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US Chess and AGA Share Ideas
Published On 9/26/2023
While visiting Washington DC, Carol Meyer, US Chess Executive Director, and Gurujeet Khalsa, AGA President got together to talk about best practices for their organizations. There was enthusiasm for doing more together with other mind sports organizations in the US, and discussion on topics of mutual interest: AI and cheating, ratings automation, diversity and inclusion, organizational stucture, membership and customer service and more. "It was incredibly helpful to learn from a larger organization with a similar focus how they manage many of the same issues we face," said Khalsa.
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Oxford Go Club Hosts Chris Garlock on Thames Walk
Published On 9/25/2023
The Oxford City Go Club hosted EJ Managing Editor Chris Garlock — currently walking the 200-mi Thames Path as a fundraiser for the AGF— at a special gathering Friday night at organizer Harry Fearnley’s home, joined by “Sato” Kishigami.

After teaming up to solve some challenging tsumego problems — and a look at Fearnley’s impressive stone and fossil collection — the three engaged in a wide-ranging discussion on Go and AI over Chinese take-away. Fearnley first learned the game when he came to Oxford in the 1960s and Kishigami, who discovered the local clubs when he came to study, learned it as a child in Japan. The Oxford City Go Club was created because the Oxford University Go Society doesn’t meet out of term, and while attendance at both clubs has gone up and down over the years, both Fearnley and Kishigami say they are firmly committed to the feel of actual Go pieces and the human contact of in-person play.
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NAGF Team Dominates Opening Round of the Transatlantic Team Match Against EGF
Published On 9/24/2023
The 2023 Transatlantic Professional Go Team Championship made a thrilling debut on September 16, with the North American Go Federation (NAGF) achieving a resounding 3-0 victory over the European Go Federation (EGF) in the opening round. The excitement was palpable as Ryan Li 4P, on the first board, secured a win by resignation against Andrii Kravets 1P. Eric Lui 2P continued the winning streak by defeating Stanislaw Frejlak 1P, and Kevin Yang 1P sealed the triumph by overcoming Pavol Lisy 2P.
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Michael Chen Wins 2nd Go New England Open 2023
Published On 9/24/2023
The 2nd Go New England Open took place over Labor Day weekend, Saturday Sept 2 through Sunday Sept 3, 2023.
This event was supported by the new AGA "catchment" area initiative, and all 6 New England states are pooling our catchment funds to provide this special 2-day tournament. As with last year, we had representatives from 5 of the 6 states; we're still hunting for active NH Go players!

The Tournament Director (TD) was Trevor Morris

First place went to Michael Chen on the barest of tie breaks.
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Memories of Go Summer Camp in Michigan
Published On 9/22/2023
Twenty-five youth learned and played Go together with instructor Al Tang at a summer camp hosted by the The American Chinese Association Experience in July 2023.
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Go Spotting: The Creative Act
Published On 9/22/2023
“Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act: A Way Of Being — which came out this year — spends several pages talking about AlphaGo’s match with Lee Sedol,” reports Michael Goerss.



“From page 117 to 121 he discusses how he cried hearing about the game. Speaking about AlphaGo, ‘It didn’t accept the narrative of how to properly play this game. It wasn’t held back by limiting beliefs.’ Rubin uses AlphaGo’s clean slate to discuss beginner’s mind and how so often our beliefs limit us.”
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AGHS Unveils 2023-24 Officer Team
Published On 9/22/2023
The American Go Honor Society (AGHS) is thrilled to introduce its new officer team for the 2023-2024 year. The AGHS is excited to embark on ambitious projects to promote Go among American youth, like live-streaming tournaments with BadukClub.
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AGHS Youth League To Restart In October
Published On 9/22/2023
The American Go Honor Society (AGHS) is excited to resume its Youth League on October 8th. The goal of the Youth League is to provide students with a competitive yet fun environment to play Go.

All players aged 18 and under, currently residing in North America, are eligible to participate. Games will be held on KGS with three rounds per month, taking place on Sundays at 4 pm ET / 1 pm PT.
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AGHS To Resume Weekly Problems In October
Published On 9/22/2023
The American Go Honor Society (AGHS) will resume its Weekly Go Problems series starting October 7. The AGHS is proud to offer a consistent source of tsumego problems for Go players in North America.

