Two players remain unbeaten after the opening day of the 2026 North American Go Federation Pro Qualification Tournament, with Alan Huang 7D and Eric Lee 6D each posting 2-0 records to take the early lead in the race to become North America's next professional Go player.
Huang opened with a win over 13-year-old Evan Tan 6D before defeating Jeremiah Donley 5D in the second round to emerge as the lone undefeated player in Division A.
In Division B, Lee defeated Ethan Whitman 5D in a marathon first-round game that stretched nearly four hours before returning from a brief break—fortified by cookies, an energy bar, and a 24-ounce coffee with an espresso shot—to defeat Val Lewis 4D in Round 2 and finish the day at 2-0.
Several players remain within striking distance. Qiyou Wu 7D’s second-round game was one of the day's most memorable games: after nearly three hours and 40 minutes of fighting that sprawled across the entire board, Wu edged Jasper Liu 6D by just a half point, 23½-23, with neither player certain of the result until the final count was carefully verified from a photograph of the completed board.
Round 3 promises another pivotal matchup as Huang faces Michael Xu 5D, while Lee takes on Qiyou Wu 7D. With a full round-robin schedule still ahead, every game will be critical in determining who advances to the tournament's final stages.
The American Go E-Journal is livestreaming all tournament games on the AGA's YouTube and Twitch channels, with nightly recap shows at 7 p.m. Eastern reviewing the day's most significant games.
photo by Bill Chiles; report by Chris Garlock
Updated/corrected 7/2; latest results available here.