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Everyone's A Winner at NAMT Board Auction

The Hu family won twice on the night of the North American Masters Tournament final when Alex Hu, father of 2013 NAMT winner Zi Yang (Matthew) Hu was the winning bidder at the NAMT board auction at the U.S. Go Congress awards banquet. The senior Hu had narrowly lost out last two years ago when  Rachel Small and Eileen Hlavka outbid him for the board on which Matthew Hu defeated Curtis Tang, and clearly came prepared this year, outlasting a hot bidding war for the 2-inch kaya board (confirmed by 2013 Lasker winner Richard Dolen’s nose) donated by Katherine and Sidney Yuan of Yutopian, with the proceeds going to the American Go Foundation. With American Go E-Journal Managing Editor Chris Garlock serving as fast-talking auctioneer -- ably assisted by AGF President Terry Benson and AGA President Andy Okun -- more than half a dozen bidders vied for the board, which had been signed by both players – Matthew Hu and Mingming (Stephanie) Yin – as well as by professionals Takemiya Masaki 9P and Myung-wan Kim 9P, who had provided live commentary on the game for hundreds of U.S. Go Congress attendees, as well as hundreds more watching on KGS. A last-minute surge pushed the bidding over  $1,000 but in the end Alex Hu’s all-time record $1,300 winning bid guaranteed that he and his son would be taking the historic board home while supporting the American Go Foundation's many projects to help youth go."The AGF and the AGA have been very good for my son and I want to give something back," said an elated Hu. 
- photo (l-r): Garlock, Kim, Takemiya, Alex Hu, Okun, Yin, Benson and Zi Yang Hu; photo by Phil Straus