Taking advantage of an attack on his opponent’s central group, Myungwan Kim 9P 
won the first Strong Player’s Online Tournament (SPOT1) Saturday, May 22. Kim won Game 2 Saturday to sweep the match 2-0 against his young Canadian opponent Jianing Gan 6d. The game featured a complicated battle in the bottom-hand right corner in which any mistake would lead immediate collapse. Gan responded correctly, but had a few slow moves and Kim took sente to attack another group and while Gan managed to survive, Kim consolidated a huge territory on the left and Gan resigned at move 174. Earlier in the day, Eric Lui defeated Zhaonian Chen — once again killing a giant group to seal victory — to take third place. Lui, playing white, succeeded again with a moyo strategy; White 24 and 32 focused on the moyo while Black 25 and 33 stole White’s corner territory. Black invaded by attaching at 73, and White’s attack set up a favorable trade of 28 black stones while only sacrificing 13, keeping a lead of about 15 points and winning by resignation. Kim won the $1,000 top cash prize, runner-up Gan won $400 and Lui won $100. All three players automatically qualify for the Top 32 in the next SPOT tourney. Kuo Yin 3P provided live commentaries again for SPOT1 from Beijing, China, and Jie Li 7D commented game 2 of the finals.
- Edward (Zhiyuan) Zhang; photo by Yixian Zhou
SPOT1 stories
Strong Players Online tournament I (SPOT1) is sponsored by American Go association (aga). aga e-journal reserves rights for all reports below.
MYUNGWAN KIM 9P WINS FIRST STRONG PLAYERS ONLINE TOURNEY
May 22, 2010
May 9, 2010 Thirteen-year-old Jianing Gan 6D showed talent and flexibility in several In the third-place game between Michael Chen 7D (White, left) and Eric Lui 7D The E-Journal caught up with Myungwan Kim 9P after his victory: Report/interview by Tournament Director Zhiyuan ‘Edward’ Zhang; photo: Michael Chen (left) and Eric Lui (middle) have been friends and rivals for many years.
Myungwan Kim 9P One Win from SPOT1 Trophy
complicated exchanges in the first round of the best-of-three Strong Player’s Online Tournament (SPOT1) finals on Sunday, May 9, but Myungwan Kim 9P mastered the game with superior control and eventually took 1-0 lead in 151 moves after capturing White’s dragon. Jennie Shen 2P provided live game commentary on KGS and answered questions from fans all over the world. The match resumes with Game 2 on May 22 at 1p on KGS.
(Black, right), Lui used a vigorous sanrensei opening and Black’s first thirteen moves only have one stone below the fourth line. Click here for game records. Despite a misread in the first battle in the upper left corner, Chen got points in the second battle at lower right. However Lui became very thick and initiated the third battle as he was a bit behind in territory. Chen tried to counter by attacking even when his own dragon lost space to live, but Lui defended wisely and forced Chen to resign at move 189.
AGA E-Journal (EJ): Congratulations!
Kim: Thanks.
EJ: Can you give an overview of this game?
Kim: He (Gan) is very young. I was surprised how young and good he is. He is very creative too, but he lost some points in the beginning and couldn’t catch up.
EJ: If I remember correctly, this is the first time you killed a dragon in this tourney; when did you decide to do so?
Kim: When he played at J18, which is too much. Normally I don’t like to kill.
EJ: I see. One fan commented “Kim is gentle” Where are you most satisfied with your own play?
Kim: That’s a difficult question. I don’t really think there’s a good move of mine. Every move was so-so.
EJ: You are so humble. Jennie Shen 2P commented that you are so good at controlling the game.
Kim: What I wanted to make sure was I didn’t want to give him any chance to catch me up, so I made the game simple after I got some points in the beginning
EJ: It was noticed that you used a lot time at the beginning, but played much faster afterwards. Why?
Kim: Fighting in the beginning is always important. When you’re leading, everything becomes easy.
