Once you’ve had one comment approved, further comments should get approved automatically. I’ll also get user registration set up at some point in the future, and will get the members area going. I’ve got lots of stuff planned, like a database search, club game archive, club ratings, correspondence games, even limited KGS integration are all possible.

I’ve also turned off the contact form because it was just sending me HUGE amounts of spam. I’ll turn it back on when I have time to set up one that does a better job blocking spammers. If you’d like to contact the club, please just leave a a comment on any post – we’ll get it. Or just show up at the club! Somebody is there every week (it will be posted here if a meeting is canceled).

We’re going to be debuting a new club ranking system for handling handicaps over the coming weeks, so be sure to show up to the meetings to establish your rank.

I’ve posted the games Rob and I played against Wayne in the extended entry.

Remember, we meet every Sunday afternoon at Books-a-Million in Fort Myers.

An eighth player showed up later in the meeting, but I haven’t caught his name, nor the outcome of the games he played against Kevin. Sorry! Let me know next week and I can record your Grand Prix points.

Remember, meetings are every Sunday at Books-a-Million in Fort Myers from 12:30 to 4:30.

Post a comment if you’re interested in a weekday Cape meeting. I want to make sure there are enough interested parties before we move forward.

Meanwhile, Rob and I engaged in a titanic slug-fest. I put together a good opening and early middle game, breaking out into a huge lead which I naturally squandered. We both ran short of time and some mistakes in the endgame let me eke out a 1.5 point win. Our latest series is tied at four games apiece. I’ve posted the game record below the fold.

Remember, we meet every Sunday from 12:30 to 4:30. We had a couple people show up four hours late today, so they didn’t get to play! Also, we’re still planning on running a tournament in February, though the location still needs to be confirmed. Check back here for updates.

Here’s the game between Rob and Nate.

Tanuki no hara tsuzumi!

A total of six players showed up for the last meeting of the year, including a couple new members. Rob and I got to play for the first time in almost a month, and I got skunked pretty badly. There will be no meeting next Sunday (the 27th), but meetings will resume the first Sunday in January (the 3rd).

We also plan on running a tournament in February, probably the second Saturday (the 13th). Check here for updates and confirmation of the date.

In the New Year we’re also going to be scrapping the club ladder, which isn’t quite workable with the range of skill levels we have on a weekly basis at the club. It will be replaced by a point system – the Fort Myers Go Club Grand Prix. You’ll get one point for every game you play at the club (up to two games per week) and any games you play at a Fort Myers Go Club tournament, plus an additional point for each game you win. So if you play two games, and win one of them, you’ll get three points for that week.

The games will be regular 19×19 games with appropriate handicaps. For beginners who aren’t ready for the 19×19 board, you can count games played on a 13×13 board. At the end of six months, there will be a prize and trophy for the top players. Even weaker players can come out on top this way if they attend regularly and show improvement.

I’ve posted the record of the game between Rob and me in the extended entry.

Pinecone Problem

With the everybody doing something for the holidays, the December meeting schedule is going to have a few holes in it. There will be no meeting this Sunday (the 13th), or the Sunday after Christmas (the 27th). There will be a meeting on the 20th if you need to get your go fix, and regular meetings will resume on January 3rd of the new year.

I’m also going to try to start posting problems (like the one on the right) on a regular basis. I’d love to hear your feedback.

If I don’t see you before then, have a nice Christmas!

"Sunday meetings are getting HUGE!"

Sunday meetings are going nuts! In addition to our usual regulars, we’re getting at least one new person almost every week. Yesterday we had three completely new people. We’ve also had a bunch of people asking about the club though the web site and passers-by inquiring about this mysterious game we’re playing. Several of the players at Rob’s chess club have also expressed curiosity about go and have started showing up.

I want to take a moment to encourage everyone to bring equipment with them to the meetings if you have it. Because we do have quite a few beginners who don’t have their own, we sometimes are at risk of running a little short. If you don’t bring a board you can’t complain if you get the crappy plastic one where the stones don’t stay put!

We took a some photos last week, I’ve posted a few below the fold.

