The groups are set for this August, when twelve players will compete for one seat among North American go professionals at the National Go Center in Washington D.C. While last year’s runner-up, Sen Zhan, will not be present, we will see returners Guanyu Song, Michael Xu, Eric Yoder, and Edward Zhang compete again this year. “We know our pros are not as strong as East Asian pros yet, but as long as we hold a qualification every year, it motivates amateur players to get stronger and continue playing the game.” For more information about the Pro Qualifiers, see the official document with details here: https://nagofed.org/docs/2025-pro-qualification-rules.pdf The 2025 Pro Qualification tournament also welcomes a return to competition from Aaron Ye, a player who dominated youth go in the United States and represented the U.S. in the World Amateur Go Championship at age 15 in 2018. “He used to be one of the strongest players in the U.S.,” said Executive Director for the North American Go Federation, Hajin Lee, about Ye’s reappearance. “I think he needed time to focus on his studies.” Three twelve-year-olds will compete to become professional go players in North America this year, and ages range all the way up to 50 years old. When asked about frontrunners, Lee seemed unsure if any prediction was easy to make. “Young players grow fast,” she said, “and there are many players I have never seen play before.” Additionally, Lee wondered how time might affect Ye’s game. Despite uncertainty over who will win the tournament, Lee said there were little to no doubts that a Pro Qualification should take place this year. Lee said that early in the year, “We talk about who may be strong players, and check players’ interests; at that point, very casually”. These conversations are not binding, but the NAGF can make loose plans based on early feedback.