13-year-old Jianing Gan 6D to Play Myungwan Kim 9P in SPOT1 Finals on Sunday 5/9 1PM
5/8/2010
Almost 700 watched the Strong Players Online Tournament semifinal game on KGS
between Myungwan Kim 9P (CA) (r) and Zhaonian Chen 7D (NJ) on Saturday afternoon. Kuo Yin 3P, the 2006 China Ing Cup University Champion and 2008 US Open runner-up provided live commentaries from Beijing, China. Kim won at move 190 by resignation. Chen used a variation of High Chinese opening and strategically obtained territories in both lower-right and lower-left corner. (Click here for game record) However when defending Black’s dragon Chen “misread badly” per his review and lost an 11-stone dragon. Chen did not give up, but started to operate on his big moyo, which successfully complicated the game. “Chen played well in the second half.” Yin 3P commented, “He simply trailed a bit too much at the beginning”. Kim 9P thrived in the complicated second half and did not give Chen a chance, though the fights were tough and both players were in byo-yomi.
In the other semiifinal, Jianing Gan (ON, Canada) (l) quickly built a lead in territory while Eric Lui 7D (MD) gained thickness. It appeared that Gan defended well on the left side and removed Lui’s potential in the upper-center. Later Lui tried to attack Black with thickness but White (Gan) again made sure to stay connected and sound. In the endgame Gan’s territorial lead seemed untouchable and Lui resigned after move 223.Beginning in the qualifier three weeks ago, Gan remains undefeated (entire tournament resultshere) and has won the right to challenge Kim 9P, who has the highest rating in AGA (10.0). No matter what the result, the match is a dream come true for this middle-school student in Winsor as he told EJ last week “I am so lucky that I have the opportunity to challenge top players of North America.”
Game 1 of the SPOT1 best-of-three finals starts Sunday May 9 at 1p EST on KGS —Jennie Shen 2P will give live commentary -- and will resume on Saturday 5/22. Third-place game series between Chen and Lui have the same schedule.
Reported by Tournament Director Zhiyuan ‘Edward’ Zhang; photos by John Pinkerton
SPOT1 FINAL FOUR SET TO PLAY SATURDAY
May 6, 2010
Live from Beijing, Kuo Yin 3P will provide game commentary for the SPOT1 games begining at 1P Saturday. Runner-up at the 2008 US Open, Kuo only lost to Kim; Kuo holds a BA from Fudan University, and won the China Ing Cup University Championship in 2006.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that the Final Four players in the Strong Players Online Tournament I (SPOT1) are all 
students. Leading contender MyungWan Kim 9P – a two-time U.S. Open champion — studies accounting at UCLA and besides school he focuses on sharpening his go skills. “I really enjoy teaching go,” Kim tells the E-Journal, and, with his summer break starting soon, “I can also teach outside of L.A. , especially before the US Congress.” Kim likes to teach principles instead of techniques, because one can self-study techniques. “The principles I teach apply to both high-kyu and dan players.” About the final four games ahead Kim said “I am studying Lee Se-dol’s games these days, and and I feel I am getting back my strength.” Kim’s semi-final opponent is Michael Chen 7D, 2006 NAIM champion and 2009 US Open runner-up. Chen is a junior at Princeton University, with an emphasis in finance, who’s hoping to get some experience in an investment bank before entering his senior year this fall. Chen has improved his game rapidly during the last few years while maintaining an excellent GPA at Princeton, providing a great example to youth players that one can play go well and do well in school at the same time. The other semi-final match-up is between Jianing Gan 6D and Eric Lui 7D. Just 13 years old, Gan is a bit shy in face-to-face play, and plays much better online. The only Canadian in the Final 4, Gan says that “I am so lucky that I have the opportunity to challenge the top players of North America. I will take each game seriously.” Lui 7D attends the University of Maryland, and has represented United States internationally for the last four years: World Amateur Go Championship (2009), World Student Oza (2008), International Amateur Pair Go Championship (2007) and Korea Prime Minister’s Cup (2006). SPOT1 is sponsored by American Go Association. The Strong Players Online Tournament I resumes this Saturday, May 8 at 1p EST on KGS.
