Go Game Guru is now in Canada too!

Today I can finally announce that Go Game Guru has come to Canada!

Our new warehouse near Toronto will provide cheaper and faster local shipping options to Canadians.

This builds upon our existing services in the US, UK, Australia and Asia.

A variety of new, affordable shipping options, with Canada Post and Purolator, are available in our store right now.

How Go Game Guru saves you money

It’s taken four years of hard work, but our little Go store in one corner of the world has grown into a moyo which spans seven locations, six countries and four continents:

Go Game Guru saves you money by shipping from the closest of seven international locations.

• US East (Philadelphia)
• US West (Los Angeles)
• Canada (Toronto)
• UK and Europe (London)
• Australia and New Zealand (Sydney)
• Asia (Seoul)
• Asia (Hong Kong – we know the SAR has its own flag).

We did all this because we’re serious about making Go equipment and books more readily available and affordable around the world.

Cheaper and faster shipping

Because we store most of our popular products as close to you as possible, we can ship to you at the lowest possible price, with the fastest possible delivery.

We ship your orders locally wherever possible, resulting in super fast, affordable shipping.

Cheaper overall prices

And because we use sea freight to stock local warehouses well in advance (which is cheap, but super slow), we reduce the overall cost of getting Go equipment from the factory to you.

You don’t have to wait for Go equipment to come from Asia though, because we’ve already got equipment ready and waiting for you.

These savings are reflected in lower prices in our store. Because our costs are lower, yours are too.

Of course, quality comes into the price equation too. We try to provide the best value for money of any Go store, including selling some really cheap stuff as well as some better quality stuff.

The long part of the journey is done by sea. This saves us money, which saves you money too!
(Note: Actual ship is not this precarious.)

Less headaches with customs

And don’t forget that if you live in one of the countries listed above (or the EU), we’ve already done all the paperwork to import the goods and paid the taxes while doing so.

Those costs are already included in our prices, which means what you see is what you get. You won’t have to fill in forms or pay unexpected taxes when you order locally from Go Game Guru.

Canadians can say goodbye cross border brokerage fees

Something that infuriates many Canadians are the cross border ‘brokerage’ fees that couriers charge when shipping something from the US.

Look at the map above. Toronto is practically right next to Philly, but the national border makes all the difference.

Canadians are in the frustrating position of choosing between a courier (e.g. UPS, FedEx), who likes to surprise customers with an unexpected $30 brokerage fee on delivery, or USPS, who will do the GST paperwork for you, but cost almost twice as much.

We think an undisclosed $30 fee just to cross the border is a rort. That’s why we spent most of this year jumping through bureaucratic hoops, so that we can ship locally in Canada.

We’ve always done our best to help Canadians avoid brokerage fees (often by upgrading shipping at our own expense), but today we’ve solved the problem once and for all!

The not so fine print – what’s available in Canada right now

Most of our popular Go equipment (under $350) is available

As of today (December 16, 2014) most of our Go sets, and the stones and boards used in them, are available to ship immediately from Canada. In other words, almost everything in our store that’s priced under $350.

What are the exceptions?

The only exceptions to this are our Cheap Go Set, Newbie Go Set and Magnetic Go Set (these are not yet in Canada).

The Cheap Go Set and Newbie Go Set aren’t available yet because we have to have these made in huge quantities to keep the costs down. We’ll stock them in Canada as soon as we’re ready to make more and restock all the other warehouses too.

Go books will be arriving in Canada soon.

The Magnetic Go Sets were supposed to be available, but they seem to have gone missing (along with a few other products) after a long ordeal at Customs. Unfortunately that happens sometimes and we’re still trying to track them down.

In addition, luxury products (over $350) aren’t stored in all locations, because they cost too much to distribute and insure (99% of customers buy the products that we do store locally).

Go books are coming soon

There are no Go books in Canada yet, but we plan to have most of the books we sell stocked in Toronto in the first quarter of 2015.

There are quite a few Go books that aren’t available in every warehouse already, either because they’re out of print or because their publisher is difficult to deal with.

Books are also relatively cheap to ship from other locations, compared to Go equipment which is big and heavy. So equipment was the first priority.

In the meantime, I recommend that Canadians choose USPS or Royal Mail if ordering books before they’re available in Toronto.

