European Pros

# Name Country Rank GoR +/- LDP Age
1 Ilya Shikshin RU 4p 2830 0 0 68 33
2  1 Pavol Lisy SK 2p 2752 0 0 38 29
2  1 Artem Kachanovskyi UA 2p 2752 0 0 43 31
4  2 Mateusz Surma PL 3p 2749 -16 2 55 28
5 Stanisław Frejlak PL 1p 2714 0 1 1 27
6 Andrii Kravets UA 1p 2707 0 0 2 33
7 Ali Jabarin IL 2p 2695 -6 2 9 30
8 Jan Simara CZ 1p 2677 -4 2 0 38
9 Tanguy Le Calvé FR 1p 2676 0 0 7 28

= Placement Difference since 1.1.2024
GoR = EGF Go Rating, find more info here
+/- = GoR Difference since 1.1.2024
= Number of tournaments played in since 1.1.2024
LDP = Low Dan Points, more info here

The European professional system was started in 2014. Its goal is to give the strongest players a chance to compete on the same level as the Asian pro players already do for many years. It should attract more media attention and therefore also attract more sponsors.

Being a European professional brings a player some benefits.
There is a yearly European Professional Championship open only to professional players living in Europe, with high prize money.
In the European Grand Prix professional players compete alongside the strongest amateur players. European professional players are qualified automatically to the most prestigious tournament in the Grand Prix: The Grand Slam.

To become a professional player in Europe, a player has to pass the Pro Qualification.

As a preparation for becoming professional player, strong amateur players can participate in a half year CEGO Academic programme in Bejing. There is also the EGF Academy which aims to train the best young european players so that they reach a high level.

The main sponsor of the EGF pro system is CEGO which stands for Chinese European Go. CEGO comprises chinese investors who want to foster go in Europe.