nationals

Thirty-third Australian National Go Championships

November 27, 2010toNovember 28, 2010

The thirty-third Australian National Go Championships will be played on Saturday the twenty-seventh and Sunday the twenty-eighth of November, 2010. The venue will be the Young Go Academy in Strathfield, Sydney. The organisers are Robert Vadas of Sydney Go Club (ravadas@yahoo.com) and An Younggil of the Academy (anyoungkil@gmail.com). Third dans and stronger will play in the open division, second dans and under will play in the handicap division.

To register, contact one of the organisers with your name, rank, club, and AGA membership number if you have one, or ask your club secretary to pass the information along. The tournament fee (to be announced, but around $55) will be collected on the Saturday. As always, you must be a member of your national go association to compete in this tournament; for most of you that means the Australian Go Association, who will be happy to sign you up on the day if need be. The annual general meeting of the Australian Go Association will be on the Saturday evening.

Korean lunch and refreshments, tea, coffee and wireless internet will be provided. There will be at least three Korean professionals and one from Japan. We will try to broadcast the open division on EurogoTV, and there will be liveblogging. :)

2009 National Championships results

The 2009 Australian open champion is Zack Zhou 7d. Second place in the open division of the thirty-second Australian National Go Tournament on the weekend went to Kevin Chen 7d, and Raphael Shin 7d placed third. All three players won five of the six rounds, and were separated on the sum of their opponents’ scores.

All the competitors

All the competitors

The second division was handicapped, with eleven competitors between second dan and third kyu. Yong Heng Li 3k won with a clean sweep, Jeremy Wen 1d of Brisbane came second with five victories, and Tridat Tran 1k placed third with four wins.

Bill Wen winning third division in the 2009 Nationals

Bill Wen winning third division in the 2009 Nationals

The third division (four kyu and under) was won by Bill Wen 15k of Brisbane, with Masahide Yanagi 5k and Warrakun Mangrai 8k placing second and third.

An Younggil 8p playing simultaneous games on the teaching day

An Younggil 8p playing simultaneous games on the teaching day

In all, a good tournament, with a strong field (110 dan!) of forty competitors, and a good turnout for An Younggil 8p’s teaching afternoon on the preceding Friday. The BBQ didn’t hurt, either. Kudos to the host Melbourne University Students Playing Go collective, and the newly announced Victorian Go Club for helping out.

Shining Yin, tournament director for the 2009 Nationals

Shining Yin, tournament director for the 2009 Nationals

A full report with shiny photos will be in the summer edition of the Journal. If anybody has any interesting kifu from the tournament and wants to send them to us, we will be happy to turn them into SGF files for your use and and see about getting reviews of them from strong players for later publication.

Nationals: Updated rules

Game Rules
Each game is 60 minutes main time for each player with one period of 30 seconds byoyomi thereafter. (updated from 30 minutes per side, which was a typo – 6/9/2009)

Division One- Open (no handicap)
Division Two- Handicap rules
Divison Three- Handicap rules

Nationals Programme
Itinerary for Saturday and Sunday, as well as game rules will be explained during Opening Ceremony.
Registration opens at 8a.m on Saturday, please ensure you arrive early with your registration details (payment in cash/payment details) and to collect your badges.
Closing Ceremony and Presentation of Prizes is set to take place at 6pm Sunday.

Friday’s Teaching Day
Begins at 9. For those flying in on Friday, feel free to make your way to the event when available. There will be nearby eateries for lunch options including Subway, KFC and China Bar.
Students Playing Go committee members are likely to be busy in the evening in preparation for the Nationals, for those wanting dinner in the city, they’ll be happy to recommend some awesome places.

Please direct all questions to mail@spgo.org.au.

Nationals: Important info

Friday’s Teaching Day (2nd October)

Students Playing Go is holding a Revision/Teaching Day before the Nationals Tourney and all players are welcome to join (free event) on Friday. Professional players An Younggil (6p) and Zheng Hong (9p) will be present if you have any questions and for reviews and teaching games. This is a phenomenal opportunity for go players so do come along (come rain or hail or high winds)

Time: 9am-5pm. Friday 2nd October.

Location: Room 109, Alice Hoy Building, Melbourne Uni. (This room is located downstairs, entrance from Monash Road. Get off the tram and walk into uni, it should be the second set of stairs going down into the building on your left)

Tournament Fee

SPGO now have  a DIRECT DEBIT system for players to pay their entry fee. Please send your payment to “Students Playing Go”, BSB: 803143, Account number: 9083. (Melbourne University Credit Union Limited).

Once you’ve sent your payment, please email SPGO (mail@spgo.org.au) with your registration details and the reference number of your payment. It is vital that you include your NAME and REFERENCE NUMBER of payment.

You can also ensure a quicker registration on tournament day by buying your AGA membership from the AGA now. Please include your membership number with your registration details.

Tournament Prizes

Players will be competing for some awesome prizes!

Trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd Placements + 2 Runner Ups

Cash Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Placements

Gifts for Winners and Fighting Spirit Awards

9×9 Fun Tourney- Gifts and Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Placements + Fighting Spirit Award

Game Rules

For Divisions 1, 2 and 3.

Absolute setting, 45 min per player- 90mins per game, Japanese rules, 6.5 komi. Handicap system in place.

