Bordeaux sightseeing

During the weekend we didn't have any games. In EGC 2008 we also played the weekend tournament, but it is a bit tiresome to play so many games and we wanted to rest and see some more of Bordeaux.

Girlwing and I looked at the Bordeaux city map and discussed what we should do. We decided to focus on the old parts of the town and to see a couple of churches.

First we took the tram to Place des Quinconces. It is a large open area where it used to be a defense building for the city. When it was no longer needed they tore it down and this large empty space was left.

At Place des Quinconces they also erected a huge pillar with interesting bronze statues on the sides.

This is outside Place de la Bourse where they have an interesting fountain where people play in the water. It is a lot of fun for kids and even adults.

 The theatre.

 Outside the theatre.

 A crowded shopping street.

Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux.

 Carousel

View down a street.

We went to a fancy restaurant for dinner. We drank this wine with our food. It is a wine from Saint Emilion where we went earlier in the week.

Église Notre-Dame de Bordeaux.

The fancy shopping street after closing hours.

The Bordeaux tram.

Might be a small triumphal arch.

Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux.

Église Notre-Dame de Bordeaux.

4th and 5th game

The forth game is against another French guy. This time he is supposed to be 7 kyu. The game started well and I felt good after the opening. I got a big corner while my opponent didn't get much influence in exchange. Then I started to play too fast and didn't settle my groups before I moved to the next big points on the board.

My opponent invaded my side and I played a little strange but with and OK result. I was still ahead in the game. Then I did a stupid invasion of the lover right corner. I ended in gote of course and my  opponent was able to close of the right side and now that area looked huge. So I had to invade and either try to capture some stones or live in the center.

The only problem was that I had a weak group at the bottom that got really hurt by my center invasion and I my opponent had a joyful time to attack them both. At the end I did a desperate attempt to enclose the white group at the top but I failed and my stones died. So I had to resign.

The next day I had yet another French guy to play. He was 8 kyu but by now I have realized that French ratings are not to trust at the kyu level. I was told that French players can not decide their own rank as soon as they become 12 kyu. They must prove their strength in a tournament and the competition for the ranking points are very tough. It is hard for them to get a higher ranking because all players are improving and keep losing games against each others. I hope winning against me will give them a higher rank.

My opponent of today played black and choose to play the chinese opening. I answered by a stone halfway to his side and directly he invaded my corner. I felt it was too early for an invasion and I didn't know how to answer so I defended. That was of course wrong and I should have let him take the corner. My tactic was to only give him one eye at the side so I could chase his group over the board to build strength and territory. You see his group in the upper side.

I was doing quite OK until he invaded my right side and I got two weak groups again. I had my chance to make the left one alive while still having the possibility to save the one in the middle. I should have played where the marked black stone is, but I didn't. Instead black played there and the stones god captured. Then I did some desperate attempts to capture the black cutting stones in the middle but failed and more of my stones died.  I lost again.

So now I have played five games against French players and I lost them all. When I got home and looked at the result list I saw that all of my five opponents have won all of their games. If you look at the results you can see a lot of great results for French players who are around 5 kyu. That can be of some consolation for me. Maybe I don't totally suck. Maybe my opponents are stronger than their rank say.

I put some hope in the next weeks games, but you can expect me to lose games when I play the French.

Chateaux Soutard et Saint Emilion

On wednesdays we have no games to play so instead we went with the tourist trip that the EGC organizers arranged for us. We payed €30 each and got on a bus that took us to Saint Emilion and the vineyard Chateuax Soutard. We had a guided tour and got filled with both information and wine. We looked at the plants in the fields and tasted the almost ripe grapes. They are very tasty and a little bit sour because they are not ripe yet. Then we got to see the huge barrels where the grapes get fermented and the more normal sized where the wine age and get its complex flavour. Last we got to try three different kinds of wine. The first one none seemed to like. The wine was sour and bitter and is supposed to fit well with fat food. The second wine was a bit boring but maybe mu mouth was shocked by the first wine. The last wine was quite good and also the most expensive. But you are supposed to save it for ten years before it is worth drinking so we tasted one from 2002. I think the first wine was the most interesting. The wines cost €13, €29 and €32.

