Kalistan

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Elliot Rosenfeld claims victory in National Open Go Tournament
Empress Competes and loses in final match by 4 points
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 5, 5702


Elliot Rosenfeld stands with Empress following National Open Go Tournament

Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto joined the Kalistan Go Asscociation's annual Go tournament this year, held in Kaliburg. Her Imperial Majesty has played go since she was a girl, and has competed as a member of the Kaliburg Go Club even after she became Empress. This was her fifth professional level Go Tournament, and it was her highest placing ever. She is ranked nationally at 4d(p) and considered one of the better Go Players nationally, but has not placed in the top 5 of any tournament until this week, when she took second place in the National Open Go Tournament, held in Kaliburg.

She competed in the final match against Elliot Rosenfeld, 5d(p) in the week long tournament. Both had completed their respective divisional ladders, defeating opponents from across the Empire. The final match was held at Kaliburg Polytechnic and was attended by more than 650 sepctators who were rivetted to the four and a half hour long championship match. Despite his higher rank, Rosenfeld was considered the underdog coming into the match.

"The Empress is considered to be a territorial specialist," said Suldanor Champion Carina Martinez, who attended the final match. "She likes to build large territories and thinks with whole board strategy, while Rosenfeld is seen as a surgical fighter with exceptional skills at counting liberties in every battle. The game is about territory though, and the Empress' moyos tend to work out to her advantage in the long run. This time, she just ran out of space."

The match opened with each player masterfully demonstrating their skills over joseki in the corners. Due to Rosenfeld's higher rank, the Empress took black, and got an early start, quickly claiming three corners, while Rosenfeld was forced into the center of the board. "The Empress' gains in the corners were more or less offset on the sides, as Rosenfeld tried to limit his early losses," said Martinez. "It was looking bleak for Rosenfeld early on, but he had a solid strategy." Everytime the Empress jumped toward the center, aiming to pincer Rosenfeld, he deftly escaped. Soon it became clear that the Empress was playing a little too conservatively against the Vrassan champion. So she decided that she had spent enough time trying to split the sides and moved to the center.

The game was evenly matched through the first hour, but then a major fight arose on the lower edge of the board as Rosenfeld tried to make a move on the lower left corner. Her Imperial Majesty successfully defended her corner, but her territory was limited in the process. The battle signaled the beginning of the midgame, and battle broke out across multiple theaters, sometimes Rosenfeld found himself defending against very strong attacks from Her Imperial Majesty, while in other areas, Rosenfeld demonstrated the weaknesses of the Empress' light style of play. The last large battles of the game were over the Empress' large structure in the center. Her Imperial Majesty once again defended, but a false eye she could not shore up because Rosenfeld took a ko while the Empress was forced to play was later thought to be the beginning of the end for the Empress.

The last nail-biter happened in Hour four of the contest, when Her Imperial Majesty sacrificed her small group in Sente on the bottom edge, so she could go after Rosenfeld's large position on the right side. Both players were counting stones to decide which sacrifices to make so they could make profit in other places on the board. The timer however, which was rapidly running out of time, was not Her Imperial Majesty's friend: Rushing forced her to make a miscalculation, which led to heavier play than she had intended, and both she and Rosenfeld finished up a number of outstanding battles in predictable fashions to close up the board. Observers quietly argued whether the Empress' territorial strategy had been enough to hold off Rosenfeld late game battling strategies. Both players however played confidently, though the outcome had been determined at this point.

Carolina played last and then drew a pass from Rosenfeld, and she also passed ending the match. Both players counted their points as the judges verified the board. "Her Imperial Majesty had indeed captured more territory and stones at the end, but both she and Rosenfeld knew at the end that komi which she had to give for taking black would put the Vrassan 4 points ahead of her. The both smiled at each other, shook hands across the board, and then Rosenfeld stood and bowed his head to his opponent, who then stood and nodded to return the salute to the tournament's victor."

Everyone observing the match applauded the contestants and celebrated the well fought match between the Empress and the Commoner. "Rosenfeld showed why he was 5d," said Martinez. "It was very impressive. His victory was decisive but gracious, and Her Imperial Majesty was very gracious in defeat. This game was a technical masterclass and was so fun to watch. The lead changed 8 times, and these two were almost evenly matched."

Rosenfeld won a certificate for his victory as well K1.3 Million Imperial Rubles, provided by the tournament's sponsors, The Republic and the Kalistani Growers' Syndicate. Her Imperial Majesty won ₭500,000 Imperials for her second place finish, which she donated to the Vrassan Housing Association in the name of Rosenfeld to help the Duchy improve its rural housing stock. The tournament's third place winner, Christine Zhang from Yoshimi won ₭200,000 Imperials. Following the tournament, Her Imperial Majesty took a picture with Rosenfeld, who displayed his victory Certificate. She also invited Rosenfeld to visit her in an informal audience at the Imperial Seat in February.

Rosenfeld is a professional go player and is the director of the Razar Go academy, where he runs the Razar Go Club and trains go players. He also is an ambassador for the Kalistani Go Association, and travels the nation to help schools set up go clubs. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, kayaking and reading and is a member of the Razar Monthly Brethrenist Meeting, though he is Valruzian Yeudi descent. He is 29 years old, supports AYIC in Vrassa, and plays drums in the Vrassan independent alt-folk band The Ridge Band.

"It was a real priviledge to play such a graceful player like Her Imperial Majesty," said Rosenfeld. "I have to admit that most of the match she had me on the defense, and that's not always where I like to be. But I think in her case, it was a nice place to be. I've never really played against her before. There was one tournament that I attended where she was also a contestant, but I was eliminated early in the tournament, and we never ended up in the same brackets. She plays in the style that is common in Ananto, which is very popular across much of Kalistan too. Playing more battle-oriented is always the style I have preferred though. Sometimes it wins, sometimes the solid Ananto style just overwhelms the battlers. But I've done alright I guess, and now I am the open champion. It was a really hard battle, and I have to really say, I now see the reason that people play territory, whereas before it was easy for me to simply stick to my normal ways." Rosenfeld said he will try to learn more about the territorial style so he can enhance his own play style and the styles he teaches his students.

Congratulations to Mr. Elliot Rosenfeld, Kalistani Open Go Champion.

@LaModa