A blog about the Ft. Myers Go Club, a registered chapter of the AGA, American Go Association.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Scientific American Go Article

The June issue of Scientific American has an article by Karen Frenkel about Hungarian computer programers work to produce a stronger Go playing computer program.

Go is still best played by humans than computers.....


Your club reporter,
Kent1956

Ft. Myers Go Club Week in Review 28May2007

Ft. Myers Go Club Week in Review 28May2007

Last week was a good week for the Ft. Myers Go Club. Participation in all club activities is on the rise, and I suspect will continue to rise over the summer until many return to school and studies next fall.

Tuesday at the Cape Coral Library with the Gulfcoast Chess Club and Rob Cheyne, found 8 playing Go.
Rob, myself, Linda, Chris, Nick, Sam, Trinka, and one new young player, Jacob, who learned the game.

Thursday at the N. Ft. Myers Library, we had 9 that played Go. Our regular participants, Lisa, Brenna, and Jerek and myself. Linda, Chris, Nick and Sam joined us, and one lady stopped in to see what the game of Go was about.

Sunday, it must be Barnes and Nobles, where else? From 1 PM to about 5:30 we met to play Go. Mr. Joshua Frye was out of town, enjoying a very well earned mini-vacation to Disney World with his wonderful wife and son.

Rob Cheyne and I met with 12 other players from Mr. Joshua Frye's math class.

This week also saw our club ranks swell by 26 members, who registered with the AGA through Mr. Frye's classes.

The First Ever Ft. Myers Go Club Monthly Rating Tournament , on June 9th, looks like it will be a roaring success.

Your Club reporter,
Kent1956

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

June 9th Rating Tournament Update

Hi all,

The date is drawing closer and all the plans are final.

Joshua Frye had 26 of his students register for AGA membership, we plan on most of them making this rating tournament. We have players from 7 kyu to 28 kyu from this area.

From outside the area Don Colladay, 5 kyu, Joshua Fallon, 11 kyu, Brian Olive, 1 kyu, Shaun Sullivan 2 kyu, have expressed interest and plans to attend and Dan Moise, 4 dan from Sarasota plans on stopping in after taking teacher's tests that morning.

I hope some more higher kyu players will show up to fill up that field.

Hope to see you all there,

Kent 1956

Monday, May 21, 2007

Week in Review 21 May, 2007

FT. MYERS GO CLUB WEEK IN REVIEW FOR 20 MAY, 2007
By Kent Secor, club reporter.


Last Tuesday found me at the Cape Coral Library for a visit with the Gulf Coast Chess Club and Rob Cheyne.


Rob is a chess master, though he doesn't claim to be, and chess teacher who migrated here from Toronto, Canada....eh!...He has been playing go for about a year now and is ranked 8 kyu on KGS.

As a member of the new Ft. Myers Go club he is interested in combining a Go program in the chess club along with the chess club he supervises at the Cape Coral Public Library.

We played a couple of Go games during the chess club and showed the game to over 5 chess players. We will repeat this Chess/Go "meeting" again this week. The AGF grant is submitted for this program and the starter set should be on the way, then we will kick off the new Go program.

Thursday, it was the N. Ft. Myers Public Library, where our faithful three members showed up to continue their Go education. Lisa, Jerek and Brenna are progressing well in their understanding of the game. Also I was able to introduce the game to a couple of the library patrons. Next week I will be starting a series of short educational lectures.

Sunday was the regular meeting of the Ft. Myers Go Club at Barnes and Nobles. We had 11 people come out and join us for Go play. Rob, Mr. Joshua Frye (Go Teacher of the year, at least in my book), Dave Saha, Niles, Alex and Alex D., Emma, Christopher, Nick, Sam and myself.
We also were able to introduce the game to three people in the Cafe, and help Mrs. DeSouza, one of the Go mom's, learn basic Go game play.
We appreciate all the Go Mom's and Dad's for supporting thier children's Go Club activites and look forward to adding some of you to the list of playing members.


Mr. Joshua Frye and Alex deep into a game.


Emma and Niles.


We played Go from 1pm to about 5:30 in the cafe.

The plans are being firmed up for the First Ever Ft. Myer Go Club Monthly Rating Tournament.

To follow the details of this and all activites of Go in the Ft. Myers area stay tuned here.