Accommodations

Accommodation in Melbourne during the Australian National Go Tournament 2009 may be in peak-season prices, due to the Spring Racing Carnival. It is advisable to book early.

Here’s a website you can browse through for hostels around Melbourne:
 http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/australia/melbourne/

Here are the easiest-to-navigate-from hostels for those who are not confident using the public transport or maps (but be warned, these may be the most expensive due to its location):

City Centre Budget Hotel - 22-30 Little Collins Street, Melbourne. 
http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/australia/melbourne/8415/

The Greenhouse Backpacker (Melbourne) 
228 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 
website: www.greenhousebackpacker.com.au

email: greenhouse@friendlygroup.com.au

phone: 1800 249 207 (freecall, within australia)/ (613) 9639 6400 (overseas)

Dormitory of 4-8, $28 per night

Double (2 people maximum) $78 per night per room

Single $65 per night per room.
 No group bookings discounts available.

This one is in walking distance (5 minute walk):

Victoria Hall Accomodation – 380 Russell St, Melbourne, Australia 3000

phone: 1800 670 611(within australia)

website: victoriahall.com.au

private or dorm rooms, with shared bathrooms

twin room: from $75 a night (private)

single room: from $59 a night (private)

Dorm rooms:
4-bed dorm: from $28 a bed

6-bed dorm: from $24 a bed

Bookings from website, or phone call with credit card (VISA or Mastercard) details.

Please have a look through the Go Journal Forums for home stay possibilities. If you’re in Melbourne and can offer homestay, please add to the forums.

Maps/Directions

The Univeristy of Melbourne is easily accessable by public transport. Every tram at the Flinders St Train Station tram stop  and along Swanston Street will stop or pass by the university. These trams have “Melbourne University” displayed on the front, but if in doubt, just ask the tram driver.

Included are a map of Melbourne (follow the RED line I’ve marked), and a map of the Melbourne Uni campus (the Union Building is in grey and circled in RED). Trams will stop right outside the Arrow marked 1, please walk into the campus via Monash road and look for the Union Building. Alternatively you can walk a little upwards to Arrow 2 and walk straight towards the Union Building. Members Lounge is on the ground floor.

Melb Uni MapMelbourne Map

We hope to see all of you at the Nationals.

If you have any questions please contact the organizers at mail@spgo.org.au

Australian Nationals- Additional Info

The perfect opportunity for Australian Go players and enthusiasts to gather, compete and learn more about go, and overall have a grand ol’ time.

As this year the Nationals are being held in Melbourne, interstate players will be able to sample the cultural feast that is this very beautiful city and also to meet the unique bunch of people over at Students Playing Go and Melbourne Go Lovers (your lovable hosts) (I hear they’re very friendly) (and enthusiastic)

The Tournament is held on the weekend of 3rd and 4th October, running all day from 9.30am-5pm. Registration begins Saturday at 9am and closing ceremony is on Sunday 5.30pm.

Players are encouraged to be in Melbourne by Friday night (feel free to persuade your hosts to dinner) and to arrive early for Registration at 9am on Saturday.

There will be (hopefully) shops opened in Union House for food and drinks, but if there are not, your hosts will be providing tea, water and light snacks (and a free BBQ lunch on Sunday) and there are plenty of nearby eateries to ensure you get the needed energy to play go!

Players will be competing for prestigious trophies and prizes and of course for the sheer pleasure of testing your skills and having fun with players from all around Australia.I hear tell that there are also some very interesting things planned by your hosts (all quite mysterious), so you’ll just have to wait and see ;)

If you’re interested thus in participating (you should be by now), please send in your entry forms (or any enquiries) to mail@spgo.org.au or by post to Box 11, Union House, University of Melbourne, Vic 3010 care of Students Playing Go.

If you’re having trouble with your entry forms, you’re welcome to type out and send all the relevant information via email (mail@spgo.org.au)

Entry fees can also be paid by cash during Saturday’s morning registration period.

It’s vital that participating players send in your entry forms in advance so that things can be planned sufficiently to accommodate. So get filling in those forms (or emails) now!

For interstate players looking for weekend living arrangements, your hosts are planning a short list of possible motel/hotel accommodations. If you need any particular help please contact Students Playing Go at mail@spgo.org.au.

See you all there!

Thirty-second Australian National Go Championships

October 3, 2009toOctober 4, 2009

Details of the Australian National Championships are confirmed as follows:

Venue: Members’ Lounge, Ground Floor, Union House, University of Melbourne
Registration form is here
On-the-day registration begins at Saturday 9:00am, but please register in advance!
AGA Annual General Meeting begins Saturday 5:30pm
Closing ceremony begins Sunday 5:30pm
Contact: SPGO or or Box 11, Union House, University of Melbourne, Vic 3010

The Tournament Referee will be An Young Gil 6p.

2008 nationals, videos!

I just found two cute little videos on YouTube, with happy memories from Brisbane last year. Check out http://www.youtube.com/user/Confuseki

Photos from the Nationals

We were recently given a couple of photos taken at the Nationals (Brisbane, November 2008), and thought it would be nice to share them.

A more comprehensive report on the Nationals (and more pretty photos!) will be in the coming issue of the Journal proper, so stay tuned!

Reflections of Go

Reflections of Go

img_27751

How not to do it, part I

The last game of the last round of the kyu division at the 2008 Nationals. :)