TOP TEN REASONS TO GO TO THE US GO CONGRESS
(More than ten actually)
The US Open: Start each day with championship play! North American's biggest tournament is a six round Swiss-McMahon tournament with one round every morning. At 90 minutes per player (2 hours in the top sections), it has the longest time limits of any North American tournament.
- Largest field of any US tournament (340 players last year)
- Prizes in all sections -- more than thirty prizes in all
- No elimination -- every entrant plays every round
- Top prize of $2000
- Winner is the US Champion
- Top citizens can represent the US in the World Amateur Go Championship
Self-Paired Handicap Tournament:Have a serious rated game any time you want, with whoever you want. You can challenge anyone to a game handicapped by Congress entry rank. Players have been known to report results from as many as 70 games or more -- the sky's the limit! Just agree before the game begins that it's a tournament game, and it will count toward the following prizes:
- The Champion: The player who records the
greatest number of wins over losses
- Hurricane: The player who records the greatest
number of wins
- Giant Killer: The kyu player who wins the most
games against dan players (also know as the "Dan Killer"
award)
- Keith Arnold Award: The dan player who scores
the most wins against kyu players (also known as the "Kyu
Killer" award)
- Grasshopper: The player whose provisional
rating increases the most during the tournament.
- Straight Shooter: The player who scores the
most victories against players of consecutive
ranks
- Dedicated: The player with the highest number
of total games in the tournament
- Sensei: The participant who plays the most
games against weaker players
- Faithful: The player with the smallest change
in provisional rating during the tournament
- Philanthropist: The player with the most
loses.
- Optimist: The player whose provisional rating decreases the most during the tournament.
Professional Instruction: At the US Go Congress the emphasis is on learning and improvement. With more than a dozen professional players from all over the world on hand, there is always an opportunity to learn from the masters.
- Game Commentary: As players finish their US Open games each morning, professional players are available to review their games, using a demonstration board so that others can observe the comments.
- Simultaneous Play: To understand what makes a professional player different from the rest of us, it is only necessary to play against one. Pros play up to eight amateurs at once throughout the afternoon and evening, and discuss each game afterward.
- Lectures: There's always something happening in one of the lectures room: game review, principles of sound play, life and death and other topics are discussed at all levels. The beginner's lectures were especially popular last year.
- Children's Program: Special instruction and Go-related activities are available for interested children every afternoon in a special children's area. Not a baby-sitting service! Only children participating in activities are allowed. Parents or responsible adults are expected to provide superivision as needed.
Special Events: There's something for everyone, and more than enough for anyone:
- Small Board Go: Warm up with tournaments on 9x9 (Saturday evening) and 13x13 boards (Sunday evening) Especially popular with new players, but even experienced veterans enjoy the challenge of switching to a smaller board.
- Lightning Tournament: How does five rounds in two hours strike you? 144 players registered for this popular event last year. Entrants are divided into six-person tables, where they play a round robin -- ten minutes per player with no overtime! he main event is usually on Monday evening, and table winners meet later to decide the final champions.
- Crazy Go: "And now for something completely different" . . . Adventurous players explore variations like three-dimensional go, blindfolded team go (rengo kriegspiel), four-player go and other variants like "Environmental Go", which involves the use of special playing cards. If you have a workable variation and provide the equipment, you'll probably find someone to try it too! Usually held on Tuesday evening.
- Pair Go: Male-female pairs of players compete in this festive, popular eventthe traditional day of, , held on Thursday evening. The top eligible pair wins a trip to Japan to compete in the World Pairs Tournament.
- "Die Hard" Tournament: Wednesday is the traditional day off, but each year more than 100 players play in this one-day four-round event.
- "Midnight Madness": For "night owls" only! One round per night starting at midnight, 40 minutes per player with no overtime.
- The Chuck Robbins Challenge : Early risers can get in a round before the US Open starts.
The North American Ing Masters : Watch live on closed cicuit TV as top American players, pro and amateur, battle it out for a top prize of $2000 with blow-by-blow live pro commentary.
The Redmond Cup: Watch the final round of this invitational tournament for talented children.
All the above activities are available to registered Congress participants at no additional charge.
Private lessons: Congress participants can arrange for reasonably priced private individual or group lessons with professional instructors. Hint: sign up early for the small group theme-oriented sessions!
Great Shopping for Go Stuff: The US Go Congress provides space to major publishers and distributors of go equipment. The vendor area is undoubtedly the best place in North America to shop for books and equipment.
Get involved! Whether you're interested in tournaments, ratings, teaching, promotion, fund raising, governance, policy or other aspects of the AGA, you can learn more about what's happening and meet others who share your interest. A full schedule of discussion groups, culminating with the National Assembly on Friday evening, sets the course of the AGA for the next year. Be there!
Future Congress Directors: Wouldn't it be great if the Go Congress came to your town? You can do it! Click here to find out everything you need to know. Don't let the level of detail intimidate you -- CDs can count on lots of experienced helpers.
For other information, e-mail congress@usgo.org.
