Players compete at the 2025 Chicago Rapid. Photo by David Schiller.
Evanston, Illinois - October 16, 2026 — Two Go players will travel to Chicago this October as the inaugural recipients of the NextMove Foundation's Midwest Travel Initiative, which provides players with financial support to attend the 2026 Chicago Rapid on Saturday, Oct. 24.
The initiative covers a travel stipend, accommodations from Oct. 23-25, and meals on tournament day. NextMove selected recipients through a weighted lottery that considered Midwest residency, previous tournament participation, and competitive achievements.
For Tank Lin, a Minnesota-based software engineer and Johns Hopkins Engineering graduate student, the grant helped settle a difficult decision.
"I was honestly on the fence at first because traveling from Minnesota to Chicago takes considerable time and cost, especially right after playing the Minnesota State Championship," Lin said. “[The] travel grant from the Next Move Foundation was a fantastic surprise that tipped the scales, making it an easy decision to make the trip and take on the challenge."
Lin began playing Go seriously in 2023 after joining the Twin Cities Go Club as an AGA 1 Dan. He went on to win the 2025 Minnesota State Go Championship, including a victory over a 5 Dan player and advanced to AGA 3 Dan.
Outside of tournaments, Lin enjoys Go as a break from his work and studies.
"Go has become my favorite hobby and passion. It gives me a dedicated space to unplug and completely clear my mind from the demands of life and study," he said.
Lin recalled his games with fellow Twin Cities Go Club player Martin. Starting with a four-stone handicap in 2023, Lin gradually improved until the two began playing even games this year.
"Those milestones and shared moments are my favorite part of the community, and I hope we can keep playing together for years to come," Lin said.
At the Chicago Rapid, Lin will experience the fast-paced format for the first time.
"Playing five competitive rounds in a single day is completely new territory for me, so I'm eager to see how my stamina and board intuition hold up," he said.
For fellow recipient Hongkai Pan, Go began with an unlikely discovery at his local library.
"My mom would take me to the library, but I hated reading books," Pan recalled. After discovering Janice Kim's Learn to Play Go series, he read the first two volumes repeatedly and began playing online.
For a while, though, he switched to chess in search of in-person competition. About a year and a half ago, he decided to give Go another try.
"I again thought it was more fun and interesting than any other game I've ever played due to the sheer depth of the game," Pan said.
Since entering his first tournament in February, Pan has competed in six events.
"Every game feels like a big mental workout," Pan said.
Unlike chess, Pan finds that Go relies more on thinking on the spot than memorized theory. For him, the best way to prepare for a tournament is simply to get a good night's sleep and stay mentally sharp.
The travel grant will now bring him from San Francisco to Chicago for a new competitive experience.
"It really helps since otherwise, I wouldn't even have thought about flying somewhere else to go to a Go tournament," Pan said.
As for his goals at the Chicago Rapid, Pan said, "Like in every tournament, I am most looking forward to winning games against stronger players."
He also looks forward to meeting players outside his usual tournament circuit.
"It's just really great to be surrounded by people who also really love the game since it's pretty rare to find people who play Go," he said.
The 2026 Chicago Rapid will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Holiday Inn Chicago North-Evanston. Interested players can register here.