After the vineyard we went to see Saint Emilion which is a very cute old town. We bought the town speciality almond macorons filled with chocolate paste. Very tasty! Even better was the canelés! But I guess you can buy those everywhere in France, and I will.

 Our guide is explaining that there are only women working on the vineyard.

 Everybody are tasting the grapes and looking at the leaves to see what kind of wine they make here.

 The huge barrels used for fermentation.

 This is how it looks like when you are sitting inside an empty barrel tinted by red grape juice.

 Here they let the wine age to taste well.

 Inside this secret chamber they keep the really old wines.

 We get told how to taste wine in a professional way.

I took some extra grapes on my way out. 

One of the many macaron factories.

 One of the many wine shops.

 The small town have many steep alleys.

 Inside one of the macaron factories.

 Another steep alley.

 Yet another steep alley. Getting boored?

 Many cute corners to find.

 People was panting hard after climbing the steep and narrow roads.

 At the top I found this baby vineyard. There are 800 in the region around the town.

 The view from the top.

 Porte de la Cadène

 I was very tempted to buy myself a merlot plant to take home. But I am not sure the Swedish customs would approve.

On the road at the top I found this little crab friend. There is no ocean in sight so I guess he escaped from a restaurant and to become someone's food. I guess he will not survive much longer poor fellow.

Third game at EGC

The day after the pair go I was tired and this time it was me who was late by fifteen minutes and my opponent was waiting for me. This game I was playing a 6kyu player that had won both his earlier games. Let's hope for better luck this time.

At the same time Girlwing was playing the talented Cristian Pop 7D. She was not hoping for much success but she would try and play her usual game and then we see how far that will take her.

My opponent started as black and played the Chinese opening. I played wrong a couple of times and my opponent soon had a territorial lead. When Girlwing later looked at my game she said that he is stronger than me and have good sense of shape. I hardly understand the concept of good shape so he punished me and played at my weak spots to take advantage of my bad shape. That is quite painful in the game of go.

(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Chinese]SZ[19]KM[7.50]TM[5400]OT[15/300 Canadian]
GN[EGC Round 3]PW[Boywing]PB[French guy]WR[4k]BR[6k]DT[2011-07-26]EV[EGC]RO[3]PC[Bordeaux, France]WT[Sweden]BT[France]RE[B+5.50]
;B[dp]
;W[pp]
;B[dc]
;W[pc]
;B[ci]
;W[jq]
;B[jd]
;W[de]
;B[fd]
;W[cc]
;B[cb]
;W[cd]
;B[bb]
;W[cg]
;B[ff]
;W[eg]
;B[ef]
;W[df]
;B[dh]
;W[dg]
;B[cm]
;W[fq]
;B[dq]
;W[qi]
;B[bh]
;W[eh]
;B[ei]
;W[fi]
;B[ej]
;W[hh]
;B[fj]
;W[gi]
;B[fo]
;W[hp]
;B[mc]
;W[pe]
;B[qn]
;W[ql]
;B[np]
;W[no]
;B[mo]
;W[oo]
;B[qq]
;W[qp]
;B[pq]
;W[pn]
;B[op]
;W[mn]
;B[rp]
;W[me]
;B[pm]
;W[ol]
;B[qm]
;W[om]
;B[pl]
;W[pk]
;B[qk]
;W[qj]
;B[rl]
;W[oj]
;B[hk]
;W[hn]
;B[gm]
;W[kc]
;B[kd]
;W[lc]
;B[ld]
;W[mb]
;B[md]
;W[jc]
;B[ic]
;W[ib]
;B[hc]
;W[hb]
;B[gc]
;W[mq]
;B[mp]
;W[nq]
;B[oq]
;W[lp]
;B[lo]
;W[mg]
;B[nb]
;W[lb]
;B[oc]
;W[pb]
;B[od]
;W[oe]
;B[gb]
;W[ja]
;B[rj]
;W[ri]
;B[si]
;W[sh]
;B[sj]
;W[rg]
;B[ii]
;W[ih]
;B[ji]
;W[jh]
;B[ki]
;W[kg]
;B[hi]
;W[ie]
;B[id]
;W[er]
;B[dr]
;W[ds]
;B[cs]
;W[es]
;B[lq]
;W[lr]
;B[kp]
;W[kr]
;B[cr]
;W[ga]
;B[fa]
;W[ha]
;B[eb]
;W[bg]
;B[bi]
;W[bc]
;B[mi]
;W[ni]
;B[or]
;W[ms]
;B[ns]
;W[mr]
;B[ln]
;W[mm]
;B[kl]
;W[gj]
;B[gk]
;W[gn]
;B[fn]
;W[hm]
;B[gl]
;W[mh]
;B[eq]
;W[gr]
;B[fp]
;W[gp]
;B[nk]
;W[ok]
;B[mj]
;W[il]
;B[qo]
;W[po]
;B[ob]
;W[pa]
;B[pd]
;W[qd]
;B[he]
;W[if])

