Frequently Asked Questions

About the Congress

What is the US Go Congress?

Several hundred Go players from around the world come together once a year at the US Go Congress to play serious and casual games, to learn from stronger players, to teach weaker players, and to renew friendships.

Professional Go players from the US and several foreign countries give lectures, analyze games for attendees, play simultaneous games against attendees, and participate in the top tournaments. The US Open tournament is for everyone consisting of 6 rounds over 6 days on most mornings.

Where in Boston is the Go Congress being held?

The Go Congress is being held at Boston University, a private research university with an enrollment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students. The campus is located in Boston’s Fenway-Kenmore and Allston neighborhoods, just south of the Charles River.

Congress activities will take place in the George Sherman Union located at 775 Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.

How do I get to the Go Congress?

Logan International Airport (BOS) is about 15 minutes from Boston University by taxi, and about 50 minutes by subway MBTA. From Logan, you can transfer from Silver -> Red -> Green lines. The Green Line B train stops immediately in front of the GSU. Exit at the Boston University Central stop.

Where should I park my car at BU?

Here are some of your parking options:

Agganis Arena Lot/Garage - 925 Commonwealth Ave.

• Open Monday–Sunday, 7 a.m.–11 p.m, \$2 per hour; $12 max. Open to public.

Langsam Garage - 278 Babcock Street

• Open Monday–Sunday, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. \$2 per ½ hour; \$12 max; \$10 flat rate after 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday: \$10 flat rate.. Open to public.
• Langsam Garage is located under the New Balance Field, and the entrance to Langsam Garage is on Gardner Street.

If you need overnight parking, go to Langsam Garage between 7AM and 11 PM. The rate of this lot is \$24.00 per day and the parking must be purchased from the lot attendant.

After the weekend, I suggest going to BU Parking services to purchase a parking permit; this will allow you to get a better rate (and possibly parking in a better location).

Phone: 617-353-2160
Email: parking@bu.edu
Address: 1019 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215

Their office is open M-F 9-5.

What time should I arrive and leave?

Sign-in for the Congress opens at 9 AM on Saturday, July 30. Most people leave Sunday morning, August 7th, after breakfast. Check-in for on-campus housing is at 3 pm, and check-out is at 11 am.

About Registration

Do I have to be an AGA member to attend Go Congress?

Non-players (parents, guardians, spouses, or partners of Go players) do not have to be AGA members.

All players at the US Go Congress must be current members of the American Go Association, or a current member of their own national association. If you are a foreign player attending congress, you will need an AGA ID in order to have your games rated; for more information, please contact the registrar@gocongress.org.

You can check your AGA membership status here on the AGA website.

Membership is verified during registration. To avoid delays, please visit the AGA website and sign up/renew your AGA membership before coming to the Congress.

What should I put for my rank when registering?

In most cases you should put your current AGA rating. If you don’t know your AGA rating, you can search the AGA Go Database.

If you don’t have an AGA rating but do have one from a different organization, please consult Sensei’s Library for some guidance.

Do I have to attend the entire Congress? Can I attend the Go Congress for only one or two days?

You can attend the Go Congress for a few days or even just one day: when registering, select the “Single Day Pass” option and the days that you would like.

Congress events are scheduled by morning, afternoon and evening time slots; for those of you who can’t make it during the day, you can register with the Evening Pass option for admission to evening events only. Evening events run from 7 pm until midnight.

Can I arrive early or stay later than Congress dates?

Campus housing might be available before the Congress. If you are interested, please send an email to registrar@gocongress.org.

What are the meal plan options?

The meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner from dinner on Saturday, July 30th, to breakfast on Sunday, August 7th. The meal plan does not include dinner on Saturday, August 6th - the evening of the Awards Banquet.

Breakfast and dinner are served in the West Campus Dining Hall (near on-campus housing); lunch is available on the first floor of George Sherman Union.

What happens at the banquet?

The awards banquet on Saturday, August 6th, wraps up the week with a wonderful, sit-down meal, an awards ceremony, and other entertainment.

What is required for a youth age 17 or younger to attend the Congress?

Every youth age 17 or younger needs to have a designated adult on-site who is also registered attendee at the Congress and agrees to watch over the youth and be responsible for their behavior. This adult can be a parent, legal guardian, or someone assigned to be the “Attending Guardian” at the Congress.

Due to BU’s policy on youths, minors who are not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian must additionally fulfill the following conditions to stay in on-campus housing:

• the attending guardian must pass a background check,
• the parents or legal guardian must sign a waiver, and
• the attending guardian and minor will be staying in the same housing and attending Congress at the same time.

The AGA will charge a subsidized price of $25 for the background check.

If any these conditions can’t be fulfilled, other off-campus housing options are available. We’ve booked hotel rooms near campus, and can direct you to other housing options: please contact registrar@gocongress.org for more details.

I’m part of a large group planning to attend congress. Do I have to add everyone manually?

If you’re organizing a large group traveling to congress, simply get in touch with us at registrar@gocongress.org, and we’ll be able to help you with registering your group.

My credit card was rejected. What can I do?

Sometimes credit card companies will reject a payment because they think it’s unusually large and might be fraudulent. There are a few possible ways to work around this:

• Call your credit card company and pre-authorize the payment.
• Try a different credit card.
• Pay by check instead of credit card. Please contact registrar@gocongress.org if you’re interested in paying by check.

What is the refund policy?

We offer full refunds until June 30th. Please contact registrar@gocongress.org if you need to cancel your plans and request a refund.

About the venue

What are the housing options?

On-campus accommodation are a 10-15 minute walk from the playing venue. There are two styles of on-campus housing:

• Dorm style - rooms contain a bed, desk, dresser and closet for each occupant; there are two shared bathroom areas in each hall. The dorm buildings are not air-conditioned, but each dorm room has a mini-fridge.
• Suite style - each suite has two bathrooms, and up to four single occupant rooms containing a bed, desk, dresser and closet. Suites are in air-conditioned buildings. Each suite has a full sized refrigerator.

All rooms are provided with basic amenities (linens, blanket, comforter, towels, a bar of soap, and shampoo).

What internet access is available?

BU provides free unlimited internet access in both the residence halls and academic buildings (including the GSU).

What athletic facilities are available?

Attendees can purchase passes to use BU’s Fitness and Recreation Center. A day-pass is $12, and a week-pass is $35, and attendees can buy passes from the Fitness Center directly.

What is the smoking policy?

BU’s campus is not smoke-free, but the residences and buildings are. Guests who would like to smoke can do so 25 feet (7.6 meters) from any campus buildings.