The organiser of the Bracknell Tournament was also the winner: Ian Marsh (1 kyu Bracknell) was the best of the 28 players. Also winning all three were Xinyi Lu (4 kyu Maidenhead) and Laurence Anderson (7 kyu Bracknell). Poland's Marcel Zantman (6 kyu) won two and then had a last round jigo. Bahareh Afshari won the problem solving, Mike Charles won the 13x13 and Peter Collins won the caption contest.

Results

In March the BGA was approached by a Taiwanese Game Manufacturer who wanted to use the text and diagrams from our “How to Play GO” booklet in a new Go set produced in volume for the North American and European market. They said “We found the 'How to play Go' on your web site is very clear and easy to understand”.

Accordingly the BGA has granted them a non-exclusive licence to use this text (with appropriate acknowledgements etc.) for a sum of £1,000.

Edwin Brady was instrumental in getting the booklet updated in 2010, but a large number of other people were involved in producing the text (noting also those involved in the previous version in 2004). We think this agreement is a testament to the quality of the work undertaken by all those involved and thank them all.

14 players took part in the Cambridge Bar-Low. The only players winning 4 games were in equal first: Graham Lamburn (1 kyu), John Richardson (1 kyu) and Adan Mordcovich (2 kyu).

Results

28 players from 2 kyu to 5 dan attended the Candidates' Tournament held at Selwyn College in Cambridge. Andrew Kay (4 dan) was unbeaten winner and Des Cann (4 dan) won five out of six. The rest of the qualifiers, on 4/6, were Hui Wang (5 dan), Alan Thornton (1 dan), William Brooks (3 dan), Nick Krempel (3 dan) and Alistair Wall (3 dan). The reserves, also on 4/6, were David Ward, Richard Hunter and Paul Taylor.

Champion Matthew Macfadyen was on hand for two days in the Lyttleton Room to analyse the players' games and suss out the likely opposition.

Results

After a 4 year gap, Guildford-based West Surrey Go Club won the Thames Valley Team Tournament for a second time, winning ahead of teams from Maidenhead, Bracknell and Reading. Mark Nubbert from West Surrey led his team by being the only player with three wins. The winners in the traditional 10x10 side event were Xinyi Lu with 7 wins and Tony Atkins with 4/4.

With a somewhat more scratch team than usual (Matthew couldn't play etc.) we lost 1-3 against Slovenia.

Thanks to Jonathan Chin for stepping up at the last minute to play board 4. He was leading with a huge centre, but then there was an unfavourable big exchange in a ko and he ended up losing by 1.5 points.

It could easily have been 3-1 the other way as Jon was also leading, but played self atari at the end. Doh...

The season is nearing its finale with only one more match to be played (vs. Spain). For more details, see the BGA Euroteams page

In the 3rd edition of the TransAtlantic Youth Go Match Vanessa Wong, representing Europe, beat Hugh Zhang (aged 14) by 10 points. Hugh took 1st place in the USA 2008 Redmond Cup Junior division and 2nd place in the 2008 US Youth Goe Championship.

This event provides the opportunity for youth players on both sides to get top-level playing experience and make new go friends. The tournament is organized as a team match with eleven players per side, with players being invited to by their national or continental go associations.

Games were played in the Transatlantic Youth Go Tournament room on the KGS go server on 17th April.

Europe won for the first time, beating the USA by 6 games to 5.

Results

St Albans club held the first Welwyn Garden City Tournament in the Bridge Room at Gosling Sports Centre. 17 players took part but nobody won all three games. A tie at the top was partly split leaving Alison Bexfield (2 dan Letchworth) and Alan Thornton (1 dan St Albans) as equal winners, 1 sos point ahead of Andrew Simons (3 dan Cambridge). Only player unbeaten was Paul Taylor (1 dan St Albans) who took a bye in round one; he received the free membership of Alex Dinerchtein's Insei League as a prize.

Results

The Swindon Go Club hosted this year's British Go Congress in the delightful historic town of Malmesbury. Early summer weather made it too good to stay in doors and many took the chance to visit the Abbey or the beautiful Abbey House Gardens.

The Friday Evening British Lightning had 18 players, by a fortunate coincidence, thus making the draw easy – 3 tables of six for the round robin. A further happy coincidence was a tie for first place on one table, generating 4 winners for the knockout stage. In the final, Andrew Kay beat Sandy Taylor.

Chong Han (5 dan Loughborough) won the main tournament on a SOS tie break from Andrew Kay and Vanessa Wong. Prizes also went to everyone on 5 wins (there were none on 6), and those on 3 out of 3 on the first day. The tournament was blessed with two jigos, so four additional prizes were awarded to the happy participants in the two “perfect games”.

The second Matthew in a row has won Arundel. This year it was Matthew Cocke (5 dan Epsom) who was the best of the 26 players, taking the first place previously won by Matthew Macfadyen. Winning all three games were Michael Webster (1 kyu London) and Adan Mordcovich (5 kyu Wanstead). All those on two wins received prizes including runner up Francis Roads (3 dan Wanstead). After the event many players went on to enjoy the evening of a sunny day in the Black Rabbit.

Results