The void of Weiqi

I have been here in Tianjin for about 2.5 months now and it is really getting to me that I was not able to find any place to play and study Weiqi in the birth country of this game so far. I have been asking people and using the Chinese web to search for places but out of the 10 locations I checked out so far none existed! I called phone numbers and went to addresses that do not exist anymore and have been told that there is no Weiqi near by countless of people on the street!

Weiqi where art thou?!

On to search some more~~~

19 days until China!

Only 19 days are left until China yay!

Last weekend I booked my flight with Etihad Airways and just the only thing needed is the student visa for which I am making the last preparations.

Preparation for China

As it seems I have secured a scholarship for a 6 month language course in Tianjin (China) and this will allow me to study a lot of Weiqi on the afternoons and weekends. Sadly the scholarship is quite tiny though so I scrambling for money. ^^

But anyways yay for China and more Weiqi! Even if i starve a bit ^^

I'll post more infos as I get on them.

ETA to China Mid-End August~~~

- adoreme

Progressing to China

As probably some readers already know my current plan is to study Weiqi in China due to the possibility of gaining a language scholarship there due to me finishing my BA degree in Chinese this summer so I have been busy filling out the forms required to apply for it.

The desired area where I want to go is Tianjin/Beijing area as there is probably the biggest concentration of Weiqi schools to go to. I will be contacting the Zhongguo Qiyuan shortly and inquire about study possibilities. I'll report those back once I know more about.

Right now I have completed a important step towards a longterm visa and the scholarship subsequently as I have passed the health check with flying colours.

Time left until going to China: 6 Months

To do:

- Submit scholarsip application
- aquire student visa
- Contact Zhongguo Qiyuan
- find a Weiqi school to study in
- have a plan B rental apartment option in case no scholarship is aquired
- study more Chinese
- study more more Weiqi

9th Jeongganjang Cup - 1st round - 2nd game

Here we are with the second game of this tournament. Moon Dowon won the last game, so she continues for her team. Next opponent was Lu Jia from China.

Due to some smaller kills by black, she could win by 18,5 points, which is pretty big in the pro world.

(;
KM[6.5]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
EV[9th Jeongganjang Cup 2nd round]
GM[1]
PB[Moon Dowon]
PW[Lu Jia]
BR[2d]
RE[B+18.5]
DT[2011-01-09]
WR[2d]
;B[pd];W[dd];B[pq];W[cp];B[eq];W[po];B[qo];W[qn];B[qp];W[qf];B[nc]
;W[pn];B[nq];W[pj];B[cf];W[fc];B[bd];W[do];B[cc];W[ic];B[gp];W[qd]
;B[qc];W[rc];B[qe];W[rd];B[pe];W[re];B[pf];W[pg];B[qb];W[og];B[no]
;W[pp];B[qq];W[lc];B[nm];W[pl];B[jp];W[dq];B[ep];W[er];B[fr];W[dr]
;B[ck];W[rb];B[me];W[le];B[lf];W[md];B[ne];W[kf];B[lg];W[kg];B[ke]
;W[ld];B[ng];W[kh];B[of];W[oi];B[ef];W[gr];B[fs];W[mp];B[np];W[gq]
;B[fq];W[hp];B[go];W[ip];B[jq];W[in];B[ir];W[jo];B[hl];W[jl];B[ko]
;W[kn];B[ln];W[km];B[lm];W[ek];B[hn];W[cj];B[dj];W[dk];B[ci];W[bj]
;B[cl];W[di];B[ej];W[ch];B[fk];W[eh];B[fj];W[mh];B[nh];W[mi];B[mg]
;W[dm];B[dl];W[dc];B[dg];W[cm];B[ni];W[nj];B[ok];W[oj];B[bk];W[bi]
;B[bm];W[bn];B[an];W[ao];B[al];W[am];B[kk];W[jk];B[an];W[cb];B[bb]
;W[am];B[qg];W[rf];B[an];W[cd];B[bc];W[am];B[oh];W[ph];B[an];W[nd]
;B[lh];W[li];B[od];W[am];B[kj];W[jj];B[an];W[bg];B[bf];W[am];B[ki]
;W[ji];B[mj];W[mk];B[lj];W[bl];B[qh];W[pi];B[bm];W[kp];B[lo];W[bl]
;B[jh];W[ih];B[jg];W[jf];B[ig];W[hh];B[hg];W[gg];B[ie];W[je];B[jd]
;W[kd];B[if];W[ke];B[gf];W[gh];B[bm];W[ff];B[fe];W[fg];B[ee];W[bl]
;B[id];W[jc];B[gd];W[gc];B[bm];W[hq];B[an];W[bo];B[hj];W[ij];B[im]
;W[jm];B[dh];W[ei];B[fi];W[jr];B[kr];W[js];B[iq];W[kq];B[lq];W[hk]
;B[hi];W[fm];B[el];W[gl];B[gk];W[ii];B[ik];W[il];B[hm];W[hk];B[ho]
;W[gi];B[ik];W[be];B[ce];W[hk];B[io];W[gj];B[lb];W[kb];B[mc];W[kc]
;B[em];W[ol];B[rn];W[rm];B[ro];W[sm];B[db];W[eb];B[ca];W[mb];B[nb]
;W[la];B[ea];W[fa];B[ga];W[da];B[eg];W[fh];B[ea];W[fb];B[hc];W[hb]
;B[hd];W[da];B[cb];W[eo];B[en];W[fo];B[fn];W[am];B[dn];W[bl];B[ak]
;W[jn];B[fp];W[bm];B[es];W[ds];B[ml];W[nl];B[lk];W[nk];B[na];W[qa]
;B[pa];W[ra];B[pb];W[on];B[nn];W[dp];B[om];W[pm];B[ma];W[lb];B[aj]
;W[ai];B[ag];W[ah];B[af];W[cg];B[de];W[ec];B[sn];W[op];B[oq];W[kl]
;B[ll];W[cn];B[fd];W[gb];B[ed];W[ib];B[oo];W[ea])

