Go in Britain: 1984

Early in 1984 Choi Chee Kul from Manchester won the first Cheshire Tournament. The Acorn Soft Computer Go Tournament was won by Bruno Przybyla ahead of Richard Granville's program. Choi also won in Oxford and Stacey at Cambridge. Coventry won the Midland Team Tournament. Furze Platt Comprehensive School beat four-times winners Leeds Grammar in the Schools Championship on home ground.

The 1984 British Go Congress was held at Manchester. Jon Diamond won on tie break from Jim Barty, 4 dan. Piers Shepperson won the next section at 2 dan, and also won the Lightning, beating Simon Carter, 7 kyu, of Furze Platt in the final.

Bracknell Tournament, renowned for its good coffee and whimsical organisation, is often seen as a practice for the Challenger's. Terry Stacey got his practice by beating 4 dans Barty, Bates and Parmenter. This paid off as he won 6/7 to become the Challenger to the British title again. This match he lost 3-0 to Macfadyen, who this year was also fifth in the World Amateur.

John Smith, 2 dan, won at York, and his Northern League was won for a second year by the combined Huddersfield-Sheffield team. Births, Deaths and Marriages covered the birth of kyu diplomas, the death of Hammersmith Club, and the wedding of Chris Holmes and Hilary Norburn of Leicester Club.

Only a small British contingent was at the European Go Congress in Porrentruy in the Swiss Jura. Pete Ryan won lots of games and Simon Butler won the Frisbee. Matthew Macfadyen won a two-round play off to be top European player, beating Pierre Colmez. Hong Tai You, a Korean, won the Open title ahead of Yoo Jong Su, the Korean from Cologne.

The first British Junior Go Championship was held at Furze Platt School Maidenhead on 13th October 1984. The event was sponsored by Equity and Law and was run by a tireless France Ellul. Winners were Alistair Thompson, Sam Perlo-Freeman and Nicola Oswald. Local favourite Leigh Rutland, who had been to the World Youth in Taipei, could only manage second in his age group.

At the 1984 Wessex the BGA Committee dominated the results with Membership Secretary Mike Harvey winning the one kyu section and President Richard Granville winning the whole event. Alan Scarff showed off his computer program and won the shodan section. At the Black Bull Handicap Tournament Richard Granville was not so lucky as Terry Barker beat him by half a point in the final.

At the 11th London Open at Covent Garden Lee Choon Sub from Korea was the best of the 142 players, ahead of Gooskens and Moussa.


More BGA history

Last updated Wed May 03 2017.
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