American Go E-Journal » 2019 » March
San Diego Go Club: Cherry Blossom Festival & 8th annual championship
The weekend of March 22-24 was a busy time for the members of the San Diego Go Club. On Friday and Saturday, they manned several tables at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. Thousands streamed into the garden and many found their way next to the koi pond and under the blooming purple wisteria flowers where SDGC members were teaching and demonstrating go. Several new members were added to the club's roster.
On Sunday, the go club hosted at the San Diego Chess Club the eighth annual San Diego Go Championship. There was a record turnout of 65 competing, with players coming from Vermont, Arizona, and all over Southern California.
Ten players, including two past champions, entered the Open Section to compete for 2019 title of Best Player in San Diego. When the top-rated 9.9-dan player lost in the first round, the title was up for grabs. After four hotly contested rounds, the Open Section ended up with a 4-way tie (3-1 records) for First Place: Hongkui Zheng 6d (2019 Champ), Xinyu Liu 6s, Yi Wang 6d (2018 Champ), Mark Lee 6d (2016 Champ). While all four players shared the combined 1st-3rd place cash prizes totaling $600, Hongkui Zheng was declared the champion based on the GoClubs.org tie-breaking system and awarded the trophy.
Thirty-five more competed in the Handicap Sections and an additional twenty youth played in a 5-round 13×13 competition run by Chinese professional Hai Li and the California Go Association.
Handicap Section Winners:
Dan/High Kyu: 1st: Christophe Humbert 2d; 2nd: Kevin Yang 1k; 3rd: Peter Schumer 2k.
Single-Digit Kyu: 1st: Arunas Rudvalis 6k; 2nd: Warren Andrews 6k; 3rd: Elias Klingbeil 4k.
Double-Digit Kyu: 1st: Lucia Moscola 15k; 2nd: Pasco Kwok 12k; 3rd: Andy Zhou 12k.
20+ Kyu: 1st: George Spellman 23k; 2nd: Enzo Moscola 26k; 3rd: David Saponara 24k.
13×13 Youth Competition: 1st: Addison Lee 20k (Girls' Champion); 2nd: Angelino Zhao 18k; 3rd: Evan Tan 27k (Boys' Champion).
The San Diego Go Club is now looking forward to hosting the second annual California Go Championship in the fall. Hopefully, Calvin Sun US 1P will return to defend his championship.
– Ted Terpstra, President, San Diego Go Club
Photos (l-r from top left): JFG Cherry Blossom Festival; SDGC President Ted Terpstra awarding the first place trophy to Hongkui Zheng; San Diego Chess Club with go players; Hai Li (Left) & 13×13 winners: Angelino Zhao, Addison Lee, and Evan Tan. photos by Henry You and Soo Yoon
Categories: Main Page,U.S./North America
Tony Tang tops Salt City Tournament
The Syracuse Go Club hosted its 12th annual Salt City Tournament on March 23; thirty-seven players participated, one shy of the tournament record.
Local high school senior Tony Tang 7d (top right) was the only four-game winner in the tournament's A division and claimed the $100 1st place prize, while Cornell University students Jiuheng He 5d and Shao-Ting Ho 4d took home the prize money for 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.
Thirteen-year-old Liya Luk 2k (bottom right), of Syracuse, swept all four of her games and won the B division. Syracuse high-school student Sheng Yuan Lin 5k and Buffalo resident Patrick Wesp 7k both had 3-1 records and finished in 2nd and 3rd place in that division. Jimmy Li 22k (bottom left) was the C division's only 4-0 winner, while Casey Beach 13k and Benjamin Braun 21k each won three games and finished in 2nd and 3rd place in the division.
Allen Noe served as tournament director, and organizer Richard Moseson's wife Chris once again made the tournament's traditional Problem Cake (top right), correctly solved by a majority of the players (black to play). Free refreshments for all were provided by Syracuse players, and at the end of the day, every player was able to select a new go book as a prize. Pictures from the tournament can be seen here.