Until next time,
this is Kent1956,
the Ft. Myers Go Club reporter signing out....

Friday, May 18, 2007

Thursday Night at the Library May 17th

Hi all,

We had another fun Go night at the N. Ft. Myers Library. Lisa, Jerek and Brenna joined me to continue their Go education.

All three are doing very well for being one month newbies.

If you all are around N. Ft. Myers, Thursday nights stop in for a game of Go with us.

Your club reporter,
Kent Secor
kent1956

Thursday, May 17, 2007

June Go tournament update.

Check the origanal Ft. Myers Go Club Monthly Tournament post for updated info.

We are confirmed at the Cape Coral Library. Players from Sarasota and Orlando have expressed interest in attending.

Hope to see all there.

Kent1956

Lexington Middle School Go Tournament

Club member Joshua Frye, held a Go Tournament in the middle school where he teaches math. This year he taught his students Go as a real world application of math.

You can read about the tournament in this New-Press article.

Great job Joshua, you are in the running for Go teacher of the Year, you sure have my vote.

Your club reporter,

Kent Secor
kent1956

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Sarasota Dan player attending June 9th Tournament

Dan Moise, 4 dan AGA, player of the Sarasota Go Club has expressed interest in coming down to the June 9th Go Tournament. Hopefully others from that great club will also attend.

Brian Olive, 1 kyu AGA, of Orlando has likewise expressed interest.

Hope to see all there.

Kent Secor
kent1956

Tuesday night at the Cape Coral Library

Tuesday night found me at the Cape Coral public library to visit the Gulf Coast Chess club, run by Rob Cheyne. They meet every Tuesday night from 5:30 to 9:00.

Rob has been playing Go for about a year now and is a 7 kyu player on KGS under the name chesswise. He is a regular attender at the Ft. Myers Go Club meetings at the Barnes and Nobles.

Rob and I played a couple of games and were able to teach five chess players the game of Go. Four expressed interest in coming Sunday to the regular go meetings.

We are planning to kick off the Go program at the library as soon as the starter set is dilivered.

If you live in Cape Coral Florida, come on in Let's Play GO!

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Possible Dan players at the First Ever Ft. Myers Go Club Monthly Rating Tournament

Hi all,

The Saturday June 9th Go tournament hit the web on the AGA E-Journal today and the responses are pouring in as a loud and steady trickle....

Mike Dyer, 2 Dan from Gainsville says their club would be interested in coming down for the day. They would bring a team of a 4 dan, 2 dan and 4 players ranged 22-15kyu.

Sarasota Go club may join us too, giving a 3 dan and two 1 dan players plus some high kyu players.

I will report more as the registrations roll in.

Kent Secor
kent1956

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Sunday May 13th report

Hi all,

I hope that all honored their mothers yesterday with lots of love and attention. They so richly derserve all we can give them.

The regular SWFL Go Club meeting at Barnes and Nobles Sunday had 6 playing Go.

Rob, Zachary, James S. and myself from Ft. Myers area, with Nathan and Shawn from Naples coming up to join us for the afternoon of Go.

We played in the fridged air conditioning in the back corner of the store, I think I like the cafe area better. It's not as chilly and more people get to see us play.

We had one young man, a chess player, find us in the back and ask about the game. He invited us to join them to play chess in the cafe during the week.

Over all it was a good afternoon playing Go.

Your club reporter,

Kent Secor, kent1956

Ft. Myers GO Club TOURNAMENT FOR JUNE

The First Ever Ft. Myers Go Club Monthly Rating Tournament, will be held on Saturday June 9th, 2007

The Ft. Myers Go Club is starting a monthly tournament with this New Beginning kick off tournament Saturday June 9th, at the Cape Coral Public Library, in the meeting room.

We will be holding these monthly rating tournaments the second Saturday of each month.

Tournament Schedule

Registration will be open from 9:30 a.m to 10:00 a.m..

Morning session will be from 10:15 to 12:30.

Lunch break 12:30 - 1:30.

Afternoon session from 1:30 to 5:oo. All games to end as a time out, at 5:00.

Presentation of certificates and prizes (if any) with clean up 5:00 - 5:30 PM.

We must be out at 5:30 pm as the library closes at 6 p.m.

We will use the Pytd 1.0 system for pairing. These will be handicap games played in rank grouping bands, to be set according to those attending.

