2014 AGA Professional Qualifier

[msgreg]

How many people have qualified as professionals in NA?

The AGA has updated its website within the last few months with details on professionals and its process.
http://www.usgo.org/professionals

The AGA's certification process, begun in 2011, is the certifying authority for the United States and Canada. The AGA is the 5th Go association which has its own professional system in the world after Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. The AGA certified its first and second Go Professionals in 2012 and plans to certify one additional professional in the Second Pro Qualification Tournament in January 2-8, 2014.

There are links from that page to more information.

[Joaz Banbeck]

The sun is setting here in Los Angeles. The nearby buildings have an orange glow slowly sliding up their sides.
We are on the second floor. Rush hour traffic rattles on the street below.

Sun defends, Lin continues the attack.

[Joaz Banbeck]

It looks like Sun can defend easily enough, but getting two eyes leaves him in gote, according to my reading. Lin has gotten major influence while attacking.
Sun frowns, then pushes into the center, distaining the safety of the side.

Sun counter attacks. Lin gets safety by going for a moyo. Sun invades that.

Lin looks unhappy now, He frowns more, and his feet have begun twitching again.
Sun is as calm as Buddha. I think that he believes that he is winning.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Lin plays yose move, Sun tenukis again. Lin is clearly aggitated, jittery, swaying in his chair. He pauses, counts again. His feet are twitching almost non stop now.

Both player's body language says that Sun is winning.

My battery is low and my thumbs are sore. Closing down for now.

[Joaz Banbeck]

The tide may have turned. Sun may have tenukiedonce too many times. Lin's center influence has grown. Now he tenukis, going back to a corner that Sun left a bit loose.
Sun is jumpy, slapping his thigh, as if to beat some fighting spirit into himself. It doesn't work. He runs. Lin chases, making territory.
Lin's feet are still now.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Lin's moves don't make sense to me. He had Sun on the ropes, then forced him into invading his own recently acquired territory. Sun lived, and now has sente.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Lin is playing helicoptergo, letting his stone get to within an inch of the board, then lifting it again. His feet twitch all the time now. Sun now helicopters too, but stops six inches from the board.

[Joaz Banbeck]

Sun wins. More later.

[snorri]

Thanks for the dramatic coverage, Joaz.

[daal]

Yes, thanks Joaz, that was fun!

[hyperpape]

Congratulations to Calvin.

[daal]

Here's the game, courtesy of the AGA website:

http://www.lifein19x19.com/forum/download/file.php?id=4024