looking for players in North West Houston to start a go club. Please contact swsws@sbcglobal.net (2/18)

Published by the American Go Association
Managing Editor: Chris Garlock
Assistant Editor: Bill Cobb
Professionals: Yilun Yang 7P; Alexandr Dinerchtein 3P; Fan Hui 2P
Contributors: Paul Barchilon (Youth Editor); Lawrence Ku (U.S. West Coast Reporter); Brian Allen (U.S. West Coast Photo Editor); Peter Dijekma (Dutch/European Correspondent); Marilena Bara (Romania/European Correspondent)
Columnists: James Kerwin 1P; Kazunari Furuyama; Rob van Ziejst; Roy Laird
Translations: Chris Donner (Japan); Bob McGuigan (Japan); Matt Luce (China)

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