Q: Hello Elian, congratulations on becoming the Romanian Champion for 2024! For those who may not know you (there are probably not many of them 😊), could you please introduce yourself and share a bit about your background in Go?
Hello Frantisek, it’s a pleasure to hear from you again🙂and thank you for your kind words!
I began playing Go with passion at the age of 10, initiated by Codrin Vasiloancă Smirnov 1d. He added value to the game through his gift of narrating tales of wisdom, some true and others fictitious, about this beautiful game. I grew up with Go in the most literal way, oftentimes spending more time playing Go instead of going outside to the “real” world. As I grew, I was lucky to have amazing influences such as teacher Ge Yuhong from China, together with all the professional teachers within Ge Yuhong academy. Zhao Baolong was one of the many Chinese teachers who I especially would like to mention. In Europe, I was also extremely lucky to take part in JIGS (Jena International Go School). Under the guidance of Kim Youngsam, former teacher of JIGS, I took another big step, and learned new ways. It’s beautiful how through Go, you gain access to different cultures, different perspectives and nuances of the world. I owe a lot to Manja Marz for opening new doors. Eventually, I ended up going to China, Ge Yuhong academy, through CEGO, again, and I returned this February, only to win the Romanian National Championship a couple of weeks ago.
Q: You’re currently living in Vienna and are actively involved in the Austrian Go scene. Can you tell us more about your role there and how you contribute to the Go community in Austria?
I live in Austria for 3 years now. 2 years ago, I took over the role of chairman of our local Go club “Go7”. The club has a great history, and we are privileged to have our own space thanks to our sponsor, Mr. Palmers. I can only say that we are growing constantly, organizing more and more tournaments and collecting more and more members. Not to mention that we are building a great youth base, the core of Go development. Soon we will also open a Go shop. It’s looking good 🙂. Here are some links for reference for those who are interested: www.go7.at (our Go club in Vienna), www.go-factory.eu (our Go shop)
Q: Besides your Go activities, what are you studying in Vienna, and how do you balance your studies with your Go commitments?
At the moment, I am working on 2 bachelor diplomas: Business Informatics and Philosophy. Sometimes I have enough time for the exams, sometimes not. My study programs are flexible enough to allow me to rewrite my exams later. I never considered this to be a critical aspect. I believe it to be far more important to understand what your strengths are and to try to use them to the fullest.
Q: Let’s talk about the Romanian Championship. What was the tournament system, and who were the key players you had to beat to secure the title?
The tournament was Round-Robin, so 6 top players had to play against each other in this final tournament. After 5 rounds, it can also happen that the winner is not yet decided. If for instance 2 players have the same amount of wins (if both lost only one game), then they will enter a play-off. I played such a play-off already 3 times, each time unsuccessful. The key opponents I had in recent years were Denis Dobranis 5d, a very talented young Romanian player, and Cornel Burzo 6d, an active veteran of the European Go scene, young at heart, against whom I played the deciding match this year too. The match finished by counting, a close 3.5 points combat, fought until the last dame.
Here is the game for those who would like to see it: https://online-go.com/game/65768602.
Q: Which game during the tournament was the toughest for you, and why? Do you have any interesting stories or feelings from the tournament, you would like to share?
The longest and toughest game was against Cornel, although I felt that I managed to keep the game under control. For example, in the other tough game of the tournament, against Denis Dobranis, although I had an early lead, I took a rushed decision in the middlegame and I started a ko which I couldn’t win. At that point I knew I fell behind, but I managed to turn the tables in the endgame. In general I felt good during the entire tournament, we played inside a theater near the stage, sketchy vibe.
Q: You recently spent several months studying Go full-time in China. How did that experience impact your game, and how much do you study now that you’re back in Europe?
China had a great impact on my Go. I feel much more confident during tournament games. I still need to work on time management. One of the most valuable lessons from China is learning how to study. Now, back in Europe, I study constantly. Much less, of course, but I’m going forward steadily. I’m hoping for more results in the near future to confirm my improvement, although I must admit that participating in many tournaments is not my main priority for the moment being.
Q: What are the next tournaments you are preparing for, and what are your goals or aims in these upcoming competitions?
I would like to participate in the Warsaw Open in October. I heard it’s a very big tournament with many participants. I’m looking forward to fight again there 🙂
Q: We are thrilled to have you as a teacher at the Jena International Go School (JIGS) and always look forward to your sessions. Do you have any closing words or messages for the fans? 😊
Again, thank you for your kind words 🙂 I really enjoy Go and I do it from heart. No matter what you strive to achieve, don’t forget to enjoy what you do!
Thank you for the interview, Elian!
📷: Harry van der Krogt, Federația Română de GO – FRGO