I managed to invade the upper side and to secure some points but I was never able to catch up entirely and in the end I lost by around five points. So now I have three losses in a row and no wins. It will become very hard to reach my EGC2008 record of seven wins out of ten games, But as I wrote in an earlier post I expect to lose many games the first week and hope for more in the second week. I am very happy if I manage to get five wins totally, but we'll see about that.

After my game I went to see Girlwings game. It was very exciting but as I counted Girlwing was behind by ten points. She invaded the side and captured nine stones but at the same time giving up many stones in the center. They say she gained in that exchange. In the last moves I counted a win for Girlwing by 1.5 points, but when they counted she had lost by 0.5 points. Anyway, good game Girlwing!

Second game and pair go

The second day people seem to have fallen in to the French time schedule and a lot of people were showing up very late for their games. Both Girlwing and I had to wait for half an hour until or opponents showed up. I played another 5k and Girlwing had to play against a 4D.

My game started quite OK but soon I got too much territory in the centre and not enough solid territory on the sides. I only had one corner. So I tried to go all in and secure what I had and try to reduce for my opponent. I failed badly. I almost didn't get any territory in the middle and in the end I lost a lot of stones there, so I ended up losing the game.

Girlwing played her game very fast and was sitting and reading while I played my game. It seemed like she had an easy game today. Now when she have two wins we hope she will play someone in the top boards.

(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Chinese]SZ[19]KM[7.50]
GN[egc game 2]PW[Boywing]PB[French guy]WR[4k]BR[5k]DT[2011-07-25]EV[EGC 2011]RO[2]PC[Bordeaux, France]WT[Sweden]BT[France]RE[W+Resign]SW[19]
;B[dd]
;W[pp]
;B[pd]
;W[cp]
;B[jd]
;W[qi]
;B[nq]
;W[lp]
;B[qq]
;W[pq]
;B[qp]
;W[po]
;B[pr]
;W[or]
;B[qr]
;W[oq]
;B[qn]
;W[pn]
;B[qm]
;W[qf]
;B[qe]
;W[pf]
;B[nd]
;W[cf]
;B[ch]
;W[ef]
;B[fd]
;W[di]
;B[ci]
;W[dj]
;B[dh]
;W[eh]
;B[cj]
;W[dk]
;B[cl]
;W[ck]
;B[bk]
;W[dl]
;B[cm]
;W[dm]
;B[cn]
;W[do]
;B[hq]
;W[fq]
;B[jq]
;W[jo]
;B[lq]
;W[np]
;B[kp]
;W[lo]
;B[ko]
;W[kn]
;B[jn]
;W[io]
;B[fr]
;W[er]
;B[gr]
;W[fp]
;B[ho]
;W[hn]
;B[go]
;W[gn]
;B[cd]
;W[lc]
;B[jc]
;W[le]
;B[qc]
;W[jf]
;B[ke]
;W[kf]
;B[ld]
;W[md]
;B[kd]
;W[me]
;B[nc]
;W[he]
;B[pl]
;W[nl]
;B[ok]
;W[nk]
;B[ff]
;W[gg]
;B[fg]
;W[fh]
;B[km]
;W[ln]
;B[in]
;W[il]
;B[jm]
;W[hc]
;B[mc]
;W[fb]
;B[eg]
;W[fc]
;B[gd]
;W[hd]
;B[kk]
;W[jj]
;B[jk]
;W[ik]
;B[kj]
;W[ki]
;B[oi]
;W[qk]
;B[om]
;W[nm]
;B[pm]
;W[oj]
;B[of]
;W[oe]
;B[ne]
;W[nf]
;B[pj]
;W[nj]
;B[pk]
;W[pi]
;B[mf]
;W[ng]
;B[lf]
;W[lg]
;B[ij]
;W[ji]
;B[hm]
;W[gl])

The pair go tournament started in the afternoon at 15:30. Girlwing and I played as a pair of course. She is 5D and I am 4k and our rankings are a little bit too far from each others for us to be able to play a good game. The weaker player will usually not be able to follow up the stronger players intentions.

