SPECIAL KISEI EDITION
KISEI KICKS OFF IN SEATTLE -
TIME RUNNING OUT FOR OZA -
BIG AND SMALL MOVES
PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING: Michael Redmond 9P
KISEI KICKS OFF IN SEATTLE:
There was an expectant hush this morning in
the tatami playing room on the 11th floor of Seattle's
Fairmont Olympic Hotel.
A dozen still and video photographers were jammed into the far
end of the room, awaiting the arrival of the two young contestants for
the Kisei title, the most sought-after prize on the Japanese go scene.
At the other end of the room, behind the recorder's table, were gathered
a dozen dignitaries and officials.
Challenger Hane Naoki arrived first, taking his seat at the goban amid a flurry of camera flashes. He sat quietly for a few minutes, then moved the bowls on the board aside and methodically polished the goban's surface with a cloth that had been placed there for this purpose. Setting the cloth aside, he sat quietly again.
Kisei title holder Yamashita Keigo now entered the room, which again lit up with flashes as photographers captured the moment. Yamashita is not especially short but he seemed diminutive next to the taller Hane, who loomed over the goban as Yamashita settled back in his chair and closed his eyes. After several minutes of intense motionless concentration, Yamashita sat up, both men bowed low over the goban and the first round of the 28th Kisei Tournament began. You can watch the game live now on the IGS look for the "yomi" game.
TIME RUNNING OUT FOR OZA:
Tonight at 6P is the deadline to register for
this weekend's Second Toyota/Denso North American Oza Tournament, taking
place in both Seattle and New York City. Get a free complimentary
souvenir item by registering now at http://www.usgo.org/usa/oza.asp
Over 200 players have already registered in New York (where there are players at every level from 30k to 9d except 14k) and over 60 have signed up in Seattle, including one teenaged beginner who flew in from Florida, and where the weekend's tournament events include a special Youth Lightning Tournament Saturday night. Copies of the just-published 2003 American Go Yearbook will be distributed at both events, and most of the country's top players are expected to show up in either New York or Seattle to join the competition for up to $20,000 in prizes. The top winners on both coasts will play for $300,000 and a new Lexus later this year in Japan.
BIG AND SMALL MOVES:
"This first game of the Kisei here in Seattle is a
big move," AGA President Chris Kirschner said last night at the Kisei's
plush opening reception in the Olympic Hotel's Garden Room. "Often when
we teach people how to play go, it can seem like a small thing, but 100
years ago someone in Japan taught an Austrian visitor; he taught his
sister, who taught her daughter, who taught me. So sometimes there isn't
any difference between small moves and big moves."
The remarks by various dignitaries, including representatives of the Nihon Ki-in, the Yomiuri Newspaper, Japan's Seattle Consulate and the Seattle Go Center, all focused on the importance of go in cultural exchanges, especially in promoting world peace and understanding. This year continues the marking of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of US-Japan diplomatic relationships, which began in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan and continued in 1854 when the two countries formally signed treaties.
"The young players have finally flowered into strength," Redmond said, naming Cho U and Takao in addition to Yamashita and Hane as among the new young challengers "who are very hard for the top players to beat." Each player has his own style, said Redmond. "For instance, Yamashita has a very aggressive game, he plays best when he has a moyo and is attacking. In my game against him I tend to be over-aggressive and so I'm sort of playing against his strongest points. Which is why I have a bad record against him."
"It was interesting to see (Yamashita) play poorly against Yoda, where he did the reverse and played against his weak points." Redmond says that Yamashita has "played poorly" in his last couple of tournaments, and "is clearly in a slump. But when he plays his best he's nearly invincible. I think he's probably going through a stage." Calling Hane is "a very solid player," Redmond warns that "It looks like he's playing defensively but he has a lot of power, so his game can be deceptive."
"Cho U, the current Honinbo, is a very territory-oriented player, and it's almost like his weak groups are charmed, they don't die: it's almost impossible to kill a group of his. I actually beat him once, when he had two weak groups on the board, both of them lived but I managed to win that game. His reading is extremely deep, better than most of the top players. His specialty is creating small tsume-go problems that are very difficult for even the pros to solve, and he can make them very quickly."
"Stamina and tenacity is typical of almost all the younger players, and the difference of the top young pros is that their strong points are so prominent that they can overcome other top players. It's interesting," Redmond notes, "some of them will make it, but I think some of them, at some point, something goes wrong, maybe they lose concentration or focus and they don't make it to the very top."
Redmond himself is coming off successful years in both 2002 and 2003, although two recent "painful" losses have left him feeling as though he's "lost it" a bit. "Professionals go through good periods. I have myself, where I think I know all the answers, but of course it's an illusion. It works for a while, though."
After thirty years of playing go, Redmond says he enjoys the game more than ever. He's now in the final tournament for the Tengen and his goals this year are to continue to do well in the top leagues. He's risen to a level where he's regularly playing the top players in the world and continues to discover new areas of the game to explore. Like the rest of the top pros, Redmond's focus is now on the opening. "Most of the time, even professional players don't really understand what's going on. It can be very frustrating, but the fact that we can still learn is really what motivates me."
Redmond had this bit of advice for amateur players: "Professional players have to get rid of their weak points, but amateur players should concentrate on extending their strong points. Your strong points can cover up your weak points. It's more fun, and when it's more fun I think you learn more from it."
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