2021 U.S. e-Go Congress

We’re organizing the beginners’ night into two tracks this year … see below to decide which track is best for you. Each track has its own Zoom. If you’re a dan-level or SDK player, and would like to help with teaching games and reviews, please contact David or Julie to coordinate. Our contact details are below.

You are welcome to join either track at any time during Beginners Night - you don’t need to arrive at the start of the event.

Beginners Track 1: If you’ve never played Go before, or if you’ve just played a few games on a small board, this is the track for you!

Track 1 will be hosted by Julie Burrall. Please join us for the AGA National Beginners’ Night on July 20, 2021. The event starts at 5 pm PDT / 8 pm EDT and runs for three hours. All beginners are welcome, and no prior experience is assumed. We’ll help you learn the rules, and play your first few games.

• If possible, watch the brief (20 minute) Introduction to Go recorded by David Kahn. It will also be shown in a Zoom breakout room during the event, if you don’t have time to watch it before you arrive.
  
• At any point before the event, please sign up for a free account on the Online Go Server (OGS). It is best if you pick a username and create a new account, and don’t log in using Facebook or Google.
  
• On July 20, join our Zoom meeting (Meeting ID: 885 3807 0514, Passcode: LearnGo). Set your Zoom meeting name to “Your name (OGS name)”. You can say (same) if your OGS name is your full name. My name will be “Julie Burrall (same)”.
  
• It will be helpful if you also have access to your Web browser while you’re on Zoom, and you’re logged in to OGS. If you are having trouble with OGS or have any questions about it we’ll be happy to help.
  

Our plan for tonight includes:

• Provide an introduction to the game of Go, its rules and basic concepts.
  
• An opportunity to play your first few games of Go with an instructor and/or each other.
  
• Assistance in using OGS, including how to play other people or bots (including beginner bots)
  
• Provide an overview of next steps if you want to continue learning Go, including books, meetups (in person and virtual), online resources.
  

Beginners Track 2: If you know the rules, and can successfully play a full size game to completion on OGS and count the score, this is the track for you. You probably have an OGS rating of 24k to 12k.

Track 2 will be hosted by David Kahn. Please join us for the AGA National Beginners’ Night on July 20, 2021. The event starts at 5 pm PDT / 8 pm EDT and runs for three hours. All beginners who don’t need the rules explained are welcome here.

• Go to the Massachusetts Go Association group on OGS on Tuesday evening, join the group if you’re not already a member, and join the Zoom via the link in the welcome text. This is the same Zoom we use for the weekly MGA meetup.
  
• Set your Zoom name to “Your name (OGS name rank)”. Example “David Kahn (dkahn 5k). This will make it easier for the host to make game pairings.
  
• When you get to the main room, let the host know what you’re looking for. They will pair you with another player or instructor if you’re looking for a game, or will let you know where game reviews are happening.
  
• For games, the host will tell you which breakout room to use - optional - if you’d like it quieter than the main room. Game reviews will always be in breakout rooms.
  

Our plan for tonight includes:

• Opportunity to play games with instructors and/or each other.
  
• Game reviews, highlighting both good judgement and missed opportunities of both players. You will be able to watch reviews of games played by others, as well as your own games.
  
• Q&A about OGS features, including how to use the AI game review.
  
• Provide an overview of next steps if you want to continue learning Go, including books, meetups (in person and virtual), online resources.
  

Experienced Players: If you are familiar with OGS and have a rating of 9k or better your participation as an instructor/coach is welcome. Julie will be hosting the meeting in Track 1, and David will be hosting Track 2. You can assist in either Track 1 or Track 2, working with a small number of beginners in a breakout room. We’d like to start with at least five instructors in each track, each in their own breakout room. It would be great if some additional instructors were available “on call” for each track - we’ll reach out to you if we get many beginners and need more help. Please write to either of us (contact details below) to let us know your interest, or join the MGA Tuesday night meetup if you’d like to discuss.

After Beginners Night: What’s the next step? Everyone is welcome to join us in the virtual Tuesday Meetups of the Massachusetts Go Association. (You don’t need to live or work in Massachusetts) There are plenty of opportunities for friendly games, instruction and teaching games for beginners, and game reviews at all levels. Just come to the MGA group on OGS on Tuesday evenings starting at 7 pm ET, join the group (free) if you’re not already a member, and join the Zoom via the link there. Our calendar of events is also listed on Meetup.

We’ll also discuss the many other opportunities for beginners, including AGA chapters, Go servers, apps, books and Web resources. Bring your questions to either track, and our volunteers will be happy to share their ideas and experience.

For more information, contact:

David Kahn, President
Massachusetts Go Association
dkahn [at] massgo [dot] org
OGS: dkahn

Julie Burrall
jsburrall [at] ucdavis [dot] edu
OGS: JulieBurrall