Nearly 200 players turned out for the 2012 Cotsen Open, held April 28-29 at the Korean Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Sponsored by LA businessman and go enthusiast Eric Cotsen, this tournament is noted for its free lunches, massages, and other perks. This year 15-year old Calvin Sun won the open section with a 5-0 record, including victories over former U.S. WAGC players John Lee and Joey Hung, capped by a 4th-round win over runner-up Curtis Tang (game record http://usgo.org/tournaments/crosstab/results/792-15272-15212) and a final-round win over Dangerous Dan (Dae-Hyuk) Ko, who finished fifth. No newcomer to the Cotsen Open, Calvin first attended in 2004, at age seven, when he won the 1d section. By taking the top two places, Calvin and Curtis have qualified for the pro certification tournament to be held at the US Go Congress this summer.
The American pro certification system has come into existence through the cooperation of the Korean Baduk Association and Tygem. Once the system gets going, American pros will be competing in Korean professional tournaments. To help kick off the pro selection process, the KBA sent over its Secretary General Yang Jaeho (9p), superstars Cho Hunhyun (9p) and Yoo Changhyuk (9p), and Kim Hyojung (2p), who joined local pros Myung-wan Kim 9p, Yilun Yang 7p, and Janice Kim (3p) in giving lectures and commentaries and playing simultaneous games.
Further results and photos and an interview with Cho Hunhyun are available on the American Go Association news page.