en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Surrounding_Game
2 corrections found
America's first professional Go player
The tournament did not establish America’s first professional Go player overall. It produced the first U.S.-/AGA-certified pro, but Americans such as James Kerwin and Michael Redmond had already become professional players decades earlier.
Full reasoning
This wording leaves out an important qualifier. The 2012 event followed in the film created the first AGA/U.S.-certified professional, not the first American professional Go player in history.
The American Go Association’s own page says "Andy Liu was the first AGA certified professional in the 2012 AGA Professional Tournament". A separate AGA professionals page likewise says the AGA "certified its first and second Go Professionals in 2012". That shows the title at issue was about the AGA certification system, not the first American professional ever.
But Americans had already reached professional status much earlier. In the AGA book Go in America, the association says: "James Kerwin of Minnesota, having achieved professional status in Japan, returned to the US and began teaching in 1980." The same source adds: "California-born Michael Redmond entered the pro ranks in Japan shortly thereafter in 1981."
The Nihon Ki-in (Japan Go Association) biography for Michael Redmond confirms he is from California, USA and that he became a professional in 1981. So America already had professional Go players long before the tournament depicted in the film.
3 sources
- Go Professionals in the US and Canada | American Go Association
Andy Liu was the first AGA certified professional in the 2012 AGA Professional Tournament held in Black Mountain, NC.
- Go in America | American Go Association
James Kerwin of Minnesota, having achieved professional status in Japan, returned to the US and began teaching in 1980. California-born Michael Redmond entered the pro ranks in Japan shortly thereafter in 1981.
- マイケル レドモンド | 棋士 | 囲碁の日本棋院
出身地 米国・カリフォルニア州 ... 1981年入段。 (Birthplace: California, USA ... became professional in 1981.)
first American professional player
Andy Liu was not the first American professional Go player overall. He was the first AGA-certified/U.S.-certified pro; Americans had already turned professional in Japan decades earlier.
Full reasoning
This claim is incorrect as written because it omits the certification qualifier.
The American Go Association states that Andy Liu was the first AGA certified professional in the 2012 AGA Professional Tournament. The film’s own description likewise frames the story as the race to become the first U.S.-certified professional. That is narrower than being the first American professional player of any kind.
Earlier Americans were already professionals long before 2012. In the AGA history book Go in America, the association says that James Kerwin had achieved professional status in Japan and returned to the U.S. in 1980, and that California-born Michael Redmond entered the professional ranks in Japan in 1981. The Nihon Ki-in confirms Redmond’s birthplace as California, USA and records that he became a professional in 1981.
So Andy Liu was the first AGA/U.S.-certified professional, not the first American professional player overall.
4 sources
- Go Professionals in the US and Canada | American Go Association
Andy Liu was the first AGA certified professional in the 2012 AGA Professional Tournament held in Black Mountain, NC.
- The Surrounding Game | About the Film
The Surrounding Game follows the stories of several players as they vie to become the first U.S.-certified professional Go player.
- Go in America | American Go Association
James Kerwin of Minnesota, having achieved professional status in Japan, returned to the US and began teaching in 1980. California-born Michael Redmond entered the pro ranks in Japan shortly thereafter in 1981.
- マイケル レドモンド | 棋士 | 囲碁の日本棋院
出身地 米国・カリフォルニア州 ... 1981年入段。 (Birthplace: California, USA ... became professional in 1981.)