Your Move/Readers Write: On respect and harmony; "Altered Carbon"; "Levar Burton Reads"
On respect and harmony: "The negative tone and harsh criticism of the translator of the Cho Hunhyun book "Go With the Flow" (Empty Board #13 3/24 EJ) caught me by surprise," writes Hanxi Zhang. "I have read the book in both English and Chinese. To me it is challenging to translate Cho's abstract thoughts and philosophies from one language/culture to another, and the translator did a decent, if not perfect job. If – as Mr Cobb has often said — Go is all about peace, balance and harmony, I am afraid he has behaved exactly contrary to those virtues. I do not see the point of humiliating the translator, a cultural ambassador, for his imperfect work. In the oriental culture, recognizing people's mistakes and weaknesses without exposing them in public is considered a virtue. Let's constantly remind ourselves of these virtues, both when playing Go and in real life."
"Altered Carbon": A very plausible Go game shows up in the 7th episode of the Netflix series Altered Carbon at about 40 minute in, and continues to show up in several subsequent episodes. (see our 2/13/2018 Go Spotting: Altered Carbon)
– Mark Gilston
"Levar Burton Reads": I just heard the latest episode of the podcast Levar Burton Reads. In it Levar Burton reads Ken Liu's short story Mono No Aware. The plot centers around culture, and go is ultimately central to the climax of the story. Worth listening to!
– Howard Cornett
Categories: Go Spotting,Main Page
Hengshui to host Mind Sports event in May
An international Mind Sports event will be held May 13-18 in Hengshui, China. The event, announced March 26, will feature five sports, Bridge, Chess, Draughts, Go, and Xiangqi and 17 disciplines and will have a total of 99 medals in gold, silver and bronze. More than 200 players from over 40 countries and regions will gather in Hengshui and fight for the title. Representing North America are three male AGA pros: Ryan Li, Eric Lui, and Gansheng Shi, plus two Asia-certified female pros: Shirley Lin and Svetlana Shikshina.
Nie Weiping was appointed event promotion ambassador and Ke Jie will serve event charity ambassador. At the launch press conference, Nie Weiping said that mind sports have added new meaning to competitive sports while there is still room for improvement. He also noted that he was especially pleased the event is being held in his hometown of Hengshui.
An "Artificial Intelligence Summit Forum" will be held during the event, featuring well-known experts and representatives of relevant enterprises from the field of artificial intelligence to discuss how artificial intelligence can be better used for board and card game education and promotion.
Categories: China,Main Page
Registration for 2019 AGHS School Team Tournament Closing Soon
"Registration for the American Go Honor Society's School Teams Tournament closes this Sunday, March 31st," says Promotion Head Melissa Cao, "Held on April 7 and 14 this year, the School Team Tournament is a four-round tournament open to teams of three to four players from educational institutions in the United States, Canada, and Mexico."
Click here for registration
Categories: Main Page,U.S./North America,Youth
Kuksu and X'ian International youth go tournaments
"We have been invited to send teams to two youth tournaments in Asia," reports AGA President Andy Okun. "With all expenses paid for kids once they arrive, this is an an incredible go-related cultural experience for the price of round trip air fare." The Kuksu Mountain tournament will be held August 2-7, in scenic Jeollanamdo Province, South Korea. Youth teams will be attending from all over the world, and participants will compete in multiple tournaments, with prizes in various rank brackets. Go related side events and local tourism are part of the program as well. Organized by the Korean Baduk Association, the popular event will be held for the sixth time this summer. Any AGA youth 18 and under are eligible to attend, and a team leader is also sought. Accompanying adults are welcome as well, but are asked to pay a $270 fee to help cover costs (as is the team leader). If you are interested in the event, or would like more information, fill out the application form here.
The X'ian Education Bureau is organizing an international tournament as well, for youth aged 13-18. A four person team will be selected for this event. The date is not set yet, but it is expected to be in mid-late August. X'ian was the former capital of China and is rich in history and culture, and the famed terracotta army is nearby as well. The event will include three days of competition and two of sightseeing and cultural exchange. 12-14 teams are expected to participate. As with the Kuksu participants must pay their own airfare. There is a $200 charge per person as well, and then all other expenses are covered. The application form is here. -Paul Barchilon, EJ Youth Editor. Photos: Top: 2018 Kuksu tournament; Bottom: A few members of the life-size Terracotta Army, of which there are 8,000. Photo by Paul Barchilon.