Our first opponents were a 3D and a 18k. They were expecting handicap and were quite disappointed when they realised they wouldn't get any. The 18k played very well and didn't do any big mistakes, only a couple of slow moves. We got a big lead in territory and there was not much they could do so they resigned.

The second round in the pair go was half an hour late and this time we met a 3D and a 2D. Just when they sat down Girlwing told me "Now we lose, they are both strong". Ahh, what the heck, it is just for fun. We played really well and was ahead in territory. After a lot of fighting we managed to cut and kill a large group and the game was over.

(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Japanese]SZ[19]KM[6.50]
PW[3D-2D]PB[Girlwing-Boywing]DT[2011-07-25]C[Pair-Go EGC 2011. Round 3 Girlwing-Boywing against a German guy 2D and his wife a korean girl 3D

Sequence:
Girlwing-Korean girl-Boywing-German guy]RE[B+Resign]
;B[pd]
;W[dp]
;B[pp]
;W[dc]
;B[de]
;W[dh]
;B[fe]
;W[fc]
;B[cc]
;W[cb]
;B[cd]
;W[eb]
;B[cj]
;W[nq]
;B[qn]
;W[ei]
;B[cn]
;W[cl]
;B[dl]
;W[dk]
;B[ck]
;W[dm]
;B[bl]
;W[el]
;B[cm]
;W[jp]
;B[fq]
;W[fp]
;B[gp]
;W[fo]
;B[dq]
;W[eq]
;B[er]
;W[ep]
;B[gr]
;W[cq]
;B[dr]
;W[hq]
;B[gq]
;W[qf]
;B[qh]
;W[qc]
;B[qd]
;W[pc]
;B[oc]
;W[rc]
;B[od]
;W[rd]
;B[kc]
;W[ge]
;B[ff]
;W[qj]
;B[ql]
;W[qq]
;B[pq]
;W[pr]
;B[or]
;W[qr]
;B[oq]
;W[ro]
;B[rn]
;W[qo]
;B[po]
;W[qp]
;B[np]
;W[ic]
;B[rf]
;W[rg]
;B[qg]
;W[re]
;B[rh]
;W[sf]
;B[pf]
;W[cf]
;B[gf]
;W[he]
;B[hf]
;W[mp]
;B[mo]
;W[lo]
;B[lp]
;W[mq]
;B[lq]
;W[mn]
;B[no]
;W[ko]
;B[go]
;W[kd]
;B[ld]
;W[ke]
;B[jc]
;W[jd]
;B[ib]
;W[hc]
;B[hi]
;W[lc]
;B[lb]
;W[mc]
;B[mb]
;W[md]
;B[le]
;W[bm]
;B[bn]
;W[me]
;B[lf]
;W[mf]
;B[lg]
;W[mg]
;B[mh]
;W[nh]
;B[lh]
;W[og]
;B[pg]
;W[nb]
;B[ob]
;W[ma]
;B[kb]
;W[nc]
;B[ja]
;W[qe]
;B[of]
;W[oi]
;B[pi]
;W[pj]
;B[oj]
;W[mi]
;B[ok]
;W[li]
;B[jh]
;W[jj]
;B[ik]
;W[ih]
;B[ii]
;W[ji]
;B[jf]
;W[hh]
;B[gh]
;W[jg]
;B[kh]
;W[ij]
;B[hj]
;W[hk]
;B[kf]
;W[gi]
;B[gj]
;W[gk]
;B[fj]
;W[fi]
;B[ig]
;W[jk]
;B[il]
;W[hm]
;B[ki]
;W[lk]
;B[kj]
;W[kk]
;B[lj]
;W[mj]
;B[mk]
;W[nk]
;B[ml]
;W[nl]
;B[nj]
;W[ni]
;B[ll]
;W[pl]
;B[ol]
;W[nm]
;B[pk]C[Black win by resign])

Again the next round was very late but finally the pairing was up and we saw we would play against a 7D and a 1D. This game was much harder and we got behind in territory. Girlwing tried some smart sequences and I managed to follow even tough I didn't really understand the game but in the end of the last sequence I played wrong and all hope was gone. After that we never found any chance to catch up so we had to resign the game.

