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Behind the Scenes at the US Go Congress: Keith Arnold

Keith Arnold is one of very few with a perfect* US Go Congress attendance record. The second tournament he played in after learning go in college was the very first US Go Congress at Western Maryland College - now called McDaniel College - his alma mater. 

He hasn't just been an attendee; Keith directed the 2001 Go Congress in York, PA, and has directed the Lightning Tournament for about two decades now, he's not quite sure. "That's a horribly good question," he says when asked. "I wish I knew the answer to that, but probably in the realm of 20 years." What brought this baseball cap-clad player to the game in the first place? "Do you want the truth or the lie?" he asks with a twinkle in his eye. He continues with a lovely story of traveling with his aunt at the age of 12 to visit her friend Helen in Southern California. They stayed with Helen and her father, who happened to play often with Peter Redmond, Michael Redmond's father, and Michael himself when he was a kid. Turns out that everything about this story is true. Except that there was no go taught or played on this trip; he actually learned to play after after seeing it played during college and becoming interested. "I love playing go, it hasn't in the slightest lost its attraction or interest for me," says Keith. , but on attending Go Congress he adds it's a combination of the game and the people. -photos: Keith Arnold in his signature baseball cap (right); counting players off to their tables in the Lightning Tournament. -report/photos by Karoline Li, Tournaments Bureau Chief