What if you’re missing out?

But what if you live in another part of the world, which is far away from all of our warehouses?

We haven’t forgotten about you! The map above makes it pretty clear to us where we still have work to do.

Seamail is still available

In the short term, we can still ship to you by seamail.

It takes longer to arrive and you have to email us to organize it, but it’s still an option which can save some customers a lot of money. We might also be able to find cheaper airmail options if you email us.

Seamail shipping is no longer an option at our online checkout, because adding too many shipping options made our store too slow and confusing, which meant hardly anyone bought anything anymore until we removed them.

So if you live in South America or Africa and you’re willing to wait, email for seamail

We’re working on it

And remember, not everything can happen at once. We can only play one move at a time.

It took four years to get things to where they are now.

We’re doing our best and it’s still early in the game.

What’s next

In 2015, we want to take a short breather from the trials and tribulations of international logistics (and dealing with different governments!!!) and focus more on publishing videos, Go books and online lessons for the first half of the year.

It would also be nice to start writing articles for this website more frequently again!

However, we’ll also keep thinking about ways to make Go equipment more affordable and will be considering other countries which might make good shipping locations.

And now that we can distribute Go equipment at a low cost, it’s time to start supplying more local brick and mortar game stores. Having Go sets in actual, physical stores helps to spread Go.

If you have any requests, ideas you’d like to share, or know any game stores that we should contact, I’d love to hear from you!

You can click here to leave a comment below.

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The final of the 2014 Samsung Cup was held on December 9 and 10, in Xi’an, China.

Pop quiz: how many photographers does it take to cover the 2014 Samsung Cup?

China’s Tang Weixing 9p was hoping to defend his title, while Korea’s Kim Jiseok 9p was aiming for his first international title.

Tang Weixing 9 dan (left) and Kim Jiseok 9 dan (right) at the 2014 Samsung Cup final.

Korea’s drought finally broken

Kim Jiseok 9 dan wins the 2014 Samsung Cup.

Kim delighted Korean fans by defeating Tang 2-0 and finally breaking Korea’s recent international title drought.

This is the first time a Korean player has won a major international title since Lee Sedol 9p won the 2012 Samsung Cup.

(Note: Lee Sedol also won this year’s 26th Asian TV Cup, but that’s a lightning tournament and doesn’t have the same stature as tournaments like the Samsung Cup.)

Here’s some brief commentary on the games, with a more detailed review to come later:

Game 1

Tang played black against Kim.

The opening was well balanced between Black’s territory and White’s influence up to Black 35.

Black 57 and 59 were strong, and the first fight began!

White 68 and 70 formed a nice combination, and the game was still well balanced up to Black 79.

White 104 and 106 stubbornly resisted Black, and White started to attack with White 114.

However, Black 123 and 127 were very effective, which meant the result through to 139 was still even.

White made an error with 160. Black 161 was a very good way to save Black 55 (K15), after which Black took the lead.

However, Black 195, 215 and 225 were all mistakes and the game was reversed.

Kim Jiseok 9 dan at the 2014 Samsung Cup.

Game 2

Kim played black against Tang.

The new opening up to Black 25 produced an even result.

Black 33 started a successful invasion up to Black 43.

White 56 and 58 were unusual moves. However, Black was still slightly ahead up to Black 69.

White 76 to 80 was a clever tesuji combination, but White 88 was a mistake.

Black established a clear lead by capturing two stones with 101.

White 102 was a nice move, and White 118 was interesting, but Black’s responses were perfect.

White went all out with 134 and 136, to stay in the tournament. But once again Black answered impeccably, with 143 and 145.

White 148, 156, 160, 170 were all tricky moves. However Kim didn’t lose his cool and his play remained calm and solid.

Black 171 was a brilliant tesuji, and by now the game was basically over.

Kim and Tang’s head to head record now stands at 5-1 in Kim’s favor.

Yang Jaeho 9 dan, Secretary General, Korean Baduk Association and Kim Jiseok 9 dan, winner of the 2014 Samsung Cup

Kim’s amazing record

Christmas arrives early for Kim Jiseok 9 dan!