- Reported by Tournament Director Zhiyuan “Edward” Zhang
Myungwan Kim 9P Cruises into Final 4 to Rematch with 2009 US Open Runner-up Michael Chen 7D April 29, 2010 Four-time US Open Champion Jie Li 7D will provide live commentary on the key game between top
5/3/2010
Two-time US Open Champion Myungwan Kim 9P (CA) extended his winning streak to 16 games after defeating Canadian
champion Yongfei Ge 7D (ON) and former China Hebei Province champion Yue Zhang 7D (OH) last weekend in the Strong Players Online Tournament (SPOT1). Three other top amateurs made the Final Four, including Zhaonian “Michael” Chen 7D, Jianing Gan 6D and Eric Lui 7D. Chen (NJ), defeated Changlong Wu 7D (NC) and Xinyu Tu 7D (NJ), while Gan 6D (ON) prevailed over Hugh Zhang 6D (CA) and Sarah Yu 6D (ON), and Lui 7D (MD) outplayed Yinli Wang 6D (IN) and Calvin Sun 7D (CA). Jie Li 7D and Jennie Shen 2P gave live commentaries on the two games separately on KGS. Shen’s audio lecture attracted a large audience of almost 400, while Li managed his commentary despite a busy weekend before finals week in law school. The semi-final match-up schedule on KGS next weekend: MyungWan Kim 9P vs Zhaonian Chen 7D: Saturday, May 8, 1p; Eric Lui 7D vs. Jianing Gan 6D: Saturday, May 8, 1p.
SPOT1 Notes: “I think he is a pretty good player,” said Kim of Ge. “There were some very smart moves, like R2 and S15.” Chen was the 2006 North America Ing Masters Champion and the 2009 US Open runner-up, where he only lost to Kim (click here for game record ). “I was lucky to have come out ahead in the last battle,” Chen admitted. “It is very tough to play Kim 9P,” yet Chen’s plan for the next game is “play well, have patience.” Four other Sweet 16 matches: Yue Zhang 7D (OH) defeated Yuan Zhou 7D (MD); Xinyu Tu 7D (NJ) defeated Curtis Tang 7D (CA); Calvin Sun 7D (CA) defeated Jie Liang 7D (NH);
Sarah Yu 6D (ON) defeated Jung Lee 7D (CO).
- Reported by Tournament Director Zhiyuan “Edward” Zhang
Photo: Four-time US Open champion Jie Li 7D gave commentaries to over 600 fans on KGS during the Sweet 16 game between Kim and Ge.
JIE LI TO COMMENT LIVE ON ON SPOT1 TOP BOARD
seeds Myungwan Kim 9P and Yongfei Ge 7D — both two-time US Open winners themselves — in the Sweet 16 round of the Strong Players Online Tournament (SPOT1) at 1p this Saturday, May 1 on KGS. Ge lost to Kim at the 2009 US Go Congress and tells the E-Journal “I will try my best. To me, Kim is best at endgame, and I will try to make it complicated in mid-game.” Ge, who works as a software architect, spent some time studying go every day to prepare for his 2007 U.S. Open win after his first Open win in 2001. Over 500 watched Kim’s game on KGS last Saturday, and our sources say that he’s studying hard as well. Five of top eight seeds are in SPOT1’s upper half, while two are in the lower half due to first round upsets. Click here for the complete Sweet 16 matchups. An innovation of SPOT1 is the use of web cameras, enabling the players to see each other on Skype, which “was proposed by the sponsor of SPOT1, AGA President Allan Abramson,” reports TD Zhiyuan “Edward” Zhang. Players describe the web camera play as both “close to face-to-face playing” and “more formal than regular online games.” While it makes some “feel nervous but excited” the players also says it’s an “interesting experience” that “feels real.”
