News

COVID-19 Closure and Cancelation: 03-24 update

Seattle Go Center remains closed due to the COVID-19 emergency. On 3-23, Governor Inslee issued a proclamation, that (among other measures) closed all non-essential businesses and banned all recreational gatherings regardless of size, for at least two weeks. This means the soonest the Go Center might be able to re-open would be April 9.

Accordingly, the April monthly ratings tournament (that was scheduled for April 5) is canceled. The annual Spring Go Tournament, scheduled for May 3, is uncertain at this time.

Every year, volunteers from the Go Center share the game with attendees at certain festivals. We’ve received confirmation that the following events, originally scheduled for April and May, are canceled: Sakura-Con, Cherry Blossom Festival (at Seattle Center), and University District Street Fair.

The online community resources for playing Go and chatting have been getting increasing use. The Discord server in particular has about 40 users, and the players who meet up regularly at Zoka Coffee on Monday and Friday mornings have been finding each other in the “Seattle Go Center” club room on KGS.

— Mike M.

Online Community Resources

While Seattle Go Center is closed for the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ll keep the community GOing online:

East-vs-West League

Our sister Go Center in the other Washington, the National Go Center, is planning to organize an East Coast vs. West Coast online league. All strengths are welcome to join. If you’d like to participate, please complete the form below.

[ Read more… ]

Mr. Komatsu, 3 Dan Professional, March 9 – March 12

Mr. Daiki Komatsu, 3 Dan professional Go player of the Nihon Ki-in, has been visiting Seattle! Here is his profile page.

  • March 9 – Mr. Komatsu lectured at Nick Sibicky’s “Double Digit Kyu” class!
  • March 10 – Mr. Komatsu played simultaneous games, defeating seven challengers at once. Pizza for participants was provided courtesy of the AGA Chapter Rewards program.
  • March 11 – Mr. Komatsu visited the Uwajimaya weekly Go outreach meetup that Go Center volunteers have facilitated for many years.
  • March 12 – Mr. Komatsu will visit the Couth Buzzard weekly Go outreach meetup.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak, two school visits had to be canceled.

Daiki Komatsu faces multiple opponents.
Daiki Komatsu 3 Dan battles multiple Go players.
Mr. Komatsu engaged 7 players simultaneously

— Mike M.

Strong Japanese Player Coming to Seattle Feb. 29 – Mar. 3

The Seattle Go community is fortunate to have frequent strong visitors, teaching and competing at the Go Center. A good example — Feb. 29 – March 3, 小野慎吾 (Ono Shingo) will be here.

Mr. Ono is a strong Japanese amateur and friend of Chris Scribner’s. He’s ranked as a Japanese amateur 7 dan, but in tournaments he plays at a 12d rating.  He’s not an accredited pro, but his strength is close to pro 1 dan.  Chris listed a few of Mr. Ono’s achievements from his profile page:

  • Won the central Japan Meiyo Honinbou (amateur) tournament 7 times in a row
  • Won the amateur Ryusei (national) tournament in 2015
  • As a senior in college, won the national Jikketsu tournament (a tournament for college students)
  • In his third year of middle school, won the national boy’s and girl’s tournament
  • He’s also placed highly in many amateur tournaments. Recently he placed in the top 16 for the national amateur Honinbou tournament
Go player in black faces multiple opponents

Mr. Ono has generously offered to play simultaneous games, with up to 4 players at a time.

Go players consider their boards.

He also will be competing in the monthly AGA ratings tournament on March 1, which is an outstanding opportunity for a up-and-coming dan level players!

Further, he’s interested in getting together with other strong players.  If you’re interested, please email and I’ll pass it along to Chris and Mr. Ono.

— Mike M.
Updated with photos, 2020-03-12

Jin Chen Tournament, Jan. 5, 2020

Seattle Go Center held the annual Jin Chen tournament on January 5, 2020. There were 41 players — 33 in the Handicap section, and 8 in the Open. Nick Wilmes, Seattle’s AGA Chapter Representative, was Tournament Director; and pizza lunch from Pudge Bros. was provided for all players, thanks to the generosity of Seattle AGA Chapter and the AGA Chapter Rewards program.

The tournament has been rated already:
Open – agagd.usgo.org/tournaments/seat20200105open/
Handicap – agagd.usgo.org/tournaments/seat20200105handi/

Round 1 games at the 2020 Seattle Jin Chen Go Tournament

Youth players made a strong showing. Overall, 39% (16 out of 41) of the players were Youth, including two in the Open section — including the Open winner, Xinlei Liu 7d.

One advantage to having a relatively large field in the Handicap section is that most games were played even or at a low handicap. Out of 88 games played, all but 3 had a handicap of three stones or less.

Players who won three games:
Xinlei Liu, 7d
Chris Scribner, 1d
Alex Hu, 2k
Yulissa Wu Lu, 7k
Brian Allen, 9k
Quincy Costello, 19k

— Mike M.

Happy 2020 from Mr. Yang

Happy 2020 puzzle for Go players
Happy 2020 puzzle from Mr. Yang

This is (basically) the same puzzle that appeared in the American Go E-Journal near the end of 2019. The picture links to the SGF — happy solving! (Thank you, Mr. Yang!)