- a1r -

9th Jeongganjang Cup - 1st round - 1st game

Hello guys,

I am here for some new points on this blog. I will try to post some news regarding to the pro world.

The Jeongganjang Cup is a female team tournament with teams from Korea, China and Japan.

The teammates are following:

Players;
China;
  Rui Naiwei(9d), Song Ronghui(5d), Li He(3d), Lu Jia(2d), Tang Yi(2d)
Korea;
  Park Jieun(9d), Lee Hajin(3d), Park Jiyeon(2d), Moon Dowon(2d),
 Kim Miri(1d)
Japan;
  Aoki Kikuyo(8d), Yoshida Mika(8d), Suzuki Ayumi(5d), Chinen Kaori(4d),
 Mukai Chiaki(4d)

The first game was between Moon Dowon and Aoki Kikuyo.

(;
RE[W+R]
BR[8d]
EV[9th Jeongganjang Cup 1st round]
WR[2d]
PB[Aoki Kikuyo]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
GM[1]
KM[6.5]
DT[2011-01-08]
PW[Moon Dowon]
;B[pd];W[dd];B[pq];W[dp];B[qk];W[fq];B[fc];W[cf];B[jd];W[qf];B[re]
;W[rf];B[qe];W[pf];B[nd];W[qi];B[oj];W[nh];B[nf];W[po];B[np];W[no]
;B[mo];W[nn];B[lp];W[mn];B[qj];W[pi];B[mk];W[mi];B[mj];W[jq];B[ko]
;W[ln];B[jp];W[kq];B[iq];W[ir];B[hr];W[lo];B[mp];W[kp];B[ip];W[mr]
;B[nr];W[js];B[lr];W[kr];B[ms];W[hq];B[eq];W[dq];B[gq];W[hp];B[fr]
;W[ho];B[eo];W[do];B[dr];W[cr];B[fp];W[kj];B[kk];W[jk];B[km];W[kn]
;B[jl];W[jj];B[lj];W[li];B[ml];W[hc];B[kh];W[ki];B[hd];W[ic];B[id]
;W[jc];B[dc];W[cc];B[ed];W[kd];B[de];W[cd];B[ke];W[lc];B[ld];W[kc]
;B[mc];W[le];B[kf];W[md];B[nc];W[lf];B[lg];W[jg];B[kg];W[jh];B[if]
;W[mg];B[eg];W[cg];B[cm];W[dn];B[cj];W[ds];B[es];W[er];B[jn];W[jo]
;B[dr];W[ol];B[ok];W[er];B[in];W[io];B[dr];W[qc];B[pc];W[er];B[mf]
;W[gc];B[ng];W[gd];B[mh];W[oi];B[dr];W[dm];B[cs];W[cl];B[fe];W[br]
;B[gb];W[hb];B[eb];W[mb];B[nb];W[la];B[cb];W[bb];B[ba];W[ef];B[ff]
;W[eh];B[bl];W[bm];B[ck];W[dl];B[bn];W[cn];B[am];W[bi];B[bj];W[ej]
;B[cm];W[ak];B[ci];W[bh];B[dh];W[di];B[ce];W[dg];B[bf];W[fg];B[qp]
;W[hs];B[gr];W[lm];B[ll];W[il];B[qn];W[ee];B[bd];W[bs];B[ds];W[fd]
;B[bc];W[hg];B[fm];W[gl];B[fl];W[fk];B[gm];W[el];B[hl];W[hk];B[gk]
;W[gj];B[im];W[ik];B[hf];W[gf];B[bg];W[ch];B[ri];W[rh];B[rj];W[qo]
;B[ro];W[rn];B[pn];W[op];B[rp];W[oq];B[or];W[qm];B[rm];W[pm];B[on]
;W[om];B[sn];W[oo];B[rn];W[nl];B[oh];W[ni];B[pg];W[qg];B[nq];W[ga]
)

