INAF Takes Next Step Towards New East Coast Go Center

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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.

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AGA City League Off to a Good Start

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pandalogo-4885cf7392ac5bc75a68d553b7287b04Most 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

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RIP Go Seigen

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Go Seigen passed away in hospital, in Japan, on Sunday December 30, 2014.

He was 100 years old.

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Go Seigen at the Ing Cup in 2009. Photo: Zhang Jingna

The news was reported by the Nihon Kiin (Japanese Go Association) and the Yomiuri Shimbun, with the newspaper saying that Go Seigen was “heralded as the strongest professional player in the Showa era.”

In fact, many people regard Go Seigen to be the greatest Go player ever.

A Go prodigy

Go Seigen (吴清源) was born in Fujian, China on June 12, 1914.

He was recognized as a Go prodigy from an early age and moved to Japan, to become the live-in disciple of Segoe Kensaku 7p, when he was 14 years old.

He became only the second professional to be granted the rank of 9 dan in 1950 (Fujisawa Hosai, aka Fujisawa Kuranosuke, was the first).

A Go master

Between 1933 and 1955, Go Seigen played a total of 12 jubango (10 game matches) with other top pros.

Of these matches, he won ten, lost one (to Fujisawa) and one was discontinued (with Kitani Minoru).

Go later defeated Fujisawa in two subsequent 10 game matches and, since he was playing against the top players of the era, his results overall were amazing.

It was these matches, more than anything else, that established Go Seigen’s reputation as the top player of the era.

Go Seigen’s name has also become synonymous with the Shin Fuseki (new opening) movement, which started in the early 1930s and had a profound influence on the way Go is played today. You can read more about that and learn more about Go Seigen here.

And an inspiration

Go Seigen’s students include Rin Kaiho 9p and Rui Naiwei 9p. Many other pros, including Michael Redmond 9p, attended study sessions at Go’s home.

Beyond that, Go Seigen was an inspiration to the many thousands of Go players around the world who study his games.

An Younggil 8p said, “I was very fond of replaying Go’s games when I was an insei.”

“His games were something special to me and I felt a cool smoothness to his play. I replayed all of his recorded games at least three times, because it was enjoyable and also exciting.”

“I always felt that I was improving when I studied his games.”

“His moves are very sharp and light, especially compared to other top players of that period.”

“His opening was outstanding and he was also a master of ko.”

Go Seigen also provided inspiration to people in many other areas, including film, photography, and music.

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Rest in peace

He will be missed by his family, and Go fans around the world.

Like other Go masters, he will live on through the game records he created.

Rest in peace, Go Seigen.

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Go Seigen at game 5 of the 36th Kisei match. Photo: Japanese Go Association

A private funeral service will be held for close relatives and a public farewell ceremony can be expected at a later date.

 

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“Great Master” Go Seigen Dead at 100

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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 2014.11.30_go-seigen-young100th 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.

2014.11.30_Go-Seigen-oldBorn 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.

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Traveling Go Board: Gotham Go, Thanksgiving Week

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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 IMG_1108Thanksgiving 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!

via American Go E-Journal http://www.usgo.org/news/2014/11/traveling-go-board-gotham-go-thanksgiving-week/

Ing Foundation to hold Chang Qi semifinals at Harvard in September ’15

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The Shanghai Ing Chang-ki Wei-ch’i (Go) Educational Foundation, will be holding the semifinals of 12th Annual Chinese Professional Chang Qi Cup Invitational Tournament in Cambridge, MA, next fall, along with two new side tournaments intended for the North American go community, the EJ has learned.

The Chang Qi Cup, jointly hosted by the Ing Foundation and the China Go Association, now one of the most prestigious of the domestic Chinese go tournaments, was started in 2004 in memory of Taiwanese businessman and go benefactor Ing Chang-ki. Past winners have included greats such as Gu Li 9p, Kong Jie 9p and Chen Yaoye 9p. According to AGA President Andy Okun and Michael Fodera of the American Collegiate Go Association (ACGA), the Ing Foundation and Mr. Ing’s son, Ying Ming-haw, have decided to take advantage of the 2015 semis to provide a promotional event for American players and to strengthen ties between the North American and Chinese go communities.

The semifinal matches will take place Sept. 26-28 at Harvard University Student Center. Alongside the main event, on Sept. 26-27 the Foundation will be sponsoring a tournament for college students to be run by ACGA and a tournament for amateurs to be run by the AGA, both with major prizes, Okun and Fodera said. There will also be simultaneous games with visiting professionals, commentary on the semis, and side trips to meet go players in Washington DC and New York on Sept. 29 and 30. “This event will have something for everyone, tournaments for those who crave the competition but also teaching events, an opportunity to watch the best players in action and a chance to get together with old friends and make new ones,” Okun said. Watch the EJ for further details as they’re available.

via American Go E-Journal http://www.usgo.org/news/2014/11/2015-chang-qi-cup-invitational-semifinals-to-be-held-in-boston/

EuroGoTV Update: Sweden, Romania, Finland

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Jaakko Virtanen 2dSweden: The Gothenburg Open finished on November 23 with Charlie Aakerblom 4d in first, John Karlsson 4d in second, and Erik Ouchterlony 4d in third. Romania: Also on November 23, Ionel Santa 2d took the Romanian Cup Semifinal in Bucuresti. Pierre Boulestreau 1d came in second and George Chirila 1d was third. Finland: Jaakko Virtanen 2d (left) bested Jesse Savo 4d at the Turku Championship on November 23 while Tuukka Muroke 2d placed third.
– Annalia Linnan, based on reports from EuroGoTV, which include complete result tables and all the latest European go news; photo courtesy of EuroGoTV

via American Go E-Journal http://www.usgo.org/news/2014/11/eurogotv-update-sweden-romania-finland/

Weekly Go problems: Week 128

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Here are the weekly Go problems for week 128.

Black plays first in all problems and all solutions are labeled ‘correct’. Have fun!

Easy Go problem

This week’s problems are all about shortage of liberties.

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Intermediate Go problem

We looked at this tesuji once before. Capturing White requires a delicate move order.

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Hard Go problem

Sometimes I feel guilty because I don’t care whether my stones live or die, only that I’ve made them all work hard beforehand!

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Still want more Go problems?

You can find Go books packed full of life and death problems, tesuji problems and other valuable Go knowledge at the Go Game Shop.

Discuss other possible moves

If you have any questions or want to discuss any of these problems, please leave a comment below at any time. You can use the coordinates on the problem images to discuss a move or sequence of moves.

You can also download the solutions as a PDF or SGF file by clicking the links below each problem.

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