We have been getting a few new people at the Sunday meetings, so those will continue. As a reminder, they’re at the Books-a-Million on US-41 between Boy Scout and Colonial from 12:30-4:30pm. Hopefully a weekend afternoon time is going to work out better for more people.

We had a couple exciting match-ups today, so I’ve posted a couple game records below the fold.

Rob and I have started our third 12-game series; Rob won the previous two 8-4 and 7-5. I narrowly won the first match this time around; it was a real nail-biter.This match is the first time Don and Rob have had a chance to play.

It’s just a little further North, so it shouldn’t be too much different to get to.

Be there or be square!

We’re also thinking of having club games in a tournament format so that we could get in more games against more different opponents during each meeting. We’d set up the tournaments in such a way that you could still join in if you weren’t able to arrive right at the start, or you could step out easily if you had to leave early. For each game you play you’d earn a point, and you’d earn an extra point for each game you win. There will be some sort of prize for the point leaders at the end of the year (or season or whatever).

For a location we’re considering something more centrally located. Suggestions have included the Books-a-Million or Barnes & Noble on 41, or the Books-a-Million on Colonial near I-75.

As usual, we’re looking for feedback. This is your club!

Hope to see ya there!

We’re also considering switching up locations. Everybody seems to be happy with Borders, but we’re also considering FGCU, Lakes Regional Library, Edison College or Barnes & Noble at 41 and Daniels. Let us know if you have a preference or if one location is not workable for you.

There will not be a meeting this week, but hopefully we’ll figure out the new time and location in time to have one next week.

Some changes are coming to the club! With the new school year starting, we’re moving to a different night, probably Wednesdays or Mondays. We’re looking for feedback from everyone on what night works best and what location. We could continue with Borders or do FGCU, Lakes Regional Library or perhaps somewhere else. If you have a preferred venue among those, or have another suggestion, post here to let us know. We’d like to decide this ASAP so people can get their schedules worked and and we can keep the momentum going.

I’m also working at adding some stuff to the site. As you can see, I added a members section; it’s empty right now, but I hope to add some useful stuff there including a club game archive and get everyone set up with accounts. If there’s some feature you’d like to see, speak up.

I’ll update this post with some ladder game records tomorrow.

Remember, if you have a game you want to review, bring the game record to the meeting, and we’ll go over it. Game reviews are one of the best ways to improve!

The meeting kicked off with a group review of Don and Ryan’s ladder game from last week (annotated game record below the fold). Later the discussion turned to Rob’s interest in pro games and the styles of various pros. I’ve posted a famous and bizarre game of Lee Sedol below the fold.

This game between Lee Sedol 6p (black) and Hong Jansik 4p (white) is a complete freak. Lee initiates an amazing sequence with move 67, chasing a white stone in a broken ladder. He played out the ladder for several steps before springing a trap at move 73. The sequence that follows is a forced march. Black chases the broken ladder all the way across the board just so he can play move 95 in sente, allowing him to capture the entire right-side white group.

Incredibly, he read out this whole sequence before playing E17 at move 57, initiating the sequence that created the ladder. Additional analysis of the game can be had at Sensei’s Library.If that doesn’t freak you out, listen to this interview with the man himself (and check out the rockin’ mustache).

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.

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.

Unfortunately, I forgot to charge my gameboy, so I’ve only got a partial game record for the ladder game between me and Josh.

I’ve posted the game records for a couple of the pickup games below the fold.

Unfortunately, the record of the game between David and Don was lost.

I’ve placed a couple of the game records (with variations and comments) below the fold.

EDIT: I’ve added a few variations.

In a surprise upset, Josh beat Rob for the top spot in the ladder this week (edit: partial game record below the fold). Congrats Josh!

Several regulars will be traveling over the next few weeks, but meetings and ladder games will continue.

Chi Wong Wins!

Thanks to everyone for coming to our outdoor tournament. It was a huge success with over 50 participants. Congratulations to Chi Wong for winning the advanced division, and to all the other division winners.

Check out the events page to see more pictures.