Kim’s 2014 individual record in international matches has been near perfect, at 15 wins and 1 loss. He was only defeated by Qiu Jun 9p in the quarter finals of the 2nd Bailing Cup.

(Note: 15-1 excludes team tournaments like the Zhaoshang and Nongshim Cups.)

In addition, Kim still has the 19th LG Cup final against Park Junghwan 9p to look forward to in February 2015.

What a fantastic year for Kim!

The Samsung Cup

The Samsung Cup first started in 1996 and uses a rather convoluted draw. Though, arguably, it is fairer than a straight knockout format.

The 32 players in the main draw are split into 8 groups of 4. Players must win two games in order to proceed from the first stage; two players from each group will advance to the knockout stage.

In some ways it’s similar to the group stage of the FIFA World Cup, except that only two wins are necessary to continue.

The round of 16 and the quarter finals are played as a straight knockout.

The semifinals and the final are played as a best of three matches.

The time limit for games is 2 hours and 5 x 1 minute byo-yomi.

Samsung is a well known Korean conglomerate.

Game records

Tang Weixing vs Kim Jiseok – Game 1

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Kim Jiseok vs Tang Weixing – Game 2

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Here are the weekly Go problems for week 129.

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

Easy Go problem

It’s easy to think that this shape is already alive, but look more closely. This sort of situation occurs very often in real games.

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Intermediate Go problem

At some stage, if you want to get stronger at Go, you need to seek out the best possible moves instead of just accepting life.

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Hard Go problem

This sort of shape can be confusing in real games. There appear to be several vital points, so watch out for counterfeit tesuji. As always, the only way to know for sure is to read.

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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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The 2nd round of the 16th Nongshim Cup was played from November 28 to December 3, 2014, in Busan, Korea.

Some brief commentary of the games follows. You can find the game records below.

Game 5 – Wang Xi vs Kang Dongyun

After the last round, Korea’s Kang Dongyun 9p was looking confident.

He’d defeated both Tuo Jiaxi 9p and Ida Atsushi 8p in round 1. Kang’s next opponent was China’s Wang Xi 9p.

From left: Wang Xi 9 dan and Kang Dongyun 9 dan at the 16th Nongshim Cup

Wang is something of an underrated player. His single international success was winning the Asian TV Cup back in 2006.

However, Wang excels in team events, having twice achieved three consecutive wins in previous Nongshim Cups.

Wang played as Black in his game against Kang.
Moves 45, 55 and 57 were typical of Wang’s simple but effective style of play.

Move 71 was brilliant, and the game became favorable for Wang up to move 83.

Move 103 was the vital point, and Kang had to struggle to save the center group.

Kang’s sequence from 126 to 136 was a nice combination to connect the center group, but Black 145 was a well timed tesuji to maintain the lead.

Move 151 was what Wang had been aiming for, and he solidified his lead up to 155.

After that, there weren’t any chances left for Kang.

It was an excellent game for Wang.

Games 6 and 7

Next up was Murakawa Daisuke 7p, playing for Team Japan.

Wang took an early lead because of Murakawa’s slack moves in the opening, and he maintained his lead smoothly throughout the game.

Murakawa tried an aggressive attack in the top right, but Wang responded correctly to save his group.

After defeating Murakawa, Wang proceeded to defeat Korea’s Ahn Seongjun 5p, scoring his third consecutive win.

From left: Wang Xi 9 dan and An Sungjoon 5 dan at the 16th Nongshim Cup

Wang established another early lead and An tried hard to catch up. Even though An reduced Wang’s lead slightly, it wasn’t enough to reverse the game.

Wang won the game quite easily.

Game 8 – Wang Xi vs Kono Rin

Wang’s fine form continued against Japan’s Kono Rin 9p.

From left: Kono Rin 9 dan and Wang Xi 9 dan at the 16th Nongshim Cup

Kono played a couple of slack moves in the opening, such as White 12 and 24. This allowed Wang to take an early lead yet again.

Black 47 and 55 were nice moves by Wang, and it became hard for Kono to attack.

Kono made a big ko at the bottom with moves 56 to 60, and it took 70 moves to eliminate the ko.

Wang eventually captured White’s big dragon in the bottom left, and Kono resigned soon afterwards.

