Chang Xu 4D is this year’s NGC Great Pumpkin winner
Chris Garlock | Published on 10/28/2024
In the top division (4d-6D) of last weekend’s Pumpkin Classic, Chang Xu 4D swept with a 4-0 record,
followed by Qingbo Zhang 5D at 3-1. All three- and four-game winners, and top two-game winners took home a coveted pumpkin for Halloween in this long-running annual event. The other four-game winners were Joonha Lee 8k and Inha Lee 12K, joined by their brother Dongha Lee 2D in bringing home a pumpkin. “We are looking forward to future great results from the Lee family!” said TD Gurujeet Khalsa. Laurie Ensworth 15K, who leads the new Beginner Nights at the NGC (next one is November 4), rounded out the 4-game winners. Other 3 game winners include Ryan Gurtz 4K and Ed Debutts 25K, both playing in their first AGA-rated tournament.
The Pumpkin Classic also featured live-streaming of the top three boards, which were recorded on newly-acquired electronic recording boards; the EJ plans to expand this to the top five boards at the Harvest Go Tournament on November 16 (which will be followed by A Go Player's View of the Hampton's Walking Dunes at 5p, a photo exhibit and talk by photographer Gurujeet Khalsa).
photo: The traditional “Pumpkin Winner’s Jump”; photo by Chris Garlock