In This Edition:
DASH CHAMPIONSHIP DEADLINE EXTENDED:
The deadline for entering the Dash International Baduk Club Championships
has been extended to February 15. The online competition is open to club members
from around the world. Professor Sang-Dae Hahn has organized the event "to
promote friendly relations and mutual understanding between all Baduk players in
the world." Teams are made up of three players and clubs can have multiple
teams. The winning team of the Championship Division will win a week-long
all-expense paid trip to Korea. Full details at http://www.dashn.com/english
TOWSON SETTLES IN:
Jim Pickett reports that "The Towson (MD) area
Go Club has settled into Monday night routine at 8 PM." Contact Jim
at j.m.pickett@att.net or call 410 433 5257.
MCKEE PHOTO CONTEST WINNER:
James McKee, who spotted his wife and baby daughter in the
background of last week's AGA homepage photo, is this week's Photo Contest
winner, correctly identifying the photo as taken in the Seattle Go Center
on the evening of Saturday, January 17th at the Oza tournament. Check out
Jon Boley's delightful little go story about McKee's family at
http://www.seattlegocenter.org/pictures.php?album=../info/seattlegocenter/albums/ashley_one.pictures
THIS WEEK'S CONTEST: Where was this week's photo taken and what's special about the folks in the picture? Be the first to tell us and you'll be next week's Homepage Photo Contest winner (which entitles you to bragging rights and a $10 go vendor gift certificate). Check it out at http://www.usgo.org/index.asp
CHOI EVENS IT UP IN KUKSU:
Rising Korean star and Kuksu challenger Choi Ch'eol-han 5p
defeated current title holder, Yi (Lee) Ch'ang-ho
9p in Game Two of the 47th Kuksu title
match. Choi played Black and forced a resignation from
Yi after a relatively short game of only 145 moves. This win ties the
best-of-five series at 1:1. Eighteen year old Choi is having quite a
time of it right now. He won the Chunwon late last year, is playing
strongly against the legendary Yi Ch'ang-ho in the Kuksu, and is battling
it out with Yu Chae-hyeong 6p in the best-of-three Kiseong
challenger's match to decide who will play current Kiseong title holder...yes,
Yi Ch'ang-ho. Game records for the 47th Kuksu can be found at
http://igo-kisen.hp.infoseek.co.jp/
- reported by Dennis Hardman
MANNAMI WINS HER FIRST TITLE MATCH:
In Tokyo this week, the deciding third game of
the 7th Women's Kisei was won by
20-year-old Mannami Kana 2p, who defeated four-time defending
champion Chinen Kaori 3p, to win the overall title two games
to one. For Mannami, who played Black and won game three by 12.5 points, this
is an important milestone in her career because it is her first professional
title win. Contrary to what might be implied by the name, the Women's Kisei
is not a direct counterpart to the Men's Kisei tournament. The Women's Kisei
uses a fast game format (30 seconds per move with 10 minutes thinking time)
and its total prize money (about US$33,000) is less than both the Women's
Meijin and Honinbo titles.
- reported by Dennis Hardman
FIERCE BATTLES RAGE IN AMSTELVEEN:
The European Go Culture Centre in
the Netherlands is filled with the cream of
European go as players face off to see who will enter the international
Toyota/Denzo Oza tournament.
As of this writing, the final two games are being played. On one board,
Alexandre Dinerchtein 7d from Russia and Frank Janssen
6d from the Netherlands are fighting hard, and on the other board Ion Florescu
6d from Romania and Andrei Kulkov 6d from Russia match wits.
The winners will be entered into the International Oza
in Japan, where the ultimate winner receives $300,000 and a new Lexus.
- preliminary results from the EGCC homepage reported by Ethan Baldridge
ALL PROS RATING LADDER:
Ales Cieply of the Czech Republic has developed a rating
ladder for a huge number of the current pros. The relative ranking of some
who are likely to be of particular interest to E Journal readers are: Rui Naiwei
9p is 49th on the list, Feng Yun 9p is 54th, Michael Redmond 9p
is 60th, Jiang Zhujiu (Jujo) 9p is 65th, Jimmy Cha 4p is
103rd, Yilun Yang 7p is 107th, Guo Juan 5p is 146th,
Xiaoren He 5p is 150th, and Huiren Yang 1p is 157.
Check out the whole list and how it was created at http://www.goweb.cz/progor/
SPA GO:
The Ing Memorial Tournament will be
held March 4 to 7 in Karlovy Vary, the largest Czech
spa town. 24 top European players are invited for the main event. So see the best
go Europe has to offer and enjoy a side tournament in a great location. Details
at http://goweb.cz/im2004/IM2004Str2GB.htm .
Our bonus files this week include a neat life and death problem from our archives and Kaz Furuyama's latest lesson, this time on the attachment and the cut. Enjoy!
