If you’re disappointed that this year’s US Go Congress has been canceled, mark your calendar for the 2021 e-Go Congress! Scheduled for July 17-25, the e-Go Congress will be held online and includes:
The majority of events will be held on OGS, but there will also be other tournaments on KGS and Pandanet (IGS).
This “taste of” Congress event “will hopefully give you a chance play a little go and reconnect with old friends —or make new ones—while you eagerly await the more immersive experience of the 2022 US Go Congress, which will have even more tournaments, events, lessons, and youth activities!“ says AGA Congress Director Steve Colburn. “This year adds different contests during the week and a discord server to connect with friends near and far.”
Although work continues on the 2021 e-Go Congress website, you can find updated information about the e-Go Congress schedule here
On OGS, we will be using the AGA public group as the central communications hub for OGS events during the Congress. Feel free to join the group and say hi!
If there are any policies they will be listed on the tournament page. I hope that people do not cheat in a free tournament. We will also utilize the go server’s methods if an issue arises.
You can enter one or all of the tournaments. Its up to you! Each tournament has a checkbox next to it to sign up for that tournament.
I have suggested to use the Go Rank Survey as a good way to determine the appropriate rank to enter as for non-AGA members. go-survey-results
Shouldn’t there be policies about how to handle reports of cheating? Should there be a policy against public accusations of cheating? Wasn’t there a big fiasco in a tournament last year that could have been better handled with a prepared policy?
If you suspect cheating you should inform the TD of the event. The contact information for all of the TD’s can be found on the Congress Contact page: U.S. Go Congress 2021 - Contacts
I am currently waiting for an updated set of procedures from the AGA. The Chair of the Board indicates that a procedure will be published the week before the Congress. This procedure will not require equipment for this event (given the short time before the event), although it may in future. If you are an AGA member you could always contact your regional Board member to find out more information on the upcoming policies for future online tournaments. Their email addresses can be found on the Contact the AGA page Who is the AGA? | American Go Association
From this conversation, I cannot avoid the impression that the AGA put little effort into updating their anti-cheating policies for the 2021 e-Congress. Is this impression unjustified?
New policies, designed for the entirety of the AGA need to be passed by the Board of Directors. I am unable to post draft copies of this. If you have questions they are the ones working on that with the President of the organization. There is a meeting happening before the Go Congress to approve and release these documents.
I would like this thread to be about the Go Congress and not about anti-cheating. If you have questions move it to another thread and I will let the people working on the issue know about that and what questions you may have. Hopefully they can answer your questions there.
Although I was disappointed with the AGA’s handling of the Remi Vs Tong city league case, I don’t think that means a strong anti-cheat policy is needed for this event. What’s important is clarity, consistency, and proportionality of punishment to offence (the lack of this was what shocked me most with Remi). So I think the following would be a perfectly acceptable and prudent anti-cheating policy for the main US online open event:
For this event we are not taking a strong approach to detect and prevent AI cheating. We hope that as it is a free event with no cash prizes people will not cheat, and trust them not to. We are not requiring the use of webcams as that can be a barrier to participation. The organisers are volunteers with limited time, not AI cheating detection experts so you can let us know if you think your opponent cheated but we can’t promise to do anything about it. Think carefully before accusing your opponent of cheating publicly, but doing so will not cause us to ban you and your friends from this or other events.