Even if Kono had won the ko with move 130, Wang would have been happy to capture Kono’s bottom left group with Black 129 and 131.

Game 9 – Wang Xi vs Park Junghwan

After four consecutive wins, Wang’s reward was a game against Korean’s top rated player; Park Junghwan 9p.

The game was very interesting right from the start, with an early ko.

From left: Wang Xi 9 dan and Park Junghwan 9 dan at the 16th Nongshim Cup

The unusual opening up to White 38 was slightly better for Wang.

Black 71 and 75 were good ko threats, but Park also reduced Wang’s territory with moves 80 to 84.

Wang managed to save his right side group with Black 87, and the position up to move 102 was still fairly even.

Park’s moves at 118 and at 128 developed the center nicely, and he took the lead up to White 142.

Wang went all out from 149 to 155, and the game became very complicated.

White 176 was a mistake, and Black 181 and 183 were strong responses. The game was reversed up to 199.

However, Wang’s moves at 205 and 209 were also mistakes and Park reversed the game once again with 226 and 228.

Wang Xi was finally knocked out by Park Junghwan, but not before inflicting a heavy toll on the benches of both Team Japan and Team Korea.

Game 10 – Iyama Yuta vs Park Junghwan

The last game of the second round saw Korea’s #1, Park, take on Japan’s #1, Iyama Yuta 9p.

Japan’s top ranked Iyama Yuta 9 dan at the 16th Nongshim Cup

Iyama was the last man standing for Team Japan, and also the team captain. So the pressure from Japanese Go fans must have been enormous.

The game was very intense from the early stages. Park played very aggressively, while Iyama’s play was confident and accurate.

Park’s move 42 (as White) was active, but perhaps too early.

Iyama’s moves at 47 and 49 were practical, and the game turned in his favor.

White 62 was a mistake and Iyama took a clear lead with 65.

Black 83 showed Iyama’s courage.

Park started complicate the game from White 84 onwards, and he was fairly successful up to move 114. However, White 116 was a mistake, and Iyama responded perfectly with 117 and 121.

Park started to attack Iyama’s top left again with 130, but it was too late to reverse the game.

Iyama’s responses against Park’s tricky moves were perfect and he showed his power throughout this game.

With this win, Iyama has secured Japan’s appearance in the final round of the Nongshim Cup, for the first time since the 12th Nongshim Cup (2010-11).

His challenge now is to carry the torch for Japan, against the remaining Chinese players and Korea’s Kim Jiseok 9p. Lee Changho 9p often prevailed in this kind of situation, as anchorman for Korea, in the past.

From left: Iyama Yuta 9 dan and Park Junghwan 9 dan at the 16th Nongshim Cup

Final round

The final round will be played in Shanghai, China, when play resumes in March 2015.

Thanks to Wang’s wonderful performance during this round, China still has three players in reserve – Shi Yue 9p, Mi Yuting 9p and Lian Xiao 7p.

Iyama is the last man standing for Japan, and Kim Jiseok 9p is Korea’s last hope.

The next game will be between Iyama Yuta and one of the Chinese players (China hasn’t fielded their player yet). I’m looking forward to watching the final round!

The Nongshim Cup

Jing eating a ‘Nongshim cup’. See, sponsoring Go tournaments really works!

The Nongshim Cup is a team event between China, Japan and Korea.

The sponsor, Nongshim, is a Korean instant noodles company.

The tournament uses a win and continue format, which is common in these team events.

Korea has dominated this event, winning it 11 times. In contrast, Japan has won it only once, while China is slowly catching up with three wins.

A picture of a Nongshim noodle cup features, with Jing, in the photo on the right

Game records

Wang Xi vs Kang Dongyun

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Murakawa Daisuke vs Wang Xi

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An Sungjoon vs Wangxi

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Wang Xi vs Kono Rin

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Wang Xi vs Park Junghwan

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Iyama Yuta vs Park Junghwan

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

He was 100 years old.

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.

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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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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This is the last game of the 2014 Samsung Cup semifinals.

This game was played between Park Junghwan 9p and Tang Weixing 9p, on November 7, 2014. The match was played at the Samsung training center in Daejeon, Korea.

Tang Weixing won the first game of this match, but Park tied the score in the second game, so this game would decide the finalist of 2014 Samsung Cup.

