NZGS newsletter. Tournament schedule and Ranking system

Dear Go Players,


Nice to meet you again in 2019!

Schedule

Here is our current schedule of events for the year. We will finalise dates and other details as they become available.

1. Opito Bay Go festival. Mike Taler is making his bach available to Go players from Waitangi day, Wednesday 6 Feb, until the following Sunday, 10 Feb. 
   This is always a wonderful event. Mike's bach is located on one of the best beaches in New Zealand, a fantastic place to relax, play Go, swim, fish, canoe, walk and play some more Go. There are also two gold courses about 1/2hr away. Come along and enjoy a classic Kiwi summer holiday while playing the game we enjoy.
   
   Let me know if you are intending to come (email: secretary@go.org.nz) so I can work with Mike and make sure there is room for all.
    
2. Two years ago Tony Li organised a "New Zealand vs Australia" match with the Melbourne Go community. For that tournament the Australians came here. This year we will have the return match and we will go there. 
   The tournament is proposed to be held on 11 and 12 May in Melbourne
   Flight costs will be paid by the contestants but accommodation in Melbourne will be provided.  
   Registration closes by end of January. Please contact Tony Li if you are interested in being part of the New Zealand team. Email: tony Li <tonykaixuanli@163.com> or  on his Wechat group.
    
3. Online pair Go. March?
   We intend to organise an event similar to the one Alan Guerin ran last year.
    
4. Auckland Go club / Auckland Korean Baduk club tournament.
   The Auckland Go club is in the process of organising an event with the Auckland Korean Baduk club. Hopefully this will be late February.
    
5. NZ Open. Wellington will be hosting the tournament this year. Probably in July.
    
6. Otago Open. July
    
7. Auckland Open. September 28 - 29. Same format as last year with 7 rounds. 
    
8. Wellington Open. November.
    
9. Palisander qualification tournament. Probably early November
   ​

Others that may happen...

1. Chch vs Otago university challenge
    
2. Christchurch open 
    
3. Australasian online tournament
    
4. World Amateur Go Championships
    
5. Korean Prime Minister's cup
    

Ranking system

We have been working on a Ranking system. This is intended to take results from our tournaments and from nominated club games and use these to update the ranks of the players involved. The algorithm uses is the one developed by the European Go Federation and is used by them and Australia and probably others.

For details of the system see: http://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/EGF_rating_system.php#System 

Sylvain, with help from Kevin Yang, has done all the hard work and already have something that kind of works. You can have a look at the ladder produced:
https://go.org.nz/index.php/wagc/test (Remember this is test data with little relationship to reality. It show how the ranks will be presented and how wins and losses change them). Currently Auckland 2018 and Wellington 2018 results are in the system. Cheng Bo participated in both tournaments so his profile might be the most interesting.

People's starting ranks will be set from what we know of them - past tournament results, club games, online server ranks and so on. If a person's rank is clearly wrong the administrator will be able to change it.

If you have questions or suggestions please let us  know as the system is still being finalised and we want it to work well for everyone. Email: secretary@go.org.nz


That's all for now
Best wishes for 2019

Colin Grierson



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