I just finished my first in-person go tournament! The 2023 Chicago Rapid Championship broke records this time for the largest tournament in the country outside of the Go Congress event, which is really cool.

If you’ve been around whenever I talk about it, you know that I really love playing go online, but I rarely get the opportunity to play in person. This was… a humbling experience, to say the least! Of the 5 rounds, I lost 3 games by the thinnest margin (literally the smallest margins you can lose by), and it was so painful. I did win one, though, and I’m really glad I did it! I learned a lot and I can’t wait to try out another tournament in the future.

Playing online and in-person is very different. There’s stress wondering what the other person is thinking, you have to watch out for your own “tells” and where you’re looking on the board, and also the scoring varies depending on the event. I definitely could tell that a couple of my movements made my opponents play a certain way, and I also took advantage of what I could, too.

It was really cool seeing people of all ages playing respectfully. Kids as young as 8 or 9 were playing, you saw groups of older adults who have been playing for decades, and tons of people in between. I appreciated how there was an etiquette about everything, and nobody seemed to be sore losers or winners.

I admit I didn’t stay for the closing ceremonies because I needed to head home, but overall it was a really well-organized event and I’m happy for all of the players who enjoyed themselves. It was a really unique experience and I hope to play like this again, someday!

Until then, if you ever want to play with me online, please add me on OGS, I’d love it!