Park Junghwan

Park Junghwan 9 dan is currently ranked #1 in Korea.

Park Junghwan 9p is currently ranked #1 in Korea. Nobody else has taken the #1 position from Park over the last year.

His results in domestic matches are excellent, but he hasn’t been doing very well in international tournaments over the last couple of years.

He won the 24th Fujitsu Cup, defeating Qiu Jun 9p in 2011, but since then he hasn’t gained any other international titles.

Many Korean fans want to see him win another international title soon, because he’s the absolute #1 in Korea at the moment.

Tang Weixing

Tang Weixing 9 dan has become even stronger since winning the 2013 Samsung Cup.

On the other hand, Tang Weixing 9p is #9 in China and he’s the defending champion in this tournament.

He won the 2013 Samsung Cup last year, defeating Lee Sedol 9p with a 2-0 score. It was a sensational result at the time.

His career wasn’t that remarkable up until then, but since becoming a world champion, he’s become even stronger and his game is more stable.

Tang is very strong in second half of the game, especially when he’s losing. He plays even better when he’s behind.

His style of play is provocative and it’s very hard to deal with players like him when you’re winning and are trying to simplify the game.

The head to head record between these players stood at 3-1 in Park’s favor before this game.

Park defeated Tang in the 10th Chunlan Cup and the 19th LG Cup in 2014, and they’d shared one win each in this semifinal match.

Let’s have a look at the deciding game of this 2014 Samsung Cup semifinal match.

Commented game record

Park Junghwan vs Tang Weixing

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Here are the weekly Go problems for week 127.

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

Easy Go problem

When both players have weak stones, the best moves are usually those that combine attack and defense.

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Intermediate Go problem

This shape is the result of a joseki. A lot of players don’t realize that Black can still live in the corner.

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Hard Go problem

If you allow White to maximize her eyespace, she’ll live easily.

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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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The quarter and semifinals of the 19th LG Cup were played on November 17 and 19, 2014, in Gangwon, Korea.

And then there were four

When we last reported on the LG Cup, Korea and China were evenly pegged – with four players each in the quarter finals.

Korean fans were quietly optimistic after last year’s disastrous 18th LG Cup and the Korean players more than redeemed themselves!

Park Junghwan 9p dispatched Chen Yaoye 9p without too much fuss.

Chen Yaoye 9 dan (left) couldn’t overcome Park Junghwan 9 dan at the 19th LG Cup.

Meanwhile, Choi Cheolhan 9p proved too strong for Fan Tingyu 9p.

Fan Tingyu 9 dan and (left) Choi Cheolhan 9 dan nigiri at the 19th LG Cup.

Park Younghun 9p taught youngster Xie Erhao 2p a lesson or two.

Park Younghun 9 dan (left) in his 19th LG Cup quarter final match against Xie Erhao 2 dan.

And Kim Jiseok 9p knocked out the defending champion, Tuo Jiaxi 9p.

Defending champion Tuo Jiaxi 9 dan (left) and Kim Jiseok 9 dan at the 19th LG Cup.

Two friends in the finals

While Korean fans were celebrating prematurely, with the title secured for Korea, there was more work to be done for the Korean players.

But first things first – reviewing their wins from the quarter finals!

19th LG Cup semifinalists, from left: Park Junghwan 9 dan, Kim Jiseok 9 dan, Choi Cheolhan 9 dan and Park Younghun 9 dan.

Kim’s sharp reading and perfect endgame secured his second international final appearance.

Kim Jiseok 9 dan (right) on his way to a second international final after defeating Choi Cheolhan 9p.

Kim will be joined by his good friend, Park Junghwan, who outlasted Park Younghun.

The finals

Two Parks – Park Younghun 9 dan (left) and Park Junghwan 9 dan at the 19th LG Cup.

The finals will be played at Seoul National University, from February 9 to 12, 2015.

Park Junghwan and Kim Jiseok will face one another in a best of three match.

The LG Cup

The LG Cup is a major international Go tournament. It started in 1996 and the prize money is currently 300 million Won (approximately $270,00 USD at the time of writing). The runner up receives 100 million Won.

