A couple notes -

Rob has offered to keep track of ELO ratings for our club ladder games. These will be internal club ratings (not AGA rated). He’s computed an initial set of ratings based on recent ladder game results starting with KGS ratings when available) It’ll take a while before these settle down (they need about 25 games or so before they’re accurate), but they’ll be a good way to track your improvement. They’ll be updated on the web site weekly and once they settle down we’ll probably put together a way for these to be translated in to kyu/dan ranks.

These are not the same as your ladder position – that’s determined by who you beat in ladder challenges. This is a score based on your record in all ladder games. Don’t see your name? Then come to the meetings and get in some ladder games!

Also, we’re going to be doing game reviews for the first 45 minutes or so of each meeting. These will mostly be targeted at lower rated players in the interest of helping them improve. If you have a game record you’d like reviewed bring it in and one of the stronger players will review it for the group (within time restraints – obviously if lots of people bring in games, we’ll only have so much time for review). Some club members are recording the games they play at the club (espescially serious games and ladder games); it’s definitely worth the effort. Reviewing your games is one of the best ways to get stronger, so make a habit of it.

If you have a go topic you are interested in (e.g. if you want to know more about the opening, or a particular joseki, or life and death, etc.), please go ahead and bring it up. One of the stronger players can do a mini-lecture for interested players.

There is some interest in being able to play AGA rated games at club meetings. Rated games must meet certain criteria, but we should be able to manage that at the club. If you’re interested, give us your input and we’ll see if we can come up with a scheme for doing this.

We had eight regulars show up tonight and there was some exciting ladder action. Rob and I played an interesting moyo game. I’d marked out a huge framework but Rob made a last-ditch invasion live, destroying enough of the mega-moyo to force a resignation and taking the top spot in the ladder (game record below the fold).  Meanwhile, Povilas defended his position against Grant, Chuck moved past Charles and Ryan beat Don to move up.

Josh and Jordan will be back from the US Go Congress next week. They both won in the fourth round of the US Open. You can track their progress on the AGA web site.

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The US Go Congress kicks off today. Josh and Jordan are both attending and will hopefully they’ll keep us posted with all the goings-on.

Hear that guys? Post a few comments here to keep us in the loop – game records if you can swing it.

To put a game record in your comments or a post, just paste the SGF data between a pair of

tags.

8/01/2009 update by Joshua Frye:

Well after an early morning, Jordan and I made it to the Congress! George Mason University is a pretty big campus! Immediately after we got our bags at the airport we were greeted by A guy named Trevor! Very nice guy!! After a few minutes of introduction, come to find out he is the highest rated amature thats not asian!!! By speaking with him you wouldn’t have known it!! As soon as we got to campus, we where wisked away by The AGA Youth Directore Paul B. “It was nice to put a face to a name!” We immediately enetered the Youth Room were around 40 plus players were playing pick up games and eating pizza! Jordan and myself were asked to play a quick game by to different kids. Well after putting our luggage down, we rolled up our sleeves and began our matches!. Jordan Vs a tigers mouth buddy and lost to a 1dan player. I vs a young 5 kyu player from New Jersey and won the match!! So now we are checked in and awaiting dinner!!! Can’t wait for opening cermonies!