Register by October 6 using this Registration Form. Email aghsregister@gmail.com with any questions.
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50 Years aGO - September 1973
Published On 9/17/2023
Kikuchi Yoshirō wins the 19th Amateur Hon'inbo Tournament; Ishida; Rin Kaihō and Ishida Yoshio continue playing the Meijin title match; Iwamoto Kaoru secures a spot in the Meijin League; T Mark Hall wins a British tournament in Reading, England.
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Transatlantic Pro Team Championship returns
Published On 9/14/2023
Top European and North American Go players will battle it out once again beginning this Saturday.
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Go Spotting: Till the End of The World
Published On 9/14/2023
William Hurt has gone blind and is being healed by the herbs of a Japanese man in Hakone.
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Who wants to challenge Tony Yang?
Published On 9/14/2023
Tony Yang 7d is accepting a challenge on KGS in the SDGC room on Tuesday nights at 7 PM Eastern.
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Western Mass Go Club says “In-person Go rocks”
Published On 9/13/2023
“Anyone in the Amherst Massachusetts area on Thursday nights, come play in-person go with the Western Mass Go Club”...
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Go Spotting: “Down the River unto the Sea”
Published On 9/11/2023
“Pop an’ me used to play Go after he closed,” I said. “He told me that his clientele wouldn’t like a man of my shade playing Chinese checkers at his bar.”
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SF Go Club updates
Published On 9/11/2023
San Francisco Go Club’s 2023 Obon Go Tournament; SFGC added to San Francisco's Legacy Business registry.
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AGA 2023-09-17 board meeting announcement
Published On 9/10/2023
Here is a link to the agenda for the upcoming Sunday, 2023-09-17 9:00 pm EDT AGA board meeting
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American Go Honor Society application deadline extended
Published On 9/9/2023
The American Go Honor Society application deadline – originally Sept. 10 – has been extended to Saturday, Sept. 16 at 11:59 PM EST.
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The Power Report: Go Weekly stops publication; Suntory joins Kisei sponsors; Honinbo title downgrade
Published On 9/9/2023
Go Weekly to cease publication; Suntory joins Kisei sponsors; Honinbo title downgraded; Obituary
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Cincy Tri-state Go Tournament returns after 4 years
Published On 9/7/2023
For the first time since the pandemic, the Cincy Tri-state Go Tournament held on August 26, 2023. “We thank all the players, sponsors and volunteers for making this tournament a success after it was interrupted in the last several years,” said organizer Frank Luo.
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Young talents shine at Baduk Festival in Mexico City
Published On 9/7/2023
Mexico City’s Library La Ciudadela hosted the Baduk Festival on Saturday, September 2; the Festival was a children's and youth tournament organized by the Korean Cultural Center in Mexico and the Library.
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The Power Report: Meijin challenger; New Kisei S League; Sumire; Promotions; Performance
Published On 9/7/2023
Meijin challenger: Iyama or Ichiriki; New Kisei S League; Sumire’s progress; Promotions; Most wins; Most successive wins; Winning streaks
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Jeremy Chiu 7D and Brady Zhang 6D shine at KPMC
Published On 9/2/2023
Both North American entrants – Jeremy Chiu 7D from the U.S. and Brady Zhang 6D from Canada -- were among the top 10 award winners at the just-concluded Korea Prime Minister’s Cup (KPMC), each with a 5-2 record.
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The Power Report: Iyama makes good start in Gosei defence
Published On 9/1/2023
Han wins Globis Cup; 6th Go Seigen Cup; Ueno defends Hollyhock Cup; Yoda does well in international tournament for seniors
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The Power Report: Ichiriki wins Teikei Young Stars
Published On 8/31/2023
Fujisawa becomes Hollyhock challenger; Ichiriki becomes Gosei challenger; Shibano wins New Ryusei Tournament; Ichiriki takes lead in 78th Honinbo title match; 28th LG Cup
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The Power Report: Ueno wins Women’s Meijin; Gu wins 1st Lanke Cup
Published On 8/30/2023
This is a new international tournament sponsored by the city of Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, China. The full name is the Quzhou-Lanke Cup World Go Open.
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50 Years aGO - August 1973
Published On 8/30/2023
Takagawa's visit to Europe continues in London. Ishida challenges Rin for the Meijin title.
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With more AGF programs, Garlock raises fundraising goal
Published On 8/29/2023
“The AGF kids site project is moving forward,” reports American Go Foundation president Terry Benson. “We just had a professional actor record voice overs for the Go lessons.”
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Variety of players at College Station tourney
Published On 8/28/2023
Players from across the Lone Star State turned out August 19 for the 2023 College Station Go Tournament, held in College Station, Texas.
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Dominican Republic to host 5th Latin American Go Congress in October
Published On 8/28/2023
The Ibero American Go Federation has tapped the Dominican Republic as the host country for the 5th Latin American Go Congress, to be held from October 12-16, 2023 in the Caribbean city of Punta Cana.
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Mexico City Science Fair features 10-year-old’s Go study
Published On 8/28/2023
A recent science fair in Mexico City featured a cognitive skills study on Go by a 10-year-old.
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Go New England Open gets Crazy
Published On 8/28/2023
In addition to a 2-day tournament, the upcoming Go New England Open – this weekend, Sept 2-3 in Westford, MA – will feature an evening of Crazy Go.
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Young U.S. pros Yang & Qi run into tough competition at MLILY Dream Lily Cup
Published On 8/27/2023
Newly-minted U.S. professionals Kevin Yang 1P and Alexander Qi 1P – both became pros in 2022 – have been knocked out of the MLILY Dream Lily Cup World Go Open Tournament, Qi defeated by Ke Jie 9P and Yang by Liu Yuhang 6P.
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Go Calendar: Upcoming tournaments
Published On 8/26/2023
Links and details on these upcoming events: Sept 2-3: Go New England Open 2023; Sept. 16: 2023 Atlanta Fall Tournament; Sept 17: 2023 San Diego End-of-Summer Go Tournament
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The Power Report: Seki wins NHK Cup; Yoda’s suspension ends; Shibano wins Judan title; Cho Chikun wi
Published On 8/26/2023
The semifinals of the Daiwa House Cup 61st Judan tournament accurately reflected the balance of power in Japanese go these days: they featured three of the top players of the younger generation and a slightly senior player who is still hanging on at the top.
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The Power Report: Ueno first woman to win Shusai Prize; Easing of mask policy; Ueno wins Women’s Mei
Published On 8/25/2023
On March 6, the Nihon Ki-in announced that the 60th Shusai Prize had been awarded to Ueno Asami, holder of the Women’s Hollyhock Cup.
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NYIG to host Kim Jiseok 9p in NYC on October 28-29
Published On 8/24/2023
The New York Institute of Go in Manhattan will be hosting Kim Jiseok 9p for a special weekend event on October 28-29; mark your calendars now!
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The Power Report: Ichiriki defends Kisei title; Suzuki/Yamashita win Pair Go; Korea wins 24th Nongsh
Published On 8/24/2023
The peak of the Japanese tournament year always comes at the beginning of the year, with the holding of the top-ranked title match, the Kisei best-of-seven. Fittingly, the challenger to Ichiriki Ryo Kisei was the Meijin, Shibano Toramaru, so the top two players were competing for the top place.
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The Power Report: Catching up on 2023 news; Kim wins Japan-Korea match; Sumire wins first title
Published On 8/23/2023
Editor’s note: our apologies for falling behind with Japanese news this year; here’s the first in a series of reports covering January 1 to June 30.
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Garlocks’ AGF fundraiser nears halfway point
Published On 8/21/2023
E-Journal Managing Editor Chris Garlock's American Go Foundation fundraiser is nearing the halfway mark -- $630 has been pledged toward the $1,500 goal.
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American Go Honor Society opens 2023-24 applications
Published On 8/21/2023
The student-led American Go Honor Society has released the 2023-2024 AGHS officer applications.
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U.S. youth player Tony Yang places 3rd in World Youth Go Championship
Published On 8/19/2023
Tony Yang 7D has become the second U.S. Go player to place in the top three at the World Youth Go Championship (WYGC) after emerging victorious this week against Taipei representative Ko Pei-Chen 7D in the final match.
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Go Calendar: Upcoming tournaments
Published On 8/17/2023
Links and details on these upcoming events: 2023 College Station Summer One-Day Go Tournament (8/19); SF Go Club's Obon Go Tournament (8/26); 6th Annual / 2023 Cincy Tri-state Go Tournament (8/26); Go New England Open 2023 (9/2-3).
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Mark your Go calendar: Upcoming events
Published On 8/14/2023
Tournaments in College Station, San Francisco, Cincy Tri-state & New England
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NAGF ProQual: Credits
Published On 8/12/2023
The American Go E-Journal’s NAGF ProQual coverage team this year owes a huge debt to the San Francisco Go Club, which hosted the event, the North American Go Federation, which organized it and to Devin Fraze and the crew at BadukClub.
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Michael Chen completes sweep of 2023 ProQual to clinch U.S. pro status
Published On 8/11/2023
It took Michael Chen just 120 moves on Friday to clinch his status as the newest North American professional, sweeping Eric Lee 2-0 in the final of the North American Go Federation Professional Qualifications.
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NAGF 2023 ProQual: Chen wins first round in final
Published On 8/10/2023
Michael Chen 8D extended his winning streak to six on Thursday afternoon, winning the first game in the best-of-three final against Eric Lee 6D. Chen is now just one game away from becoming the next AGA professional Go player.
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NAGF Exec Dir bullish on North American Go
Published On 8/9/2023
This year’s NAGF pro qualification tournament for the first time included players from all three North American countries.
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NAGF 2023 ProQual: Chen vs Lee in final
Published On 8/9/2023
Michael Chen 8D faces Eric Lee 6D in Round 1 of the 2023 NAGF ProQual final on Thursday afternoon.
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NAGF 2023 ProQual: Battling their way to the semis
Published On 8/8/2023
Undefeated after the first four rounds, and with just one more round in the round robin section of the 2023 NAGF ProQual, Michael Chen and Eric Yoder are headed to the first slot in the semi-finals on Tuesday afternoon. Battling it out for the second slot in the A section are Emile Garcia, Eric Lee and Stephen Lin, all 2-2, so those morning matches will be definitive.
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NAGF 2023 ProQual: And then there were four
Published On 8/8/2023
(San Francisco Go Club) Joel Kenny and Eric Lee prevailed over Jeremiah Donley and Emile Garcia Tuesday morning in hard-fought matches to determine who will face Michael Chen and Eric Yoder in the 2023 NAGF ProQual semi-finals on Wednesday. The winners of the Chen/Kenny and Yoder/Lee best-of-three semis will face off Thursday in a best-of-three final.
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NAGF 2023 ProQual: Day 1
Published On 8/7/2023
How this weeklong event (August 6-11) works, early-round results; Their day jobs.
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NAGF ProQual Round 1 coverage begins
Published On 8/6/2023
Tune in at 9:30A PST (12:30 ET) on Sunday, August 6 for the first round of the 2023 North American Go Federation’s Pro Qualification tournament. The American Go E-Journal, in partnership with baduk.club, will provide live streaming on the AGA’s homepage.
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Seattle Go Center relocates
Published On 8/5/2023
After more than 20 years in the University District, the Seattle Go Center is looking for a new home.
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These are a few of their favorite things (about Go)
Published On 8/5/2023
For Zhaonian Chen, it’s “The length of and depth of the game.” Jeremiah Donley says that “Regardless of AI, each player has a unique style and it shows. No one can really escape their inner mind unless they drastically change themselves.” We asked each of the competitors in the NAGF ProQual to tell us their favorite thing about the game of Go, and these were their responses.
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2023 NAGF ProQual starts this Sunday
Published On 8/3/2023
Eleven of North America’s top go players will gather in San Francisco next week for the North American Go Federation’s 2023 Pro Qualification Tournament. Top-board games at the event, which begins this Sunday, August 6, will stream on the AGA’s homepage.
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50 Years aGO - July 1973
Published On 7/30/2023
The 17th European Go Congress is held in Germany; Japanese players make a goodwill visit to China; Iwamoto Kaoru receives a high honor.
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Garlocks walking for the AGF
Published On 7/24/2023
American Go E-Journal Managing Editor Chris Garlock and his wife Lisa are walking the 200-mile length of the Thames River this September as both a pandemic-delayed celebration of their 40th wedding anniversary and to raise funds for the American Go Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting go in the U.S.
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2023 Congress: Last Day Photo Album
Published On 7/21/2023
CLICK HERE to see a collection of nearly 200 photos photographer Kyle Meyer took on July 16, the final day of this year’s U.S. Go Congress...
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2023 US Go Congress Masters/Open winners
Published On 7/16/2023
Han Han topped this year's Master tournament, while Tony Yang won the US Open.
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CONGRESS COLLAGE
Published On 7/14/2023
Photos from Thursday and Friday at the 2023 US Go Congress.
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Han Han one game from ’23 Masters repeat
Published On 7/14/2023
Five-dan professional Han Han notched his fifth and sixth wins in the Masters tournament Friday at the US Go Congress, defeating Shengda Tan 6d in the morning round and Eric Lui 2P in the evening.
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2023 US GO CONGRESS BROADCASTS-AT-A-GLANCE
Published On 7/13/2023
If you missed any of our broadcasts from the 2023 US Go Congress, you’ll find them all on our YouTube Channel.
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2023 MASTERS PLAYERS
Published On 7/13/2023
Photos of all the 2023 Masters players.
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LUK/ZHANG 2023 PAIR GO CHAMPIONS
Published On 7/13/2023
Two top Pair Go games, two identical first moves, two different results.
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ERIC LUI AND HAN HAN FACE OFF IN KEY MASTERS SHOWDOWN
Published On 7/13/2023
Eric Lui 2P will face 2022 Masters champion Han Han 5P Friday morning in what could well be the decisive match of the tournament: both are 4-0.
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Congress medical update
Published On 7/13/2023
The excitement wasn’t just on the go boards Thursday. In addition to the five Congress attendees with Covid who are quarantining, two more wound up in the hospital briefly for assorted ailments, including a soccer field injury.
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2023 U.S. GO CONGRESS DAILY REPORT: Wednesday, July 12
Published On 7/12/2023
COVID ALERT
Several U.S. Go Congress participants have tested positive for covid and are quarantining. Congress organizers urge all participants to exercise caution and to wear masks at the U.S. Open Round 4 on Thursday; masks are available at the registration desk.
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2023 U.S. GO CONGRESS DAILY REPORT: Tuesday, July 11
Published On 7/11/2023
Latest reports from the 2023 U.S. Go Congress in Kent, Ohio.
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2023 U.S. GO CONGRESS DAILY REPORT: Monday, July 10
Published On 7/10/2023
ANOTHER SPECIAL MATCH: Four pros – Stephanie Yin 1P/Satoshi Yanigisawa 6P vs. Eunkyo Do 1P/Han Han 5P – are planning a special rengo Pair Go match Tuesday at 1:15pm; it’ll be broadcast on the AGA website on YouTube. Ryan Li 4P will provide commentary.
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2023 U.S. GO CONGRESS DAILY REPORT: Sunday, July 9
Published On 7/9/2023
THIS JUST IN: Ryan Li vs. Jiseok Kim!
Homegrown U.S. professional Ryan Li 4P will take on Jiseok Kim 9P, one of the strongest players in the world, Monday at 1:15p ET. “They just met yesterday and have already become fast friends,” said Stephanie Yin 1P on today’s livestream; she’ll be providing the live game commentary with EJ Managing Editor Chris Garlock; tune in on the AGA’s homepage.
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’23 U.S. Go Congress Update: Top boards streaming on AGA website
Published On 7/8/2023
The American Go E-Journal team will broadcast top-board games – with live pro commentary -- from this year’s U.S. Go Congress live on the AGA website, starting at 9a ET daily, Sunday, July 9 through Saturday, July 15, except for Weds, the traditional day off.
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AGA recognizes Thomas Hsiang’s Go career with Edward Lasker Award
Published On 7/8/2023
The highlight of the 2023 U.S. Go Congress opening ceremonies Saturday night was the awarding of the Edward Lasker Award to professor Thomas Hsiang. The Lasker Award recognizes “someone who has made a large contribution to the AGA and its Go community,” said former president Andy Okun, and “There can be no doubt that Thomas Hsiang has more than earned this award, for his remarkable contribution to our game, at home and around the world.”
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“Undefeated: The Games of AlphaGo Master” (AlphaGo to Zero, Volume 2) released
Published On 7/6/2023
The second volume in Michael Redmond 9P and Chris Garlock’s 4-volume series on AlphaGo has just been released. “AlphaGo to Zero: Undefeated, Vol. 2: the Games of AlphaGo Master” includes all of Redmond’s detailed game commentaries on the startling 2017 Master games, plus the video series he and Garlock did, along with new insights enabled by access to AI analysis tools.
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Latest SmartGo One: More games, better search, plus favorites
Published On 7/4/2023
Just in time for the U.S. Go Congress, which begins this coming Saturday, SmartGo has released several useful upgrades to SmartGo One, including more games, better search and the ability to track your favorite players.
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U.S. Go Congress Updates: 4 days to go!
Published On 7/4/2023
A round-up of FAQ and useful info for those attending the upcoming U.S. Go Congress, starting this Saturday in Kent, OH. Questions/comments: email us at journal@usgo.org
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U.S. Go Congress Updates: Swag, recorders and pickleball
Published On 6/29/2023
The 2023 U.S. Go Congress is now just over a week away, starting Saturday, July 8 and running through the following Saturday, July 15, at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. There’s still time to be part of the biggest event on the annual North American Go calendar...
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Yu Bin Wins Shin-An World Baduk Championship
Published On 6/27/2023
Chinese national Go team head coach Yu Bin 9P has won the fourth Shin-An World Baduk Championship.
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40 winners at 2023 Burning Board
Published On 6/22/2023
Forty Go fans entered the woods at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina last week, and 40 winners emerged after seven days of camping, lectures, simuls, game reviews, teaching games and, yes, six long tournament games.
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50 Years aGO - June 1973
Published On 6/18/2023
Ishida Yoshio defended the Hon'inbo title, Hirata Hironori won the Amateur Top Ten tournament, and Berlin and Prague faced off in a match.
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AGA Board candidate update
Published On 6/16/2023
There is a full slate of candidates for the AGA Board...
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Chaparral High School launches first go tournament
Published On 6/15/2023
The 2023 CHS Go League organized by the Chaparral High School Go Club in Temecula, CA has concluded its first year. Christopher Persechini took first place in Division A, with Brady Cole in second and Lucas Lu third. Ariel Tian took first in Division B, with Benjamin Biteng second and Mary Tian third.
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Stephen Chen, Jerry Ruan top Greater Boston Area Youth Go Tournament
Published On 6/11/2023
The fourth Greater Boston Area Youth Go Tournament, jointly organized by New Legacy Culture Center Go Club and Massachusetts Go Association, concluded successfully on May 29th in Lexington MA.
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"Double Duans" Sweep NGC Congress Tuneup
Published On 6/11/2023
The annual Congress Tune-up tournament at the National Go Center fulfilled its promise of getting players ready to play at next month's US Go Congress in Ohio.
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AGA Board Election: Final reminder
Published On 6/4/2023
Current candidates are Trevor Morris for the east, Devin Fraze for central and Chris Kirschner, Adam Anaya and Yixian (Michael) Zhou in the west.
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Go Spotting: Astrid
Published On 6/4/2023
In Season 2, Episode 2 of Astrid, a French TV show aired in the US on PBS, there’s a brief view of a floor goban.
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The Traveling Board: Lan Su Chinese garden
Published On 6/4/2023
“Recently I visited the Lan Su Chinese garden in downtown Portland, Oregon,” reports Pete Schumer. “This go board was on display with the stones scattered willy nilly across it..."
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Moxuan Liu is the latest San Diego Champion
Published On 6/4/2023
For the twelfth year, there is a new San Diego Go Champion (no player has ever won the title twice): Moxuan Liu, 6.2-dan from La Jolla.
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Pro photos wanted for AlphaGo book
Published On 6/2/2023
Finishing up the long-awaited Volume 2 of their AlphaGo to Zero series, Michael Redmond 9P and EJ Managing Editor Chris Garlock are looking for photos of some of the professionals who took on the Master AI in 2017.
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Eric Lui 2P tops 109-player field at 2023 Chicago Open
Published On 6/1/2023
Eric Lui 2P emerged as the champion of the 2023 Chicago Open, triumphing over 109 players at the tournament held in Evanston, Ill., over Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28. Lui finished with a 7-1 record in a highly competitive event where no player in the Masters and Open section remained undefeated.
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First AGA homepage livestream a success
Published On 6/1/2023
The AGA’s first livestream from the new website’s homepage on Wednesday night, featuring commentary by Ryan Li 4P, was a success, reports Gurujeet Khalsa.
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Michael Chen prevails as Maryland Open returns
Published On 5/30/2023
A strong field celebrated the return of the Maryland Open, the oldest running AGA tournament, last weekend just outside of Baltimore. The 47th Maryland Open attracted 57 players, 16 of whom were 4 dan and above.
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Kenro Osawa event registration opens
Published On 5/30/2023
Registration for the Santa Monica Go Club’s June 17-18 special event with Japanese professional player Kenro Osawa 4P is now open.
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Yixian Zhou enters race for AGA Board
Published On 5/24/2023
Yixian (Michael) Zhou has entered the race for western region board member against Chris Kirschner along with Devin Fraze in the central region. The eastern region is still wide open.
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Thrilling Battles and Sourdough Delights: Golden Gate Go Tournament shines at SFGC
Published On 5/22/2023
Jeremy Chiu was the top winner at the Golden Gate Go Tournament last Saturday, May 20th. The San Francisco Go Club, a bastion of go history – it predates the completion of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge -- and community, served as the venue...
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Go Spotting: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
Published On 5/17/2023
The novel Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Knopf, 2023) is about Sam and Sadie, two friends who are creative partners in video game design.
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2023 NAGF Pro Qualification Tournament Update
Published On 5/16/2023
The 2023 NAGF Pro Qualification Tournament details have been finalized. Scheduled to take place at the San Francisco Go Club from August 6 to 11, “the tournament will feature an exciting competition,” says NAGF Executive Director Hajin Lee.
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The Power Report: The 2022 tournament year
Published On 5/16/2023
The last of the 4496 official games played in the 2022 tournament year at the Nihon Ki-in were played on December 26. Here's our statistical overview of the year.
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Upcoming Go Events: San Francisco, Catonsville, Evanston, Lexington
Published On 5/15/2023
A listing of in-person go events coming up in the next two weeks.
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Burning Board Go Festival returns to NC
Published On 5/15/2023
If a week of go and workshops with professionals sounds good to you, check out the Burning Board Go Festival, set for June 12-18 at Camp Crabtree in Umstead State Park in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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Santa Monica Go Club to host Kenro Osawa 4P
Published On 5/15/2023
The Santa Monica Go Club will host Japanese professional player Kenro Osawa 4P at a special go event in Los Angeles June 17-18; the visit is supported by the Japan Foundation.
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AGA Board nominations update
Published On 5/15/2023
Nominations have come forward for incumbents Devin Fraze in the central division and Chris Kirschner in the west.
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Top pros Kim Jiseok and Lee Donghoon confirmed for U.S. Go Congress
Published On 5/15/2023
This year’s U.S. Go Congress will include two of the top-rated professional go players in the world, with both Kim Jiseok 9P and Lee Donghoon 9P confirmed to be in attendance.
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Chicago Open closing in on 100 players
Published On 5/14/2023
With 98 players already registered, attendance at this year’s Chicago Open is almost certain to break 100, with players coming from more than ten states. The Open is scheduled for May 27-28 in Evanston, Illinois.
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Han Han #1 at 2023 Gotham Go Tournament
Published On 5/14/2023
Over 100 players turned out April 1 to battle for $2,700 in cash prizes. “Everyone loved the new location at the NYU Game Center,” reports Peter Armenia.
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Jaewoo Park wins San Francisco Go Club’s Cherry Blossom Tournament
Published On 5/14/2023
Jaewoo Park won the San Francisco Go Club’s Cherry Blossom Tournament on April 15th.
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Zhizun Zhao tops Austin Spring Fling
Published On 5/14/2023
Zhizun Zhao (Troy) 7D topped the Austin Go Club’s Austin Spring Fling Go Tournament held April 22-23.
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“In person go is the best kind of go”
Published On 5/14/2023
“Zoom go is fun of course but there's nothing quite like good old-fashioned in person go,” says Eric Osman.
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Call for donations to go player and streamer Jae Donley’s emergency fund
Published On 5/14/2023
On May 6, Columbus-based go player and streamer Jae Donley was making deliveries with his scooter when a truck driver brake-checked him, causing him to lose control and fall.
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Churchill Road Elementary Go Club off and running in VA
Published On 5/10/2023
After months of preparations, working with many partners and stakeholders, the Churchill Road Elementary School (CRS) in McLean, Virginia started a school go club and had their first club meeting after school on April 20.
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Salt City Tournament returns
Published On 5/7/2023
Twenty-eight players, coming from as far away as Ithaca, Rochester, New York City, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, convened at the Syracuse Center for Peace and Social Justice on April 15 to compete in the first Salt City Tournament in three years.
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Go Congress passes 300 mark
Published On 5/7/2023
The 2023 U.S. Go Congress has passed the 300 registrant mark, organizers report.
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50 Years aGO - May 1973
Ishida and Rin begin the Hon'inbo Title Match; Fujisawa and Ishida lead in the Meijin League; players compete in the Japan-China Go Exchange; a Dutch player visiting Japan discusses the development of Go in Europe.
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Remembering Dennis Wheeler
Published On 5/4/2023
I got to know Dennis Wheeler, who died of cancer on April 14 (see below for details on his memorial service this Saturday), after I became manager of the Seattle Go Center in 2008.
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U.S. teen Alexander Qi 1P debuts before go masters in Quzhou Lanke Cup World Weiqi Open
Published On 5/4/2023
N.A. Go Federation professional Alexander Qi 1P will challenge Li Weiqing 9P in the 2023 Quzhou Lanke Cup world championship in Quzhou, China on May 5.
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Upcoming Go Events: Stony Brook
Published On 5/2/2023
A listing of in-person go events coming up in the next two weeks.
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U.S. Go Congress Early Bird discount extended
Published On 5/1/2023
The 2023 U.S. Go Congress Early Bird discount has been extended through May 7th. The $50 discount set to go through April 30th mistakenly cut off early; anyone who registered on Sunday but did not get the discount will have it credited to their account by the Congress team. In addition, the discount is being extended through May 7th “to make sure everyone who wants to take advantage of it gets a chance,” said AGA president Gurujeet Khalsa. “We are looking forward to a great event and seeing many of you in Ohio in July.”
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50 Years aGO - April 1973
Published On 4/30/2023
The Pro Best Ten and All Japan Amateur Ladies tournaments conclude in Japan. Other go events take place in the Netherlands, Scotland, and Yugoslavia.
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Registration Open for North American Online League (NAOL) Season 3
Published On 4/27/2023
Registration for Season 3 (May-June)is now open and an official announcement will be sent soon. Registration is limited to 204 people, so sign up soon, and will be open through May 9. Pairings will be released on May 10, and the first round is scheduled to take place on May 16. The last round is scheduled on June 13. You can reschedule games as late as June 17, but games played after June 13 are not eligible for review.
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2023 Board of Directors Election Commencing
Published On 4/26/2023
Three American Go Association (AGA) Board of Director seats are in play for the Eastern, Western, and Central regions.
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Register by April 30 for U.S. Go Congress Early Bird Discount
Published On 4/25/2023
The early bird discount for registering for the 2023 US Go Congress -- July 8th – 16 in Kent State, Ohio -- expires on April 30th.
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Upcoming Go Events: San Francisco, San Diego, Stony Brook
Published On 4/25/2023
A listing of in-person go events coming up in the next two weeks.
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In Memoriam: Dennis Wheeler
Published On 4/24/2023
Longtime E-Journal game recorder Dennis Wheeler was released from his battle with cancer on Friday, April 14. “Dennis was one of our most stalwart team members,” said EJ Managing Editor Chris Garlock. “His devotion to the game as well as his utter unflappability no matter what the crisis was an inspiration to us all and we miss him every day.”

