The European Students Go Championship 2024 took place on September 7-8 in Novi Sad, Serbia, together with the Novi Sad Open, in the University of Novi Sad.
Ten players from 3 countries participated in the Student championship, won by Sinan Dzhepov 5d from Bulgaria. Congratulations!

We asked Sinan about his impressions from the tournament. Sinan was not seen on the go scene for quite some time, so it was nice to see him coming back successfully!


"The tournament in Novi Sad was held in a quiet and beautiful city, which I really enjoyed. Out of all the games I played, the hardest one was against Leon Defer 3d (Czechia). It was a very tense and exciting game, with fights happening all over the board. I played quite aggressively, maybe too much, and there were moments when I thought about resigning. But after many battles, I ended up winning. It was a really tough and intense game.

Another game I remember was against Vuk Dusanic 1d (Serbia). This one was slower. My opponent played well, but he missed some key chances to attack my weak points, which gave me an early lead. In the end, all I had to do was make life at the top of the board, and the game ended with my opponent resigning.

Returning to tournaments after being away for years has been a meaningful experience for me. It’s not just about playing the games, but also reconnecting with people I haven’t seen in a long time. Seeing familiar faces, catching up with old friends, and being part of the tournament atmosphere again reminds me how much I missed it. It's been really special to be part of it all again."

Now, we shall see Sinan taking part next year in the Oza World Student Go Championship, in Japan! Good luck!
And the next European Student Go championship will happen in Luxembourg, probably in the spring 2025. Hopefully the event will be announced early and will attract more participants!

Thanks to the Serbian Go Association for the pictures and organisation.

Results: https://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/Tournament_Card.php?&key=E240907A