American Go E-Journal
February 5, 2019
Max Dohme of Berlin, Germany recently completed a swing through Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur, managing to find and make new go friends at each stop, “including a go lesson from Jimmy Cheng, secretary of the…
November 29, 2018
by Peter Schumer Montreal is just north of the border for go players in New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. They have a thriving go community and a full time place to play go and enjoy some quality tea, baked goods, soups, and…
August 20, 2018
"This is a game that has serious appeal to me," writes independent filmmaker, website designer "and sometimes teacher" Chris Knight in recent blog post, " Do Not Pass Go: An evening with the world's oldest board game ." "I'm looking…
November 9, 2017
"At this year's U.S. Go Congress in San Diego, I had the pleasure of playing Steve Uhl from Sante Fe, NM (left in picture) in round 2 of the Open," writes Eric Wainwright (right) . "We had a very close and exciting game. Steve had also…
August 22, 2017
"Thanks to Facebook, my wife Margaret discovered that (longtime Princeton NJ go organizer) Rick Mott and his family were also in Casper, Wyoming for the total eclipse of the sun," reports EJ photographer Phil Straus. "That was a great…
November 29, 2016
By Lisa Schrag We got a glimpse of the future when our good friend Matsumoto Mamoru recently had us as guests in his home near Osaka, Japan. His family robot, Pepper, entertained us with conversation and song. Then Pepper politely…
September 18, 2016
The Nihon Kiin Summer Go Camp, an intensive training program targeted at non-Japanese go players, was held from August 21st through September 3rd at the Nihon Kiin in Tokyo. Vermont go player Peter Schumer was among those attending;…
September 12, 2016
While in Tokyo recently on business, Bart Jacob found his way to "this very nice Go Kaisho near my hotel in Nihonbashi" where he played a couple of games with Soma-san (right). " I believe the street is shin-ohashi, near the suitengumae…
June 27, 2016
by Keith Arnold As I sit down for breakfast at our hotel in Beijing, the gentlemen next to me asks "Are you Chris?" "No, my name is Keith." "Sorry, similar face." And I thought that was over. But when he returned with food he tried…
May 4, 2016
by Phil Straus In early 1997, I played in a Baltimore tournament as a 45-year-old three-dan. I split the first two games. In my third game I was paired in an even game with a two-dan. Statistically I had about a 2/3 chance of winning. I…
January 6, 2016
by Chris Garlock The AGA's professional qualification tournament tests the go skills of its young competitors, but it's also a grueling endurance challenge. With two rounds each day, and each game usually going at least three hours,…
December 10, 2015
"There are very few things that beat saunas in the winter," says Boris Bernadsky. "One of them is playing go in the sauna in the winter." That's why he's hosting an unusual go Meet-Up this Saturday at the King's Spa, a Korean style…
November 30, 2014
Dropped in on the Gotham Go Club last Tuesday night during a visit to New York City to see longtime friend and go colleague Roy Laird. Despite Thanksgiving being just two days away, the club was bustling with activity, as it reportedly…
May 28, 2014
On his BenGoZen blog , Benjamin Hong recently posted a nice report on his Hong Kong go adventure earlier this year. After spotting an ad for go on a bus, Hong was disappointed to discover that the Hong Kong Go Association (HKGA) does…
May 26, 2014
"Visitors to Seattle should save Tuesdays for the Go Center", advises Center Manager Brian Allen. "It's our biggest day." On Tuesday, May 20, the Center had 47 players visit, including 12 children. New players can find instruction on…
April 23, 2014
by Barry Pasicznyk Every year go players from the Penn Go Society and Phoenixville Go Club teach go at Philadelphia's Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Festival. This year an especially poignant moment occurred that I wanted to share with other…
November 16, 2013
A go hothouse sprang up in Letchworth Garden City, UK the weekend of November 8-10, when 14 of the UK's strongest and most promising players congregated at the home of Letchworth Go Club organizers Simon and Alison Bexfield (see New Go…
September 15, 2013
Gordon Castanza -- former AGA Board member and EJ game recorder -- passed along this report from his friend Ernest French of the Beijing Go Club , who sends this report and a collage of photos he took at the “Second Donghu Cup Amateur…
August 2, 2013
by Jan Engelhardt Western go players sightseeing in Japan won't want to miss Innoshima in the Hiroshima prefecture. That's the birthplace of Honinbo Shusaku , the most famous go player ever. Shusaku was born as Kuwahara Torajiro on June…
July 28, 2013
By Peter Schumer Beautifully organized, the recent Osaka Go Camp drew about 35 “campers” from nearly a dozen countries. Most of the instruction was in English, but there was a good bit of Japanese, French, and German mixed in amongst…
July 25, 2013
The Central London Go Club took advantage of the current UK heatwave to call a go picnic on Sunday, July 21. It was held in Royal St James's Park in the heart of the capital, adjourning later to the Captain's Cabin pub in…
July 11, 2013
Going to Japan to train to play go is a dream for many western go players. It's a dream come true for 32 players from around the world, who are now attending the 3-week Osaka Go Camp led by by Maeda Ryo 6P and Li Ting 1P. The camp…
June 26, 2013
Sighted go players who struggle to master the game of go may be surprised to learn that many blind people in Japan know how to play go, and that there are clubs with blind players who meet on a regular basis. Last Fall, Bay Area Go…
June 25, 2013
The Mind GO club's second largest go club in Israel is re-opening this week. The club, in Rehotot at Weizmann Science Institute, is opening under the auspices of Professor Peleg, Dean of Mathematics faculty at the Institute. Meetings…
March 6, 2013
While the U.S. team prevailed in a February 16-17 friendship match in Cuba, "the true victory was in realizing this rare opportunity for players from the two countries to come together," said trip organizer Bob Gilman. A team of 11…
February 15, 2013
When a group of US go players ( 2013 US–Cuba Friendship Trip Planned 9/23/2012 EJ) arrives in Cuba this Friday, it'll be the second visit from the United States in as many months. Former AGA President -- and current American Go…
January 31, 2013
Our friends at Go Game Guru have just posted their 2012 album of favorite go photos , which are great fun to look at – the captions are amusing too -- and many of which would make terrific screensavers or wallpaper. Click here for the…
January 19, 2013
by Lisa Schrag As visiting Americans who help run the Bay Area Go Players Association , Roger Schrag and I wanted to see first-hand how go is taught in South Korea, a country where the population is as familiar with go (called baduk in…
September 23, 2012
By Lee Frankel-Goldwater Morning can be open, glorious and bright. It can also be foreboding, especially if the day ahead holds worries, uncertainty and concerns. Then there’s go. Open-ended yet with clear purpose. A desired result…
July 19, 2012
Over 50 players visited the Seattle Go Center on Tuesday, July 17. They ranged from complete beginners to 4 dan players. Tuesdays are always well-attended at the Go Center. "Even on slow weeks we will have 25 players. Our priority is…