A memorial service for Wheeler will be held on Saturday, May 6 at 1 p.m. PST at the Bellevue Church of Christ, 1212 104th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98004.
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’23 Texas State Championship decider commentary released
Published On 4/23/2023
A detailed video review of the deciding game for the 2023 Texas State Championship has now been released.
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Big turnout for 7th Zheng Cup Go Tournament
Published On 4/23/2023
Eighty players turned out for the 7th Zheng Cup Go Tournament, held April 15 - 16
In Irvine, California. “It's great to see players of all ages and skill levels competing and having fun,” said TD Kevin Chao.
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NGC Celebrates Cherry Blossom Season in DC
Published On 4/23/2023
Washington DC is famous for its cherry blossoms, which attract tourists to the nation’s capital every Spring. The National Go Center joins the festivities each year with a tournament at the NGC as well as a booth at the Sakura Matsuri festival in downtown DC.
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AGF Teacher of the Year Nominations Open
Published On 4/18/2023
Nominate your favorite teachers for a free trip to the Go Congress!
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Upcoming Go Events: Austin, Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego
Published On 4/18/2023
A listing of in-person go events coming up in the next two weeks.
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12th Annual San Diego Go Championship set for April 30
Published On 4/15/2023
Registration is open for the upcoming 12th Annual San Diego Go Championship, reports the San Diego Go Club. The 3-round AGA rated competition is set for Sunday, April 30, at the San Diego Chess Club in Balboa Park.
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2023 Chicago Open set for Memorial Day weekend with prizes galore
Published On 4/12/2023
The 2023 Chicago Open is taking place over Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28, in Evanston, Illinois. Players are encouraged to register before the May 6 earlybird deadline to be entered into a raffle to win a prize from the Nihon Ki-in.
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Upcoming Go Events: Irvine, San Francisco, Syracuse, Austin, Washington DC
Published On 4/11/2023
A listing of in-person go events coming up in the next two weeks.
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U.S. Go Congress dorm housing sign-up now available
Published On 4/6/2023
People attending the US Go Congress can now sign up for dorm housing on the Congress website.
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Upcoming Go Events: Irvine, San Francisco, Syracuse
Published On 4/4/2023
A listing of in-person go events coming up in the next two weeks.
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Other things to do in Ohio (besides play go at the 2023 U.S. Go Congress)
Published On 4/3/2023
Within easy driving range of the city of Kent, Ohio -- the site of this year’s U.S. Go Congress, July 9-16 on the campus of Kent State University -- are a number of attractions in Cleveland, Canton and Akron...
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Albert Yen collects 2nd Midwest Open championship as in-person events expand
Published On 4/3/2023
The battles were fierce behind the doors of the scarlet-red rooms at the Ohio Union in Columbus, Ohio, but passersby could be forgiven if they failed to notice the 30 competitors in the 2023 Midwest Open quietly playing go the weekend of March 25-26.
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Zheng Cup resumes in Irvine, CA
Published On 3/28/2023
After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Zheng Cup Tournament is back this year, with its biggest prize pool ever. It’s scheduled for April 15-16 in Irvine, California.
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Pro or strong player over 45 wanted for Shin-An World Baduk Masters
Published On 3/27/2023
Shin-An World Baduk Masters is a professional tournament in South Korea for players over 45 years old. The North American Go Federation, along with the San Francisco Go Club, will host a qualification tournament to select one player to represent North America in this tournament. For North America, both professional and amateur players are accepted.
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2023 U.S. Go Congress Survey 1
Published On 3/22/2023
Thinking about going to the U.S. Go Congress? 3 quick questions...
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Lukasz Lew – and rice bowls – tops at SF Go Club tourney
Published On 3/22/2023
Lukasz Lew topped the San Francisco Go Club’s Spring Tournament on March 18th, but the “scrumptious” rice bowls from Waraku were also a big winner, reports club president Matthew Barcus.
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Registration opens for 2023 US Go Congress
Published On 3/20/2023
Registration for the 39th annual US Go Congress is now open. The Congress -- set for July 8–16 at Kent State University near Cleveland, Ohio -- is the largest go activity in North America; events include the US Open, professional lectures and game analysis, continuous self-paired games, and all kinds of go-related activities from morning to midnight.
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Registration Open for 2023 Spring AGHS Weekly Go Problems
Published On 3/18/2023
The Spring Season of Weekly Go Problems will begin on March 26th. With 5 go problems of varying difficulty every week, AGHS hopes to help go players practice tsumego.
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Tian Zhang on winning the Central Iowa State Championship
Published On 3/17/2023
Tianyaun “Tian” Zhang emerged as the Central Iowa State Championship champion last Saturday, March 11, 2023, after a three-year hiatus from go. “I play whatever I feel like just works,” Zhang told the E-Journal. “My playing style used to be quite aggressive, but now I play wherever necessary. A more logical way to play.” He described his win as “pretty easy” due to the few high-Dan players. “The tough opponent was in the last round, but I got a head start, and I killed a group of his," Zhang said.
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2023 Congress seeks Registrar
Published On 3/14/2023
Organizers of this year’s U.S. Go Congress are searching for a Registrar.
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Go introduced to Chinese immersion classrooms in Barrington, Illinois.
Published On 3/12/2023
The Barrington (IL) Chinese Immersion Council (BCIC) recently granted approval to a proposal to introduce the game of go to Chinese immersion classrooms in Barrington’s District 220 school district. “I hope that this game-based learning program will not only teach students how to play go,” said Xinming “Simon” Guo, the founder of Go and Math Academy in Chicago, who made the proposal, “but also spark their creativity, imagination, and critical thinking skills, as well as enhance their math abilities”
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50 Years aGO – March 1973
Published On 3/11/2023
On March 15, Hashimoto Ūtarō 9d defeated Rin Kaihō Meijin in the first game of the Pro Best Ten Final. Rin took the second game on March 22, and the third on March 28. (Game Records: Game One, Game Two, Game Three)

