All About Go

The Canadian Open in Vancouver concluded yesterday. It was the largest Go event in Vancouver since the World Youth Goe Championship in 2004; over 110 participants attended and contributed to a great weekend. Astonishingly, 12 year old Zi Yang Hu (CGA 6-dan) went undefeated in the main tournament and won the championship. Seung-Hyun Park (Korean 6P) provided game reviews and played simultaneous games with participants. Overall it was a very successful event, and I think everyone improved a little. There was an impressive number of children at the event, including Zi Yang Hu and runner-up Ryan Li. The future of Canadian Go looks very promising.

Photo: Canadian Open Go Championship – Division Winners & Organizers

If the first step to improving in Go is setting goals, then naturally the second step is focusing on the goals and maintaining them. Focus and concentration are important not just with goals, but in actual Go games as well. How many games have you lost because you lost concentration and made a silly mistake? How many games have you won only because your opponent did something similar? Just what is the secret to staying focused?

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I am continuously impressed by the abilities of young Go players worldwide. Where do these prodigies come from? What makes them so strong? Let’s look at some examples and see what can be learned.
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Go is similar to music in more ways than you may think. Both have almost unlimited creative potential, and serve as a great form of expression. What can we learn from music that can be applied to Go (and vice-versa)? Let’s look at some of the similarities.

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I often wonder exactly how we progress in Go, or any skill for that matter. What separates a professional from an amateur? How do some improve rapidly while others do not improve at all? There are many important factors which are sometimes overlooked. Allow me to share with you what I have learned.

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