In the upcoming 2023 Chicago Rapid on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, onlookers look forward to a potential match between Yifan Wu 7D and Paige Lemaster 5D. Wu and Lemaster began learning Go in 2006. Both players showed potential in the game from a young age and rapidly climbed the ranks. Branch House residents Paige Lemaster (left) and Eric Yoder (right) competes at the 2022 Lake Erie Tournament in Painesville, Ohio, her first-ever Go tournament. Photo courtesy of Paige Lemaster. Lemaster started her Go journey at age 13. After thousands of online games, she reached 6 Dan in the United States two years later. Lemaster is now a resident of the Branch House in Columbus, Ohio, a chapter of Baduk House’s live and study program. She has emerged as a formidable player in the Midwest with her signature attacking style. Read more: Reaching for the Stars: Paige Lemaster on Finding Herself Lemaster hopes to “play and defeat Yifan Wu 7-Dan” at the 2023 Chicago Rapid Championship. “I was playing him earlier this year in the Chicago Open, and I had a 15-point lead that I threw away due to bad habits,” Lemaster said. “I have improved a lot since then. I also excel in faster-paced games compared to my slower games, so I feel I may have an advantage in this tournament.” Yifan Wu had secured second in the 2023 Chicago Open Championship in May, a grueling two-day and eight rounds tournament. Read more: Eric Lui tops 109-player-field at the 2023 Chicago Open Wu started learning the game at age five in China and CWA 5-Dan in 2009. He trained to become a professional Go player before moving on from his dream at age 11. After the 2023 Chicago Open, Wu shared his future aspirations. “This is the first trophy in my life of Go. It is really beautiful, and I love it,” Wu said. “In the future, I hope to win a champion trophy.” Yifan Wu competes at the MassGo 2022 State Championship on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, his first tournament after an eighteen-month hiatus from Go, Jan. 7-8, 2023. Photo courtesy of Yifan Wu. He added that he would study fuseki with AI for the next tournament. Baduk News followed up on Wu as the 2023 Chicago Rapid Championship, set for Nov. 4, 2023, approaches. “Since the last 2023 Chicago Open, I've been keeping well and indeed, have been practicing Go with AI,” Wu said. “Now I've made enough progress to compete with professional players. I don't think I would lose to anyone below 8-Dan right now.” Baduk News asked Wu for thoughts on a potential rematch with Lemaster at the 2023 Chicago Rapid Championship. “If we were to have a rematch, I look forward to it,” Wu said. “Paige Lemaster's comment was interesting to hear. I respect her competitive spirit.” He shared his hopes for the tournament. “As for my goals for the tournament, they have always been centered around self-improvement. In the meantime, I'm aiming to win 5-0 to get the tournament championship,” Wu said. He went on to share his appreciation for the Go community. I've always been drawn to the Chicago tournaments mainly because of the people,” Wu said. “The organizers attach great importance to the tournaments, and the players are also very friendly and enthusiastic. The mutual respect and the shared love for Go make it an enriching experience.” He wishes all 2023 Chicago Rapid players the best of luck.