Adachi Tadashi, President of the Nihon Ki’in, passed away on March 29.
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New AGA website coming next Monday!
Published On 3/9/2023
Sometime this coming Monday, March 13, the AGA is moving to an all-new website. The link will still be usgo.org but with a whole new look and feel. The current site will still be available through an ‘Archive’ link but all membership registration and logins will be through the new site. AGA members will be receiving an email with instructions on how to log into the new system.
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Registration Open for 2023 AGHS School Team Tournament
Published On 3/8/2023
“Are you part of a Go school (or a club at school) and would like to play in a team-styled tournament? Well, you’re in luck!” says AGHS President Jenny Li, “AGHS is excited to announce our upcoming tournament: STT (School Team Tournament). This tournament will occur on Saturday, March 25th, and Sunday, March 26th. The registration deadline is Wednesday, March 22nd, 11:59 pm PST. We welcome all youth players (19 and under or currently enrolled in K-12).”
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Shang Zhou 7D tops 2023 AGHS Blitz Tournament
Published On 3/8/2023
On February 19, 2023, the American Go Honor Society (AGHS) hosted its online Blitz Tournament. The tournament consisted of five rounds and eight divisions consisting of players of all strengths from 20K to 9D. The division winners included Shang Zhou 7D, Al Tang 2D, Jason Liu 2D, Ryan Huang 1K, David Rohlfing 4K, Phillip Briz 5K, Anna Zhou 7K, Brett Li 8K, Roger Ni 13K, and Royal Ni 18K.
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Austin Go Club to host Spring Fling tourney
Published On 3/8/2023
The Austin Go Club will be holding a Spring Fling Go Tournament on April 22nd/23rd in Austin, TX. The tournament will consist of 5 rounds held over two days. There will be both Open and Handicap sections. Registration is open now at GoClubs.org.
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Go Spotting: The Glory of go? AlphaGo’s “Sputnik moment”
Published On 3/8/2023
The Glory of go?
“I haven’t watched it yet, but the Korean show The Glory now streaming on Netflix has go as a major element,” reports Peter Armenia. If anyone has more info, please let us know!

