UK Tournament Report

The first Sheffield Go Tournament was surprisingly well attended (by 39), which meant they could afford to make modest cash prizes to the winner and runner-up. The winner was Alistair Wall (2d) and the runner up was Paul Smith (1d). On three wins were Matt Marsh (5k), Colin Maclennan (9k) and youth player Zaki Betesh (15k). The youth players were also awarded prizes for two wins (Jacob Haynes (15k), Daniel Gascoyne (18k), Tom Bradbury (19k) and Adam Powell (22k)). Lily Danson won a prize for being the youngest female player in the tournament. In a 13 by 13 side tournament, the overall winner was 10-year-old Edmund Smith (8k) and 10-year-old Yusuf Hussain (22k) played the most games – both won small cash prizes.

Results

There was a very exciting start to the British Go Championship Title Match on Saturday 26th September. It was between the top two players from the Challengers' League: Andrew Kay (5d) who is current Champion and Andrew Simons (4d). It was held in Cambridge, thanks to Geoff Kaniuk, with help of others from Cambridge Go Club, and was broadcast live on KGS.

By lunchtime, most people watching felt that Andrew Simons (playing black after winning nigiri) was comfortably ahead. However it was a quite remarkable game, with big exchanges and ko fights continuing right up to move 300.

Alistair Wall got his third tournament win of the summer by taking the Cornish Open title to add to those for Milton Keynes and the Northern. He won the Devon and Cornwall Go stone trophy for the fifth time by beating the previous winner, Toby Manning, in the final. Of the 21 players the others who won 3 games were West Cornwall players Ashlei Bevington (30k) and Jess Bevington (24k) and Jil Segerman (9k Arundel). Tony Atkins also won three games out of four, having played two games in round one. Results

The Saturday before the Open saw the usual teaching session in the morning, run by Toby Manning and Tony Atkins, and in the afternoon the Cornish Handicap rapid play.

Alistair Wall (3d Wanstead) was the overall £100 winner at the 2015 Northern - repeating his victory of 2005. Runner-up (£50) was Mark Baoliang Zhang (1k Manchester). Also awarded prizes for three wins (£15) were David Wildgoose (10k Sheffield) and Daniel Huynh (14k Birmingham). Thirty players took part, including 16 from the Manchester club, and the bar was at 2 kyu. As in 2014, the venue was generously provided by the Bank of East Asia, in the centre of Manchester, and the prizes were sponsored by SAM Properties. About a dozen players gathered after the event for a meal (and some more Go) in Chinatown.

Results

The Isle of Man Go Festival has ended for the last time. This edition was the 12th since the event started in 1991, but with the recent sad death of founder Leo Phillips it has been decided this will be the last.

Again the players assembled at the Cherry Orchard in Port Erin, including several families and players from as far away as Sweden and Japan. There were events daytime and evening on most days, including a music evening, and also the chance to explore the island in between. Players competed in the events for unique wooden trophies (illustrated right).

37 players took part in the Main Tournament played over five mornings. Piers Shepperson (4d Epsom) won all his games to take the title for the fourth time. Sandy Taylor (2d Bristol) won four to come second.

The 19th MSO at the JW3 on Finchley Road in London was dominated in the Go events by Aja Huang and Joanne Leung (shown right playing Lucretiu Calota).

In the first Go event, the 9x9 on the Sunday morning, Joanne Leung won all four games to take the gold medal. Silver went to the event arbiter Tony Atkins and bronze and junior gold went to Edmund Smith. Results

In the second event, the 13x13 on the Sunday afternoon, Aja Huang won the gold, pushing Joanne back to silver. London teenager Kapriel Chiarini took the bronze medal. Results

On the Bank Holiday Monday, 14 players gathered for the main 19x19 Go event. After three rounds the only players unbeaten were Aja Huang and Lucretiu Calota.

After a year's gap because of the British Go Congress and European Youth at nearby Bognor, the Arundel Tournament was back. This time 24 players met up to play, again at the football club.

The winner was Lucretiu Calota (4d Romania) who beat Jon Diamond (3d) in the final round. Also winning all three games were Peter Collins (4k Bristol) and Charlotte Bexfield (10k Letchworth).

The 9x9 side event was won by Edmund Smith (on 4/4) and second was Charlotte Bexfield (on 2/5).

Results

Karl Irwin was victorious in the recent twelve-player Belfast tournament with a perfect 5/5. He has been teaching Maths in China, and presumably also studying Go as he entered at 4d.

James Hutchinson (1d) was second, his seventh year in a row to make the top three without winning. In third place was visiting Louise Roullier (5k) from France. Jose Morales, 24k Belfast, won 4/5 handicap games.

Results

35 players gathered in the sunny Open University Sports Pavilion for the 27th Milton Keynes Go Tournament. The main tournament was another win for Alistair Wall (2d Wanstead). Second place went to Nyoshi (Ngoc-Trang Cao 2d), who beat the tournament organiser (Tim Hunt 2d) by half a point in a hard-fought game in round 2, but, as previously announced, she had to leave a round early. The excuse was quite good. She and her friend Jitka Bartova wanted to get back to Leamington to hear Matthew Macfadyen and Kirsty Healey singing in a concert.

Also on 3 wins were another organiser Ben Ellis (3k), Andrew Russell (4k Birmingham), Edwina Lee (6k Maidenhead) and Joey Capper (10k)

Results

Perhaps more importantly the Milton Keynes Go side event was won with a perfect and persistent eight out of eight by Edmund Smith. Special mention should also go to Steve Bailey with seven out of nine.

The 23rd Welsh Open was held at the Min-Y-Mor Hotel in Barmouth again, but organised by Martin and Helen Harvey this year, having been staged for many preceding years by stalwarts Tony and Sue Pitchford and helpers. Over the two days, 26 players took part, with the bar at 1 kyu. Encouragingly, all but two players chose to play in the extra (6th) round. This year the playing areas were in two very nice rooms within the hotel (Bistro Room & Family Room) - a change which, whilst forced, was well received.

The weather was overcast most of Saturday, but brightened up on Sunday afternoon. The traditional evening meal on the Saturday was again arranged, and attracted 20 people. The organisers were grateful for this support, which helps keep the hotel management sweet!