Bring your lunch, no food or drinks allowed in the Library. Local earteries are about 1 mile away for those wanting them.

The Cape Coral Library is located at 921 SW 39th Ter., Cape Coral, FL 33914 (mapquest map link).

Please write me if you plan on attending so we know how many people to prepare for. Please copy the form below and return to me, no later than June 2nd.

There will be no tournament fee for this first tournament. Future tournaments may have a fees as well as prizes.

AGA Registration

This tournament is open to all players free of charge. It is an AGA registered tournament, to have your tournament results recorded with the AGA you must be a registered AGA member. You will have two weeks after the tournament date to register for AGA membership and have your tournament results accepted by the AGA.

If you are not an AGA registered member, you may register at the tournament for $15 club membership fee (this will regisiter you as a member of the Ft. Myers Go Club with the AGA). $30 for full membership separate from the Ft. Myers Go Club. (Note; the $15 AGA membership fee is only available through the club chapter and only for the first two years of membership, AGA membership fee is $30 after the second year.) A youth membership is only $10.

Please bring your own equipment and clocks, we will have some game sets and clocks with us.

REGISTRATION FORM

To register send me the following information:

Name:
Address:
Ph. Number:
email address:
AGA#/Rank:
or KGS name/rank or other server:
Go club associated with:

I will list update info here and send all an email with details.

Hope to see you all there, LET'S PLAY GO!

Kent Secor, aka kent1956
Tournament Organizer
Ft. Myers Go Club

Nihon Ki-in web site

Check out the Japanese Go Association, the Nihon Ki-in's main web page. http://www.nihonkiin.or.jp/index-e.htm

Tons of great Go information.

Read about the Japanese Go tournaments and titles.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Thursday Night at the Library

Just got back from the NFM Library. We had another great evening playing Go.

Nathan from Naples, FL came up early to play a couple of games before the scheduled Go program. Lisa a member of the Anime Club showed up before Nathan and played me in her first 19x19 game. With a 13 stone handicap she faired pretty well against me in this teaching game. With only two weeks since she learned the game, her grasp of the basics is firm and we were able to teach her some starting strategy.

We had a new player join us tonight for the first time, Jereck (I hope I'm spelling his name correct) a young man in his teens. He knows the Japanese anime/manga Hikaru no go and has played just a few games on the old MSN.games Go room (which is no longer in existance, by rumor, started by Microsoft, there will be a new improved room....after over a year we still wait for it!). I played Jereck a 9x9 to access his strength, then a 13x13 teaching game. He plans to be returning next week.

Last Sunday, since I couldn't make the Orlando Go Tournament (so sad.....), I balmed my soul with a couple of Go games at Barnes and Nobles. I went just in case someone showed up, knowing that if someone came for the first time and found no one there, they would never return. The Ponader gang showed up to play a couple of games with a new magnetic travel goban set from the great folks at Yellow Mountain Imports . I played a couple of games with the older brothers, and talked a bit with their mother, who is our first Go Mom volunteer.....three cheers for Mrs. Ponader.

Sunday will be another regularly scheduled Go Club meeting, see ya' all there, Let's Play Go!

Sunday, May 6, 2007

May 6, 2007 Update

Just an update.

Last weeks Sunday meeting found 11 people gathered at S. Ft. Myers Barnes and Nobles Cafe to play Go. Joshua, Rob and myself and 8 of Joshua's students from Lexington Middle School met from 1 PM to about 4 Pm. We had 5 Go boards in play continuously.

We had a couple of people ask us about the game we were playing, and I talked to a teacher I personally know about the game and introducing it to her school. I need a better presentation package for school programs, at present I have little to nothing. Anyone have a laptop they are not using? It would be great to be able to do powerpoint demos and show videos.

Thursday night found me at the N. Ft. Myers Public Library to host another Go program. Two from last week showed up to continue playing, four more sat down to play a game or two with us. One young lady of about 10, kept exclaiming, "This is fun!" the whole time she was playing games with her neighbor friend.

Sunday again, and I sit here slightly disappointed. There is a Go Tournament in Orlando this weekend and I could not attend.... *sigh*....

Just makes me want to get the club tourneys going. Looking forward to doing monthly rating tourneys this fall. We are planning on doing a couple of tournaments this summer.

Well until next time, that's the scoop on the Go community in South West Florida.

Kent1956 signing off