| The 25th US Go Congress in 2009 | Fairfax, Virginia | |||||||||||||||||
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The 2009 US Go Congress is the largest Go event of the year held in the United States. While the event revolves around the multi-day US Open tournament, the Congress also features dozens of smaller tournaments, as well as lectures and game analyses by professional Go players. Check out the events page for information about what goes on during the week of the Go Congress, and head over to the registration page to sign up for the Go Congress.
Regular correspondence
The mailing address for the Congress is:
2009 US Go Congress
c/o Todd Heidenreich
20114 Welbeck Terrace
Montgomery Village, MD 20886-4302
Mailing a registration check
If you are mailing a registration check, please make it out to "AGA - US GO Congress" and mail it to the following address:
2009 US Go Congress
c/o Sam Zimmerman
925 Lindsay Lane
Lancaster, PA 17601-6622
NOTE: Letters must be postmarked by the proper deadline in order to qualify for the registration discount.
Email correspondence
If you wish to contact us via email, our addresses are:
Todd Heidenreich, Director: director@gocongress.org
Garrett Smith, Deputy-Director: dpty-director@gocongress.org
Sam Zimmerman, Registrar: registrar@gocongress.org
Lisa Scott, Deputy-Registrar: dpty-registrar@gocongress.org
Ben Bernstein, Treasurer: treasurer@gocongress.org
Seth Bradley, Deputy-Treasurer: dpty-treasurer@gocongress.org
Jon Hilt, Webmaster: jon@ctipc.com
The Go Congress will be held at George Mason University Fairfax Campus, in Fairfax, VA, from Saturday, August 1st through Saturday, August 9th, 2009. George Mason University, named for one of our Founding Fathers, is located on 677 beautiful acres in Fairfax, VA, roughly 15 miles from the White House. GMU, recently named the top up-and-coming university in America, will provide a wonderful setting for our Silver Anniversary congress.
- How much does it cost?
Registration FeeAdditional Options
For adults over 22 the registration fee is $260
For youths 22 and under the fee is $130
Adult non-players are $50 and youth non-players are $50.
Prices raise $50 after June 1st and $100 after July 1st
Meal Plans
The adult base meal plan is $225 and includes Saturday 8/1 dinner through Sunday 8/9 breakfast, not including the Saturday 8/8 dinner. The Closing Ceremonies Banquet (Saturday 8/8 Dinner) is separate from the meal plan and will cost $30.
Lodging
Traditional Dorm rooms hold one or two people and run $216 - $432. Double-suite rooms also hold one or two people and run $240 to $480. Extra nights can be had on 7/30 and 7/31 for $45 per room per night.
Internet access is available in both the dorm buildings and the main playing spaces. However, each user will be required to have a Mason Account to gain access and that will cost $25 for the week. Parking passes will be available for on-campus parking for the week for a fee of $18.
Location of George Mason University Fairfax Campus
The location of George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, can be seen in the following map:
View Larger Map.
Driving Directions to George Mason University
Directions to George Mason University by car.
Airlines
Washington Dulles International Airport (Airport Code: IAD), 15 driving miles northwest of Fairfax, VA.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (Airport Code: DCA), 20 driving miles northeast of Fairfax, VA.
Baltimore Washington International Airport (Airport Code: BWI), 55 driving miles northeast of Fairfax, VA.
Washington Dulles and Reagan National will be by far the least expensive and closest travel options.
Shuttle buses will be available from all three airports to take you to and from the Congress site. Shuttle buses will run all day on Saturday, August 1st and on Sunday, August 9th. Shuttle buses to and from Washington Dulles and Reagan National will operate much more frequently than the shuttle to Baltimore Washington.
The cost for taking the shuttle buses has not been determined yet. Please stop back often as we will be updating the information on this website as it becomes available.
So that we may plan for your shuttle bus trip accordingly, we have set up a page on the Congress registration website where you will be asked to enter the following information:
1. The name of the airport from which will you be arriving and departing.
2. The date, time, airline name, and flight number of your arrival.
3. The date, time, airline name, and flight number of your departure.
For those who need special travel arrangements at other times, please contact the Congress registrar, Sam Zimmerman.
Amtrak Train Service
Amtrak has service to the Congress site through Union Station in Washington, DC.
If heading to the Congress via Amtrak, you will want to disembark at Washington - Union Station (station code: WAS), DC. From the station, one should take the Metro to the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU stop on the Orange Line which is 5 driving miles from George Mason University.
The Amtrak website can be found here.
Detailed information on the schedule and pickup location for the shuttle buses has not been determined at this time. Please check back often as information will be added to this FAQ as it becomes available. The shuttle bus will likely make a round trip every 90-120 minutes.
Detailed information on the schedule and pickup location for the shuttle buses has not been determined at this time. Please check back often as information will be added to this FAQ as it becomes available. The shuttle bus will likely make a round trip every 90-120 minutes.
Detailed information on the schedule and pickup location for the shuttle buses has not been determined at this time. Please check back often as information will be added to this FAQ as it becomes available. The shuttle bus will likely make a round trip every 3 hours.
