World Amateur Go Championship 2016 in Wuxi, China

[macelee]

Maybe they didn't get round to organising a representative: the details were announced quite late this year (14th March, register by 3rd May). Also you need to pay for your flights and visa so it's quite expensive: I'm going with my wife and visa was £285 (more if she was British), flights about £1000, hotel/food for her even though sharing a room with me £350... So not easy for students (or others) not awash with money.

Just out of curiosity, is your visa a 2-year multiple-entry one? I heard that longer visa would become standard after the visit of Chinese president to the UK earlier this year but not sure when that arrangement takes effect.

Yes everything is expensive nowadays. The UK government is partly to blame. Your flight costs include an air passenger duty of £146. The visa fee is unfortunately reciprocal - the Chinese have to pay big fees to visit UK. And all the visas are handled by a company that charges an extra fee.

Hope you enjoy the trip. Wuxi is a wonderful city.

[Uberdude]

Yes, I got the two year multiple entry visa without asking for it, my wife (Thai) just got the single entry. And yes I know about expensive UK visas, hers cost over a grand!

[lichigo]

My baduk teacher is playing there , Dai junfu 8 dan from france ^^ GO GO GO !!!! I like this tournament , good opportunity for amateur players to compete

[hyperpape]

Results for the first day are available: http://www.ranka.intergofed.org/?page_id=13885.

Usual suspects are at two wins, but Japan met Taiwan and dropped that game.

Uberdude is at one win.

[gowan]

Several upsets, apparently, in the first two rounds.

[gowan]

Who is the China representative at number 53 who lost in the first two rounds? A fill-in to complete the table to avoid byes?

[Javaness2]

Who is the China representative at number 53 who lost in the first two rounds? A fill-in to complete the table to avoid byes?

Undoubtably, yes.

[quantumf]

Who is the China representative at number 53 who lost in the first two rounds? A fill-in to complete the table to avoid byes?

Undoubtably, yes.

Filling in for the missing Denmark player. Officially 1d, but apparently a bit weaker than that, according to his first round opponent.

[Uberdude]

The Malagasy player didn't show up either so there are an odd number of players including the 1d (female) Chinese ghost, but they've left them both in the draw so whoever is drawn against Madagascar gets no game and a free win. Unfortunately I forfeited my 3rd game because I overslept and was too late: a result of jetlag, a not working alarm and cicadas/frogs making a racket until 5am (the Singaporean player was also disturbed by them but made his game, though lost both today). Santiago (the Colombian player I forfeited to) and I hope to play a friendly game soon. I've arranged a hotel wake up call for tomorrow, but the animals are serenading me as I write this, so I don't know how much sleep I'll manage to get.

[Uberdude]

It's frogs, I went on a 2am frog hunt. They shut up when I shone light on them but resumed afterwards.

[Javaness2]

Try thinking about the Brexit

[hyperpape]

China wins (8-0), Korea takes second (7-1), Taiwan, Ukraine, Japan, Hungary, Serbia and Romania follow at 6-2 (Taiwan beat Japan, Ukraine and Serbia and had the highest SOS).

Uberdude goes 5-3.

[dankenzon]

I saw most of the games on WBaduk. And the chinese player was fairly over the level of all the others players. Only the japanese player was able to go all the way in a game, and even in that game, the chinese guy was still in control.

[gamesorry]

There are some interesting interviews and stories from the players:

http://www.ranka.intergofed.org/

[Uberdude]

My result was rather strange: my aim before the tournament was to do better than recent UK representatives, notably Andrew Kay's 4 wins and 24/56 in 2013 (Matthew Macfadyen 6d and Bei Ge 5d got 5 wins and 21/68 and 16/68 in 2008 and 2007 respectively). I achieved this with 5 wins and 21/56 but it didn't really feel deserved given the weak opponents I beat: I only beat 1 player stronger than 1 dan. My SOS was absolutely awful at 52 which was lower than any player on 4 wins (the highest 4 wins SOS was 78, and highest 3 wins was 68). My results by round were 6d-, 1k(but more like 10k)+, 4d-(forfeit, I won our friendly rematch), 1d+, 3d-, 5k+, 1d+, 5d+. So no not easily predicted results except the forfeit and then losing to a 3d (I was in control and leading until a careless move in byo yomi, but credit to Jürgen for playing a nice wedge of a one point jump which gave me an opportunity to screw up) and beating a 5d (my first and only good win of the tournament in the final round). Compare this to the 4 wins and 23/56 of the 5d Singaporean player whose results were 6d+, 6d+, 4d-, 6d-, 1d+, 3d+, 6d-, 5d-. I think those results deserve to finish above me!

If people are interested I could post my game records and some photos once I am back home with a computer.