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European Go Championship

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The European Go Championship or Congress (EGC) is the annual and main event of many organised by the European Go Federation for players of the board game Go. It consists of a 2-week open competition, one round per day, making a total of 10 rounds with a champion ultimately emerging - the player with the most (or best) wins. The congress has taken place in a different European city each year,[1] since the first contest in 1983.[2] During these two weeks, the best go players in Europe fight for the title of European Champion. Entry in recent years has been from a low of 290 to a high of 718 players.[3]

The 2011 (55th) championship take place between 23 July and 6 August in Talence, Bordeaux, France.[4]

Contestants relaxing at the 'Congress Center Villach', Austria, during the 2007 European Go Championship (EGC)

History

The first European Go Championship was held in 1938.[2] The first championship of the current annual series[clarification needed] was held in 1957, in Cuxhaven, Germany. Germany has been quite dominant at the championships.[5]

In 1961 the 5th European Go Championship was held in August in Baden, where Japanese professional players Kensaku Segoe and Utaro Hashimoto gave exhibitions.[6]

In 1976 European Go Congress was held in Cambridge with 150 European players vying for titles among five separate tournaments which varied the games played, and including a tournament at the game of 'Lightning Go,' where the game must be played far more rapidly than in a traditional match.[7] The festivities were described by United Press International, reporting on the event, as a "two week orgy of go."[7]

In 1977 the 21st championship was held in Rijswijk in the Netherlands.[8] Although not allowed to play in the competition, two Japanese professional players attended and provided instruction and engaged in simultaneous exhibitions. Seminars were given in go theory, computer go and lightning go.[8]

Two winners of the European Go Championship enjoyed previous success as juniors, in the various age groups (under-12, -16 and -18) of the European Youth Go Championship. These are Alexandr Dinerchtein and Ilya Shikshin.

Recent highlights

Czech Republic 2005

In Praha, Alexandre Dinerchtein won against Catalin Taranu in the 5th round.[9]

Italy 2006

In Frascati, Alexandre Dinerchtein lost against the 2001 Champion Andrei Kulkov in the 6th round.

Svetlana Shikshina won the title.[10]

Austria 2007

In Villach, Ilya Shikshin[11] won the title, despite losing to Alexandre Dinerchtein in the 8th round.

Sweden 2008

In Leksand, Ondrej Silt from the Czech Republic beat Catalin Taranu in Round 4. In Round 5, Alexandre Dinerchtein won against the 2006 Champion Svetlana Shikshina. Catalin Taranu beat the 2007 Champion Ilya Shikshin in Round 8. The 5-dan Go professional Catalin Taranu became the second Romanian player to become European Go Champion.[12]

Netherlands 2009

In Groningen, the young 5-dan Thomas Debarre from France defeated Catalin Taranu in Round 4. In round 5, the 3-times European Champion from the Netherlands, Rob van Zeijst, lost against Alexandre Dinerchtein. Round 9 saw victory by the 2008 Champion Catalin Taranu against Alexandre Dinerchtein. Alexandre Dinerchtein remained ahead on tiebreak to win the title,[13] his seventh time as European go Champion.

Finland 2010

In Tampere, as a first act of the championship, Cornel Burzo from Romania beat the reigning champion, the Russian professional Alexandre Dinerchtein.[14] Catalin Taranu won against Rob Van Zeijst in the 3rd round. The fourth round featured a very long game between Taranu and Ilya Shikshin. These two players were undefeated since the beginning of this year's competition. Shikshin finally won the game, to continue his consecutive victories (6 winning rounds).

The young Artem Kachanovskyy from Ukraine stopped the winning ascension of Shikshin at the seventh round. The next rounds were a fight for the title for these two players. Kachanovskyy led first by beating Csaba Mero at the 8th round, and the 2009 European Youth Champion, Ali Jabarin, in the 9th round, but he lost his final game against Kim JungHyeop, a Korean player. Shikshin won the title by beating Cristian Pop in the 8th round and Dinerchtein in the final round. During this tournament, the two leaders won games against Korean players. This is the second European title for Ilya Shikshin.

France 2011

The Championship will be held at the "University of Bordeaux I" campus in Talence, from July 23 to August 6. The number of registered players is more then the 800 expected players, meaning already that European Go is healthy. These amateur players are from all European countries, ranked from 30 kyu to 7 dan, professional players from Asia will also participate (e.g. Japan, China and South Korea).[15] The French hosting organisation is the Fédération française de go (FFG).[16]. The pre-registration board shows the participation of previous champions and possible future title owner like - Catalin Taranu - Ilya Shikshin - Svetlana Shikshina - Alexandre Dinerchtein - Artem Kachanovskyy - Cristian Pop

This edition accomodate also the first Pandanet Go European Team Championship, a new competition where Romania, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine will try to obtain the first title.

