A few simple rules ... limitless possibilities

Hi Everyone!

With only 3 weeks to go in the run up to Learn Go Week on Saturday 13th September, this is an update to let you know what is planned in the UK! It also describes the international effort occurring to get more people playing Go/Weiqi this year!

We've had lots of interest by volunteers, which is fantastic news so thank you for all the support in this event! There are plans underway for extra Go playing sessions happening in the UK throughout Nottingham, Chester, Bournemouth, London and Greater London, as well as all the usual club meets! The enthusiasm and support is great for our first year getting involved with Game Guru’s event.

A report on the recent EGF AGM is now available in our members area.

For the latest information see here

For some while Council has been focusing its Clubs and Membership recruitment and development attention on the building up of University clubs.

There are a number of issues in the creation and support of these which we have been working on, but one of these issues is that students are extremely price sensitive and that in the digital age they now expect to receive almost all their information electronically, with printed material being considered of little importance and often discarded.

So Council has decided that, for an extended trial period and with immediate effect, the Student membership fee will be reduced to £5 per annum and that it will be the first online-only membership category.

The main change regarding this is that Students will not receive a printed copy of the British Go Journal, but they will be able to access it via our Members Area.

Association members are reminded of a benefit that few have taken up recently, perhaps in part because it was low down the website tree.

The Game Review Service can be a very efficient way of improving your game as comments are tailored to the individual's strengths and weaknesses.

So why don't you send in a game today?

The Nihon Ki-in, in association with the Sasakawa Foundation, would like to invite THREE students under the age of 24, who are promising players in British Go, to visit Japan in October for some extensive Go studying and have sent us the following invitation:

1. Our SUPPORT

1) Air ticket
We will provide up to JPY 120,000 per student for the air ticket.
Students will arrange their flights and give us a copy of the ticket receipts. Upon our receipt of these receipts in Tokyo, we will provide grant assistance up to JPY 120,000 per student.

2) Accommodation
We will provide them with accommodation during their stay in Japan from 2nd to 13th October. They will stay at our designated accommodation in Tokyo, this might include sharing a triple-bed room.

3) Transportation

As most of you are probably aware there has been an announcement about an international Learn to Play Go week from GoGameGuru:

"On Saturday, September 13, 2014, we’re going to go out into our local community and run a small Go teaching event. And we hope that you’ll join us – by organizing your own modest, local Go demonstration. If you already do this from time to time then you don’t have to do anything new. All we’re asking is that run your own demonstration on the same day as everyone else. September 13 will be the start of a new event called Learn Go Week."

We've decided not to organise a UK-wide special event, but would like everybody involved in Go to create their own local events to support this concept. This could be a great publicity occasion for local club, so please get out, arrange an event and publicise it in your local press.

We're pleased to announce that we've revised many of our existing publications and will shortly be reprinting these in volume, so if you need to get copies of them please just ask. You can see them all at http://www.britgo.org/covers

• Go Comic
  Now uses pass stones.
• Flyer
  Mostly minor corrections.
• Play Go booklet
  A significant update, as it now avoids the use of the term "group", which WE normally use in an ambiguous fashion when talking about the game. Since this booklet may be used by beginners without a teacher, the description of capturing and eyes need to be very clear. How the end of the game is described has also been simplified and, hopefully, made easier to understand.

An additional Roller Banner is also being produced, so if you need one for an exhibition or other occasion you'll be publicising Go at please ask.

I'm pleased to be able to announce that the following people have been appointed as Officials of our organisation:

• Gerry Gavigan as the London Open Organiser
• Maria Tabor as our new Marketing Manager

I'd like to welcome both of them on board - Please give them all they help they need.

From Martin Stiassny, President EGF

International University Go Tournament (for students only)

Just now this tournament is running in Hongkong for the first time. About 10 seats were reserved for Europe in this completely new tournament under the lead of the Ing-Foundation. As far as I know at least 4 players from Europe are participating. Similar to the WAGC the organizers don’t pay the travelling expenses, but all local costs. This tournament is not only reserved for strong players, every student can participate. In Korea I talked to Mr. Minghaw Ying, the son of the late Mr. Ing Chang-ki. He explained that this tournament would happen every year in the first half of July, 2015 in Taiwan (city is not decided yet). After 2016 he plans to organize this tournament in other countries than Japan, Korea and China.