- What are the facilities like?
A campus map of George Mason University can be found here
The main playing space, strong players room, vendors room, congress office, E-Journal office, and meeting spaces will be in the Johnson Center. Additional spaces for lectures, meetings, and simuls will be in the Student Union II. The Opening Ceremonies will take place in the Concert Hall in the Center for the Arts. Meals will be served in the Southside dining facility.
Housing is a short walk from the playing sites, and the topography is relatively flat. Additional information on the use of campus facilities for recreation and fitness will be forthcoming.
- What is the weather like in early August?
Normal highs for early August are 86° F (30° C) and lows are 67° F (19° C). Typically, the weather in the Washington DC area in August is warm and sunny. It can be quite humid at times and there are occasional thunderstorms in the late afternoon and evening.
All the playing facilities and housing rooms are air-conditioned.
Full weather services for the area can be found here.
- What is the refund policy?
The 2009 Go Congress will provide full refunds minus credit card fees until July 12th, 2009. After July 12th, a $50.00 processing fee will be deducted from the refund.
- I can only stay from Tuesday to Friday. What do I have to do? Can I play in the US Open?
Yes, you can play in the US Open regardless of your length of stay at the Congress. For those who are staying for only part of the Congress, we ask that you please contact the registrar, Sam Zimmerman, and we will handle such issues on a case-by-case basis.
- Are accommodations available prior to Saturday, July 28th? What if I want to leave one day early?
Rooms will be available on Thursday, July 30th and Friday, July 31st and will be listed as additional options on the Registration webpage. There will be an additional charge for each extra day of $45.
For all other special accommodation plans, please contact the registrar as soon as possible, so that we may plan accordingly. Special accommodations may not be available prior to 30 days before the Congress.
- What are the differences between dorms, suites, and hotel style rooms?
All dormitory buildings and rooms are non-smoking and alcohol-free, and all rooms are air-conditioned. Linen service consisting of one set of sheets, pillowcases, and towels will be provided. Additional sets of linen service can be obtained during the week for an additional charge of $18. Laundry facilities will be available in each building.
Traditional Dorms
All traditional dorm rooms have two twin beds or bunk beds in the same room.
A single dorm room will have just one occupant, and a double dorm room will have two occupants. There are no TVs in the dorms. For each bed, there is a desk with a shelf, a desk chair, a dresser, and an open closet.
Each floor in the building will consist of roughly a dozen rooms and one large shared bathroom with showers.
Double-Suites
All rooms in the double suites will have two beds or bunk beds. Each pair of rooms are connected with a shared bathroom. Thus, if both rooms are doubles, at most 4 people would share the bathroom. There are no TVs in the dorms. For each bed, there is a desk with a shelf, a desk chair, a dresser, and an open closet.
- Can a beginner play in the US Open? Can pros play in the US Open? Can non-US-citizens play in the US Open?
Beginners and professionals alike may play in the US Open. You may play in the US Open regardless of your citizenship status.
- Are there vegetarian / vegan food options on the meal plan?
Both vegetarian and vegan food options will be available on the meal plan.
- Will internet access be available at the Congress?
Wireless and wired internet service will be available on campus, both in the rooms and in the playing sites. The cost for the service will be $25.00, and is payable on the registration website.
- Where can I park my car, and how much will it cost?
Parking will be available on campus with the purchase of a weekly pass at the cost of $18
- Is there a list of hotels available if I wish to stay off-site?
For those who wish to stay off-site, a listing of hotels in the area can be found here.
- Will professional players be attending the 2009 US Go Congress? Which ones?
Individual invitations have been sent out to all the professional Go players in North America asking them to attend the 2009 US Go Congress. Individual invitations have also been sent out to professional players from overseas who have been perennial favorites at previous years' Congresses.
Invitations have also been sent out to professional Go associations in Japan (both the Nihon and Kansai Ki-ins), China, Korea, and Taiwan, inviting them to send a representative to attend this year's Congress.
As soon as we receive confirmation from a particular individual, we will post this information on the "Who's Coming" portion of the website. So stay tuned and keep checking back!
- Will I be able to get my game analyzed by a professional player while at the Congress?
Yes, this is one of the many highlights of the Congress experience!
Every day, the professional players will be performing a number of free services while at the Congress, including playing simultaneous games, presenting formal lectures on Go theory, and giving analyses of actual Congress games from audience members. There will be multiple opportunities each day to have your game analyzed by a professional Go player.
- Will I be able to take private or group lessons from a professional player while at the Congress?
Yes! For the first time, the AGA will establishing a standard lesson fee for private or group professional lessons at the Congress, regardless of which professional player is giving the lesson.
There will be one fee for an individual, 90-minute private lesson, and a second fee for a group, 2-hour lesson. The lesson fees will be posted closer to the time of the Congress.
Sign-up sheets for professional lessons will be available at the Congress and lesson times will be arranged by the pro coordinator, Marilyn Campbell.
