The 2026 U.S. Go Congress got underway Sunday with the opening round of the U.S. Open. For the first time, the American Go E-Journal livestream featured not only the top-board game but also the top 1-dan and top 1-kyu games, an expansion that drew enthusiastic responses from viewers. Michael Redmond 9P provided live commentary; Click here for Round 1 results and here to watch the commentary.
Sunday also saw the opening rounds of the Seniors and Women’s tournaments, along with the Redmond Cup and Girls Cup (video here), and, of course, the ever-popular Self-Paired Tournament. The day concluded with the 13×13 tournament before the return of the legendary Midnight Madness, which got underway—as tradition demands—at midnight.
Professional programming was equally busy. Ryan Li 4P presented Go Seigen and the Birth of Shinfuseki; Yoonyoung Kim 8P explored Save or Sacrifice; and Yeonwoo Cho 2P gave Behind the Stones. All three lectures drew strong attendance, reflecting organizers' efforts this year to leave participants ample time to both compete and take advantage of the professional instruction. Simultaneous exhibitions (simuls) were also offered by Michael Redmond 9P, Bill Lin 1P, and Michael Chen 2P.
Sunday evening's EJ Recap Show featured Ryan Li 4P reviewing key games from both Round 1 of the U.S. Open and the Redmond Cup. Watch it here.
Complete information about the 2026 U.S. Go Congress is available here.
Photo: Players compete in Sunday's 13×13 tournament. Photo by Chris Garlock.