Get the weekly game commentaries! Join the AGA today at http://www.usgo.org/org/application.asp
HALF-PRICE YEARBOOK:
"I noticed that as new member I can now purchase a copy of the
2003 Yearbook," writes Lenny Buttitta, Jr. "How do I
do that?"
In addition to receiving the 2004 Yearbook when it comes out at the end of the year, new members (while supplies last) can order the 2003 Yearbook for half-price at http://www.usgo.org/yearbook/2003yearbook.asp
YEARBOOK KUDOS:
"Excellent job on the Yearbook," writes Gus Garcia. "The
CD puts the effort over the top. Now the Yearbook is just a click away and with the
embedded URLs is as big as the internet itself. Both paper and electronic versions
will get much use from me." Adds Marc Palmer: "Your Herculean
effort in producing the Yearbook is much appreciated. It's a treasure chest for any
serious go player, and it's clear that such a compendium takes considerable effort
even when it is the end-product of a dedicated team of bright go-players and
contributors."
A funny thing happened on the way to shodan: I decided that it might be pretty damned cool to FAIL. Yup. Not that I' m trying, mind you-especially with guys like Ethan taking up the challenge and, now, Thomas Watson (and with a name like that, he's gotta be good: "Think!"). I mean, if nothing else, I hope SOMEONE shows up at Rochester as a shodan on account of this crazy project, but I equally hope that enough of us who sign on end up hanging from the windmill by our broomsticks.
Maybe it's just the Minnesotan in me, but I get uncomfortable when anything is too easy. I was playing on Yahoo! the other day, which I do when it's late and I don't feel like putting myself out too much, and a gaggle of kibitzers came by. I had just won a couple on IGS, had a good lesson with Kerwin and was feeling better than 50 - 50 on my daily shodan odds check. The kibitzers agreed: "Oh, MN - he's strong. All three of us together cannot defeat him!" I won, but not without feeling like I'd fed several disagreeable monsters, not the least of which was my ego-my wife is now especially tired of the refrain, "All three of us together cannot defeat him!" Bwa ha ha ha* Go shovel, right? Right.
There really is something too American about setting oneself up to succeed with a kind of short order recipe of wild hair and determination. Shouldn't the game win sometimes? Sure. And it will. But let's not let the snow and long days of winter obscure the great joy of winning-so here's three cheers to getting shot out of the cannon and not just landing on two feet, but with yer arms raised in victory. So, to Ethan and Thomas and all the other struggling kyus out there -- good luck, and I'll see you in Rochester.
If you haven't visited the American Go Association's website lately, you haven't seen some exciting new additions. In fact, you could visit and miss them if you don't know where to look. So here's the inside scoop.
Although there are many good beginner go books, none can really be considered complete, tending to focus on playing fundamentals at the expense of the many other fascinating aspects of the game. Peter Shotwell's "Go! More Than A Game," however, can justly lay claim to the title, providing a complete text on the subject of the game of go.
The best learning technique is to present a comprehensive overview of the subject. In teaching a language, for example, the beginner is introduced to the vast complexity of the language, the myriad verb tenses, idiomatic phrases, contractions, definite articles and plurals. While the beginning student will not immediately seriously study many of these topics, the foundation of the language is established and creates a framework upon which the mind can build. Without such a proper framework the mind can develop erroneous conceptualizations, detrimental procedures, and an overall myopic discernment of the subject. How many of us have finally understood a go concept after years of stumbling, only to realize that knowledge of the concept early on would have facilitated the journey?
"Go!" covers all of the major topics in go in a style that is creative, well thought out and effective. Examples include the use of analogies, go's connections to Eastern philosophies (as a Taoist I was pleased to finally see this approach embraced fully), example games chosen for their educational value (many are more understandable amateur games rather than professional games), chapters designed to complement each other and build on prior concepts. Josekis are introduced using full 19x19 board diagrams (again, framework for whole-board thinking), and concise move variations are included that clarify and reinforce. There are excellent discussions on such subjects as harmony, balance, finding your style, the conversation of go, efficiency, and shape, just to name a few. The reader is even treated to various examples of beautiful traditional go artwork.
Of special note are the final three chapters on "The History of Go", "Go and Western Science", and "Go, Business, and the Thirty-Six Strategies of the Dark School of Taoism." The "History of Go" chapter is exceptional. Unlike other go books that too often gloss over go history, here Mr. Shotwell takes the reader back in time and then guides us through the game's rich and fascinating history, ending with the modern global game we know today. The "Go and Western Science" chapter is absorbing and thought provoking. Instead of the ubiquitous "computers can't play go" thesis, we are shown the game of go through the prism of the cognitive sciences, introduced to topics such as Chunk Theory and Surreal Numbers, challenged by discussions of various cognitive experiments, and encouraged to experiment on ourselves!
