The Devotion of James Sedgwick — The Computer Scientist Who Doesn’t Use a Smartphone
James Sedgwick has served as President of the Canadian Go Association since July 2014. Although he lives in Toronto and many Go players know him only from afar, even those 5,000 kilometers away can feel his dedication to the game.
A computer science graduate with a demanding career, James devotes nearly all of his spare time to Go activities. He teaches, organizes tournaments, and hosts weekly Go gatherings at his home. Each summer, without exception, he participates in at least one major Canadian Open Go Tournament, as well as Go camps in Alberta, the U.S. Go Congress, and the European Go Congress—one per year. He is also a board member of the North American Go Federation (NAGF). At the end of last summer, when asked how the European Go Congress was, he admitted: “It was great—but I still feel the pain of the games I shouldn’t have lost.”
His passion has influenced his family as well—both of his children play Go, and even his niece in Halifax has taken up the game.
Perhaps the most surprising detail about James: he does not use a smartphone. He believes he doesn’t need one, describing it as too distracting and too time-consuming. His self-discipline astonishes many. Yet despite not using a phone, he replies to Go-related emails almost instantly.
James describes his Go journey in his own words:
He began learning Go in the fall of 1992 and reached amateur 3-dan by 1995. After that, he paused for three years while pursuing a master’s degree in computer science and had little time to play. After returning to Toronto, he studied with two local Go teachers and, after several years, reached 6-dan. Around 2002, he became active in Canadian Go Association events, and twelve years later, he became President of the Association. Most of his games today are played on KGS, where his username is sedgwick.
The accompanying photos show James participating in the 2023 Canadian Open, including a picture of him wearing a Go-themed tie purchased during a tournament in Japan.
James Sedgwick’s story is not simply about rank, tournaments, or titles. It is about:
commitment without distraction
leadership without boasting
influence without pressure
and a lifelong love for Go that shapes a family, a community, and a national organization
Beyond the board, Go becomes a way of living—and James embodies it quietly, steadily, and wholeheartedly.
