EGF Championships and Top Events

This page contains a list of the championships and top events held in Europe, a short description of the event, the sponsor and whether the event is open for bids from EGF member countries interested in organising. EGF countries should please submit bids for future events to the EGF Secretary. For purposes of European nationality, nationals of all EGF member countries are eligible. Unless rules are otherwise specified the EGF Tournament Rules will be used.

There is also a description of the systems used in Obsolete Events.

European Go Congress

The European Go Congress (EGC) moves from country to country. Usually the location is decided two years ahead. The Congress lasts for a fortnight in July and August each year. Between 300 and 1000 people usually take part, depending on location and cost. There is currently no regular major sponsor.

The main event of the EGC is the European Championship. This is contested by 32 top European players, alongside the Open event, using the European Championship System.

There are other events, such as the Weekend Tournament, Lightning, Pair Go and Team events, held during the fortnight and also teaching by professionals and the EGF's Annual Meeting.

Guidelines for the European Go Congress

  • The Congress lasts for 15 days from a Saturday in July to a Saturday in August. The first day is mainly the registration day.
  • For all Go tournaments, by default the EGF General Tournament Rules and the EGF Tournament System Rules apply.
  • The Congress also includes the Weekend Tournament and the Pair Go Tournament, and side events such as the following tournaments: Rengo, 13x13, 9x9, Team and Lightning with 10 minutes per player. A Congress may also include a rapid with 30 minutes per player, and Computer Go.
  • In addition the EGF may request that particular events are held during the Congress, for instance the European Team Finals.
  • The Weekend Tournament may have, and possibly should have, a supergroup. Its thinking time must be enough to count towards the EGF ratings as A-class. Only players 3 dan or weaker may miss any rounds. Handicaps, if any, may only be used below 15 kyu.
  • An appeals committee is formed and is used for all Go tournaments including side tournaments.

European Grand Prix

The European Grand Prix is a series of go tournaments that takes place from 1 January until 31 December each year. Go players that participate in the Grand Prix can collect so-called “bonus points” by scoring a podium finish in any of these tournaments. At the beginning of the following year, the bonus points are counted and the Grand Prix Final is organized, for which the 16 most successful participants are invited. Any player that has won one of the Grand Prix events automatically qualifies for the Final.

Pandanet Go European Team Championship

This online league started in late 2010 and replaced the single team tournament. The three online qualifying leagues are played on Pandanet and the top four teams from A League play over-the-board finals at the European Go Congress. Full Information

European Youth Go Championships

The event is split into under-18 (U18), and under-12 (U12) age categories.

Eligibility of players

All players must be citizens of an EGF-member country. The proof (either a passport or another government-issued personal identity document clearly stating the citizenship and the date of birth) must be presented to the organizer during the final on-site registration. A player must be younger than 12 or 18 respectively on 1st January of the corresponding year.

Tournament system

Tournaments are usually run as McMahon draws with 6 rounds (two rounds per day), with a bar placed suitably to select 16 players in the Super Group if it is reasonably possible. In general, all dan players should enter the Super Group, but the Super Group cannot be larger than 24 players. The Super Group starts the tournament with McMahon Score (MMS) +2. The Top Group consists of 8 players below the Super Group. The Top Group starts the tournament with McMahon Score (MMS) +1. The players in the Super Group must play all games.

The Super Group is seeded by rating for the first two rounds with „split and fold“ way of pairings (in case of 16 players: 1-9, 10-2, 3-11 ...16-8). Players should have previously obtained a European rating to be included in the Super/Top group. The result table is sorted by McMahon score/total points, SOS, SOSOS/SODOS, mutual game.

In a rare case that the number of registered players is too small, Swiss or Round Robin system can be used.

Date of the EYGC

The EYGC is usually held in March.

Tournament rewards

The EYGC is a qualification tournament especially for invited World tournaments, according to the conditions of these tournaments. The EGF can also contribute its own prizes if it is possible and appropriate. Also, other sposnsorship of third parties is possible, based on a mutual agreement with the EGF.

Pandanet European Youth Go Team Championship

This event has evolved since 2014 and is for country national teams. Matches are played on five boards on Pandanet IGS.
More Information.

European Pair Go Championship

This event for male-female pairs is supported by Japanese Pair Go Committee and Pandanet. Players score European Pair Go Points for their country towards the International Amateur Pair Go Championships usually in November in Tokyo. The EPGC event is usually held in March or April. One official pair from each country may be given an EGF subsidy, when funds permit, but other pairs are not. There are 6 rounds, with time limits of normally 45 minutes sudden death or, as in 2004, with short byoyomi (10 seconds) or overtime. Komi is 6.5 points. Pairs must be nationals of the same European country. Normally the event is run on the McMahon system, with a supergroup of all official pairs who wish to be in it and those pairs above the bar (usually set at 5 kyu). There may be a separate open Handicap Group from which qualifying points are not scored.

Games are broadcast live on Pandanet, if at all possible.

European Women's Go Championship

An occasional event for top European women players, without a regular sponsor. The champion is normally selected if a place at a women's world event is available and may be used as the qualifier for events such as the SportAccord World Mind Games.

European Student Go Championship

This event is held in early Autumn. Only full time students at university or college, aged below 29 years of age and 16 or over (18 until 2009) on 1st August, may play. When sponsorship is available, financial support is provided to one student from each country, or to one male and one female from each country, provided they are both above a defined rating. Up to 2008, the top 2 men and 1 woman in the event qualified for the World Student Oza in Tokyo (both men could not be from same country and nobody could go to WSO twice in three years). It will continue to be the qualifier for any World Student's event, should such occur.