AlphaGo’s “Sputnik moment”
Former U.S. Go Congress Director Dave Weimer’s wife Melanie Manion spotted this mention of AlphaGo’s win over humans as a “Sputnik moment” for Chinese leaders in AI thinking in Susan L. Shirk’s Overreach: How China Derailed Its Peaceful Rise. (Oxford University Press, 2022).
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Chao Xie tops SF Go Club’s Guy Moreau Memorial Tournament
Published On 3/8/2023
The San Francisco Go Club hosted a 3-round tournament on Saturday, February 25th, in memory of longtime club member Guy Moreau. The tournament was held in the SF Go Club’s dojo in San Francisco’s Japantown, with all games being played on new go sets imported from Japan. Lunch was provided by Andersen Bakery.
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No Fooling; Gotham Go Group teams up with NYU Game Center
Published On 3/7/2023
The Gotham Go Group of New York City has teamed up with the New York University Game Center to host the next Gotham Go Tournament on Saturday, April 1. The tournament will be held in NYU’s Brooklyn location. “A relationship between the Gotham Go Group and the NYU Game Center is a natural fit” says local organizer Peter Armenia, who only recently discovered the center’s existence. Frank Lantz, an expert on games, is one of the center’s founders and is a go player himself; you may have seen him interviewed in The Surrounding Game movie.
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Haoran Wang crowned NY State Champion; Ninghan Duan takes home $1,200 grand prize with 1st place
Published On 3/7/2023
The New York Institute of Go’s new Manhattan location celebrated its grand opening the weekend of February 24-26 with over 100 players from around the country. To mark the occasion, Will Lockhart, director of the Surrounding Game documentary, donated a treasured ING board to the center. Players were also treated to some passionate Hikaru No Go karaoke, sung by Edward Zhang in honor of the many years of Japanese support for the community.
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2023 Chicago Open adds Saturday-only breakfast plan and carpool support
Published On 3/7/2023
Registration for the 2023 Chicago Open on May 27-28 in Evanston, Illinois, has started, with eight out-of-state players already registered, including five high-dan players. See the Who’s Coming List to view the current registrants. Co-organizers Cheuk To Tsui and Albert Yen expect a high turnout.

“The Chicago tournaments have seen steady growth, and we hope to see this trend continue,” Tsui said. “Our goal is to make the 2023 Chicago Open a mainstay event on the calendar.”
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North American Online League Season 2 sign-ups open; March 14 deadline!
Published On 3/7/2023
Sign-up is now open for the second season of the North American Online League (NAOL). NAOL is an online league funded by the North American Go Federation in collaboration with the American, Canadian, and Mexican go associations. It is intended to be a primary driver of an online rating connected to your go association ID.
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Maryland Open set for Memorial Day weekend
Published On 3/3/2023
“We are back!” says longtime Maryland Open organizer Keith Arnold. The 47th Maryland Open will take place Memorial Day Weekend, May 27 and May 28 at the same great location in Catonsville. “Details and Registration coming soon!” Arnold promises.
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Osaka Go Camp
Published On 3/3/2023
Ryo Maeda 6p, who has attended the US Go Congress for the past 19 years, reports that the Kansai Kiin will be organizing the 8th Osaka Go Camp June 25- July 13. “During the camp, we have league games in the mornings and full teaching programs in the afternoons by professional players every day,” says Maeda. The teaching programs will be in English. “On holidays, we will also organize some day trips to places like downtown Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and a two-day trip to Himeji and Kobe, attending an official tournament in Himeji and sightseeing includes Hmeji castle and Kobe. I promise that everyone can improve quite a lot through the Camp and the Congress and will have a lot of fun; We are looking forward to seeing you in Osaka!”
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Juanshu Lan 6D repeats as Texas State champ
Published On 2/26/2023
Lan claimed the title after winning a tightly contested final round with Sungjun Lee 5D who also entered that round with a 4-0 record. There were a total of 17 players in the Open section ranging from 3D to 6D. The top three finishers all with a record of 4-1 were: Juanshu Lan (1st), Sungjun Lee (2nd) and Jake Game (3rd).
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Go Photo: Phil vs Phil
Published On 2/24/2023
EJ photographer Phil Straus sometimes has trouble finding an opponent. Here’s his solution.
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Thousands of go books are on the way
Published On 2/21/2023
Thousands of books from the Yutopian donation of 32,000 go books are now on their way to AGA chapters and programs around the country. A team of volunteers led by myself and ex-AGA president Andy Okun sent out 62 shipments last week. With luck the heavy boxes will survive and arrive, a belated Valentine’s Day gift for go lovers.
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2023 NAGF Pro Qualification Tournament applications open
Published On 2/20/2023
The North American Go Federation (NAGF) will hold the 2023 Pro Qualification Tournament at the San Francisco Go Club at 22 Peace Plaza #501, San Francisco, California from August 6 to 11, 2023.

The NAGF will certify one player from this tournament as a new professional player.
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Shang Zhou 7D tops San Diego 2023 Winter Go Tournament
Published On 2/20/2023
This year’s San Diego Winter Tournament, held on February 5, began with clear skies and brisk 60 degree weather. Roughly 40 tournament attendees arrived from as far away as England to test their strength. Local club president Enrique Garcia tried to keep the atmosphere light with a plethora of breakfast snacks, but the announcement of the first round was followed by tense silence as dark clouds began to brew over the many gobans.
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50 Years aGO – February 1973
Published On 2/19/2023
The main event of February was the veteran Sakata Eio’s defense of the Jūdan title against young challenger Takagi Shōichi 7d. It should be noted, in those pre-Kisei days, the Jūdan was the number three title, behind the Meijin and Hon’inbo (the Jūdan has since fallen to 7th). We see the two players engaged in the first game on February 14-15, which was won by Sakata. The veteran also won the second on the 21st and 22nd. Finally we see a triumphant Sakata after winning three straight on the 28th.
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Man beats machine in human victory over AI
Published On 2/19/2023
A human player has comprehensively defeated a top-ranked AI system at the board game Go, in a surprise reversal of the 2016 computer victory that was seen as a milestone in the rise of artificial intelligence.

