Peter Freedman Memorial Oregon Go Championship

After two days and 5 rounds of play the 2022 Peter Freedman Memorial Oregon Go Championship came to a close.  We had 32 players, with 8 competing in the Open Division, and the rest competing in two additional divisions for cash prizes, Go gear, books and gift certificates from our tournament sponsors Baduk.clubs and SmartGo. This tournament determined the official AGA sanctioned State champion.  All matches were played with 45 min per side and 5 x 30 seconds Byo-yomi, handicap stones given based on rank difference in all divisions except the Open (where all games were played even with 7.5 komi).  All games were played and scored according to the standard AGA ruleset. Matchmaking in Division 1 and 2 prioritized minimizing handicap stones and matching players with similar win/loss records.  Open division matchmaking was based on win/loss records with no repeat pairings.   

Maxwell Chen took the title of Oregon State Go Champion by winning the Open Division with an impressive 5-0 record.  In Division 1 (2d through 5k)  Maya S took first place with a 5-0 record, and in Division 2 (8k through 19k) David Engle took first with a 5-0 record as well. Prizes were given to top 3 finishers in Open division, top 5 finishers in Division 1 (which had the most players) and top 3 finishers in Division 2.  Every player in Division 2 regardless of results walked away with a new Go book of their choosing.

Left to right: Division 1 winner Maya S, Oregon Champion and Open Division winner Maxwell Chen, Division 2 winner David Engle

Left to right: Division 1 winner Maya S, Oregon Champion and Open Division winner Maxwell Chen, Division 2 winner David Engle

The tournament took place in the Yanai Classroom at Portland’s beautiful Japanese Garden.  We happened to land at peak foliage season and players were grateful for the serene and inspiring walks through the garden between rounds of intense play. Tournament director Patrick Easley ran a tight ship, coordinating pairings, setting up clocks and troubleshooting unexpected bumps in the road. Meanwhile, from 11 am to 3 pm both days Karl Keefer and myself (Stew Towle) hosted a community outreach area in the main lobby of the Garden’s indoor space.  We taught people the basics of how to play Go, played 9x9 games, and gave presentations on Go history and famous games, such as the oldest recorded game, the infamous “Ear-Reddening Game” and Lee Sedol’s 4th game versus AlphaGo. 

Our 2022 Oregon State Champion, Maxwell Chen, said “Competition was tough, but the venue and the games were amazing.” Division 2 participant June Rana said, “I had never played in a Go Tournament before. I had also never been to the Japanese Garden. I have to say both made a great impression on me. I will certainly be attending again in the future.“ We’ve also received thank you’s from the staff of the Garden, who said visitors to the Garden enjoyed having the opportunity to watch a real-live Go Tournament and to learn about the rules and history of Go.

Left to right: Glenn Peters - 4th Div. 1, Jim Levenick - 2nd Div. 1, Robert O’Malley - 5th Div. 1, Maya S - 1st Div. 1, Maxwell Chen - Oregon Champion and 1st Open, David Engle - 1st Div. 2, Catrina Smith - 2nd Div. 2, Steve Stringfellow - 2nd Open, Jason Wang - 3rd Open, Gordon Marsh - 3rd Div. 1

Portland Go Club was honored to host the state championship this year. We dedicated the tournament to Peter Freedman, one of the founders of the Portland Go Club and legendary spreader of the game of Go to old and young alike.  Peter passed away early this year, and touched the lives of many players.  He taught me about Go at my High School chess club nearly 20 years ago and during the Award Ceremony of our tournament we celebrated his life and contributions to the Go community with warm remembrances. We encourage readers to learn more about Peter from the AGA’s in-memorium articles.

2022 Peter Freedman Memorial

Oregon Go Championship Results 

Open Division 

  • 1st Place and Oregon Champion: Maxwell Chen 

  • 2nd Place: Steve Stringfellow 

  • 3rd Place: Jason Wang 

Division 1 

  • 1st Place: Maya S 

  • 2nd Place: Jim Levenick 

  • 3rd Place: Gordon Marsh 

  • 4th Place: Glenn Peters

  • 5th Place: Robert O’Malley

Division 2 

  • 1st Place: David Engle 

  • 2nd Place: Catrina Smith 

  • 3rd Place: Aaron Sabolch