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Oxford City Go Club

We play the oriental board-game Go (WeiQi/Wei-Ch'i, Baduk, Igo). Visitors, and spectators are always welcome, as are complete beginners – we provide free teaching.

Where we meet

Normally, we meet in Freud cafe. When Freud's is closed we sometimes meet in other venues. When we do this, details will be shown in the table, below.

Freud Cafe

We meet in the Freud cafe, Walton Street, Oxford – see Freud cafe - B & W, Freud cafe - colour, and Oxford Guide, – this is a building which looks like a Greek temple, and was built as a church (St. Paul's) in 1835-6.

It is on the east side of Walton Street, opposite the end of Great Clarendon Street.

Here's a choice of interactive maps – (2d/3d) Photomaps, Google Map, Streetmap (2 styles), or Multimap:

Freud's is about one kilometre north west of the City Centre. It is about ten minutes' walk from the bus station, fifteen minutes' walk from the railway station, and fifteen minutes' walk from the city centre.

Parking is easy to find nearby, is free, or costs £1 for the whole evening.

Other venues

We may meet in the Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant. or maybe The Brickworks pub. We have further details of all our other venues.

When we meet

We try to meet in Istanbul/Caffino every Tuesday, and in Freud's every Thursday. However, sometimes Freud's is closed to the public (including us) – see later. Tuesday is, supposedly, our main Club night, and you can probably expect more Go-players on Tuesdays than on Thursdays, though Freud's is also popular.

We normally meet from about 19:00 to closing time. Closing time is variable – 22:30 onwards.

Please feel free to check the venue with Harry Fearnley by telephone, or email (see below). The best way to get up-to-date information about Freuds availability is to join the oxgo email list.

Freud's is available thus:

2009
Freuds is undergoing some changes over the coming months. Until the end of 2009, we will normally try to hold our Tuesday meetings in Freuds, and our Thursday meetings in Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant. Please check back here regularly - information may change at fairly short notice!
June 2009
Tuesday 23rd NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.
Thursday 25th NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.
Tuesday 30th NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.
July 2009
Thursday 2nd NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead. *** Begin regular Thursdays at Istanbul/Caffino ***
Tuesday7thFreuds Open. *** Begin regular Tuesdays at Freuds ***
Thursday 9th NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.
Tuesday14thFreuds Open
Thursday 16th NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.
Tuesday21stFreuds Open
Thursday 23rd NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.
Tuesday28thFreuds Open
Thursday 30th NOT at Freuds – Today, we meet at Istanbul (Caffino) restaurant, instead.

Who meets

When we meet there are usually about five to ten players. The regular players range in strength from 3-dan to 20-kyu, but we often have beginners, and occasionally players as strong as 6 dan.

Visitors, of all strengths, are very welcome, as are spectators. Complete beginners who have never played, are very welcome – we will provide free teaching.

Our members on Go Servers

Some of us also play on Go Servers – mainly the KGS Go Server. We maintain a table of present/past members, showing their various aliases on the servers.

Contact information

The club secretary is:
Harry Fearnley:
Email: oxfordgoclub@ZZZgoban.demon.co.uk (sorry - remove "ZZZ" from email address)
Address:
     38 Henley Street
     Oxford
     OX4 1ES
Tel: +44 1865 273928 (daytime/work)
     : +44 1865 248775 (home)
Webpages: Home page: bestiaries - studies on seki, etc., and Go-related bookmarks.

The oxgo email list is used by most members to talk with each other. We use it mainly to send out late-breaking information about club meetings, as well as other club news/info. You can get much more information about the oxgo email list, including how to join it.

Costs and Benefits

Costs

The club is affiliated to the British Go Association (BGA). We have no attendance charge. However, if you become a regular member, you will be expected to join the BGA, which has a relatively cheap subscription – 2008 annual subscriptions: full: £18; concessions: £11.

There is no entrance charge – Freud's very kindly let us meet there for free. In return, please expect to buy your evening meal (maybe a cheap pizza) there – or at least buy some drinks. This is particularly important on Thursdays (Freud's is often quote busy on Thursdays, and prefer to have paying customers!)

Benefits

  • Freuds Cafe offers us:
    • Easy access to the City Centre
    • An interesting, and pleasant, environment, with frequent Live Music (usually piano, or gutar), as well as several exhibitions of paintings.
    • The basic food menu is centred on pizzas/calzone, and there is also a "specials" menu with 5-7 main dishes, and 3-6 puddings, that varies periodically.
    • Specialises in cocktails.
  • The club has its own equipment – boards (including 9x9, 13x13), stones, and clock. It also has a small library – members may borrow these books.
  • Members of the BGA get a number of benefits – check out the BGA Membership application page. These include issues of the British Go Journal, newsletter, and discounts on books, and equipment, bought from BGA Books.
  • Free Teaching
    We take people from the very beginning – the rules! You can start playing Go within minutes. To learn the basic tactics, we normally start by using small (9x9) boards – games are quicker, more fun, and more instructive. The handicap system used in Go means that you can immediately start playing on even terms with all the other club members. Until you have become a much stronger ("Dan") player you will be able to find stronger players for teaching games, if desired. If you want to study the game seriously, we can offer advice on available books, software, and online resources.

Other Go things in Oxford

  • OUGoS
    The University Club (Oxford University Go Society) meets in the Town Centre, normally only in term-time. All OUGoS members may also freely attend the Oxford Go Club, just as we can visit their club. Its details are on the OUGoS web site.
  • Books and Equipment
    There are several suppliers in UK, and elsewhere – in particular note the local specialist boardgames suppliers 'Hoyle's' (High Street, Oxford) on 01865-203244, and 'The Gameskeeper' (Cowley Road, Oxford) on 01865-721348.
  • Annual Tournament
    Oxford normally has a Go tournament in mid February – no necessary connection to St Valentine's Day! This popular event attracts players from accross the South East of England, and is organized by the Oxford University Go Society, usually with substantial help from Nick Wedd and others from the city club.

    Here are results of the 2008 Oxford Tournament held on Saturday 16th February, 2008. This was followed by an (optional!) meal in a local restaurant – a chance to meet other Go players from the South East of England, and to remember Simon Eve.

  • Some past events
    • Korean Pros visit, April 2006
      Korean Professionals visit Oxford, April 2006: On Thursday 6th April 2006, HaJin Lee, a new young female star of the Go-playing world – together with another woman Go professional, and well-known TV presenter/commentator, HaeWon Han – were guests of the Oxford City Go Club. We were joined by players from many other clubs, and played a total of 20 simultaneous games.
    • Korean Pros visit, March 2007
      Korean Professionals visit Oxford, March 2007: Two Korean pros – An YoungKil, and Lee JungWoo – visited UK as part of a European tour. Mr An, and Mr Lee, visited Oxford, and played simultaneous games (with handicap) – players from other clubs in S.E. England joined us. The professionals won all their games! There are further details of their UK visit.

Other Go Clubs in the Region

There are other Go clubs nearby. See the British Go Association's map.

For further information, phone/email Harry Fearnley.

Please send any comments or suggestions by e-mail to the maintainer of this page at oxfordgoclub@ZZZgoban.demon.co.uk (sorry - remove "ZZZ" from email address)





Last updated Mon Jun 22 2009. If you have any comments, please email the webmaster.