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Calvin Sun 1p wins inaugural California State Go Championship

An undefeated Calvin Sun 1p topped a field of 45 players to win the first annual California State Go Championship on November 24-25. The two-day, 5-round event was sponsored by the San Diego Go Club and held amid the beautiful surroundings of the San Diego Chess Club in Balboa Park. Players came from as far as the San Francisco Bay area to compete for the title. Sun not only won the title of 2018 California Go Champion and collected a cash award and an individual trophy but will be the first to have his name engraved on a permanent state go champion plaque. Following him in the Open Section were Yi Wang (6-dan 2018 San Diego Champion) and Yufei Jin 6-dan. “It was a special treat when American Go Association President Andy Okun, was present to help award the prizes to the winners,” reports organizer Ted Terpstra, president of the San Diego Go Club. 

Other Section winners were: Dan Section: 1st Dan Alvira 3-dan; 2nd Zhihong He 3.3-dan; 3rd Seowoo Wang 2.6-dan Single-Digit Kyu Section: 1st Paul Margetts 2.4-kyu; 2nd Warren T Andrews 6.7-kyu; 3rd Kevin Charles Yang 7-kyu Double-Digit Kyu Section: 1st Lucia Moscola 17.9-kyu; 2nd Wade Michael Smith 10.5-kyu; 3rd Alexander Niema Moshiri 11.5 Kyu In conjunction with the California State Go Championship, a 5-round, 13x13 California Go Championship was held on Sunday, also at the SD Chess Club. 

Competing were 32 players many of whom were from the Hai Li Go School. All players earned a playing certificate with their rating as well as a medal with the logo of the San Diego Go Club on one side and the logo of the California Go Association on the other. Hai Li, a Chinese pro who has recently moved to Southern California, was the tournament director for the 13x13 tournament. He is also the president of the California Go Association which rated the 13x13 tournament. 2018 Girl's State California Go Champion: Angelina Zhao (4-1) 2018 Boy's California State Go Champion: Kai Yi; who was the only 5-0 player. “With almost 80 go players competing, the 2018 California Go Championship was a huge success,” said Terpstra. To encourage participation, the San Diego Go Club paid all entry fees and cash prizes out of the profits from the 2017 U.S. Go Congress, which it hosted. photos: (top right, l-r): Okun, Sun and Terpstra; (bottom right) 13x13 players; photos by Bochen Li and Henry YouCorrection: Calvin Sun's rank has been updated to 1p; the AGA's top amateur rank is 7d.