Written by Jason Cheng and Stephanie Tan
Evanston, Illinois — May 23–24, 2026: Everyone walked into the 2026 Chicago Open with the next move in mind.
For Dohyup Kim, it was the pressure of defending last year's championship title. For Isaac Huang, it was the youthful confidence of heading into a match against Bob Pociask.
For Heqi Yin, it was the decision to return to competitive Go after many years away from the game. And for 6-year-old Michael Wang, it was the thrill of capturing his opponent's stones.
A total of 100 players gathered in Evanston over Memorial Day weekend for the 2026 Chicago Open. Some were looking for trophies. Others came searching for improvement, community, or simply a reminder of why they fell in love with the game.
After finishing undefeated at last year’s 2025 Chicago Open, Dohyup Kim returned to Evanston to defend his title. Before the event began, his goal was simple.
"He wants to win," Kim said through his translator, Moon Ki Cho.
And he did. Kim finished the weekend undefeated at 7-0, claiming the championship title for the second year in a row.
Throughout the weekend, Kim remained calm and composed. Throughout his games, he repeatedly forced his opponents into difficult decisions.
Puzhu Wang, who placed third in the Open Division, experienced this pressure firsthand in his Round 4 game against Kim.
Wang pointed to one moment in particular.
“I was already under severe time pressure, but I still believed I had a chance to fight back,” he wrote afterward.
On move 120, Wang boldly capped a large group of Kim’s stones in the center.
Puzhu Wang 5D (left) plays White against Dohyup Kim 8D in Round 4 of the 2026 Chicago Open on Board 1 on May 23, 2026. The position shown is move 120. Board 1 was livestreamed by the Official AGA YouTube Channel.
“Although the move was not favored by AI, I think it reflected my determination to keep fighting against a stronger opponent and steer the game into the most complicated variation possible,” Wang said.
Even then, Kim calmly navigated the complications. After several minutes of deep thought, he played the attachment at M14, matching the AI recommendation and ultimately finding a way to keep the group alive.
Wang attributed Kim’s success to his composure under pressure.
“I think his excellent time management was a major advantage, especially once the game became highly complicated,” he said.
Kim’s ability to remain level-headed, even when the board descended into chaos, allowed him to pull off win after win consistently.
Viewers online had a chance to follow that composure in real time, as Chris Garlock and the Official AGA YouTube Channel streamed and commentated on Board 1 of the Chicago Open throughout the long weekend. The livestream recordings can be found here: Day 1 and Day 2
As the top-level Go players took center stage, some of the tournament’s most memorable moments unfolded elsewhere in the room.
At table 43 sat Bob Pociask, the oldest player in the tournament at 79. Across from him sat 8-year-old Isaac Huang. Stone after stone, each player carefully weighed their risks and opportunities until finally, Pociask emerged the victor.
Isaac Huang 16k (right) plays against Robert Pociask 14k in Round 1 of the 2026 Chicago Go Open on May 23, 2026. Photo by Mark Rubenstein.
Isaac admitted afterward that he initially underestimated Pociask.
“I felt like I could beat him easily at first,” he said. “But I made a big mistake, and I lost.”
Yet the game quickly became about more than winning or losing.
“I think I can learn more from grandpa,” Isaac said. “He thinks for a long time in some areas and makes some good moves. I wish I could think more.”
Pociask, meanwhile, saw something hopeful in the game itself.
“Having the youth interested in Go is really a great thing,” he said. “The younger you are, the faster and better you get.”
Youth players compete in the youth tournament during the 2026 Chicago Go Open on May 23, 2026, in Evanston, Ill. Directed by Xinming "Simon" Guo. Photo by Xinming “Simon” Guo.
Only a few tables away, 6-year-old Michael Wang, awarded the “fighting spirit” honorable mention for being the youngest player at the tournament, had a much simpler summary of the weekend.
He smiled while explaining his playing style.
“Really fast… [and] defensive,” he said.
When describing his favorite moment of the tournament, he instantly answered.
“When I catch a lot of pieces,” he said.
Michael also played in the youth tournament, which integrates learning and play through a modified scoring system.
“We create a lower-pressure, higher-reward environment,” director Xinming ‘Simon” Guo said. “The kids can also have the opportunity to visit the Main Section to see what they can do in their future.”
By emphasizing improvement over competition, the youth tournament gives budding players like Michael the chance to build confidence and develop their skills before heading into the Main Section.
Bob Barber, Michael Wang, and Albert Yen (left to right) pose for the honorable mention award at the awards ceremony. Photo by Xinming “Simon” Guo.
Across the hall, the 100 players made for fierce competition.
Dino Wang 3D, a rising youth star who has attended every Evanston Go Club tournament for the past 4 years, reflected on the difference in his competition experience after crossing into the coveted Dan section.
“It feels a lot different, since everyone is just super good now,” Wang said. “I feel like there's a kind of skill inflation, and everyone’s getting better, and it’s getting way more competitive, so it’s kind of hard to keep up.”
One of Wang’s wins came against Wenxuan Zhao 5D, a returning player from the Madison Go Club. Zhao echoed a similar idea.
“I think it’s very competitive,” Zhao said. “All those players, including Dino, are just getting stronger and stronger.”
For Zhao, that challenge was part of the tournament’s draw.
“It really pushes me to do better,” he said.
Dino Wang 3D (left) plays against Jeremiah Donley 5D in Round 3 of the 2026 Chicago Go Open on May 23, 2026. Photo by Mark Rubenstein.
For Heqi Yin 5D, however, improvement was only part of her relationship with Go.
“It’s not always a joyful experience for me to play Go, because I sometimes feel like it’s a stressful game instead of enjoying it,” Yin said.
Years later, she decided to return and reconnect with the game.
