2014 AGA Professional Qualifier

[badukJr]

Other comments.

[hyperpape]

Looks like Calvin won by 1.5. The game is definitely worth looking at.

http://lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=4009

[Joaz Banbeck]

Looks like Calvin won...

Calvin Sun won game 3 of the 3-game match, making him the winner of the main bracket. He has no losses. It is a double elimination tournament, so he has to lose twice to lose it.

Bill Lin lost one game early in the tounament ( to Sun ), and thereby got knocked into the lower bracket. He won that bracket, so now he is the last man standing to challenge Sun. He is out if he loses again.

In summary, Sun has to win one, Lin has to win two. ( Each meeting between them is best 3 of 5, I think )

[xed_over]

One of the recorders was talking in chat today, so I guess the rule was lifted or something.

we sneak in like ninjas when we can

[hyperpape]

In summary, Sun has to win one, Lin has to win two. ( Each meeting between them is best 3 of 5, I think )

I believe it is technically a best of 3, with Calvin having one win so far (the first part of what you say is accurate, the second part is not). In this case, those are equivalent, but had they played a best of three, with Calvin previously winning two games, it would be a best of five with Calvin having a 2-0 lead, and that would give him an even bigger advantage.

[badukJr]

Thank you to xed for keeping the bracket up to date

[Joaz Banbeck]

Here at the Normandie. First 15 moves are steady and uneventful. Sun gets a bit aggressive with 16.Lin looks alarmed for a second, sacs one stone, slides away.

4:22 Sun attaches, crowding the group. Lin looks concerned again, then slide away into the center.. Sun looks calm and focused, playing quickly.

4:26 Lin stops running, starts what could become a counter attack. Now Sun exibits first nerves, fiddling with stones.

[Joaz Banbeck]

4:29 Sun was ahaed on time, now almost even. He finally moves, a thoroughly defensive move.
Lin studies it, then suddenly sits up straight, looking as if he has seen somethin important. He grabs a stone, pauses, puts it back in the bowl. Two minutes pass, he does it again.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Move 32. Both have decide that there are more important things to do elsewhere on the board. Sun starts a group that has to run. He fiddles with a stone, places it. Lin attacks, gets some territory. He looks calm now, leaning back in his chair, as if he were master of all he surveys. Only the tapping foot under the table betrays his tension.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Move 36. Sun using more time now. He is behind by 3 minutes.

Lin shuffling in his chair, yawning, waiting for Sun to move.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Sun peeped to get some room, Lin answers, Sun runs some more.
Lin thinks a bit , chases.
Sun tenuous. Lin leans over the board, staring at the group that he has been chasing. Sun looks back at it too.
Sun is hiding in his collar a bit now, as he did when Gan got a better position against him on Saturday. He's worried.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Lin looks at the target, then at the tenuki, obviously conflicted.
He sets his stone back in the bowl, starts scanning the whole board. His lips move a bit, silently. He's counting.

5:43. Lin commits, answering the tenuki

[DrStraw]

How many people have qualified as professionals in NA? What are the benefits of achieving this level? If there are only a few of them then there can be no way they can make a living from it.

Just curious.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Live at the tournament...
Sun has invested one more move to stabilize his weak group. Lin peeps twice to ruin its shape. Then he slides under, taking away eye space.
Sun ignores, tenukis again. Lin leans low over the target, slaps down a stone - louder than any stone played so far.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Sun scrambles for eye space on the side, gets some, tenukis again. Lins shoulders slump as he looks at the resulting gain for Sun.
He eventually shrugs, plays for influence.

Sun invades a corner, Lin counts again, tenukis.

Sun appears to be ahead by a few, but his weak group is slowly being surrounded. Lin stares at it again, as if intending to kill it by sheer force of will.

Sun looks confident now, Lin looks worried. He chews lightly on his knuckle, then continues the attack.