2017 WAGC

2017 WAGC

Our man at the WAGC this year is Alan Guerin a stalwart of the Christchurch Go scene who has recently helped restart the university club there. The WAGC tournament this year is being held in Guiyang, capital of Guizhou province of Southwest China. The tournament starts on June 4, I'll post Alan's results and anything he sends me in the page here. Good luck Alan, enjoy the tournament!

31 May

Just a quick update. Im now in Guiyang at the Sheraton. 28th Floor! Really nice place. Its been a fair bit of travel to get here and I'm looking forward to staying in one place for a while. Not many westerners in this part of China I would say.

Anyway all going well and will try to give you some updates as I have time

Kind regards, Alan

3 June

Hi Guys

Just a quick newsletter on my involvement in the WAGC

Play starts tomorrow with 2 rounds and 2 each day from there on. The draw was done by lots and I drew the USA. Extremely tough draw hes rated at 7dan. So only good thing about that is its good for my SOS apparently.

Numbers are down this year. Around 50 competitors. 

Having a good time and looking forward to the the tournament starting, I'm feeling ready to get started .

Regards Alan

4 June

I faced the USA representative Daniel Daehyuk Ko 7 Dan in my first round encounter. Call it an unlucky draw but it should be good for my SOS. I didnt play particularly well and fell behind early eventually losing a group as well. Result win for USA

My second round opponent was Harold Brown from Argentina we had a good game with the lead changing hands a couple of times. Eventually I stumbled across something that had been on the board for a while and this was the death knell for my opponent. Result win NZ by resignation

So with two rounds played the players unbeaten on 4 points are

Bai Baoxiang 8 Dan of China
Daniel Daehyuk Ko 7 Dan USA
Ri Ji Ung 4 Dan of DRKorea
Dmitry Surin 6 Dan of Russia
Mijodrag Stanovic 5 Dan of Serbia
Gheorge Cornel-Burzo 6 Dan of Romania
Vorawat Tanapatsopol 5 Dan of Thailand
Lucas Podpera 7 Dan of Czech Republic
Fabien Lips 4 Dan of France
Sangbin Lee 7 Dan of S Korea
Nai San Chan 6 Dan of HK China
Viktor Chiakuan Lin 6 Dan of Austria
Ernestas Romeika 2 Dan of Lithuania

Unfortunately Japan lost in the first round

I have drawn a 6 Dan Monday morning

Kind regards from Guiyang,  Guizhou, China

5 June

Drew Lukas Kraemer 6Dan from Germany in  this mornings round. Tried to play very conservatively especially on the fuseki and early middle game. Had some sequences that were a little disadvantageous for me. Fell behind and started a desparate ko in Byo-yomi. Result win Germany by resignation

In the afternoon round played a  very friendly Spaniard Ricardo Garcia. I was comfortably ahead for a large part of the game and lost a large part of a group around the endgame but got some compensation fortunately. Result 25.5pt win to NZ

Those remaining players undefeated are really thinning out. After round 4 there are three players on 8pts

Bai Baoxiang 8 Dan of China
Ri Ji Ung 4 Dan of DRKorea
Sangbin Lee 7 Dan of S Korea

Ri Ji Ung won his round three game this morning against Lucas Podpera 7 Dan of Czech Republic bu half a point after being 2 pts behind heading into the yose. 

Had a look around the river area near the hotel with Neville Smythe IGS Director this evening. Guiyang is a very nice city with a vibrant business district and river side area. Nice weather today. Blue sky - not bad for Monsoon season!

6 June, day 3

Bai Baoxiang 8 Dan of China played the last two remaining undefeated
players met in round five and  six today. Ri Ji Ung 4 Dan of DRKorea and
Sangbin Lee 7 Dan of S Korea. Both were close games but China won both.
China play Dmitry Surin of Russia tomorrow morning.

I had a tough day with a 4.5 point loss to Frank Janssen 5Dan a game in
which I was leading towards the end of the middle game! and a 10.5 point
loss to Felicien Benoit Mazille 1 Dan of Switzerland. Leaving me on 4
points - 2 wins but tomorrows another day

Regards from the 38th WAGC in Guiyang

7 June Day 4, Final day.

Bai Baoxiang 8 Dan of China played the last two rounds today and
defeated Dmitry Surin of Russia and another opponent in the last round
to win the 38th WAGC with a perfect score of 16 points

 No player finished on 7 wins 14 points. But 7 players finished on 12
 points they were:

2 Sangbin - Sth Korea
3 Lai Yu Cheng - Taipei
4 Daniel Daehyuk KO - USA
5 Shusaku - Japan
6 Jin Ung - Nth Korea
7 Gheorghe Cornel - Romania
8 Nai San Chen - Hong Kong

10 points

9th Dmitry Surin - Russia
10th Lukas Podpera Czech
11th Lukas Kraemer - Germany
12th AUSTRALIA - Kwan Tao Li (Daniel)

26th  Vo Duy Min - Vietnam ( 12 years old) 4 wins 8 points

35th Alan Guerin - NZ ( 6 points - 3 wins)

I played Alexander Rix from Great Britain this morning. I was too
conservative with him and should have been more aggressive. He won by
komi

In the afternoon had a game with Lars Krisoferson. He played a little
mirror Go initially  and I thought generally played very well. There was
a big ko near the end of the game which he won the ko but i got
compensation - unfortunately an overlookment meant half my profit got
away. Result 3.5pt  win to NZ

Overall a very pleasant and well organized tournament. Accomodation and
food was excellent and every effort was made to make the event a
success. Travelling early for me was a good idea ( I sojourned in HK for
a couple of days to acclimatize). Next two years are Japan and then
Vladivostock Russia!

Signing out from Guiyang

Many thanks to Alan Guerin for these reports.

Pictures from the tournament:

5th June 2017 just prior to round four against Ricaro Garcia of Spain

Click to view the gallery.