As a side event, a professionnal competition will be held : some games of the China Weiqi League will be played.

Yumi Hotta, Hikaru no Go writer, will come for a conference during the event.


Planned championships

European Go Congresses, at which the European Go Champion is always decided, are planned some 3 years in advance, to cater for up to 800 players. Each year, the hosting country's Go association plays a large part in the planning and organisation. Below are the confirmed locations.

The EGC is reliant on generous international sponsorship. For the third consecutive year, Zhuyeqing Tea - the official sponsor of the Chinese national Go team - are the main sponsor of the Congress.[17]

Germany 2012

The 2012 EGC will be held by the river Rhine, in the municipal hall of Bonn-Bad Godesberg, from 21 July to 4 August 2012.[18]

Poland 2013

Gdynia in Poland, on the south coast of the Baltic Sea, is the host for the 2013 Congress.[19]

Romania 2014

The 2014 EGC is to be held in Romania in Sibiu, a former European Capital of Culture.[19]

European Champions by year

As recorded in the European Go Federation web-site:[20]

Year Winner Second Third Venue
1957 Germany Fritz Dueball Germany Cuxhaven
1958 Germany Fritz Dueball Lenz John Austria Altenmarkt
1959 Germany Fritz Dueball Paech Kramer Germany Bayreuth
1960 Germany Günter Ciessow Austria Leonard Grebe Germany Fritz Dueball Netherlands Leiden
1961 Germany Wichard von Alvensleben Austria Leonard Grebe Germany Fritz Dueball Austria Baden bei Wien
1962 Germany Wichard von Alvensleben Germany Jurgen Dueball Germany Jurgen Mattern Germany Garmisch-Partenkirchen
1963 Germany Wichard von Alvensleben Germany Jurgen Mattern Netherlands Max Rebattu Germany Barsinghausen
1964 Germany Wichard von Alvensleben Germany Jurgen Mattern Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Eduard Ekart Netherlands Scheveningen
1965 Germany Jurgen Mattern Netherlands Max Rebattu Germany Jurgen Dueball Czechoslovakia Mnosek pod Brdy
1966 Germany Jurgen Mattern Austria Manfred Wimmer Netherlands Max Rebattu United Kingdom London
1967 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Mutabzija Austria Manfred Wimmer Netherlands Max Rebattu Germany Staufen im Breisgau
1968 Germany Jurgen Mattern Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Mutabzija Germany Jurgen Dueball Germany Berlin
1969 Austria Manfred Wimmer Germany Jurgen Mattern Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Mutabzija Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Ljubljana
1970 Germany Jurgen Mattern Austria Manfred Wimmer Netherlands Max Rebattu Austria Vienna
1971 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Mutabzija Netherlands Henk de Vries Netherlands Max Rebattu United Kingdom Bristol
1972 Germany Jurgen Mattern Netherlands Max Rebattu United Kingdom John Diamond Netherlands Enschede
1973 Germany Jurgen Mattern Germany Michael Katscher Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Mutabzija Germany Sprendlingen
1974 Austria Manfred Wimmer Greece Michael Kitsos United Kingdom Tony Goddard Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zagreb
1975 Germany Jurgen Mattern Austria Manfred Wimmer France Patrick Merissert Austria Krems
1976 France Patrick Merissert United Kingdom Tony Goddard United Kingdom John Diamond United Kingdom Cambridge
1977 Germany Wolfgang Isele Austria Helmut Hasibeder Netherlands Ronald Schlemper Netherlands Rijswijk
1978 Austria Helmut Hasibeder Netherlands Max Rebattu United Kingdom Mathew Macfadyen France Paris
1979 Germany Jurgen Mattern Netherlands Ronald Schlemper Netherlands Robert Rehm Germany Konigswinter
1980 United Kingdom Mathew Macfadyen Germany Jurgen Mattern France André Moussa Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Mali Losinj
1981 Netherlands Rob van Zeijst Austria Helmut Hasibeder Netherlands Robert Rehm Austria Linz
1982 Netherlands Ronald Schlemper Netherlands Robert Rehm France André Moussa Denmark Copenhagen
1983 Poland Janusz Kraszek United Kingdom Terry Stacey United Kingdom Mathew Macfadyen United Kingdom Edinburgh

From 1984, the Championship became open.

