Yuan Zhou

Yuan Zhou Yuan Zhou (American Go Association 7 dan) was born in Tianjin, China. Tianjin is a major city in the northern part of China, near Beijing. His father taught him to play Go at the age of six, and a year later he won the Tanggu District Junior Go Championship. After this auspicious beginning, Zhou began professional Go training while he was still seven years old. He was twice invited to represent Tianjin in the All China Prodigy Cup.

In 1989 Zhou immigrated to the USA and joined the American Go Association (AGA), becoming a US citizen. Zhou was the president of the University of Maryland Go club, from which he earned a BS in Electrical Engineering, and became increasingly involved in AGA events, winning many Go tournaments.  Please see the list below for Yuan Zhou's 29 US Go titles.  Zhou was also elected to be the AGA board of directors in 2005.

Zhou is one of the top competitors on the American Go scene, winning the Eastern US Open, one of the biggest US tournaments in 1992.  He also won New Jersey Open, one of the biggest US tournaments, four times. Twice he has also won the Maryland Open, another major tournament that attracts strong players. Zhou placed in the top 10 many times in the US Open, North American Masters Cup and the North American Fujitsu Qualifying Tournament. These tournaments involve the strongest North American Go players and include pros. In Zhou's Go career, he has defeated pros many times, including four times in even tournament games: Hak Soo Kim 6p in the 1996 Fujitsu, Xuefen Lin 1p in the 2001 Eastern Oza, Huiren Yang 1p in the 2009 North American Masters and Feng Yun 9p in the 2011 SAMG World Team Go US team Qualifier.  In 2004 he won the US Ing Redmond Cup and with Kristen Burrall as partner, the US Pair Go Tournament. He and Burrall represented the US in the 15th World Pair Go Championship in Tokyo. Zhou represented the US again in the 20th World Pair Go Championship in Tokyo. Zhou won the US Pair Go tournament again in 2011. Zhou was also the US representative in the 3rd World Student Oza in Tokyo.

In 2009, Zhou represented USA in the 4th Korea Prime Minister Cup World Go championship in Jeonju, Korea and finished 5th place.

In addition to his competitive successes, Zhou has become a popular teacher and lecturer, frequently giving lectures and teaching lessons at various Go clubs in the Eastern US region. He has also published many books at Slate & Shell (www.slateandshell.com). Zhou resides in Germantown, Maryland, USA.

US Go Tournament Victories

  • US Pair Go Championship 2011
  • North American Masters Qualifier 2011
  • US Pair Go Championship 2009
  • North American Masters Qualifier 2009
  • Mid Atlantic Open 2007
  • Philadelphia Fall Open 2007
  • Virginia Open 2004
  • US Ing Redmond Cup 2004
  • US Pair Go Championship 2004
  • Virginia Open 2003
  • Maryland Open 2002
  • Pennsylvania Open 2002
  • Korean Baduk Eastern US Open 2001
  • New Jersey Open 2001
  • Pennsylvania Open 2000
  • Mid Atlantic Open 2000
  • NoVa Congress Tune Up 1999
  • Philadelphia Open 1998
  • New Jersey Open 1997
  • New Jersey Open 1996
  • New Jersey Open 1995
  • UMD Open 1995
  • Maryland Open 1994
  • UMD Open 1993
  • NoVa Pumpkin Classic 1993
  • NoVa Cherry Blossom 1993
  • Eastern US Open 1992
  • NoVa Cherry Blossom 1992
  • Mid Atlantic Open 1990