By Michael Chen
The Brazil Nihon Ki-in in São Paulo welcomed players for the 2026 Brazil Go Congress over Brazil’s Independence Day weekend, which coincided with the U.S. Labor Day holiday. I had the pleasure of joining the Congress as its visiting professional.
Established in the 1980s, the São Paulo branch of the Nihon Ki-in is now the organization’s only branch outside Japan. With a garden, two main playing floors and even a basement parking lot, the Japanese-style building is an imposing home for Go. It once included several upstairs apartments intended for teaching professionals. In essence, it is a Go player’s dream destination.
My activities included simultaneous games, game reviews, livestreams and lectures. Thanks to similar work at the U.S. Go Congress, I arrived with well-prepared material. Even so, it was humbling to see how much the organizers adjusted the schedule to accommodate my events. The university student tournament was moved to the evening to make room for simuls, while three rounds of the Open and the five-round Rengo tournament were squeezed into the afternoons to allow time for two morning lectures. The players’ interest and enthusiasm made me wish I had prepared and rehearsed even more so I could make the most of the attention they gave me.
The six-round Brazilian Championship brought especially encouraging news for Go players of every age. The highest-rated player was 94-year-old Uyama. Beyond his championships and strong play, what impressed me most was how matter-of-factly everyone treated his success. He played mostly on Board One and finished 5-1, tied with Hiroaki, Amaro and Fanaro.
The tiebreaks culminated in a dramatic blitz playoff in which Amaro edged out Fanaro on time to win the championship. Watching Uyama excel well into his nineties was enormously encouraging for my own future in the game. I hope players throughout the North American Go community—and beyond—will see his example as inspiration to keep playing and participating in tournaments and gatherings for many years to come.
I credit Brazil’s delicious beef and açaí juice as the magic elixir that cured my first-day sniffles.
My participation was made possible by the American Go Foundation and Terry Benson. Terry’s idea is to pay forward the support our Go community has received from East Asia. Now that our community has grown, we have a responsibility to offer similar support to others. That support also feeds back into our own community by encouraging further exchanges and communication.
I wholeheartedly agree. Making these kinds of contributions was one of the biggest reasons I pursued becoming a professional player. Doing my part to support the sustainable development of the Go community is also a way to sustain the development of my own game.
The larger IBERO Latin and South American Go Congress will take place October 30–November 4. The event will feature four visiting professionals, including North American professionals Yoonyoung Kim 8P and newly certified NAGF professional Qiyou Wu, with Eric Wainwright serving as team leader.
Learn more about and support the American Go Foundation’s work. The Brazil Nihon Ki-in also maintains a very active Instagram page.
Photos (l-r): Michael Chen, as the crowd watches the championship tiebreak playoff; Ninety-four-year-old Uyama competing on Board One and on stream; Michael Chen and organizer Felipe with signed Go boards for school Go classes; the Brazil Nihon Ki-in building in São Paulo. photos courtesy Igor “Garou,” who has posted additional photographs and a more detailed introduction to the Brazil Nihon Ki-in on the AGA Discord.