Year Open Champion European Champion Venue Notes
1984 South Korea Hong Tay-You United Kingdom Mathew Macfayden Switzerland Porrentruy Macfayden won the play-off final against Pierre Colmez (FR)
1985 United Kingdom Mathew Macfayden Netherlands Terschelling
1986 Netherlands Ronald Schlemper Hungary Budapest
1987 United Kingdom Mathew Macfayden France Grenoble
1988 Hungary Tibor Pocsai Germany Hamburg
1989 Japan Toshiyuki Sogabe United Kingdom Mathew Macfayden Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Nis
1990 Netherlands Rob van Zeijst Austria Vienna
1991 China Zhang Shutai Russia Alexei Lazarev Belgium Namur
1992 Japan T. Matsumoto Russia Alexei Lazarev United Kingdom Canterbury
1993 Netherlands Rob van Zeijst Czech Republic Praha
1994 Netherlands Guo Juan Netherlands Maastricht
1995 Netherlands Guo Juan Poland Tuchola
1996 Netherlands Guo Juan Italy Abano Terme
1997 South Korea Hyuk Lee Netherlands Guo Juan France Marseille
1998 South Korea Hyuk Lee Romania Robert Mateescu Romania Mamaia
1999 Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Slovakia Podbanske
2000 South Korea Hyuk Lee Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Germany Strausberg
2001 Russia Andrei Kulkov Republic of Ireland Dublin
2002 Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Croatia Zagreb
2003 South Korea Hong Seul Ki Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Russia St Petersburg
2004 South Korea Young Kwang Sun Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Poland Tuchola
2005 Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Czech Republic Praha
2006 South Korea Park Chi Seon Russia Svetlana Shikshina Italy Frascati
2007 South Korea Hong Seok-Ui Russia Ilya Shikshin Austria Villach
2008 South Korea Park Jong-Wook Romania Catalin Taranu Sweden Leksand
2009 South Korea Kim Eunkuk Russia Alexandre Dinerchtein Netherlands Groningen
2010 Russia Ilya Shikshin Finland Tampere
2011 France Bordeaux

See also

References

  1. ^ Botermans, Jack (2008). The Book of Games: Strategy, Tactics & History. New York: Sterling Publishing. p. 325. ISBN 978-1-4027-4221-7.
  2. ^ a b https://intergofed.org/history/gohistory.htm
  3. ^ EGF congress history.
  4. ^ "Zhuyeqing Tea 55th European Go Congress 2011 23th July - 6th August in Bordeaux, France". Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  5. ^ Fairbair, John (2004). Invitation to Go. Mineola, N.Y: Courier Dover Publications. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-486-43356-1.
  6. ^ "Go Goes to Munich" (fee required). Pacific Stars and Stripes. Japan. AP. August 5, 1961. p. 27.
  7. ^ a b "Japanese Game 'Go' Goes Well With Englishman" (fee required). Pacific Stars and Stripes. Japan. UPI. August 21, 1976. p. 29.
  8. ^ a b "Brockbank to Attend GO Congress in Europe". Schenectady Gazette. July 15, 1977. p. 9.
  9. ^ "web.archive.org/web/20060115133819/www.goweb.cz/egc2005/results.asp?id=144&lang=en".
  10. ^ "Results - 50th European Go Congress - Rome 2006". Figg.it. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  11. ^ "goverband.at/egc2007/results/main_wall.htm".
  12. ^ "EuroGoTV presents Go-Baduk-Weiqi-TV 24/7 - News - Congress Champions 2008". Eurogotv.com. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  13. ^ "Final Wall List of the Main Tournament | European Go Congress 2009". Egc2009.nl. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  14. ^ "EuroGoTV presents Go-Baduk-Weiqi-TV 24/7 - News - Coverage of the 2010 European Go Congress". Eurogotv.com. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
  15. ^ Gaultier, Astrid. "55th European Go Congress - Bordeaux 2011". Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  16. ^ FFG. "[FFG Calendar]". Fédération Française de Go. Retrieved 13 August 2010.
  17. ^ "2011 EGC Sponsors and partners". Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  18. ^ "EGC 2012 Bonn - Welcome". EGC2012. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
  19. ^ a b "European Tournament Calendar". European Go Federation. Retrieved 17 July 2011. Cite error: The named reference "EGF-Calendar" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  20. ^ "European Go Congresses". Eurogofed.org. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
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