SPOT1 DOWN TO SWEET SIXTEEN PLAYERS
April 25, 2010
Thirty two top players battled it out on KGS over the weekend to make the Sweet Sixteen in the inaugural N.A. Strong April 24, 2010 Hundreds tuned in Friday night to watch the action in the N.A. Strong Players Online Tournament (SPOT1) Canadian qualifier and Premiere round. Jin “Sarah” Yu 6D, Daniel Gourdeau 6D and Jianing Gan 6D made the SPOT1 Top 32, while Eric Lui 7D (MD), Yuan Zhou 7D (MD) and Carson Tu 7D (NJ) are just one win from the Sweet 16 round after winning their games in the First Round. SPOT1 is sponsored by the American Go Association, with $1,500 in prizes for the top three winners. Forty players from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. registered; after double-elimination in the first round, two players from each team will advance to the Sweet 16 round, scheduled for next Saturday, May 1st. For most of the players, this was the first time playing in front of a web camera, but Patrick Lung from Canada said “It didn’t matter; I was more concentrated on my board than my opponent.” Nick Jhirad from DC said that opponent Carson Tu’s “responses to my attacks on the right were very good,” adding that “one big mistake at the end cost me the game, but I played better than I thought.” Daniel Gourdeau, a 5th grade high school student from Quebec, said that “I was proud of move 41, and move 93 is the last nail in the coffin.” Gourdeau’s plan for his next game is to “Play thick, leave few weaknesses.” Click here for the SPOT1 First Round schedule. April 23, 2010 The Strong Players Online Tournament (SPOT1) launches tonight, April 23, at
Players Online Tournament (SPOT1). Over 500 watched Myungwan Kim 9P(CA) play Hugh Zhang 6d (CA) Saturday, with Kim notching his latest victory in a 14-game winning streak in AGA tourneys. Also making the Sweet Sixteen – to be played next Saturday, May 1 – were Yongfei Ge 7D, Yuan Zhou 7D, Yue Zhang 7D, Curtis Tang 7D, Xinyu Tu 7D, Changlong Wu, Yinli Wang 6D, Eric Lui 7D, Jie Liang 7D, Calvin Sun 7D, Sarah Yu 6D, Jung Lee 7D, Jianing Gan 6D and Hugh Zhang 6D. The final slot will be filled by the winner of Monday’s Zhaonian ‘Michael’ Chen- Yixian Zhou game.
Saturday’s “main event” will undoubtedly be the face-off between Yongfei Ge and Myungwan Kim, both two-time U.S. Open Champions. Saturday’s winners proceed to Sunday’s Elite 8 round and winners there qualify for the Final 4 round. Spot1 is sponsored by the American Go Association; a total of $1,500 in prizes will go to the top three players – $1,000 for champion, $400 for runner up, and $100 for third place.Click here for complete results and pairings.
– Zhiyuan “Edward” Zhang, Tournament Director; photo: Yinli Wang 6D (IN) and Sarah Yu 6D (ON), undefeated in the SPOT1 First Round, finished on top of Teams C and G entering the Sweet 16 round.
GOURDEAU, YU & GAN MAKE TOP 32 IN SPOT1
- Zhiyuan “Edward” Zhang, Tournament Director
STRONG PLAYERS ONLINE TOURNEY LAUNCHES TONIGHT
7P on KGS, with three matches between U.S. players, as well as six Canadian players battling for three slots in the Top 32. The first major online open tournament in recent years has attracted a lot of interest from players and fans alike. Among the thirty-five strong playersfrom Canada, the United States and Mexico are Korean 9-dan professional — and two-time US Open Champion — Myung Wan Kim, Canadian Yongfei Ge 7D, also a two-time US Open winner, and 2006 NAIM Champion Zhaonian “Michael” Chen 7D from New Jersey. “Every team is tough,” said Yixian Zhou 7D from Los Angeles, better-known as “missbear” on KGS. “But I will have fun to learn from the strong players.” Changlong Wu 7D from North Carolina encourages fans to “Come and watch, and join the AGA today.” The tournament continues over the weekend. Click here for the pairings. schedule and results.