Kellin Pelrine, an American player who is one level below the top amateur ranking, beat the machine by taking advantage of a previously unknown flaw that had been identified by another computer.

The triumph, which has not previously been reported, highlighted a weakness in the best Go computer programs that is shared by most of today’s widely used AI systems, including the ChatGPT chatbot created by San Francisco-based OpenAI.
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Lee, Duan, and Cai Shine as 2022 Virginia State Champions
Published On 2/19/2023
In a two-day, double-elimination tournament, Samuel Lee 7D defeated Edward Zhang 6D at the Seoul Kiwon Baduk club in Annandale, Virginia to become the 2022 Virginia State Champion.
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Last Call for Registration for the New York State Championship
Published On 2/17/2023
February 19th is the last day for early registration to the 1st New York State Championship. The two-day tournament featuring a $1,200 top cash prize will take place on Feb. 25-26, 2023 in Midtown Manhattan, New York.

Reunite with your Go friends in the six-round tournament and in evening events such as pair Go, crazy Go, and 13×13 tournaments. For more information, please visit the tournament page or contact tournaments@ny-go.org.
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2023 U.S. Go Congress set for July 8-16 in Kent, Ohio
Published On 2/7/2023
This year’s U.S. Go Congress will take place Saturday July 8 through Sunday July 16 at Kent State University, in Kent, Ohio, near Cleveland. Almost all activities will be in the Kent Student Center. Details will be announced soon on the Congress registration website. “Volunteers are needed!” says Steve Zilber, the Cleveland Go Club president, who’s co-directing this year’s Congress with Jerry Jaffe.
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Registration Open for 2023 AGHS Blitz Tournament
Published On 2/1/2023
“The AGHS is excited to announce its upcoming online Blitz tournament on Sunday, February 19th,” says AGHS President Jenny Li, “All players are welcome and encouraged to participate! The tournament will encompass 5 blitz rounds during a one-day tournament.”
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The Power Report: Sumire’s progress; Promotions & retirements
Published On 1/31/2023
Sumire’s progress

(Nov. 17) Sumire (W) beat Nyu Eiko, Senko Cup-holder, by resig. (26th Women’s Kisei, main tournament, round 2).

(Nov. 21) Sumire (B) lost to Sakai Yuki 2-dan by resig. (prelim. round final, Teikei Young Stars).

(Nov. 26) Sumire (W) lost to Koike Yoshihiro (round 1, 17th Young Carp).

(Dec. 1). Sumire (B) beat Mukai Chiaki 6-dan by resig. (main tournament sf, 26th Women’s Kisei).

(Dec. 5). Sumire (W) beat Koyama Ryugo 7-dan by resig. (First Tournament, round 1, 48th Kisei)

(Dec. 8) Sumire (B) beat Fujisawa Rina Women’s Honinbo by resig. (play-off to decide the challenger, 26th Women’s Kisei).

(Dec. 15) Sumire (W) beat Okuda Aya 4-dan (prelim., round 2, 10th Women’s Hollyhock Cup).

(Dec. 22). Sumire (W) beat Nyu Eiko by resig. (34th Women’s Meijin League).
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The Power Report: Ichiriki and Shibano win Teikei Young Stars leagues; Konishi wins first title
Published On 1/30/2023
The final section of the Teikei Young Stars tournament consists of two six-player leagues. The winners meet in a play-off to decide the title. In a tournament labeled as for “young stars”, it was a little surprising to find holders big-three titles, namely, Shibano Toramaru Meijin in the A League and Ichiriki Ryo Kisei in the B League. All the games were played from December 17 to 22, and, not surprisingly, each won his league 5-0 (each was two wins clear of the field) and will meet in the best-of-three play-off scheduled for March. Actually, Seki Kotaro Tengen also played in the B League, though he did not do very well, scoring 2-3.
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The Power Report: Iyama saves Japan in Nongshim Cup; Shin wins Samsung Cup
Published On 1/29/2023
The second round of the 24th Nongshim Cup was held on the net in late November. Japan did badly, but in the final game of the round, Iyama Yuta, who won four games in a row in the previous cup, once again saved their bacon, picking up the first Japanese win. The 27th Samsung Cup will always be remembered as the first tournament in which a woman player, Choi Jeong 9-dan, reached the final. In the best-of-three title match, however, she lost 0-2 to Shin Jinseo 9-dan, the world’s number one rated player.
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Registration Open for the 2023 Redmond Cup and AGA Girls Cup
Published On 1/28/2023
Registration is now open for the 30th Redmond Cup and 6th AGA Girls Cup, the AGA’s annual premier youth tournaments for North American youth under 18 and females under 16 respectively. Players must have an accredited rank of 1-dan or higher to participate in the Redmond Cup, and an accredited rank of 9-kyu or higher to participate in the AGA Girls Cup.
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Go and roast pig at SF Go Club Lunar New Year tourney
Published On 1/27/2023
The San Francisco Go Club’s Lunar New Year Go tournament was a vibrant celebration of the Chinese New Year. On a sunny but brisk Saturday, January 21, 37 players gathered to compete in three divisions. The tournament was a lively event that included a roast pig lunch.
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The Power Report: Ida sets new record in Crown; China wins Kiriyama Play-off; Iyama wins Ryusei
Published On 1/24/2023
Ida sets new record in Crown, a regional title, open only to the members of the Central Japan (Nagoya) branch of the Nihon Ki-in. China wins 23rd Agon Kiriyama Play-off. Iyama wins Ryusei title after life-and-death hallucination.
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The Power Report: Ueno repeats as Young Carp champion; New members of the Meijin league;
Published On 1/23/2023
The main section (for the best 16) of the 17th Hiroshima Aluminum Cup Young Carp Tournament was held in the Central Japan Newspaper Headquarters Building on November 26 and 27. For the third year in a row it was won by a woman player and for the second year in a row that woman player was Ueno Asami. In the final, Ueno (W) defeated Koike Yoshihiro 7-dan by resignation. (The winner of the 15th Cup was Fujisawa Rina.)
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IMPORTANT ALERT FOR AGA MEMBERS AND CHAPTERS: Get Updated!
Published On 1/23/2023
The American Go Association is converting to new software in February. There will be a new website and added functionality for members and chapters that you will be hearing more about soon. The implementation team is preparing to convert the existing records to the new system and need your help in making sure the records are clean and up to date. Here is what you can do.
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2023 Chicago Open registration opens
Published On 1/23/2023
The tournament will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-28, in Evanston, Illinois. It will consist of eight rounds played over two days, with one-day options available. A departure from previous tournaments in Evanston, the 2023 Chicago Open will switch to McMahon pairing instead of the self-paired format.
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Pandanet AGA City League Round 2 this weekend
Published On 1/23/2023
Round 2 of Pandanet AGA City League happens this weekend. Watch teams from almost 40 teams and among 150 players from across the US and Canada.
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50 years aGO – January 1973
Published On 1/22/2023
We begin the New Year with the Uchizomeshiki, a ceremony held at the Nihon Ki’in in Ichigaya on January 5. The event, which Go Review compared to a “purification ceremony,” is an essential kick off for the tournament year. Pictured is a ceremonial game. Your editor recognizes some of the faces of the “old guard” of Japanese go at the time.
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The Power Report: Seki defends Tengen; Iyama defends Oza; Shibano wins 47th Kisei play-off
Published On 1/22/2023
The 48th Tengen title match started off with Black winning both games (see my report of October 24). There was a gap of over three weeks before the next game, which was played at the Hotel Marital Sosei Kurume in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, on November 14. Taking white, Ida Atsushi 9-dan, the challenger, beat Seki Kotaro Tengen by resignation after 202 moves. This gave Ida a 2-1 lead, so Seki’s grip on the title seemed to have been loosened.
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Books, books, books! (Did we mention they’re free?)
Published On 1/22/2023
Could your chapter use some free books? Perhaps to stock or replenish your club’s library and/or to offer as tournament prizes? When Yutopian went out of business, it gave its stock of 32,000 books to the American Go Foundation, which teamed up with the AGA to offer free books to AGA chapters. More than two dozen AGA chapters responded to a direct mailing last Fall and now other chapters, libraries, and school programs can participate, but you must act now.
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1st New York State Championship registration open with $1,200 top prize
Published On 1/18/2023
Registration for the 2023 New York State Championships is open to all players of all levels. The event will be held on February 25 and 26 at the New York Institute of Go in Midtown Manhattan, New York.

The main events include the Open Tournament, New York State Open Championship, and New York Youth Championship with a maximum of 140 seats. Besides the main tournament games, there will also be evening events like Pair Go, Crazy Go, 9X9 and 13X13 Tournaments. The event is located in the center of Hell’s Kitchen with a variety of delicious food.
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Registration Open for the 2023 North American Kyu Championships
Published On 1/17/2023
The 10th annual North American Kyu Championships (NAKC) is now open for registration. The tournament will be held online on the KGS Go Server on Saturday, February 18th and consist of four rounds over the course of one day.
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Ryan Li promoted to Professional 4 Dan
Published On 1/11/2023
Ryan Li’s recent win at the 2022 North American Professional Go Championship in Toronto not only netted him the $6,000 top prize, but a promotion to Professional 4 dan, after he reached 60 points in the North American Go Federation’s Professional Rank Promotion System.
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N.A. Online League “beta” season to start January 24
Published On 1/10/2023
The North American Online League (NAOL) begins play on January 24th. Players will be grouped by skill level in groups of six and play a round-robin of weekly games. All games will be played even with AGA rules, 45 minutes base time and 3×30 byo-yomi.
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Yilun Yang’s 2023 New Year’s Puzzle — Solution
Published On 1/8/2023
Yilun Yang 7P has been creating original annual problems based on the digits of the New Year for many years now. Yang is one of the most popular go teachers in the US. His original tsume-go problems are a regular feature in the Member’s Edition of the American Go E-Journal. You can reach him at yly_go@yahoo.com.