Categories: China,Korea,Main Page,U.S./North America,World,Youth
The Empty Board # 13
By Bill Cobb
I've just finished reading Cho Hunhyun's fascinating book Go With the Flow, which was highly recommended by several prominent members of the AGA. It's fascinating, although the Korean publisher should be ashamed for choosing a translator for such an important book someone is far from fluent in English. The translator probably had a high school course or two. The barbaric language is a constant distraction since it often requires a moment of reflection to decide what Cho Hunhyun must have been saying. Nevertheless, the insight into how one of the best players ever both thinks about and experiences playing the game is both inspiring and enlightening. I think any go player would be happy he or she had discovered go and eager to be more serious about the game after reading this book. Happily, it is not expensive. The overused expression "go is like life" is really true. Thinking more seriously about what playing the game involves and how it is played really will help you to be a better person, or at least to be a more thoughtful person. I know there are a lot of players who don't think this way about go, treating it as just another of the many games they play, especially on the internet, but they are overlooking a profound experience that will enrich their lives.
photo by Phil Straus; photo art by Chris Garlock
Categories: Main Page,The Empty Board
Registration opens for 2019 U.S. Go Congress
The 35th annual U.S. Go Congress will be held July 13–20 in Madison, Wisconsin. The playing site, Memorial Union on the UW– Madison campus, is on the shore of Lake Mendota within walking distance of many restaurants and attractions. Click here for detailed information about the Congress.
The "Register Here" tab on the Congress website will enable you to register and sign up for lunch and dinner plans, the banquet, and the day-off activity. After registering, you will receive an e-mail with a receipt and a link to sign-up for University housing.
"One of the day-off activities will be an afternoon MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves," says Congress Director Dave Weimer. "Sign up by March 31 to guarantee a ticket!"
Categories: Main Page,U.S. Go Congress,U.S./North America
The Power Report: Fujisawa evens score in 31st Women's Meijin; Fujisawa & Ichiriki win Pair Go; Hane takes sole lead in 74th Honinbo League; Kono leads 44th Meijin League; Promotions & retirements
by John Power, Japan correspondent for the E-Journal
Fujisawa evens score in 31st Women's Meijin
In recent years, the first game of the Women's Meijin title match has been linked with the first Judan game, being held at the same venue, the Osaka University of Commerce, on the following day. This year it featured yet another title-match clash, the eighth, between Fujisawa Rina, holder of three women's titles, and Xie Yimin 6P, who has had no title to her name since she lost the Women's Honinbo to Fujisawa last December. She has memories of this title, as she held it for nine years in a row, so she will be hoping to make a comeback. Fujisawa actually had the better start, but Xie caught up by living inside White's sphere of influence, then took the lead by reducing White's main territory. Fujisawa resigned after 241 moves.
The second game was played in the Arisu Pavilion on the campus of Heian Jogakuin University (also known as St. Agnes' University) on March 14. Fujisawa (black) beat Xie by resignation after 189 moves. Xie took the initiative in the opening, but Fujisawa made a successful attack in the middle game and drew level with her. At the end, Xie slipped up in time trouble, so Fujisawa took a big lead. Up to this loss, Xie had won nine games in a row. The third game will be played at the Nihon Ki-in on March 22.
Fujisawa & Ichiriki win Pair Go
The final of the Professional Pair Go Championship 2019 was held at the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo on March 3. Taking white, the pair of Fujisawa Rina and Ichiriki Ryo beat Osawa Narumi and Kyo Kagen by resignation.
Hane takes sole lead in 74th Honinbo League
This is one of the closest leagues in memory, with six players still in contention after five rounds; after three games in the sixth round, that number has been reduced by only one. These days, according to a new rule, only the top two players in a multiple tie qualify for the play-off, but in an earlier decade there was a five-man play-off, so it was like a mini-tournament in its own right.
