Sunday Go Puzzles

This one can be a bit frustrating, as it seems so simple and there are only so many moves that you can try.  Good luck!

We have to start out with a sente move if we're going to get anywhere, so let's threaten to connect out, then make use of the fact White doesn't have much in the way of liberties.


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Interview with Gansheng Shi New American 1 Dan Professional

I recently interviewed Gansheng Shi 1p after his success in becoming one of the first American Go Professionals.  I wanted to get his outlook on the process of becoming a professional, the challenges of playing through the tournament, and what he thought about the future of American Go.

Before the U.S. Professional Go tournament was announced, did you ever think about becoming a pro in Asia?

I did not think about becoming a pro in Asia because having been in training in china before, I understand that it is a very difficult task.

Did you do anything special to prepare for the tournament?

I did play out pro games for an hour each day for a month before coming to the tournament

What game was your hardest game and why?

The hardest game was games 2 and 3 with Yang Jing because I had to overcome a 1-0 deficit. The second game I was able to come back in late game and in the third game I also played amazing endgame to win by half a point.

Were you relieved when you won?

I was very excited and relieved when I won the pro tournament because I had never thought about becoming a go pro before.

How do you think you'll fare against other professionals?  Which tournaments do you plan to partake in?

I think it will be very difficult facing other Asians pros, but I do think the road to a good pro is long and I believe I will work hard to improve my go skills.

How do you plan to build your strength to compete against other professionals?

I plan on training in Korea for 6 months in an Insei school and by playing against other professionals in tournaments such as the Samsung, LG and BC card cup.

What are your thoughts about the future of Go in the U.S.? 

I have faith in the American go pro system because I see great support from the American and international go community such as the KBA. I see America producing new pros in many years that will be able to compete internationally against Asian pros. comments

Sunday Go Puzzles

Today's problem is actually a bit tricky.  The aim should be clear: you've got to use those two cutting stones to their fullest, but how?

Solution to Last Week's Problem

This problem is not so hard if you know to hane first.  If you got that, then the throw in practically jumps right out at you.  comments

Sunday Go Puzzles

Today's problem is an adventure in false eyes.  See if you can kill White.  This problem is not so hard for intermediate level players, but the tesuji can be overlooked in games.

Solution to Last Week's Problem

If you saw Black 1, then great!  This is a case where we might get confused by the throw in stone, but since we have 3 spaces next to it, we are assured of a real eye. comments

Reached my funding goal!

This about sums up my feelings.

So we've reached the $800 goal for Sunday Go Lessons, and I can't tell you how awesome that is.  I've always wanted to bring the joy of Go to as many people as I could, and this is a great way of doing it.  I started playing Go when I was 19 and it's one of the few things I can say that I've worked really hard at.  I like it so much I went halfway across the world just to play it with people who are probably ten times as passionate about it as I am.  Go honestly makes me feel content, and I know it can do wonders for other people in improving their lives as well, even if it's just another hobby on the shelf.  I'd like to work towards a vibrant Go community in the U.S., and given the fact that there are now going to be U.S. professional players, it's important we create our own unique American Go culture to try and make that program a success as well.  Again, a big thanks to the Go community for stepping up.  

Now, we've reached our funding goal, but there are a few things I could use to make the videos really great. I can live without them, for sure, but living with them would be preferable :P

Here are the stretch goals.  If you know someone that might be interested in any of the perks, from game reviews to personal tutoring, let them know, and thanks again!

Lateral Tripod $200 - If we can reach the $1,000 funding level, then I can get one of these bad boys.  I've been using my own tripod, but it's really old and is being held together by duct tape and a prayer.  A lateral tripod would allow me to do overhead shots, so I can point the camera straight down at the board.  If you saw the videos of the professional games I did, a lateral tripod would make the shot a lot clearer.  Here is the page on Amazon.

Anything over this, I'll donate the equivalent amount of free lectures to the American Go Foundation so that they can freely give them to Go Teachers who'd like to use them in their classes to teach children or really anyone else who wants to learn Go.

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Sunday Go Puzzles!

Last week's puzzle was on the harder side, so we're going to do something simple this week.  This is a problem that tests how much you understand about eyes.

Solution to Last Week's Problem

The first move sort of jumps out at you, but the rest takes awhile to really work through.  White has some liberty problems, so he has to connect at 4.  What you have to see is that if White captures 5 directly then Black can come under.

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Go Videos

Some of you may be wondering what kind of videos am I going to offer on the site.  So far, I've put up 4 Go videos on Youtube.  They're not completed, as I'm still getting my Go studio setup and learning the ins and outs of video editing.  Teaching myself a new skill is pretty fun.  Currently, I'm filming at the Wixom Public Library in their recreation room for the low low price of $25.  The librarians love me, so sometimes they let me use the room for free!  The recreation room doesn't have the best light, but I can use my makeshift green screen and lighting, and can produce a few decent videos.  For instance, I made this video to teach beginners the rules of Go:

Hopefully, I can get my home studio setup so that I can make it look as good as possible.  I'm also going to try and use a lot of different techniques to show concepts in Go, like acting stuff out with friends so that it's interesting for people who are not hardcore Go types.  My main hope is to get new players to give Go a try, as well as help clubs reach out to new people.  One BIG thing I want to try for is to have materials for people who teach Go, but are not especially strong themselves, but want something for their class to enjoy.  In any case, any feedback one what people would like to see or what topics they'd like covered, I'm all ears!

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