Who will win the WAGC 2010

[DrStraw]

ALL the times? I went to the WAGC previously in 1998. Once. Only once. At least I did win half my games, going into the final round with a chance to win 5, but it was not to be. However, as Dirty Harry says, a man has got to know his limitations.

Best wishes.

I thought you had been more than that. Maybe I am getting mixed up with your conversations about other trips to Japan.

[gowan]

I don't know who will win but we have an interesting possibility this year. It seems there are a lot of kyu-ranked players this time, maybe someone will win the championship becayse a kyu player does well against other kyu players. I'm thinking about tiebreakers.

[Kaliwan]

I will win

[HKA]

... Big Three?

... Guys... North Korea is entering this year. I think we need to change this to Big Four.

It takes for than one success to make a "big four". The current "big three" China, Japan and Korea, have been dominating the WAGC for a long time, just as they've been dominating professional go for a long time. If and when North Korea shows consistent long time results internationally, it may be able to lay claim to some kind of "big" status. Maybe ten years from now, but certainly not this year.

The problem with the above is the irratic nature of North Korea sending representatives. If they had someone there more consistently, we may have already hit your benchmarks. North Korea should not be underestimated.

For those with long memories, Korea only fairly recently began to win the thing. And, putting my quizmaster hat on...only one other nation has ever won it...

[HermanHiddema]

... Big Three?

... Guys... North Korea is entering this year. I think we need to change this to Big Four.

It takes for than one success to make a "big four". The current "big three" China, Japan and Korea, have been dominating the WAGC for a long time, just as they've been dominating professional go for a long time. If and when North Korea shows consistent long time results internationally, it may be able to lay claim to some kind of "big" status. Maybe ten years from now, but certainly not this year.

The problem with the above is the irratic nature of North Korea sending representatives. If they had someone there more consistently, we may have already hit your benchmarks. North Korea should not be underestimated.

For those with long memories, Korea only fairly recently began to win the thing. And, putting my quizmaster hat on...only one other nation has ever won it...

I'm not suggesting we underestimate North Korea. Far from it, I think they stand a good chance to win it this year. Without a professional go system, they are in a similar situation to China 30 years ago, when they didn't have a professional system yet and players like Nie Weiping, Cao Dayuan and Ma Xiaochun won the WAGC. I just think it takes a bit of time with consistent results for "big" status

So far, it's been China (17x), Japan (8x) and Korea (4x, first time in 1998) that have been dominating the WAGC, with Hong Kong (1986) being the only other winner ever.

[Kirby]

I'm not suggesting we underestimate North Korea. Far from it, I think they stand a good chance to win it this year. Without a professional go system, they are in a similar situation to China 30 years ago, when they didn't have a professional system yet and players like Nie Weiping, Cao Dayuan and Ma Xiaochun won the WAGC. I just think it takes a bit of time with consistent results for "big" status

So far, it's been China (17x), Japan (8x) and Korea (4x, first time in 1998) that have been dominating the WAGC, with Hong Kong (1986) being the only other winner ever.

Regarding "big" status, I would say that it depends on personal opinion. When a country wins many times, it provides many positive data points that are likely to convince a good number of people of its "bigness"... But depending on the various factors that any particular individual takes into account to define what makes a "big status" country, people may come to different conclusions. I guess that I don't think that the "big status" is well-defined, so it's more of a personal opinion (i.e. how a person defines a country as "big") than anything else.

If I had enough faith in Antarctica that they were enough of a powerhouse in go to dominate the WAGC, I might call them a "big" go country, even if they hadn't won before. But I would probably have to have some other reasoning in mind other than game results to come to this conclusion.

So personally, I don't know enough about North Korea to call them one of the "big" countries myself, but maybe somebody that's taking other factors into account could rationally come to that conclusion.

[Fredrik]

... Big Three?

... Guys... North Korea is entering this year. I think we need to change this to Big Four.

Remember how they did at the WMSG?

For those of you who don't, Jo Tae Won took the gold in the ama-only event, with players like Jie Li, Hu Yuqing, and Victor Chow, along with the other Chinese rep, and both South Korean reps, who made it to the top 8.

Yeah. It's going to be a fun tournament to watch.

Yes North Korea rep is also very strong. The amazing thing about the WMSG final was that the North Korean player lost by time but the South Korean player didn't claim the win and they finished the game anyway. (I also heard that the South Korean player was leading by a few points in yose, and some said he allowed the North Korean to win as a gesture of good will for North Korean Go, may not be accurate tho ^^)

[Koffein]

I miss the option to choose "Austria"
Bernd Scheid will crush everyone with the newest austrian special trick move

[kirkmc]

I just looked at the list of contestants, and I'm wondering how they're picked. There's 5k from Italy, a 6k from India, and several other kyus in the list. What gives? What kind of championship is this?

In any case, best of luck to T Mark. I hope you're happier in the tournament than your mugshot makes you look.

[HermanHiddema]

I just looked at the list of contestants, and I'm wondering how they're picked. There's 5k from Italy, a 6k from India, and several other kyus in the list. What gives? What kind of championship is this?

Many of those are actually (among) the strongest players in their country. In the case of Italy, I hear the representative fell ill and a replacement was sent, though I do not know how that person was chosen.

[Javaness]

I just looked at the list of contestants, and I'm wondering how they're picked. There's 5k from Italy, a 6k from India, and several other kyus in the list. What gives? What kind of championship is this?

Many of those are actually (among) the strongest players in their country. In the case of Italy, I hear the representative fell ill and a replacement was sent, though I do not know how that person was chosen.

You can check on their forums, but I think that Italy has a points system

[DrStraw]

I just looked at the list of contestants, and I'm wondering how they're picked. There's 5k from Italy, a 6k from India, and several other kyus in the list. What gives? What kind of championship is this?

Many countries have a system whereby a person cannot go to the WAGC more than once every so many years. If that number of years is more than the number of dan players who are able to go then sometimes you will see kyu players. I suspect there are several of the newer countries fall into the category.

[Phelan]

Edit: DrStraw said it better than me.

[HermanHiddema]

I just looked at the list of contestants, and I'm wondering how they're picked. There's 5k from Italy, a 6k from India, and several other kyus in the list. What gives? What kind of championship is this?

I sometimes saddens me that I am a stronger player than half the participants there, yet I have zero chance of ever participating

[topazg]

I sometimes saddens me that I am a stronger player than half the participants there, yet I have zero chance of ever participating

Nonsense, you just need to start beating Geert Groenen and Merlijn Kuin regularly and you'll be there in no time, it's as easy as that