The main draw of 32 players is part invitational, comprising of 5 Korean players, 5 Chinese players, 4 Japanese players, 1 Taiwanese player and including the previous year’s winner and runner up.

The rest of the main draw is determined through a preliminary tournament. The format is single knockout, with the final played as a best of three games.

The tournament is sponsored by LG Electronics, a multinational consumer electronics company whose headquarters are in South Korea.

The time limit is 3 hours and 5 x 40 sec byo-yomi for each player.

Game records

Park Junghwan vs Chen Yaoye

Brief comments by An Younggil 8p:

White 36 was slack, and the fighting on the right side wasn’t favorable for Chen.

Black 55 was a brilliant move, which allowed Black to take a clear lead in the game.

Black 61 to 67 were very creative and Black was satisfied up to move 77.

In a desperate attempt to reverse the game, White went all out with 136 and 138, but Black 139 and 141 were excellent responses and the game was decided at move 149.

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Tuo Jiaxi vs Kim Jiseok

Brief comments by An Younggil 8p:

The opening of this game was unusual, but the result up to White 32 was even.

Black 59 and 61 were good moves, which resulted in Black taking the lead up to move 81.

Black 101 was the wrong direction of play which allowed White to catch up through to White 112.

White 136 was very brave, because it forced Black to attack White’s center group.

White 144 to 148 were clever moves to make eye-shape, and White 162 was the finishing blow.

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Park Younghun vs Park Junghwan

Brief comments by An Younggil 8p:

White 36 to 40 were interesting, and the result up to Black 57 was even.

Black 99 was a mistake and White 100 was a very good response.

White 106 to 120 was a wonderful sequence to reduce Black’s territory, which allowed White to reverse the game.

White 156 was very sharp and Black was in trouble.

Black went all out with 177, but White’s responses were flawless.

Black 207 and 209 were very strong, but sadly for Black there weren’t enough ko threats.

White was leading by a small margin by move 226, after which there were no more chances for Black.

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Kim Jiseok vs Choi Cheolhan

Brief comments by An Younggil 8p:

The first fight at the bottom, up to White 44, ended with Black slightly ahead.

White 74 was a nice move and the game became very complicated.

White 92 was the vital point, which allowed White to live on the right side up to White 106. However, Black 107 and 109 were also very strong.

There was a seemingly endless ko fight on the right side, with excellent ko threats made by both players.

But Black had more ko threats so White had to capture Black’s left side group.

Unfortunately, it didn’t provide enough compensation, and Kim wrapped up the game with some flawless endgame play.

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Go Game Guru recently bought Hinoki Press from Chris Greene, the founder of Hinoki.

Hinoki Press

The Hinoki Press logo. Hinoki (檜) is the Japanese name for the Japanese Cyprus tree and its wood.

Hinoki Press is a Go book publishing company which started in 2006.

Since then, Hinoki has published a total of 18 Go books.

Chris, a long time Go player, started Hinoki after retiring from his career as a programmer, because he wanted to give something back to the Go community.

In my opinion, he’s done an admirable job of that.

When we started Go Game Guru in 2010, Chris was one of the first people to take us seriously and do business with us.

He’s also become a friend over the last four years and I’ve enjoyed working with him.

At this stage, because of his health, Chris no longer wants to continue running Hinoki.

Keeping Go books in print

It’s important to all of us that Go books stay in print wherever possible and we bought Hinoki with the express purpose of keeping all 18 of its books in print.

We’ll continue to sell these books under the Hinoki brand name for the time being and will gradually build on Chris’ work with our own books – starting with our upcoming Lee Sedol vs Gu Li Jubango book.

For Go players, this also means that we’ll be able to provide you with Go books at even better prices than before.

Thank you Chris

Hinoki’s second Go book: Pure and Simple – Takao’s Astute Use of Brute Force (one of my favorites).

Chris’ contribution to the body of English language Go books is immense and I know many Go players (including me) have enjoyed and learned from Hinoki’s books over the years.

Hinoki’s efforts made a lot of thought provoking material available in English for the first time.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say “thank you Chris,” and I hope that you will too.

He’s generally worked quietly, behind the scenes, but he deserves some recognition for his achievements.

If you’d like to leave a comment for Chris you can do so below and he will see it.

Click here if you’d like to leave a comment.

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