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| "GOAMA", International Go Newsletter | ||
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IGN "Goama", 17th issue Dear friends!We are glad to present you the 17th issue of the “Goama” newsletter, including: 1. An interview with Chang Suyeong, 9-dan (Korea), 2004 2. Quiz. Who is on the photo? 3. The most exciting game of the week (links) ******************************************************************************** Interview with Chang Suyeong, 9-dan ( http://senseis.xmp.net/?ChangSuYeong ) after winning “Pro Senior” title in 2004. It has been 34 years since Chang received professional 1-dan. He has been a title contender nine times over the years, but was never able to reach the top. Chang is still playing in tournaments, but now we see him more often as the announcer for Baduk TV or on book covers. He is 52 years old now. How long does it take for dreams to come true. -Congratulations! I’m sure you got a lot of them already. -Yes, even complete strangers call my cell phone and congratulate on my victory. (Chang beat Kim Ilhwan by the score of 2-1 in the final match. – A Dinerchtein) -Master Chang, the history of your acquaintance with Go is not as well-known as the other professionals’. Please tell us about how you started to play Go. -My mother was a salesman in a marketplace. When I was 6 years old, I saw her colleagues playing changgi (Korean chess), and asked them to teach me. I started to beat them soon. Supposing I had a talent for intellectual games they offered my mom to take me to a Go school. -It must have been hard to learn Go then. -Yes, unlike now. My mother took me to our local Go-club director. The director, a 6-kyu player, became my first instructor and even received money from my mother for it. Then he introduced me too a 2-dan professional Lee Ilsan. I took lessons from him, and then, after moving to Seoul became insei of Korean Go Federation. -How did you become a professional? -When we say insei, we mean a person who spends all his time studying Go. But it was hard to learn then, there were no children’s schools then, teachers, nor even books. Everyone was studying as they could, according to their wishes and abilities. I almost stopped playing Go from 13 to 16 years old. I was about 3-kyu then, and I remember losing to professionals with 5-stone handicap. -Was it hard to improve? -At 16 I decided to really devote myself to studying go, and in about 2-3 years went from 3- kyu (approximately 2-dan or 3-dan in Europe – A. Dinerchtein) to 1-dan professional. Our family was in trouble financially then, and I was studying Go and at the same time made money by training Choi Kyubyeong (9-dan now) at Cho Chikun’s father’s house. (Cho Chikun’s father and Choi Kyubyeong’s father are cousins – A. Dinerchtein). -It must be painful for you to remember, but how did you end up second 9 times? -Go is a game where the best wins. I don’t regret losing, I regret the fact that I could have studied Go with more effort, but didn’t. -Still, which final match left the most painful feeling? -TongYang Security Cup in 1990. I played Yang Jaeho in the final. Compared to Cho Hunhyun or Lee Changho, he was not as much as threat. But Yang was on a rise then, he was very focused, played with complete dedication. It’s hard to remember that final match… -Which game do you remember most from the long career as a professional. -I don’t remember the year, but once in the TongYang Security Cup, I beat Takemiya Masaki. Even now I remember how good that game was. Cho Hunhyun had a bad record against Takemiya. After the game he went up to me and thanked me for taking out such a dangerous opponent. -When did you open your Go school? -In May of 2002. -And when did you start teaching kids? -I enjoed it since childhood. It was always nice to share my knowledge. At one time I was the director of Yatap Go-school. After it closed, many parents asked me to teach their kids in my own private home. -So you had personal students. -Yes. An Dalhun, 7-dan and Park Byeongkyu became professionals living and training in my home. -How many students are in your school now? -About 30 people. 7 of them are insei of Korean Baduk Association. About 10 more have a good chance to become insei. This year (2004) my student Seo Gunwoo became 1-dan. (currently 3-dan). -Now 9 people become professionals every year, (men and women together). Compared to 3 or 4 people in the past years, it is certainly a lot. But the Korean economy cannot be compared to what it has been either. -Now hundreds of children study Go with a goal of becoming professionals. But only 1 out of a 100 fulfils their dream. We know that among professionals only the strongest survive, and we must give the children a chance to test their power. All the 1-dan candidates are playing at about the same strength. In my view, we should double the number of professionals admitted. I realize it will negatively impact the income of older professionals, but we should still move in that direction. -What are your plans for the future? -I devote myself completely to teaching children, but it is still early for me to stop my competitive career. One should seriously practice Go, and the good results will soon follow. Some game records of Chang Suyeong, 9-dan: http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/collection/byplayer2.php?pid=107 ****************************************************************************** QUIZ At the attachment you can see the wedding photo of well-known professional player. What is his name? The first one, who will send the right answer to qp@omen.ru will get a 3-months Go4Go subscription. Go4Go commentary section at http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/alex/ offer about 500 professional or high-level amateur games per year, commented by Alexandre Dinerchtein. ******************************************************************************** The most exciting game of the week. 1.Chinese City League A, round 11 2006-07-27: Gu Li 9p (Black) vs. Wang Youxia 3p (White) B+R http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/collection/sgfview.php?id=12065 Powerful attack by Gu Li, 9-dan 2.Chinese Rank Promotion, round 12 2006-07-25: Peng Quan 7p (Black) vs. Wang Lei (s) 5p (White) W+R http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/collection/sgfview.php?id=12062 Unusual joseki, ko fights, invasions. Very exciting battle! 3.10th Korean Fresh Best 10, league A 2006-07-21: Kim Kiyoung 3p (Black) vs. Son Geungi 2p (White) W+7.5 http://www.go4go.net/v2/modules/collection/sgfview.php?id=12061 White sacrificed 2 big groups and won the game by lot of points! *********************************************************************** Coming soon: News and commented games from Italian EGC. ************************************************************************ Enjoy the newsletter! The IGN “Goama” editor’s team You are welcome to republish any text material from the IGN “Goama” without commercial purposes: please note the source and put the link to http://gogame.info/. To obtain republishing rights for commented game records, please contact: A.Dinerchtein, editor-in-chief, e-mail: qp@omen.ru |
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