I recently interviewed Gansheng Shi 1p after his success in becoming one of the first American Go Professionals. I wanted to get his outlook on the process of becoming a professional, the challenges of playing through the tournament, and what he thought about the future of American Go.
Before the U.S. Professional Go tournament was announced, did you ever think about becoming a pro in Asia?
I did not think about becoming a pro in Asia because having been in training in china before, I understand that it is a very difficult task.
Did you do anything special to prepare for the tournament?
I did play out pro games for an hour each day for a month before coming to the tournament
What game was your hardest game and why?
The hardest game was games 2 and 3 with Yang Jing because I had to overcome a 1-0 deficit. The second game I was able to come back in late game and in the third game I also played amazing endgame to win by half a point.
Were you relieved when you won?
I was very excited and relieved when I won the pro tournament because I had never thought about becoming a go pro before.
How do you think you'll fare against other professionals? Which tournaments do you plan to partake in?
I think it will be very difficult facing other Asians pros, but I do think the road to a good pro is long and I believe I will work hard to improve my go skills.
How do you plan to build your strength to compete against other professionals?
I plan on training in Korea for 6 months in an Insei school and by playing against other professionals in tournaments such as the Samsung, LG and BC card cup.
What are your thoughts about the future of Go in the U.S.?
I have faith in the American go pro system because I see great support from the American and international go community such as the KBA. I see America producing new pros in many years that will be able to compete internationally against Asian pros.
