Hello, Go folks --
I have an accumulation of things to share with y'all. Here's the moyo:
Tournaments to play in,
tournaments to watch,
upcoming outreach,
Rengo/Pair Go survey,
fundraiser,
Youth tournament,
and lab coats!
Tournament to Play In - Sunday, April 7, 11AM
The first Sunday of April is coming up, so please join us at the free monthly tournament at the Go Center! Register 10:00-10:45 AM; and the first of three rounds starts at 11:00. Details are on the calendar, https://www.seattlego.org/events/
Tournament to Watch - Sunday, April 7, 11AM
American Go Association professional players are going up against European Go Federation professional players in the Transatlantic Professional Go Team Championship! https://transatlanticgo.org/
Games will be broadcast on YouTube and Twitch:
https://www.youtube.com/user/USGOWeb https://www.twitch.tv/europeangofederation https://www.twitch.tv/europeangofederation2
Ordinarily, I'd organize a watch party at the Go Center, but we're having a tournament of our own that day. If anyone is interested in watching subsequent matches, please email programs@SeattleGo.org
Spring Tournament (to play in) - Sunday, May 5
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at the Go Center with three games of competition Go, and a chance to win fabulous prizes! Register 10:00-10:45 AM -- $10 general admission; $5 youth (17 and younger) and Go Center voting members -- includes lunch (probably pizza).
The Open section will be even games (6.5 komi) -- limited to 8 players maximum -- $150 prize to the player with three wins. Players who go undefeated in the Handicap section can choose a prize from a selection of Go equipment and books. The Youth Prize for players under 18 is $50, divided among all youth players who win all three of their games. Youth players can also win regular books / Go equipment prizes.
This is one of our three big annual tournaments -- please join in, if you can!
Outreach
Spring is a busy time of cultural festivals and street fairs where we teach how to play Go. We have two major festivals coming up this month:
Sakura-Con, April 19, 20, & 21, downtown at the Washington State Convention Center. I think we're ok for Friday 4-19 and Sunday 4-21, but we could use a couple more volunteers on Saturday. (Please volunteer soon, because I need to submit the list of names for badges.)
Cherry Blossom Festival, April 26, 27, and 28, at Seattle Center. We could use a couple more volunteers in all time slots.
Please don't feel intimidated about volunteering, even if you're a relatively new player. My experience is that teaching others how to play really crystalized things for me, and helped me better understand the game; and it turns out that teaching is a lot of fun!
If you've signed up to volunteer, watch for an email today or Thursday.
Rengo / Pair Go survey
The survey about Pair Go / Rengo events at the Go Center is still open. If you care about Pair Go or Rengo, then we want your opinion on two questions: (1) Time limits -- sudden death, or brief byo-yomi overtime? (2) Pair Go -- keep teams mandatory mixed gender (traditional World Pair Go rules), or go with a Rengo approach (gender is irrelevant in forming teams)?
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZDVCQF2
Thanks for helping out!
Fundraiser - Recharge the fund!
I'm sure you've noticed the Go board at the top of the stairs coming into the Go Center. Brian is using it to track progress toward our $8,800 fundraising goal. During Snowmaggedon, the Go Center sustained a serious blow to the sewerage pipe, and we depleted our "rainy day" fund getting it fixed. (I still think that, under the circumstances, it was a "snowy day" fund.) Anything you can contribute is welcome and appreciated!
https://www.seattlego.org/donate/rainy-day-fund/
Youth Tournament
Sunday, March 31, we held the Go Center's Spring Youth Tournament. 13 kids came to play, despite the excellent weather and the hideous traffic (reportedly 10 minutes to get from the I-5 exit, across NE 45th St., and into the Go Center parking lot). The youngest was in 1st grade, and the oldest was in 6th grade.
Just for fun, we experimented with a few team formats -- Rengo, tag-team Go, Sliding Go -- with mixed results, and ideas for how to do things next time. All the kids got snacks and prizes -- the Go sets, donated to the Go Center, were the first prizes chosen. Folding fans (autographed by professional Go players) also were popular.
Lab coats now required
In case you missed it -- As of April 1st, thanks to computers taking over the game of Go, the dress code for all Go Center instructors makes lab coats mandatory: http://www.usgo.org/news/2019/04/seattle-go-center-to-require-instructors-to-wear-lab-coats/ (Props to Brian for the pranky props!)
In other news -- our regular weekly programs are still going:
DDK Mondays, 6:30-8:30 with Nick Sibicky (free);
the Largest Weekly Gathering on Tuesdays, 1PM-10PM (free, with bread to share) -- Shogi players often attend;
Programming Computer Go on Wednesdays (free -- join in, if you want to get your hands dirty coding a Go-playing A.I.);
Double Threat Thursdays -- Beginners class with Larry (free), 6:30-8:30; and Advanced Go with Yue ($25; scholarships available), 7PM-9PM;
Saturdays, open 1PM-8PM -- Friendly games and beginner instruction; Shogi players attend the 3rd Saturday of the month.
See you soon at the Go Center,
Mike Malveaux
Seattle Go Center Programs Manager
email: programs@SeattleGo.org
web: www.SeattleGo.org
Go Center phone: 206-545-1424
PS - Why don't we allow cats to play Go at the Go Center?
(Some of them are cheetahs.)
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