The final chapter, "Go, Business, and the Thirty-Six Strategies of the Dark School of Taoism", explores the connections between go, business, politics, and Taoist philosophy in an captivating manner and alone is worth the price of the book. There truly is something here for everyone. Regardless of your level, this book will enhance your passion for the game, improve your knowledge of its history, add to your skill set, and give you a different way to think about and teach the game to others.
"My feelings about coming back deal mostly with the desire to reestablish a motion forward," Kirschner said. "We've learned that some things in the (AGA's) structure need to be changed, and the people involved -- including myself -- did not react as well as they could have. Lessons have been learned, and we need to grow from the experience," Kirschner told the E-Journal.
"The biggest, most important part of the AGA is the people who do the work," Kirschner said. "Those people are the chapter reps and national organizers."
Although Kirschner says that there are a number of organizational issues that need to be addressed -- reducing the five-month "lame duck" period between election to the Board and taking office; spelling out limits on the Board's ability to restrict go news and addressing member voting rights -- he sees major challenges and opportunities on the horizon for American go in 2004.
"We need to meet the demand for teachers in response to Hikaru no Go," Kirscher said, "I expect a huge jump in membership." Although "Initially the Internet sucked membership away, and clubs reported decreases in membership," Kirschner says "Now it's turned around because so many more people have been exposed that they are seeking out people locally."
On a personal note, Kirschner, a 5-dan, reports that neither the recent crisis nor the burdens of leadership have interfered with his enjoyment of go. In fact, "I played in the Oza this past month and went 4-2. I'll be coming to the Go Congress hot to trot - so look out!"
- interview by Joe Carl.
NEXT WEEK: New AGA Board Chair Alan Abramson on 10,000 members and a million-dollar budget.
WANTED: K - 12 teachers who want to start a school go club, add go to their classroom activities, or explore the concept of using go to integrate math, social studies and language arts. Join the Scholastic Go Project on our Blackboard website. Free. Contact Anton Ninno at aninno@cnyric.org (2/2)
WANTED: Looking for "Enclosure Josekis" by Takemiya Masaki. Please e-mail price and condition to rberger6@nyc.rr.com (2/2)
WANTED: Go players in the Clemson/Anderson/Greenville area of South Carolina. Contact joshuac@clemson.edu (1/23)
WANTED: Teacher for a beginner in the Nassau County area of Long Island (This is negotiable. I can travel to Brooklyn, Queens, and farther out on Long Island if necessary), New York, that I can meet face to face with, that isn't busy on nights or weekends. Email Yan at yan99_2000@yahoo.com (1/23)
WANTED: Go players in Clarksville, Indiana/Louisville, Kentucky interested in starting a go club. ChrsGilkey@aol.com (1/15)
Got go stuff to sell, swap or want to buy? Do it here and reach more than 6,000 Go players worldwide every week at Go Classified! Send to us at journal@usgo.org
February 28: Charlotte, NC
2004 Carolina's Open Tournament
Wayne Hansen 704-536-4805 whansen319@yahoo.com
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~transwri/
February 28: Tacoma, WA
Roy Hayashi Memorial Go Tournament
Mike Malveaux 253-906-0095 mikem@hilltopgo.com
http://www.hilltopgo.com/ev/rhm2004/
February 28 & 29: Princeton, NJ
New Jersey Open
Rick Mott 609-466-1602 rickmott@alumni.princeton.edu
March 7: Sunnyvale, CA
8th Jujo Jiang Cup Youth Goe Tournament
Mingjiu Jiang 650-969-2857 mingjiuj@hotmail.com
June 24-27: Hackensack, NJ
2004 New Jersey Yang 7p Go Workshop
John Stephenson 201-612-0852 jcs@wingsgoclub.org
http://www.wingsgoclub.org
For the European Go Calendar see http://www.european-go.org/TOURNAMENTS/TListbyDate.htm
GET LISTED & BOOST TURN OUT! Got an upcoming event? Reach over 6,000 readers every week! List your Go event/news In the E Journal: email details to us at MAILTO:journal@usgo.org
Ratings are on the web! Check the website; http://www.usgo.org for the full list.
GET YOUR TOURNAMENT RATED! Send your tournament data to MAILTO:ratings@usgo.org
AGA CONTACT LIST: For a full list of AGA officers, contacts & their email addresses, go to: http://www.usgo.org/org/index.asp#contactinfo
Text material published in the AMERICAN GO E JOURNAL may be reproduced by any recipient: please credit the AGEJ as the source. PLEASE NOTE that commented game record files MAY NOT BE published, re-distributed, or made available on the web without the explicit written permission of the Editor of the E-Journal. Please direct inquiries to journal@usgo.org
Articles appearing in the E-Journal represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the American Go Association.
To make name or address corrections, notify us at the email address below. Story suggestions, event announcements, Letters to the Editor and other material are welcome, subject to editing for clarity and space, and should be directed to:
Editor: Chris Garlock
mailto:journal@usgo.org