Baduk is popular in China

How do we know Baduk is popular in a country? Well if you visit and see these photos.
(These photos were made by HermanHiddema fpr L19 forum) The tower's name is Chinese for Tengen and on the top it is shaped just like Baduk bowl. Also on the 4th floor they have a Baduk club, rooms for professional study and Baduk schools. A very nice thing.

Overview + cooking

So here I am with my second post. First of all a few general things about my progress, then I'll give a short overview about all probable locations to study Baduk intensivly and as vey last my latest mishap in cooking. :)

Good news for me are that I 1,5 weeks ago made the Oro 3dan to which makes me happy , additionally I have a 3dan Tygem account to and I like that server very much. If you can cope with brutal fighting over the board Tygem is the best server around, sooo many strong users there 24/7 to! Have fun there.
The not so good side at the moment is that what I describe as "suiciding my way up on Oro". It means basically I am quite a big bit stronger than most adversaries from 2-4dan there, however I keep killing myself so often these days again. Crucial groups die not due to brilliant move of my opponent but to my own faults. That is so annoying as I should be easily 4-5dan there by now and that probably is the problem... Obsession with rank was it called? I need to play the stones not my opponent my teacher says but that is so hard to do...

Currently I have begun studying shapes, slowly but surely it should become better. Even my teacher commented that my game made a sudden leap upwards compared to the usual games I played with her. (To those who wonder who my teacher is, it is Shen Jing, Jennie on KGS. She is very good and nice, go and check her teaching out!) Shapes now seem so very important, the game feels much lighter when you are able to make good shape. It becomes so much more fun.

To study shapes I use the "Making good shape" book from the Mastering the basics series and the audio lessions from Guo Juan on her website about shape.


So now to the things I found out about studying Baduk abroad.

Basically I now know of 2 (maybe 3) possibilities to study Baduk longterm in Korea. Which would be accordingly the "International Baduk Academy" from Lee Kibong and the "Master of Education" course at the Myongji University.

In China there are 3 possibilties from which one is dead I believe. First of all a longterm oppostunity the offer from Guo Juans Go school to study Weiqi in Wuhan. Then there are two projects for 2 months organized by two well known chinese high-dans. First EXPERIENCE GO IN CHINA by Jeff Chang and the second was gongames or so by Will Zhang but from that project I have not heard in a long time.

Sadly I have no idea about Japan and Taiwan currently. If I get a hold of it I will let you know.


So now I must tell you something. Going abroad to study Baduk certainl requires more skills than to play Baduk and one of the essentials is cooking which I cannot seem to do right. Yesterday I had two pizzas. Followed the instuctions on the packaging and shoved them into the oven for 12 minutes. Later I come down and see half a success! I managed to make one pizza! Yay! However I do not know why the second one was burned so badly. :( (Note to myslef take cooking classes soon...)

- adorable plum