Steve Zhang is the new Oregon State Champion as the highest-placing Oregonian at last weekend’s Oregon State Go Tournament.
Zhang took third place in the tournament’s Open section, which Christophe Humbert from California swept. The event drew 40 players over the weekend, who gathered at Portland State University. Players ranging in rank from 2 dan to 18 kyu competed in three additional divisions with the top three finishers in each division -- including the Open -- taking home cash prizes and donated prizes from sponsors Shoguns Gallery, AI-Sensei and SmartGo. All attendants got to take home a Go Book from PGC's collection.
Oregon State Go Tournament participants “were excited to be playing in the recently-confirmed venue for the 2024 American Go Congress, and footage from the tournament will be featured in a video promoting the 40th U.S. Go Congress,” says TD Stew Towle. “Players came from all over Oregon, our neighboring states and even one from D.C.” Four different Oregon clubs had members place in at least one of the four divisions.
Between rounds attendees wandered through the Portland Farmers Market, dropped in on the Portland Zine Symposium down the hall and enjoyed the foliage in nearby Park Blocks. Play consisted of three rounds Saturday and two rounds Sunday, with the Open and Division 1 games played even based on Swiss pairings and Division 2 & 3 played with rank-difference based handicap stones in a modified McMahon pairing system.
Top finishers in each division, as well as the requisites for competing in each were as follows:
Open (8 top ranked entrants): Christophe Humbert (San Diego GC, 5-0), Steve Stringfellow (Tacoma GC, 4-1), Steve Zhang (Corvallis GC, 3-2).
Division 1 (2d-2k): Mike Kurrels (4-1), Jim Levenick (4-1), Ethan Frank (4-1) (All three from the Portland GC)
Division 2 (3k-6k): Leif Wiebe (Bend GC, 5-0), Bradley Fujan (Eugene GC, 4-1), Avik Hardy (Portland GC, 3-2)
Division 3 (7k-18k): Thomas Montgomery (Eugene GC, 5-0), Kyle Flashman (Eugene GC, 3-2), Axle Feldman (Portland GC, 3-2)