The final round were supposed to start at 22:00 but the pairing came at 23:00. At that time people were tired and annoyed by all the waiting. I looked at the pairing and saw that we got paired with the same opponents as previous round, so we had to complain. The same happened to another couple. After some confusion and organizers running around they switched the pairing for a couple of boards. We sat down and waited for our opponent that never showed up. A lot of pairs never came to their games and I understand them. It was late. So we had to sit and wait for half an hour until our opponents time ran out so we could get our win.

The next day I saw on the results that we waited in vain. Only pairs with four wins will continue to the qualifying rounds. A disturbing thing is that a lot of pairs had four wins but only eight of them will play the qualifying rounds. It seems like they didn't use any pairing algorithm, only manual random pairing. The strongest pairs never played each others I was told. We have to look at the results later. Not that it matters for us but I would like to understand what people complain about.

First game at EGC

 Ahhh today is the first day of the main tournament games. Big expectation and anticipation for the worlds largest go event. Almost a thousand amateur go players from all around the world is gathered and a lot of go professionals as well.

The first round was supposed to start at 09:30 in the morning but of course there were delays. For some time it was a bit chaotic and one of the organizers announced that there will be no games today. We didn't take that too seriously because that is unthinkable, so we continued to wait. One hour late the pairing was up and we could find our table and our opponent.

There were a lot of small tables in each room and there was not a lot of space. The go boards hardly fit on the table but there were no real problem to play. As we say in Sweden "If there is room for our hearts, there is room for our butts".

I played against a 5k French player. It was an even battle but in the end I was ahead but short of time. My opponent then threaten to kill some stones in a complicatedly shaped group of mine. I was too stressed to be able to read it out so I took the safe way and sacrificed a stone and a couple of points. That was my last mistake that changed the outcome of the game and I lost by two points. At least Girlwing won her game against a 4D player. I hope for better luck tomorrow.

(;GM[1]FF[4]CA[UTF-8]AP[CGoban:3]ST[2]
RU[Chinese]SZ[19]KM[7.50]
GN[Round 1]PW[French guy]PB[Boywing]WR[5k]BR[4k]DT[2011-07-24]EV[EGC 2011]RO[1]PC[Bordeaux, France]WT[France]BT[Sweden]RE[W+2.50]
;B[pd]
;W[cp]
;B[pq]
;W[dd]
;B[ql]
;W[nc]
;B[pf]
;W[jd]
;B[ep]
;W[gq]
;B[fo]
;W[jq]
;B[co]
;W[er]
;B[dr]
;W[eq]
;B[dq]
;W[dp]
;B[do]
;W[cq]
;B[gp]
;W[hq]
;B[cf]
;W[en]
;B[eo]
;W[di]
;B[cc]
;W[cd]
;B[dc]
;W[ed]
;B[ec]
;W[fd]
;B[bd]
;W[be]
;B[bc]
;W[ce]
;B[ck]
;W[cj]
;B[dk]
;W[fi]
;B[lp]
;W[qh]
;B[qj]
;W[po]
;B[pp]
;W[qo]
;B[rp]
;W[qp]
;B[qq]
;W[ro]
;B[rq]
;W[no]
;B[np]
;W[ol]
;B[ok]
;W[mo]
;B[oo]
;W[on]
;B[op]
;W[kn]
;B[ko]
;W[ln]
;B[nk]
;W[nn]
;B[me]
;W[ne]
;B[nf]
;W[oe]
;B[of]
;W[qc]
;B[qd]
;W[pc]
;B[od]
;W[mc]
;B[gb]
;W[fc]
;B[fb]
;W[ib]
;B[hi]
;W[jg]
;B[ld]
;W[hh]
;B[lc]
;W[oc]
;B[lh]
;W[lg]
;B[mg]
;W[kh]
;B[lf]
;W[kg]
;B[jc]
;W[ic]
;B[je]
;W[ie]
;B[kd]
;W[id]
;B[ae]
;W[af]
;B[ad]
;W[bf]
;B[rc]
;W[rb]
;B[rd]
;W[li]
;B[sb]
;W[ra]
;B[mb]
;W[nb]
;B[lb]
;W[pa]
;B[mh]
;W[mr]
;B[mq]
;W[lr]
;B[nr]
;W[fk]
;B[ej]
;W[gi]
;B[fj]
;W[gj]
;B[gk]
;W[hk]
;B[gl]
;W[hl]
;B[gm]
;W[lk]
;B[hm]
;W[hj])

