December 28, 2023 - The American Collegiate Go Association proudly reveals the champions of its debut event, the ACGA Virtual Pilot Tournament. Attracting undergraduates and graduates from over 20 universities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, the event concluded with a showdown between Guanyu Song 7D and Xingke Sun 7D in Division A’s 16-player field.
Both Song and Sun are recognized as top amateurs in North America. Song, a University of Toronto student, won the three-round single-elimination North American qualifier held last week, Dec. 23 - 24, 2023. Meanwhile, Xingke Sun, a University of Wisconsin Madison student, won with a 5-0 record in the 2023 Chicago Rapid held in November.
In their ACGA Virtual Pilot Tournament final match, a decisive ko fight unfolded in the top right corner. Sun, playing white, resolved the ko to secure a favorable position that solidified his lead. (See the game here).
Sun’s flawless 4-0 record earned him the $100 grand prize sponsored by Evanston Go Club.
Taylor Shu 6D, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology student, clinched third place by triumphing over opponents Qingyang Tang 6D, Ninghan Duan 7D, and Moxuan Liu 6D.
Prizes Across Divisions
The Division A champions received $100, $50 and $25 funded by the American Go Association and Evanston Go Club. Division B to E champions received Baduk Club gift cards, redeemable here. Top performing 5-Dan players Yicheng Yang 5D and Quinn Li 5D received $20 Baduk Club gift cards. Players in Divisions D and E were randomly selected to receive teaching games generously offered by Linden Chiu 4D and Hank Guo 5D.
Division Champions
Division A (5D +)
Xingke Sun 7D
Guanyu Song 7D
Taylor Shu 1P
Division B (1D - 4D)
Jerry Ju 3D
Division C (1K - 5K)
Alper Balci 1K
Division D (6K - 12K)
Luke Wiljanen 7K
Division E (13K - 20K)
Andrew Xie 15K
Best University Showing
Special recognition goes to Ohio State University for winning two divisions, represented by Alper Balci 1K and Luke Wiljanen 7K.
Post-event Tutoring
ACGA Education Director Hank Guo, a 5-Dan player of nine years, led insightful post-event game reviews for Divisions B to E.
“Matches are indeed important, but reviews are even more crucial,” Guo said. “We need to learn from our experiences in each game, identifying what to avoid in future matches. This is how we can improve our skills.”
ACGA’s Vision
The event utilized the NAGF ranking system, supporting American Go Association, Canadian Go Association, and Mexican Go Association memberships. Hosted on Leago, the premier league platform, participants had access to their pairings, standings, and direct links to the Online Go Server (OGS). The ACGA is excited to partner with Leago as the official tournament platform for ACGA events.
Reflecting on the successful completion of the inaugural ACGA Virtual Pilot Tournament, ACGA Development Director Yihan Guo expressed his optimism for ACGA’s future endeavors:
“Upon completing our successful pilot tournament, two words stand out: lucky and grateful. I feel lucky to have connected with numerous Go enthusiasts — Mr. Fodera, Manny, Cindy, Stephanie, Julia, Jamie, Nick, Mr. Khalsa, Hank, and more — whose voluntary efforts were crucial in reviving the Collegiate Go League (CGL) post-pandemic. Their invaluable support, with that from our partners and players, was key to navigating the tournament's complexities. As a director, watching the games and receiving positive feedback from players was immensely fulfilling. I'm confident that in rebuilding the CGL post-pandemic, we are not just reviving a tradition but actively shaping the future of Go in North America, sharing beauty and wisdom through the dance of black and white stones.”
While the ACGA focuses on fostering intercollegiate opportunities across North and South America, the organization aims to extend select events to players of all ages.
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Our Team
Hank Guo - Education Director
Yihan Guo - Development Director
Manny Jauregui - Tournament Director
Qi-Mei Jamie Tang - Operations Director
Julia Zhang - Marketing Director
About Us
The American Collegiate Go Association (ACGA) is an organization of college Go players (and high schoolers!) working together to empower young adults in North America to promote the ancient mind game Go and bring collegiate Go to new heights. We strive to provide an inclusive and intellectual environment to connect the North American Go community.
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