Join the AGA now and receive the weekly E-Journal with members-only extras such as game files with professional commentary. Plus: participate in local and national tournaments, the national rating system, and attend the annual US Go Congress –- the largest go event in North America.

Join the AGA now and receive the weekly E-Journal with members-only extras such as game files with professional commentary. Plus: participate in local and national tournaments, the national rating system, and attend the annual US Go Congress –- the largest go event in North America.
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INAF announces three more online go lectures in English
Published On 1/8/2023
The Iwamoto North American Foundation for Go (INAF) has released three more online go lectures, all in English. This follows release of two lectures last month.
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Toronto Go Spectacular lives up to its name
Published On 1/6/2023
Those looking for evidence that in-person go events can still attract a crowd need look no further than the Toronto Go Spectacular, held at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) from December 28 to 30. Organized by the North American Go Federation and sponsored by Deep Mind, the event attracted nearly 200 players and included youth, novice, Open and professional tournaments.
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Guang Yu Cup Go Tournament honors life contributions to go community
Published On 1/2/2023
The Guang Yu Cup Go Tournament, held at the San Francisco Go Club in Japantown on December 31st, 2022, “was a vibrant and exciting event,” reports SFGC presideny Matthew Barcus. The tournament was sponsored by the family of Guang Yu in honor of his life contributions to the go community. All participants received event T-shirts, and winners of each division were awarded cash prizes and bottles of wine.
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Yilun Yang’s 2023 New Year’s Problem
Published On 1/1/2023
Yilun Yang 7P has been creating original annual problems based on the digits of the New Year for many years now. Yang is one of the most popular go teachers in the US. His original tsume-go problems are a regular feature in the Member’s Edition of the American Go E-Journal. You can reach him at yly_go@yahoo.com.
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The Traveling Board: Oregon’s Alvord Desert
Published On 12/31/2022
In August of 2021 the Grande Ronde Go Club in Oregon took a trip to the Alvord Desert in Southern Oregon, a vast, dry lake bed, to get away from the hustle and bustle and play some go, reports Ty Bowen.
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Kevin Yang wins 2022 China – North America Youth Tournament
Published On 12/29/2022
Kevin Yang 1P won the 2022 China – North America Youth New Pro Tournament by defeating Alexander Qi 1P in the final round. The 2022 China – North America Youth New Pro Tournament was hosted and organized by the Chinese Weiqi Association as part of the 2022 Youth Weiqi Forum.
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Kevin Yang wins 2022 China – North America Youth New Pro Tournament
Published On 12/23/2022
Kevin Yang 1P won the 2022 China – North America Youth New Pro Tournament by defeating Alexander Qi 1P in the final round. The 2022 China – North America Youth New Pro Tournament was hosted and organized by the Chinese Weiqi Association as part of the 2022 Youth Weiqi Forum.
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North American Online League to launch beta season in January
Published On 12/23/2022
Under the banner of the North American Go Federation (NAGF) a new online league is launching in January. North American Online League (NAOL) playwill be a benefit open to American and Canadian members of the AGA or CGA. The league is built upon the successful models that have been run by the Massachusetts Go Association (MGA) and the CGA. “We are thrilled to offer a new venue for passionate go players of the AGA and CGA to play competitive games without traveling,” says NAGF Executive Director Hajin Lee.
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Lambert Li wins 2023 World Student Go Championship Qualification Tournament
Published On 12/22/2022
Eight students competed last weekend for a chance to travel to Japan in February to represent North America in the 21st World Student Go Championship.
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INAF announces two new lectures on YouTube
Published On 12/19/2022
Two lectures by Yanagisawa Satoshi 6p, sponsored by the Iwamoto North American Foundation and Nihon Kiin, are now available on Youtube. The first, “Ko Threat for Dan players”, discusses how to make ko threats bigger before using them. The second, on “AI joseki“, discusses a popular AI joseki frequently seen in modern games.
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50 years aGO – December 1972
Published On 12/18/2022
The month began with the 4th Bled International Go Masters event in Yugoslavia (now Slovenia) on December 1-3. The undefeated winner was a Japanese visitor, a Mr. Takahashi. Second was Mr. Merrissert of France on five wins.

On December 20, challenger Honda Sachiko 4d defeated Kitani Reiko 6d to take a one game lead in the Ladies’ Hon’inbo title.

Sakata Eio continues his domination of the smaller titles with a victory over Hashimoto Utarō in the Ōza title on December 14, winning the 3 game series 2-1.

Ōhira Shūzō 9d defeated Yamabe Toshirō 9d for the right to challenge Sakata in the Nihon Ki’in Championship.
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Lambert Li 6d wins 2022 King Cup; Yifan Qu 6d is 2022 California State Go Champion
Published On 12/13/2022
Over eighty go players gathered in San Diego on the weekend after Thanksgiving to contest the 5-round 2022 King Cup – California State Go Championship. The Open section had sixteen strong players including an 8-dan, two 7-dans, and eight 6-dans. All games were played at the comfortable San Diego Chess Club (2020 American Chess Club of the Year) in Balboa Park. The state tournament was hosted by the San Diego Go Club for the 5th year.
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3-way tie for first at NGC Winter Warmer
Published On 12/12/2022
Fueled by hot chocolate and cookies, 30 players came in from the cold to compete in the National Go Center Winter Warmer last Saturday, December 10. There were three first-place winners all with 3-1 records: Huang Qi (6D), Joel Kenny (5D) and Qingbo Zhang (5D)
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Korean Female Kisung: Yoonyoung Kim, Choi Jeong, Eunji Kim and Kim Chaeyoung Reach Semi-Finals
Published On 12/12/2022
From November 21-29, Yoonyoung Kim 8P, Choi Jeong 9P, Eunji Kim 5P, and Kim Chaeyoung 7P made their ways to the semi-finals round of the 6th Haesung Korean Women’s Kisung. The tournament is a notable women’s championship in Korea featuring top female Korean professional players. Most games have been broadcast live on BadukTV, and the total prize pool sums to 121 million won (US $93,000) with a top prize of 50 million won ($38,000).
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Richard Duan wins Virginia Youth Championship
Published On 12/8/2022
Eleven-year-old Richard Duan 2D upset two adult 4-Dan players in even games at the November 27th Capital Go Club’s Fall Tournament in Fairfax, Virginia, winning the Youth Championship, a subset of the overall tournament. Three other players achieved two wins: Chebong Cho 4D, Raymond Kim 4D and Sun Lee 14K. Samuel Lee 7D (1W-2L) and James Park 7D from the Korean American Baduk Association (Annandale Va.) have been invited to the 2022 VA State Championship Final, coming up this Sunday, December 11.
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Applications open for 2023 World Student Go Championship
Published On 12/5/2022
The 21st World Student Go Championship will be held at the Nihon Ki-in in Tokyo from February 21 to February 22, 2023. The North American Go Federation is now accepting applications for one player to represent North America in this tournament; full airfare, accommodations and meals will be provided by the tournament organizing team.
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Raleigh tourney to benefit Ukraine
Published On 11/30/2022
On December 10th in Raleigh, N.C., local organizer Boris Bernadsky is hosting Go Rebuilds, a tournament to raise funds to benefit Ukraine.
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RFP: Relationship between mind sports and cognitive functions
Published On 11/28/2022
The Iwamoto North American Go Foundation (INAF) is seeking to fund one or two university projects for a comprehensive literature survey and review of research linking mind sports to cognitive science. Of particular interest is how mind sports such as go may contribute to the cognitive development of youth and to the cognitive maintenance of senior citizen. The deadline for submitting a proposal is March 31, 2023.
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50 Years aGO – November 1972
Published On 11/28/2022
On November 5, Takao Matsuda, once again, secured the title of U.S. Hon’inbo, winning the telephone match by a half a point over Shigeo Matsubara. Matsuda had never lost this tournament since it began in 1968.