After the games we went out to find a supermarket. In Sweden I am used to that the supermarkets are open all days in the week, but not in France. Here they close at lunch time if they are open at all. So now we are running low on food, but I think we have enough for breakfast tomorrow morning. Otherwise we can buy some potato chips in the playing venue.

After the game we also went to listen to a 9p Chinese commenting the top boards games.

For dinner I ate a American French pizza. The most fat pizza I ever ate!

A church outside the pizza place.

This girl sat on the wall of an old building we passed on our way to the closed supermarket.

Trip to EGC 2011

Early in the morning the 22nd we got up and went to the airport. We are going to Bordeaux in France for the European Go Congress. First we took a plane to Paris and then another one directly to Bordeaux. Once we got there we took the bus a couple of stops and they jumped of to take a bus on another line. There we had to wait for 30 minutes for the buss to show up. If we knew that we would have taken the taxi instead. The time was 20:00 before we came to the hotel so it took us the whole day for the trip.

Our next challenge was to find somewhere to eat dinner and find a supermarket so we can buy breakfast for tomorrow morning. We picked a random direction and started walking. We saw nothing at all. Not a pub, not a restaudant or store. But then suddenly after 10-15 minutes of walking I see the so familiar sign of Mc Donalds. Yay! We will get something for dinner al least. Next to the restaurant we also see an advertisement of a supermarket so we keep on walking for a while of hopes to see the actual building where the supermarket is. We didn't find it but we found a mini supermarket that had what we needed for breakfast.

Then we directly went to Mc Donalds for a burger. Also bless the restaurant for their Wi-Fi so we could download the google maps of Bordeaux to our mobile phones. Those maps with the phone GPS is a life saver when you are lost in an old french city!

The next day we went to the playing venue for the registration. There was a long queue for payment and to get the badges. It was the paying part that made the queue so long, so because we already had payed I tried to walk up to them and showed the paper where it said that we had already payed and they took care of it directly and I got my badge and was a happy man.

By this time it was time for lunch so we took the tram to Hotel de Ville to find a restaurant. We sat down at the first place we found and I ordered a burger and a glass of their most expensive red wine. They asked me how I wanted my meat done and I said medium. Directly after he wrote that down and left I started to regret myself. I had a feeling that medium done meat in France is not the same as it is in Sweden and when I got my food I saw directly that my feeling was right. The meat was raw! They had just put it in the frying pan for a couple of seconds to get a brown surface and the rest was totally raw. I was quite ok with this but was a little bit worried about the restaurants hygiene. The burger tasted good anyway and the wine was just great!

After some sightseeing around Hotel de Ville and some more shopping in a supermarket we went back to the playing venue for the opeing ceremony. All important people and presidents of all organizations held short speeches. When it was time for the main sponsors speach they only was able to speak for a short while when the fire alarm went off. The sponsors seemed stressed while the organizers tried to cover the alarm so it shouldn't make so much sound. They shouted that there was no fire and all was ok, but not all was so sure about that. After a short while everybody was told to go out the nearest exit and out on the grass while the firemen searched the building for any fire. After around 15 minutes we were allowed to enter the building again and the sponsors were able to make their speech. This was the last speech and now it was time for a short movie that was supposed to last for one minute, but they were never able to get the movie started even tough we waited for ten minutes for it. So there were some problems but everybody seemed happy anyway. We are all having a good time!

We met some people we know and talked for a while before we went home to rest before the games start tomorrow.