Some of our players
We thought it would be good to introduce some of the denizens of the club so new people will feel slightly more at home. Click on the pictures to see the full-size versions.
If you see references to "14K" or "2D" in places this represents a player's strength. A beginner gets a "kyu" grade of about 30 kyu or "30K" and as he or she improves the number gets lower. Beyond 1K are the "dan" grades from 1 dan (1D) going up to a theoretical maximum of 9 dan.
Roy Nelson
Roy is the club president and boasts of being an n-great grandson of the famous admiral. Formerly a strong Chess player, he maintains that Go is a better game — of profound subtlety.
A retired Maths professor, he can also recall the pioneering days when computing was done properly — rather than by brute force and ignorance.
John Collins
Is webmaster - if you find anything wrong with this website blame him.
He has struggled up to about 9K since 2005 although KGS thinks he's about 7K at the time of writing.
In his copious non-spare time he fiddles with computers too like so many of us.
The online servers know him as toadwarble (for complicated reasons we won't go into here).
Alain Williams
Alain is Club Secretary and also fulfills the useful job of being someone who most other members can beat. He is a computer consultant who got into Unix years ago by going to work at John Collins' then company.
When not playing Go he is into folk dancing - which is why he enjoys the folk music jam sessions that also happen at the White Lion on a Wednesday evening.
Paul Taylor
Paul is 2D and is yet another computer buff we're afraid. Don't take playing with him too lightly or you may get into a hole like the one illustrated.
He can be found on online servers as wicket.
Mike Cockburn
Mike Cockburn is 1D.
You don't see him much as he spends most of his time globe-trotting.
Mike is nearly unique in the Go Club in that he doesn't work in the computer industry (currently).
Richard Mullens
Richard is 6K and yet another computer buff.