Alexander Qi 3P is named the 2025 Go MVP of America by a panel of 89 participants based on the Most-Valueable-Player survey conducted by the Capital Go Chapter of the American Go Association during December 2025 to February 2026. He received 32 votes as the 1st-choice of MVP candidate, 5 votes as 2nd-choice, 1 vote as 3rd and 3 votes as 4th. Six points, four, two and one are the value of 1st-through-4th-choice votes respectively. His total points is 217, an impressive 26.5% of 818 total points voted by the panel. Qi 3P won the first-ever international Go title for America in August 2025 at the 40th World Youth Goe Championship, besting a strong field with several Asian Go professionals. He was the second-best North American player in the 2025 US Open (Masters division) with 5W-2L record. The New Jersey student also taught and served at the US Go Congress. The Capital Go Chapter asked voters to prioritize characters like Skill – Leadership – Outreach – Inspiration for the MVP consideration. We reached estimated 600 players via social media and direct emails, and around 15% of them casted their votes. While a few ballots violated the voting rules, we found 89 valid ballots. Troy Zhao 7D from Austin, TX is the independent auditor. AGA board director Michael Zhou 6D from California, received 18 votes as 1st-choice MVP candidate. His points total 116, or 14.2% of the panel total. He is a long-term organizer and TD, and teaches at the Zhou's Go School. He is an American Go Foundation "Teacher of the Year" award winner. His go strength and consistent performance at AGA rated tournaments made him on top of the roster to represent USA in a world championship in 2026. Juelz Kwan from New York comes as a close-third among MVP candidates, with 113 total points or 13.8%. He is a dedicated Go teacher at the New York Institute of Go and tournament organizer, who also founded the pinkFROG meetup group for Go. Albert Yen 8D from Chicago, IL won 3rd-place for America in the 20th Korean Prime Minister Cup (KPMC) in 2025. The medical school student energized the Chicago Go community and co-hosted several large tournaments with 100+ players. Troy Zhao 7D from Austin TX teaches at the Austin Great Wall Chinese School. The former Texas champion served as a critical organizer for the 2025 US Go Congress. Click HERE to see the details and announcement of the 2025 Go MVP of America voting. The Capital Go Chapter plans to make it an annual event to recognize the stars and leaders of our beloved Go community in America.
