BGA Newsletter 278 May 2021

FROM THE EDITOR

Contributions are always welcome, both from our members and others. We ask that they be Go-related and "newsy". The place for debate and general discussion is the BGA open mailing list Gotalk. However, an introduction to a new topic is fine in the Newsletter. A brief introduction to Gotalk, with a link for joining, is on the BGA page Go on the Internet. See also the BGA temporary Coronavirus page.

Instructions for Contributors: Please use plain text not file-attachments. Keep it fairly brief, and give web-links and contact details. It's good to include pictures. If they are on the internet, send me the URL, otherwise attach the picture files to your email. Send your contribution to newsletter@britgo.org to arrive by the first day of the month.

Jil Segerman

NEWS

The full set of recent news items, including further details of some of the items shown here, are on our News Pages, and on News Headlines.

Pandanet Go European Team Championship

The UK lost their 13th April match against Germany 3-1 on 4th May. Alison Bexfield was again the team's star player, with the only win. Finland thus won the match 3-1. Game reports from the players Alex Kent, Jon Diamond, Jamie Taylor and Alison Bexfield are here. This loss moved the team down to fifth position in the B-League, with just one match to go.

World Youth Amateur On-line Weiqi Tournament

The first CCTV World Youth Amateur Online Weiqi Tournament was in two sections, the first being for youth teams. Jayden Ng, Scott Cobbold and Caleb Monk played the seven qualifying rounds over each weekend from late October to mid-December on the Chinese server Yike. They beat Colombia, lost to China, France and close matches against Croatia and Hungary. They then beat Argentina and Slovakia to end thirteenth out of 22. The UK team narrowly missed qualifying for the next, knockout, stage unlike our single junior in the second section, Ryan Zhang, who was placed fifth. China won the team and individual titles at the delayed finals in April.

BGA Youth Residential Camp is back for 2021

The fourth camp will again have Go teaching in the mornings, outdoor activities in the afternoons and Go tournaments in the evenings. The camp, for children of senior school age, will be held Monday 16th - Thursday 19th August, at our usual venue Caythorpe Court. Details will apear shortly here.

ADMIN.

Annual General Meeting

The 2021 AGM was held, like last year, as a virtual meeting using Zoom on Friday 7th May, at 20:00. 29 BGA members were present (26 for the whole meeting) and 9 proxy votes had been assigned. Officers' reports were received and the accounts for 2020 were approved. The three officers and auditor stay the same. Council members are Matt Marsh, Gerry Gavigan, Andrew Ambrose-Thurman and Peter Rootham-Smith, but the fifth place was not taken.

The first substantive debate was on incorporation to a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG). Motion 2 was amended, so that a final decision was to be made at an AGM, not an EGM later this year, and was then passed. Motions 6 and 7 failed. The result is affirmation that in principle moving to a CLG structure is the correct action.

The debate on hard-copy BGJ production funding resulted in Motion 5 failing, but Motion 3 then passed. Motion 4 was withdrawn as not relevant. This sets up two classes of membership, one without a hard-copy BGJ, and gives the Council discretion to set the membership pricing. The meeting closed at 22:30.

The Secretary issued a request for feedback on how members want to see the AGM held next year, using Zoom again or face-to-face probably at the British Open? Suggestions please to secretary@britgo.org

BGJ 195 is now available

The Spring 2021 edition of the British Go Journal is now available in the Members' Area. Printed copies will be sent out from mid May. Contributions for the next edition should be with the editor by 6th July.

EVENTS COMING SOON

Restrictions due to the risk of infection with Covid-19 continue. Anyone thinking of planning a face-to-face event should think carefully about whether social distancing and related regulations in their part of the UK can be fully met.

Government guidelines may be found at:
* England
* Scotland
* Wales
* Northern Ireland

Face-to-face events are provisional. Tournament organisers will be responsible for safety and legal compliance. Various Online events are being planned. For further details see http://www.britgo.org/tournaments

May, 3rd Not The London Open
June, Youth Monthly (Online), Durham (Online)
July, UK Go Challenge Finals (Online)
August, Mind Sports Olympiad (Online), Youth Training Residential
September, European Women's Go Championship (London)
December, London Open