Hashimoto Utarō challenged Sakata Eio for the Ōza title. Sakata won the first game on November 16, but Hashimoto evened the score on November 30.
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Go Spotting: Why Chinese go players aren’t winning
Published On 11/27/2022
“When a nation’s fortunes rise or fall, so too do its fortunes in Go.” That’s from “Why Chinese players of Go aren’t winning any more” in the Nov. 12 issue of The Economist, quoting Marshal Chen Yi, a go-playing soldier in China’s civil war. The column notes that after decades of dominating the go world, “Chinese players have been losing more than they have been winning.”
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INAF solicits nominations for Lifetime Achievement Award
Published On 11/27/2022
The Iwamoto North American Go Foundation (INAF) Board has approved establishing a new “INAF Lifetime Achievement Award” to honor individuals who, over their lifetime, have made significant contributions to the advancement of the culture and sport of go in North America. It is expected that up to one award will be made each year. The deadline for submitting a nomination is March 31.
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7th Ing Cup World Collegiate Invitational streams Saturday
Published On 11/24/2022
The 7th Ing Cup World Collegiate Invitational will be streamed live this Saturday, November 26 on the USGO Twitch channel with commentary starting around 8am EST. Stephanie Yin 1p is organizing the US team and the event and Devin Fraze will manage the AGA E-journal broadcast.
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4th Latin American Go Congress “a huge success”
Published On 11/24/2022
The Quzhou Lanke Cup 4.º Congreso Latino­americano de Go 2022 (4th Latin American Go Congress) turned out to be a huge success,” reports Stephanie Yin 1P. “The event was held October 7th-11th, 2022 in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.
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The Power Report: Yoda suspended by the Nihon Ki-in; Most wins; Best winning streaks
Published On 11/17/2022
Yoda suspended by the Nihon Ki-in
This is not a matter one wants to get involved in, the reason being that, with the paucity of information available, it’s not possible for an outsider to make any meaningful judgment, but I can give some details. My report on the Masters Cup published on August 23, 2019, gives the bare bones of the dispute. More details are given in my report of February 22, 2020. The Nihon Ki-in board of directors suspended Yoda from play for six months.
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The Power Report: Honinbo League; Women’s Meijin League; Sumire’s progress; Reo loses first game
Published On 11/16/2022
Honinbo League - ehe 78th Honinbo League got off to a start on October 3 when Yo Seiki beat Fujita Akihiko.
Women’s Meijin League - Kobayashi Izumi, a newcomer to the league, and Nakamura Sumire, the previous challenger, have both made good starts.
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The Power Report: China wins 1st Hoban Cup; Shibano wins Meijin title; 2022 Samsung Cup
Published On 11/13/2022
China wins 1st Hoban Cup - Ueno Asami had just won three games in a row, including a win over the world’s number one woman player, Choi Jeong 9-dan. In game 13, played on October 20, Zhou Hongyu 6-dan (B) beat her by resignation, so China won the 1st Cup with one player, Yu Zhiying, still in reserve. First prize is 100,000,000 won ($71,225 at $1 = 1404 won). Japan came second and Korea third. Ueno received a prize of for winning three games in a row.
Shibano wins Meijin title = The sixth game of the 47th Meijin title match was held at the Atami Sekitei Inn in Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture, on October 24 and 25. Taking black, Iyama Yuta Meijin, who was facing his second successive kadoban, played solidly in the opening. The challenger, Shibano Toramaru 9-dan, played aggressively, making attack after attack. In the middle game, a black group suddenly got cut off.
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The Power Report: Most wins; Most successive wins; Winning streaks recently ended
Published On 10/26/2022
Most wins
The top four players in this list are all women, which is probably a first.

1. Ueno Asami, Women’s Hollyhock: 39-15; Nakamura Sumire 2-dan: 39-18
3. Fujisawa Rina, Women’s Honinbo: 37-14
4. Nyu Eiko, Senko Cup: 36-16
5. Ichiriki Ryo Kisei: 34-20
6. Koike Yoshihiro 7-dan: 32-9
7. Otake Yu 7-dan: 31-9
8. Ida Atsushi 9-dan: 30-14; Suzuki Ayumi 7-dan: 30-19
10. Hirata Tomoya 7-dan: 29-6

Most successive wins
8: Rin Kanketsu 8-dan, Motoki Katsuya 8-dan, Koike Yoshihiro 7-dan
6: Akiyama Jiro 9-dan, Shida Tatsuya 8-dan, Sakai Yuki 3-dan
5: Yamashita Keigo 9-dan, Cho U 9-dan, Kono Rin 9-dan, Kono Takashi 8-dan, Muramatsu Hiroki 6-dan, Konishi Yoshiakira 1-dan
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50 Years aGO – October 1972
Published On 10/19/2022
October 4-5 was the sixth and final game of the Meijin title match. Rin Kaihō retained the title, defeating veteran Fujisawa Shūkō. This was his 6th Meijin title overall. (Game record: Meijin Game 6.) Go Review had an interesting take on the generation wars at the time, opining that because Rin and Ishida Yoshio used all of their time, and Shūkō and Sakata Eio did not, the young men were somehow inferior in “the techniques of go.” Somehow, Go Review seemed to blame time controls for the players who used their time defeating the players who did not.
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50 Years aGO – September 1972
Published On 9/25/2022
The month began with the 3rd International Tournament taking place in New York on September 2. Unfortunately, we cannot recover any further details on this fun team event.

On September 3-4 the Hawai’i Ki’in celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a visit from the Great Kitani, his wife, his daughter Reiko, as well as Ishida Yoshio, Takemiya Masaki and Haruyama Isamu. More than 40 were in attendance.

Also this month the Argentine Championship was won by a Mr. Hara, over 100 players participated.
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50 Years aGO – August 1972
Published On 8/28/2022
August 4th found Iwamoto Kaoru in London on his European tour. He gave a lecture and scored 9-1 in a simultaneous exhibition.

The European Go Congress carried into the first two weeks of August, in Ensechede, Holland. Iwamoto made an appearance there as well, along with 120 participants from all over Europe, including visitors from the U.S. and Mexico. Jürgen Mattern of Germany was undefeated, and secured his fifth Championship. Germany won the team championship, followed by the host nation.

On August 14, James Davies played T. Miyoshi, a mystery author known as the “Literary Hon’inbo,” in a special televised match. Davies opened on tengen and secured a convincing victory.

The Meijin Title, between Rin Kaihō Meijin and Fujisawa Shūkō 9d began on August 16. Go Seigen is pictured in our photo of the match, which was won convincingly by Shūkō.
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50 Years aGO – July 1972
Published On 7/26/2022
On July 7-8 the seventh game of the Hon’inbo title match happened between Rin Kaihō Meijin and Ishida Yoshio Hon’inbo. We see a smiling Ishida in close up, and again in the game photo surveying his 2.5 point win. (Game record: Hon’inbo Game 7.)

The NHK television network sponsored an afternoon of go for foreigners at the Nihon Ki’in on July 16. Forty beginners participated in the lessons, led by Stuart Dowsey, ably assisted by Mark Hall. Honorary Hon’inbo Takagawa Shukaku (pictured with Dowsey) welcomed the group to a very successful event.

At the same time, on July 16-17 Fujisawa Shūkō continued his rear guard action against the attack of the younger generation, in the Meijin League. His victory (pictured) over Ishida Hon’inbo gave him the right to challenge Rin Meijin. (Game record: Meijin League Fujisawa vs. Ishida.) For our younger readers, the strange item in the corner of the playing room is a television set.
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50 Years aGO – June 1972
Published On 6/26/2022
The month began with a tour group visit by 25 Japanese amateur players to London where an informal match was held at Imperial College on June 1. The group was led by Itō Tomoe, who was then 4d. Itō was a disciple of Kita Fumiko, and by the time of the tour, she had won the Women’s Championship seven times, including five consecutive victories. The British Go Journal reported that the locals won most of their games, but “Mrs. Itō…won all of her games.” The photo attached was taken when the tour group visited Köln, Germany.
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50 years aGO – May 1972
Published On 5/26/2022
The Hon’inbo Title, held by Ishida Yoshio, was the big topic of the month. The Hon’inbo League ended in a tie between Rin Meijin and the veteran Sakata Eio, each with scores of 5-2. A playoff was held on May 3 and 4 and Rin was victorious, setting up a rematch of last year’s event. The first two games (on May 8 to 9 and May 17 to 18) resulted in wins for black, the first game to Ishida, the second to Rin. But in the third game, Rin scored a win with white on May 25 to 26 to take the lead in the best of seven contest. (Game records: playoff game, Game 1, Game 2, Game 3.)
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50 Years aGO – April 1972
Published On 4/23/2022
On April 12th, Ishida Yoshio nosed ahead of his modest challenger Iwata Tatsuaki 9d in the Pro Best Ten tournament. And, on April 24th, he completed his defense of the title. Although the games were all quite close, Iwata calmly remarked, “After all, the weaker player lost.” (Game records: Game 3, Game 4.)

As of April 15, the Hon’inbo League had but one game to play, and a playoff would be required to challenge Ishida Hon’inbo. Sakata Jūdan and Rin Meijin finished tied with 5-2 records. The Meijin League still had a way to go, but Fujisawa Shūkō led with a 4-0 record. Ōtake Hideo trailed at 3-1 and they had yet to play.
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2004 Go Congress Online; Guo Juan Returns
Published On 3/15/2004
2004 GO CONGRESS ONLINE: The website is now up for this year92s U.S. Go Congress in Rochester, NY. Although registration forms are not yet available, you can check out the fine accommodations (Every room has two double beds with an optional rollaway, satellite TV, internet access, iron and ironing board and private bathroom) and nearby attractions (including Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park, the Corning Glass Museum and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art) and the cool Congress logo at http://www.gocongress.org.
GUO JUAN RETURNS: The next Guo Juan workshop is set for June 3-6 in Round Top, NY at The Woodlands $300, reports organizer Jean Claude Chetrit. This popular workshop with Ms. Guo, a 5 dan Chinese professional who lives and teachers in Amsterdam, fills up fast, so register early: zorglub@brooklyngoclub.org or call 718-638-2266.
Get more info at http://brooklyngo club.org/
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