— Mike M.

24th Anniversary Tournament Report

October 6, 2019, Seattle Go Center held a Go tournament to celebrate our 24th anniversary. AGA Chapter Rep Nick Wilmes officiated with aplomb.

Forty Go players signed in to compete — including ten Youth players, younger than 18 — and the first round was delayed several minutes while AGA memberships were initiated or renewed, pairings were tweaked, and extra clocks were brought out. The players didn’t seem to mind, chatting with friends old and new.

Go players gaze seriously at their games in progress.

Seattle Go Center 24th Anniversary Tournament – Open Section

Young girls take the white stones, elder men take the black stones.

Seattle Go Center 24th Anniversary Tournament – Handicap Section

After the first games, pizza lunch from Pudge Bros. was quickly demolished by the hungry Go players and their support staff (a.k.a. families).

Go players display their winning certificates.

When the dust settled after the third round, Haichen Zhu 7 Dan had won the Open Section (and the $150 prize).

Three men discuss a table full of books about Go.
Seattle Go Center 24th Anniversary Go Tournament. Prize table for Handicap Section.

In the Handicap Section, 3-game winners were Brendan Roof 1 Dan, Lucy Lu Wang 2 Kyu, David Snow 5 Kyu, Emma Huang 12 Kyu, and Derek Wisher 14 Kyu, and they got to select a prize from a table loaded down with books about Go. Ms. Huang also won the Youth Prize.

One advantage of having such a large field of competitors is that nearly everyone had someone near their strength to play against. In the Handicap Section, all but two of the games were played at a handicap of 3 or less.

Join us at the Go Center for the next tournament, Sunday November 3. There’s no entry fee (and no prizes), and AGA membership is required. The next tournament with prizes (and entry fees) is the Jin Chen, scheduled for January 5, 2020.

–Mike M.

Youth Tournament Sunday, March 31

  • At Seattle Go Center, 700 NE 45th St., 2nd floor
  • Starts at 1:00; finished by 4:00 (maybe earlier)
  • Kids 17 and younger (parents please stay with your children; we have comfy chairs and wi-fi)
  • Fun and wacky team Go events
    • Tag Team Go
    • ZenGo
    • Teams will be chosen at the event
  • Prizes for all participants – Go sets, books, small fun items
  • Free of charge! Register at the event

— Mike M.

Membership Meeting, March 24

The Annual Membership Meeting will be Sunday, March 24, starting at 1:00 PM.

Voting members who are not coming to the meeting—please give your written proxy to a voting member who is coming, so that we can meet our quorum requirements.  This can be done with email. 

The meeting will be at the Go Center. It will include a slide show, yearly reports, election of three members of the Board of Directors, and snacks.  The meeting will last about an hour, and will be followed by a meeting of the Board of Directors. If you are not elected to the Board of Directors, you may spend the rest of the afternoon playing Go. 

The Seattle Go Center has nine Directors.  Each Director has a term of three years.  This meeting, three positions will be filled. The Directors are elected by “voting members”:  lifetime members, yearly members and quarterly members who have had a membership for at least 93 days.  Ten-visit members and new members are welcome at the meeting, but cannot vote. 

If you are interested in standing for the Board of Directors, please contact Brian Allen (Operations Manager) or Lee Anne Bowie (President of the Board of Directors).  Members of the Board of Directors do not have to be current voting members of the Go Center, although they usually are.  We have enough candidates to fill all our Board positions but we are still accepting nominations.

–Mike M.

Thank you, Yuto!

Mr. Yuto Tajiri (“call me Yuto”), 5 Dan professional Go player with the Nihon Ki-in, visited Seattle Go Center, March 4 – March 7, and engaged in many activities with us.

Monday, despite several hours of airplane travel, Yuto took over Nick Sibicky’s DDK class, and reviewed a game vs. Hideo Otake, professional 9 Dan. Then Yuto and Nick played a demonstration game together and reviewed it.

Tuesday, Yuto met with Weiqi students at UW on campus at Red Square. In the warm sunshine, he played public teaching games on 9×9.

Then in the afternoon, with the stamina of a true professional, he played simultaneous games — then did it again in the evening!

Yuto Tajiri 5P playing simuls in the afternoon, and into the evening.

Wednesday, Yuto taught Go to 2nd-grade students at University Child Development School. These kids visit senior citizens living at Nikkei Manor — and now Go is one of the things they can do on their visits!

Smiling Go players face each other for casual and teaching games in a food court.

Wednesday evening, Yuto visited the Go Center’s long-running outreach project at the Uwajimaya food court.

1 Go player takes on 2 opponents while another watches.

Yuto played teaching games and simuls at Uwajimaya.

Thursday, Yuto taught Go at the McDonald International School Go Club. In the evening, one more lecture at the Go Center; then Friday, back to the airport.

Yuto Tajiri 5P with the instructors of McDonald International School Go Club

The Go Center is deeply grateful to the Nihon Ki-in and to Tajiri-sensei for the visit and so much hard work. Thank you!

–Mike M.