A snowy Saturday morning in Burlington, Vermont, gave way to intense competition at the 2026 Vermont Winter Go Tournament, held at the Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center on the Lake Champlain waterfront. The tournament drew 22 players from Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Quebec.
When play concluded, three players finished with perfect records. Jack Homer (1 dan, at left in collage) took first place at 3–0, winning a closely contested final-round game between the current Vermont and Maine state champions. Jon Paquette (6 kyu, top right) finished second at 3–0, while Jacqueline Hood (19 kyu, bottom right) placed third at 3–0, each demonstrating notable progress over the course of the event.
Players finishing with winning records selected prizes from tournament sponsors. These included Go books provided by Board N’ Stones, a family membership from Shelburne Farms, show tickets from The Flynn Theater, gift cards from The Skinny Pancake, memberships from Yunguseng Dojang, and several “mystery prizes” consisting of Japanese yen and Canadian dollars.
The event also marked the 40th anniversary of the Vermont Go Club, founded by Pete Schumer. The tournament was part of the club’s ongoing 2026 Six Seasons of Vermont Go series. Additional information is available at vermontgo.org .
Report by Jack Cary; photos by Matt Dooman.