The Eleventh North Carolina Workshop with Yuan Zhou was held March 22, 23 & 24, 2019, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
 

This part of North Carolina is often called the southern part of heaven. We're blessed with a comfortable climate, beautiful natural scenery, honest hard working natives, outstanding universities, progressive businesses, lots of wonderful immigrants, healthcare workers, scientists, writers, and a sprinkling of Go players. We're also fortunate to be within traveling range of Maryland based Yuan Zhou, one of the nation's leading Go teachers. Laoshi Zhou conducted another of his invaluable Workshops for us last weekend, and attendees were happily educated in this finest of arts.

In addition to the usual game reviews, which were very beneficial in themselves, teacher Zhou presented 2 lectures on games from the recently concluded 2019 LG Cup. Describing the young players Yang Dingxin and Shi Yue as "Dragon Hunter" and "Tank Driver" helped us understand the styles of play each player employed, and some of the deeper foundations of the game. Both games were very interesting and shifu Zhou's explanations were enlightening.

Laoshi Zhou provided much helpful advice throughout the Workshop, often presenting concepts in the guise of folk stories, making them easier to remember, such as the bear and the cornfield, and dragon lover Gong Ye.

Yuan Zhou also provided an very helpful review of the 3 3 point invasion, explaining the benefits, consequences and history of this trendy move. A prolific Go author, laoshi Zhou has written a number of books on Alpha Go, Go Seigen and the 3 3 invasion, published by Slate and Shell.

We were taught much, learned as much as we could, ate well, slept just enough and enjoyed the modern meeting facility arranged by Dale Blann, one of our club members. I can't wait until we do it again!

The workshop was sponsored by the Triangle Go Group of North Carolina.

Biography of Yuan Zhou:

Yuan Zhou (American Go Association 7 dan) was born in Tianjin, China. Tianjin is a major city in the northern part of China, near Beijing. His father taught him to play Go at the age of six, and a year later he won the Tanggu District Junior Go Championship. After this auspicious beginning, Zhou began professional Go training while he was still seven years old. He was twice invited to represent Tianjin in the All China Prodigy Cup.

In 1989 Zhou immigrated to the USA and joined the American Go Association (AGA), becoming a US citizen. Zhou earned a BS in Electrical from the University of Maryland, where he was also president of the University of Maryland Go club. Afterwards, he became increasingly involved in AGA events, winning many Go tournaments. Please see the list below for Yuan Zhou's 30 US Go titles. Zhou also served on the AGA Board of Directors in 2005-2007.

Zhou is one of the top competitors on the American Go scene, winning the Eastern US Open, one of the biggest US tournaments in 1992. He also won New Jersey Open, one of the biggest US tournaments, four times. Twice he has also won the Maryland Open, another major tournament that attracts strong players. Zhou is regularly invited to play in the North American Ing Cup, which involves the strongest US players, and the North American Fujitsu Qualifying Tournament, which also includes pros. In Zhou's Go career, he has defeated pros many times, including three times in even tournament games: Hak Soo Kim 6p in the 1996 Fujitsu, Xuefen Lin 1p in the 2001 Eastern Oza and Huiren Yang 1p in the 2009 North American Ing Masters. In 2004 he won the US Ing Redmond Cup and with Kristen Burrall as partner, the US Pair Go Tournament. He and Burrall represented the US in the 15th World Pair Go Championship in Tokyo. Zhou represented the US again in the 20th World Pair Go Championship in Tokyo. Zhou was also the US representative in the 3rd World Student Oza in Tokyo. In 2009, Zhou represented USA in the 4th Korea Prime Minister Cup World Go championship in Jeonju, Korea and finished 5th place.

In addition to his competitive successes, Zhou has become a popular teacher and lecturer, frequently giving lectures and teaching lessons at various Go clubs in the eastern US region. He has also published many books at Slate & Shell (www.slateandshell.com). Zhou resides in Germantown, Maryland.

Yuan Zhou is currently accepting new students. He offers private lessons, group lessons in person or on the internet. If you are interested in becoming Yuan Zhou's student and/or taking lessons from him and if you are a serious go player who wants to learn, improve and enjoy go, please contact him at yuan.zhou@zhouyuan.com. You can also see his website www.zhouyuan.com for more information.

US Go Tournament Victories