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Why We Play: Melissa Cao 4D, Edward Gillis 2D

Melissa Cao 4DAge: 13 Lives in: New Jersey Home Club: Feng Yun Go School Years playing go: 4 Favorite thing about go: “I like how sometimes when you fight you get the outside, you get a wall and you’re able to use that wall to make territory and use that for other battles during the game.” Melissa said she’s mostly been playing that way this tournament, and that’s her typical style. “I usually like go because it helps my concentration too. Before I wouldn’t concentrate as much but after I’ve been playing go I would concentrate more.” 

Edward Gillis 2D Age: 58 Lives in: Boston, MA Years playing go: 44 Favorite thing about go: “The rules are simple, but the strategy is complex. The margin between winning and losing is narrow so it makes it a good game from the point of view of developing strategies.” Edward used to play chess, but transitioned to go at a young age. “I like go better than chess because it seems more universal. It’s simple rules, you can cultivate a sense of attack and defense or who has the ability to force his opponent (sente). I only heard about go much later than chess. I was making a go board for myself in high school shop class. It turns out my [math] teacher was a go player, so I advanced rapidly. That got me a good start, so I was lucky.” - report/photos by Samantha Fede, E-Journal special correspondent, reporting from the 2016 U.S. Go Congress       Save