With two wins since our last report, Hane Naoki 9P has improved his score to 5-1, giving him the sole lead. If he can beat Yamashita Keigo in the final round in April, he will be the challenger. Still in the running if he slips up are Shibano Toramaru 7P and Ichiriki Ryo, both on 4-2, and Yamashita and Kono Rin 9P, both on 3-2. One of these four players, though, will lose his place in the league, joining Ko Iso and Anzai Nobuaki. Actually, at this point Hane is the only player immune from demotion. For the first time, all of the games in the final round will be held on the same day, April 5, at the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo with a public commentary being held from 6 to 9 p.m. (to be extended if necessary).
(Feb. 11) Kono Rin 9P (B) beat Yo Seiki 7P by resig. This was Yo's second loss, so he fell behind Shibano and Kono (both on 3-1 at this point).
(Feb. 21) Hane Naoki (B) beat Ko Iso 8P by resig.; Yamashita Keigo 9P (W) beat Shibano Toramaru 7P by 3.5 points.
(March 7) Ko Iso 8P (B) beat Anzai Nobuaki 7P by 3.5 points.
(March 14) Hane (B) beat Ichiriki Ryo 8P by resig.; Shibano Toramaru (B) beat Yo Seiki 8P by resig.
Kono leads 44th Meijin League
After three and a half rounds, Kono Rin, on 4-0, is the only undefeated player, so he has a theoretical chance of playing in two best-of-sevens this year. His March 14 win detailed below is also his 13thwin in a streak that began last December. The Go Weekly report on the league went off topic in an interesting aside. The reporter wrote that if you were to publish a new book on josekis, the star point would probably take over half the space, as recently star-point variations have evolved a lot and become remarkably complicated. A novel variation appeared in the Kono v. Murakawa game.
Recent results:
(Feb. 21) Kono Rin 9P (B) beat Suzuki Shinji 7P by resig.; Mutsuura Yuta 7P (W) beat Murakawa Daisuke by resig. At this point, Kono, on 3-0, was the sole undefeated player.
(March 7) Shibano Toramaru 7P (W) beat Son Makoto 7P by resig.
(March 14) Kono Rin (W) beat Murakawa Daisuke 8P by 2.5 points.
To 9-dan: Komatsu Fujio (200 wins, as of Feb. 26)
To 8-dan: Sano Takatsugu (150 wins, as of March 5)
To 2-dan: Kuwabara Shun (30 wins, as of March 15)
Kusunoki Teruko 7P will retire as of March 31. Born on September 3, 1939, she became 1-dan in 1956 and reached 7-dan in 1984. She won the Women's Honinbo three years in a row and five times overall and the Women's Kakusei two years in a row. She is one of the three Honda sisters; her oldest sister, Sugiuchi Kazuko 8P, is still active at the age of 92. The second sister, Honda Sachiko 7P, aged 88, retired in 2000.
Yoshida Harumi 1P will also retire at the end of this month. Born on November 28, 1957, she became a disciple of Iwamoto Kaoru 9P and became a professional in 1981.
Categories: Japan,John Power Report,Main Page
Transatlantic Pro Team match updates; AGA Watch Party pizza offer
The Transatlantic Professional Go Team Championship's players for both the AGA and EGF teams have been announced. Ilya Shikshin 3P is the highest-ranked player on the EGF team, while the AGA team has Ryan Li 1P, who has become a star by defeating a top Chinese pro — Chen Yaoye 9P — in the 3rd MLiliy Cup.
As it did during the AlphaGo – Lee Sedol match, the AGA is offering reimbursement for food and non-alcoholic drinks for organized watch parties for the first round of the Transatlantic Match, which will be live-broadcast on April 7 at 2 PM EDT. A chapter must be current on dues and the expenses must be reasonable for the expected turnout. Send a few pictures of the party and a paragraph description along with a copy of receipt to journal@usgo.org. "We are also encouraging social media sharing of your stories," says AGA president Andy Okun. Use #transatlanticgo and/or #teamAGA (or #teamEGF) for your stories.
Categories: Europe,Main Page,U.S./North America