– Zhiyuan “Edward” Zhang, SPOT1 Tournament Director
MYUNGWAN KIM TO PLAY IN U.S.-BASED ONLINE TOURNEY
April 13, 2010
Two-time US Open champ Myung Wan Kim 8P leads a field of over 40 highly-ranked players already registered for the
first Strong Players’ Online Tournament I. Registration is open through this Thursday, April 15; players must be AGA members, members of the Canadian or Mexican Associations, at least 5.0 AGA rating or equivalent – professionals are welcome — and have a webcamera, Skype and KGS accounts. Undefeated in all AGA tournaments since he moved to L.A. in 2008, Kim currently holds the highest rating in North America, making him the odds-on favorite in the online tourney scheduled to start April 24, although there are seven players registered so far with ratings above 8.0 . Click here for the roster. Registration is free.
LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR ONLINE STRONG PLAYERS TOURNAMENT
April 12, 2010
There are still a few places open in the upcoming Strong Player’s Online Tournament (SPOT1), but anyone interested must registerby this Thursday, April 15. “Some players have expressed concerns about the fixed schedule,” reports organizer Edward Zhang. “Be assured that if you have a problem with the date/time, you can negotiate with your partner, and if you agree, have a different schedule, as long as the game is finished before the formal deadline.” Participants must be AGA members, members of the Canadian or Mexican Associations, at least 5.0 AGA rating or equivalent, and have a webcamera, Skype and KGS accounts. The strong field competing for $1,500 in prizes includes players from around the world; click here for the roster thus far. SPOT1 is sponsored by the American Go Association.
North America Strong Players' Online Tournament I
--No Boundaries in the Kingdom of Go 
Strong players in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are invited to play online in a new high
level tournament with top prizes totaling $1500. Players with AGA ratings of 5.0 and up,
or Canadian/Mexican equivalents, are eligible. No requirement for a U.S. Green card or
citizenship. The 26 top rated AGA players who register automatically qualify, and six
places are reserved for Canadian/Mexican players. The registration deadline is midnight,
4/15/2010, and the first round is on the weekend of 4/24. The tournament will be on
weekends, and it is scheduled for four weekends. See who are going to play here. This tournament is sponsored by AGA and President Allan Abramson.
If your AGA rating is 5.0 or more, sign up today at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/key.com/s/F55QNL5.
Take your ‘Sente’ today. For details of the tournament, see below.
· This is a serious online tournament· Total prizes no less than $1500 (champion = $1000, runner-up = $400, and third =
$100). More if sponsors participate.
· No restriction to U.S. Green Cards or citizenship of players
ELIGIBILITY
1. AGA membership continuously for the past 12 months, or Canadian GoAssociation or Mexican Go Association membership for the same period.
2. If a U.S. player, must have lived in the U.S. for at least 6 of the past 12 months.
3. All players must sign up for the tournament online by midnight EST April 15,
2010 at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F55QNL5
4. AGA rating 5.0 or above, or Canadian/Mexican equivalent. Top 26 rated players
automatically qualify. The remaining 6 places are reserved for Canadian and
Mexican players. A total of 32 players will participate in the tournament.
5. All players must agree to have a Skype account and a web camera in order to
view each other during the games.
SCHEDULE
1. First Round, Weekend 1, 4/24/2010Double-elimination, 3 rounds, (Sat. pm, Sat. evening, Sunday pm)
2. Sweet 16 and Elite 8, Weekend 2, 5/1/2010
Single-elimination, 2 rounds (Sat pm and Sunday pm)
3. Final 4, Weekend 3, TBD
Best-of-three (Friday evening, Sat pm and Sunday pm if necessary)
4. Finals & 3rd-Place playoff, Weekend 4, TBD
Best-of-three (Friday evening, Sat pm and Sunday pm if necessary)
If players live close, a face-to-face matchup is possible with players’ consent.
5. Trophy presentation at 26th U.S. Go Congress, Colorado Springs, CO