“Life is so short, and I’ve learned [to play] it for a long time,” she said. “Why did I abandon it and just quit it?”
At the Chicago Open, Yin said she tried to approach the game differently.
“I am trying to enjoy the game,” she said.
As one of the strongest women players in the tournament, Yin also reflected on the gender imbalance in Go spaces.
“I remember many times I was the only girl there,” she said. “On one hand, I’m used to it. On the other hand, I really, really want to see more female players in tournaments.”
Still, she didn’t let that difference faze her.
“I think there is no gender difference when you are in front of the board,” she said.
Yin finished the weekend in fifth place in the Open Division. Paige Lemaster 5D followed in sixth, marking the first time two women placed on the Open Division podium.
Heqi Yin 5D (left) plays against Haoran Wang 7D (right) in Round 1 of the 2026 Chicago Go Open on May 23, 2026. Photo by Mark Rubenstein.
For many new faces, the Chicago Open offered both serious competition and a way into the local Go community.
Exir Kamalabadi 5K, a first-time Chicago Open participant, had competed in tournaments elsewhere before recently moving to the area.
“I’ve been to a few [tournaments] in LA and in Vermont, but I recently moved here,” he said. “This is definitely much busier and much bigger, so there’s much more of a high-energy atmosphere.”
After placing second in the 5–6K division, Kamalabadi said the highlight was still the people.
“My favorite part is just making all the new friends,” Kamalabadi said. “I’ve even met other players from my exact neighborhood, so I’m excited about that.”
For Palmer Simpson 15K, another first-time participant, that sense of community helped him connect more deeply with the game.
“The Evanston community has been super supportive,” he said. “People lend me books, offer reviews… it’s helped me get into Go in a way that I haven’t been able to for a lot of other games.”
That same atmosphere also keeps returning players coming back.
Samantha Short, who has attended almost all of the Evanston Go Club tournaments, shared what continues to draw her back.
“I honestly love being in a place where everyone’s sort of excited about the same thing,” Short said. “Coming to a tournament to play Go, especially a tournament of like 100 or 100-plus people, tends to have just a great energy to it.”
For Short, that connection has also become part of her family life.
“My son has been coming to our Go club since he was born,” she said. “Even if he doesn’t fully understand the game yet, I hope he’s developing a love of Go.”
Players talk before the 2026 Chicago Go Open on May 23, 2026. Photo by Gavin Wallace.
Across the tournament hall, for players of different ranks, generations, and walks of life, the Chicago Open became more than a weekend of rated games.
Bob Pociask reflected on the shared space as one of the game’s greatest strengths.
“One of the really good things about the tournament and Go in general is that it brings together people of all age groups and skill sets,” he said. “The mutual support really does help everyone grow.”
Participants in the youth tournament pose for a group photo during the 2026 Chicago Go Open on May 23, 2026, in Evanston, Ill. Photo by Xinming “Simon” Guo.
NextMove Foundation thanks our sponsors Downtown Evanston, Baduk Club, Go Magic, OGS, and PlayGo.gg, for their continued support in making this event possible. Online Go Server, the leading online Go server, provided all players with membership vouchers to deepen game reviews with AI analysis.
NextMove Foundation’s next tournament, the 2026 Chicago Rapid, is confirmed for Oct. 24, 2026 at the Holiday Inn Chicago North-Evanston. The event will mark the first time the Rapid is hosted at the hotel venue.
2026 Chicago Rapid infographic. Designed by Julia Zhang.
Keep an eye out for the next move! For more details, visit our website, Baduk Club page, and news page for future updates.
2026 Chicago Open Winners
Open Division
Dohyup Kim 8D
Haoran Wang 7D
Puzhu Wang 5D
Eric Yoder 6D
Heqi Yin 5D
Paige Lemaster 5D
Main Division
3-4D: Guyang Cao 3D, James Funk 4D
1-2D: Jiaqi Zhang 2D, Diego Guerrero 1D
1-2K: Zhizheng Wang 1K, Elias O’Malley 2K
3-4K: Tim Fursa 3K, Aaron Soley 4K
5-6K: Benjamin Parrott 5K, Exir Kamalabadi 5K
7-8K: Mark Norton 8K, Paul Canfield 7K
9-10K: Alicia Seifrid 10K, Ari Patin 10K
11-12K: Daniel Park 12K, Samantha Short 11K
13-16K: Rodrigo Setti 15K, Jonathan Bickel 14K
Honorable Mentions: Fighting Spirit
Bob Barber 3K
Michael Wang 16K
Youth Tournament Medalists
Gold:
Andrew Kirby, Genevieve Hale, Alec Huang, Lucas Kirby
Silver:
Phillip Zhao, Dominic Hale, Roberto Coria
Bronze:
Isaac Prime, Alexander Choi, Juliet Hale
Check out the full standings here and photo album here.
Board of Directors
Albert Yen — President
Cheuk To Tsui — Programs Chair
Jamie Tang — Vice President, Secretary
Organizing Team
Aaron Czarnecki — Chief Artist
Albert Tang — Reporter
Albert Yen — Organizing Director
Cheuk To Tsui — Tournament Support
Jason Cheng — Website Designer & Manager, Writer
Jamie Tang — Outreach Director
Mark Rubenstein — Evanston Go Club President
Stephanie Tan — Public Relations Manager
Zixuan Gao — Digital Media Manager
Volunteers
Caleb Hansen — Photographer
David Schiller — Photographer
Gavin Wallace — Photographer, Artist
Julia Zhang — Marketing
About NextMove Foundation
NextMove Foundation is a nonprofit organization organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Its mission is to promote, teach, and support the game of Go. The biannual Chicago Rapid and Chicago Open Championships have grown into one of the largest and most celebrated Go tournaments in North America, drawing players from across the country.