Coming into this tournament, I was met with a great personal tragedy. My beloved dog Lucy had passed away in a tragic accident the previous Monday, and I was left heartbroken. I could not even sit still for five minutes without thinking about her. However, at the last minute, I decided to take the trip to Evanston after all and partake in a game that has captivated my heart for so long now. Having attended the Chicago Rapid in November, I had some expectations of how this tournament was going to be. What I didn’t expect was how strenuous the event would ultimately be. Even stretching 6 games to 3 games a day was taxing on my mind, not to mention the excitement of seeing my friends and acquaintances in the Go community all together in one place. Luckily my tips for surviving the open took care of some of my headaches – particularly the tips of staying hydrated and mental health care. Ultimately, keeping myself occupied helped me cope with my loss more during the weekend. In terms of actual games, my record was a VAST improvement over my last tournament. The first day started with a loss in my first round after a time-out. It was pretty funny because a similar thing happened in my first game in the last tournament. I didn’t time out in that game, but I ended up in a situation where I had seconds on the clock with each move. The irony alone was hilarious once I really thought about it. My second match was MUCH more intense by comparison. My opponent was younger, and the game was incredibly close and intense. Blasts from the past were evident in this game as well, as a similar game happened during round 3 of the rapid (which I ultimately lost by half a point). However, the key difference was that I won this second round of the open by a close margin. It’s games like this that truly remind me why I started playing Go all those many years ago. I kept thinking of Hikaru No Go where I would watch players give it their all and the spectators gasping at the pure skill and talent of the people in front of them. My 3rd game in the tournament also ended up in a victory, although it wasn’t as hard of a battle for me this time around. Having said that, it was nice to have a match where I didn’t have to work as hard for so as to conserve my energy for the rest of the weekend. My second day was also quite productive. I lost 2 and won 1, although one of my losses was a match decided by just a few groups of stones. I ended up losing by 30 points, but it was still one match I was ultimately proud of. The other loss was more embarrassing for me as I ended up giving my opponent the entire left half of the board. But it was still fun as I ended up with a record of 3-3 for the Open, which is much better than I expected for myself. I would have been happy just winning one match at all, given my disastrous showing in the Rapid. (a picture of the West Suburban Go Chapter) What really made the event memorable, however, was the chance to see my friends at the West Suburban Go Chapter having fun with each other. I even got to meet a new member I hadn’t seen yet, due to missing a few meetings in recent weeks, so that was exciting. We even managed to take a group picture together with many of our regular members for the first time in awhile. Our weekly Saturday meetings are something I look forward to every week, and getting to join them in an event as exciting as this was a real treat. Whenever I’m on a board with them for 2 hours, it’s the most peaceful thing for me. I always feel complete on a Go board, and given the loss I had suffered, the time I spent with them meant so much to me during those 2 days. The food given to us was amazing, though I wish there had been healthier options like fruits. It could have helped some of us push through the weekend. I managed to work some light aerobics in during the day though, which I think helped. I even danced a bit to some music when nobody was looking. (Don’t judge – you know you’ve all done that at some point yourselves). It was even a treat getting to eat in the church where the Rapid was held. I brought my own food of course, but it was nice to just unwind with other people after our games and reflect on our experiences. I didn’t attend the lectures by Kim Jiseok much, opting instead to play casual games with my friends whenever possible. Even managed to do a blitz game which I did poorly on, as exciting as it was to try out that format for once. This ultimately plays into what I thought was the highlight of the tournament; community. The Go community is one of love and respect that these players have for one another, and the Chicago Open was a good reflection of everything that makes Go so special and important to so many people. The thing that I’ve come to learn from all this? Life is like a Go board; you never know what it’s gonna look like in the end. Much like there’s infinite possibilities for what a Go board will look like when a game is finished, there’s infinite possibilities for how your life is going to end up. Much like a go game, life can get complicated, and messy. It can seem like every decision you make is the wrong one, and you might want to give up because it’s so difficult. However, it can also be beautiful and inspiring, and worth putting the effort in. There’s nothing more satisfying than playing a game that you can be proud to tell people about. Likewise, living a life you can be proud of is more important than bragging to others about your victories or accomplishments, or crying about the losses you’ve faced in your life. No matter what life throws at you, you owe it to yourself to keep playing and fighting and find some beauty out of the complications and problems it throws at you. That’s what it takes to be a Go player. That’s what it takes to be alive. At least, that’s what I learned on Memorial Day weekend in 2024 when my beloved Lucy died and I went to a Go tournament while still carrying her memories in my heart. I didn’t let my pain stop me from playing a game that has taught me what life is truly all about. I hope to see you all again in the Chicago Rapid in November.
