By Claudio Mendoza and David Richter for the Kalamazoo Go Club
The Vicksburg Go Tournament took place at the Community Center in Vicksburg, Michigan, on Saturday October 1st, 2022. This event was organized by the Kalamazoo Go Club and the Vicksburg Cultural and Arts Center as part of the “Destination Japan” program to celebrate Japanese culture. The contribution by Daniel ML (West Michigan Go Club) of boards, stones, clocks, name lists, and recommendations was instrumental in getting our act together and is gratefully acknowledged.
Thirty players from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio registered in three categories under a self-pairing format: dan (9), single digit kyu (8), and double digit kyu (12) with seven rookies in the latter. Prizes were sponsored by the Kalamazoo Go Club, GoMagic, Al Sensei, and Yellow Mountain Imports. Results were as follows. Dan level: Meng Wang (1st); Stephanie Tan (2nd); Justin Johnson (3rd). Single digit kyu: David Fang and Jamie Tang (tied for 1st); Winston Yan (3rd). Double digit kyu: Jaden Pan (1st); Noah Braasch (2nd); Sam Blyveis (3rd). Beginners: Carolyn Esther and Renée Szostek.
For the Kalamazoo Go Club the organization of this tournament was a worthy experience inasmuch as its involvement in local collaborations, inter-club relations, fund raising, and gender equality. The positive outcome of the event is encouraging us to repeat it next year with a more enticing prize structure.
Winners of the Vicksburg Go Tournament (l-r): Renée Szostek; Jaden Pan; Noah Braasch; Sam Blyveis; Winston Yan; Meng Wang; David Fang; Jamie Tang; Carolyn Esther; Stephanie Tan; David Richter (TD and co-organizer); Claudio Mendoza (co-organizer). Photo: Natalya Critchley.