Visiting the Hanguk Kiwon

Last week we visited the Koren Go Association, the Hankuk Kiwon.

The main reason we went was that one of the students at the IBA needed to buy a go board and stones.

To be Honest, I was a little bit disappointed with what I saw. Sure there were professionals, and Yonguseng (Korean Insei) but the place seemed a little empty. I guess I was expecting a bunch fanatics studying, but I was later informed that most of the pros i was expecting to see study in small groups around the Hankuk Kiwon. I have not had a chance to visit them, I will ask my friend if she could take me along one day.


I took a few pictures, so take a look.



This is the Entrance


I am Lee ChangHo!


Yonguseng Reviewing a game


He Looks harmless, but likely he can give most of blog readers 9 stones


Papier Mache


Playing Area


Same Place Different Angle


Boris 3k Vs Marc 3d


Shop Keeper Ajuma



Also, I will be buying many books in Korea, so that we can sell them at the New York Go Center.

Expect a really good problem series, as well as Jungsuk in Our Time.

Baduk in Korea

The IBA
I have come to Korea to study baduk, I was expecting to have a large group of foreigners who want to do the same thing, while this is not what I found, I am not disappointed.

It seems that many of the students went home for the winter holidays. When I came there were only three other students. Simon, Mark, and Ms. Park. Mark has left to Germany, and will be back in March. Simon spend most of his days at a language course, so he only gets to the IBA at 4pm. Ms. Park is a nice older lady, and we play often. I can give her two stones, but hats just because she makes silly mistakes in fighting. She kind of reminds me of Mrs. Adams from the New York Go Center.

The first day I got here we went out to celebrate new years. It was a lot of fun. Simon brought a lot of his friends from his language course, and the Hungarian Professional Diana Koszegi joined us for Bulgogi (Korean bbq)Drinking and Norae Bang (karaoke)

From January Korea

Me and Mark

From January Korea

Dia and Simon

From January Korea

Happy New Years ^^^


We spent the night at somebody's apartment playing cards, and Go.

January 1st was spent at the IBA recovering and playing go.

Classes finally started the 2nd, I could not wait.
I met my teachers gradually.

First I met Professor Lee Ki Bong. He runs the IBA, and is very kind. Even though he is older than all the students, he has no problem keeping up with us. We not only see him as a teacher but as a friend. We went drinking with him a few times, and we even sang Norae Bang together. I was very happy to see this kind of relationship (older and young). We just call him "Professor"

From January Korea

Professor at Bulgogi

Second I met Jung-Hyeop. He is a bit younger than me, but an extremely strong player. He is very modest about his strength, but he likes to joke around. The other day he asked me for a game with "would you like to crush me now" I think he might have misunderstood the meaning of the phrase, as we the students often ask him to play in such a way. Anyway. I will post a game that I play with him soon.

From January Korea

I am paparazzi of Go Teachers

The third teacher I met is Hae Kwang. I do not know to much about him yet, but so far he seems very nice. When I play baduk with him, I feel like a bull being led around a coliseum by a Matador.

From January Korea

Laughing Matador
The last teacher I have met is the very lovely Hee Su. She is probably the strongest female amateur baduk player in the country. While her style seems soft, the second I make some sort of opening, I die. I have played the most games with her. Each game I think that I am about to finally win, when she cuts my head off. Out of the teachers her english is the worst, but Simon and I are teaching her, we are looking to expand our english teaching into a small school

From January Korea

(Could not get a better shot :P I will post a better picture when I could get one)
BTW you can find a game that I played with her here: Game+Review

Thats all for now, I have to figure out how to post SGF files to my blog for now I will be posting on EidoGo take care guys.

Arrival in Korea

Leaving my girlfriend and family in the airport was tough. I was kinda crying. I really hated hurting her so much.

Once I was in the airplane it was much better though. I watched Tru Blood until I got to Detriot.

In Detroit, I taught a little chinese boy how to play Baduk.

The ride to japan was really nice. I met this guy name Pete, and a nice old lady named Yuan. We talked for hours about life. She used to be a member of the communist party in china, but she moved to Canada to retire.

Pete is a chinese language student who went to travel around china for a few weeks during winter break.

Here is a picture.


On the plain ride over to Japan I found a go player on the flight so we played a game.

As soon as I figure out how I will post that game.



My girlfriends uncle picked me up from the Airport, and I collapsed as soon as I got to his house.

Him and His wife...





I will write more later...off to Baduk