Fellow Go lovers -- especially those in America -- let's join together in promoting the AGA professional program. Everyone can help! When you see people on KGS asking about how people become Pros in Japan/China/Korea, let them know you can now become pro in America! Next time you go to your local club, ask people what they think about the program. Speculate who will qualify. These steps will raise awareness and excitement about the program.

After people realize there is such a thing, they'll want more information. I made a page on Senseis about it here: http://senseis.xmp.net/?AgaProfessionals Please help add more details. Who knows when the Maryland open is? In another thread here I also heard there will be some players seeded directly into the qualifier tournament at US Congress. I guess it's too early to know who they are, but does anyone know?

ETA: AGA's results page:
http://www.usgo.org/aga-professional-system

I've told my friends and family and everyone at the Go club I go to about it. I don't have any information other than what's been posted on these forums and in the e-journal.

If I hear anything new I'll try to remember to add it to the sensei's library page.

If they were an Asian person who trained in Asia I would say yes, you can become pro in America. Otherwise impossible,there are too many strong people who have gotten citizen ship in the US.

I think you will still have to train in Asia to have any chance of becoming pro in US (It is just extended system of KBA honestly)

This is a bit of a hobbyhorse of mine, but I think that's a little misleading, badukjr. Many of the best young players are American-born (though typically Asian-Americans), or have at least been here since they were kyu players, and have not spent much time in Asia. If by training in Asia, you include summer trips and the like, more players have trained in Asia, but then again, that's not quite so exclusive.

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Occupy Babel!

To echo hyperpape,

Three of the strongest candidates (I think) for this year are Feng Yun students. Are they asian? sure, non-asian families would be less likely to be aware of the existence of a go school. But they're still American-raised.

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Tactics yes, Tact no...

What about American citizens who were trained in Asian pro systems? If they qualified in an Asian country they are already pros, of course, but what about American citizens who were pro trainees in an Asian country but failed the qualification test and then emigrated to the USA? And what about similar people who are US residents with premanent resident green cards but are not citizens?

I updated the senseis page with what Xed_over wrote in the other thread about prereqs -- US or Canadian citizenship is required.



Shapenaji or anyone else care to share who is going to try for this? I suppose we will know who the contenders are once the preliminaries begin but I'm anxious.

Well, I don't know if they're actually planning on going for it, but if they are,

Andy Liu (of course), Calvin Sun, and one other person whose name I am currently blanking on...

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Tactics yes, Tact no...

Wait, does becoming a professional necessitate going to some Asian country and then training/competing full time, or can one simply sit back and retain their professional ranking?

I believe this question will significantly affect who attempts to become pro. People in college, i.e. Andy Liu, Michael Chen, etc., may not try in the case of the former - frankly, there are much more lucrative professions out there!

Younger players, such as Calvin Sun, might play, but obviously their strengths are nowhere near professional level.

It's still an undecided and interesting question.

To become pro, you have to go to Korea for at least a year.

I've been trying to figure out where I read what, but the memorandum of understanding mentions six months in Korea (http://www.usgo.org/news/wp-content/upl ... KBAmou.pdf). Has that changed?

And a year in a foreign country is not such a big deal for a college student, depending on their major, their school, their ambitions, etc. Many schools can be pretty accomodating about that type of thing.

On the other hand, check out the first question of the Andy Liu interview: http://gosensations.com/?id=2&server_id=1&new_id=1254

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Occupy Babel!

I think that if this happened it would be a bad start for the AGA pro system. I don't think there's an obligation to play in the tournaments that the player becomes eligible for but I would hope that anyone that tries to become a pro would be excited to play in them. To do otherwise would be squandering an opportunity that plenty of other players would love to have.

So I don't know if it's a possibility but even if it is, I think it's unlikely.

Only person I know for sure is going for it is Bill Lin CGA 7d.

With the qualifier a week or two away, do we finally have a list of who all the competitors are?

http://www.usgo.org/news/2012/07/7-win- ... ournament/

I don't know exactly who is competing. That just lists invitees and qualifiers. As I've said before, I hope everyone is on the same page about what is expected and what this qualifier means.

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Occupy Babel!

I wouldn't be surprised if some qualifier for pro status decides not to pursue it further. It seems to me that becoming a pro this way will entail a lot of work with little chance of making a reasonable living from go alone. Some of the strongest contestants may have good careers in progress outside of go and it would be hard to abandon such a career for the financial uncertainty of a career as a USA pro.

I understand the completely. But I think it would be unfortunate (and would raise issues about the fairness of tiebreaks) if the winning players in the qualifier have no interest.

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Occupy Babel!

I believe many of those qualifying are still students, in which case it might be only a minimal disruption to take a year abroad to play go in Korea before coming back to US/Canada to resume their studies. I guess I'd like to think that anyone who is taking the effort to go through the qualifier is at least seriously considering pursuing it further (though admittedly it might not be their primary career long term).

I am a little out of touch on all this, but I have one question.
What exactly does it mean to be AGA Professional?

Will these players be recognized as pros by the asian organizations?
Will they have access to any AGA-Pro-only tournaments with sponsors and prizes?
Will they be paid some kind of stipend by the AGA to cement their status?
Will the title be vanity-only affair?
Or what?...

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- Bantari
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WARNING: This post might contain Opinions!!

My understanding:

1 and 2) Yes, they will be eligible to compete in Asian pro-only tournaments
3) Unclear, I doubt it... But they should get their game fees from competing abroad.
4) Given that they gain eligibility through 1 and 2, I think the answer to this is "No"

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Tactics yes, Tact no...