Bulletin

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European Go Congress 22nd July – 05th August 2023

Greetings

Greeting of René Scheibe

Dear Go players,

Finally the time has come, welcome to the 65th European Go Congress! Two intensive weeks await you, during which you can completely immerse yourself in the world of Go – and in between for refreshment in the Cospudener See.

Go is not a simple board game, but an art form that both challenges our thinking and sparks our creativity. At the EGC, people from Europe and all over the world connect through the language of Go. I would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to our guests from outside Europe. In addition, over a dozen professionals have traveled from China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the USA to share their knowledge with us.

But the EGC is not only a great chance to improve your playing skills, it is also the best place for fun variations like Beach Volleyball Team Go, Freeze Go or (after all, we are in Germany) Beer Go (Bonus Go). Last but not least, we hope to offer you a relaxing summer holiday with this EGC.

A huge thank you goes to the organizing team and to all the helpers on site: without their commitment, this EGC would not exist. So if you like the Congress, feel free to pass on your praise to them!

Thanks also to the Rudolf-Hildebrand-School, which made its rooms available to us, to all the sponsors and to all the big and small supporters and friends.

I wish you all an eventful time full of exciting games, stimulating conversations and lasting memories. May this EGC bring us closer together, not only as players but also as friends!

René Scheibe, Congress Director EGC 2023

Greeting of Antonius Claasen

Dear Go players,

An unplanned visit to Markkleeberg/Leipzig for this year’s Go Congress

As we all know, this foreword should have been written by the President of the Ukrainian Go Federation. Due to Russia’s war in Ukraine, we cannot go there and enjoy playing Go in Ukraine as planned this year.

Even so, I welcome you all to two weeks of Go and fun in Markkleeberg/Leipzig! I am sure all of you will enjoy the time playing Go and visiting Leipzig.

Playing Go is not just about winning or losing, it means friendship, love and unity for all of us. Playing Go is our chance to meet people from all over the world and the best way to create friendships without artificially-created borders that separate us.

So now, all of you, dance like the heron and crow on a Go board and enjoy the time here with friends, family and Go!

President of the German Go Federation

Introducing our Main Sponsors

CK Holding GmbH is the parent company of serial founder and AI expert Carsten Kraus. The portfolio includes self-founded companies, some of which are based on one of his patents; in addition, CK Holding invests in start-ups. The companies that are part of CK Holding’s portfolio are primarily focused on driving innovation. The main focus is on artificial intelligence.

Carsten Kraus became involved with algorithms and artificial intelligence at an early age. Even during his school years, he founded his first company, dropped out of school before graduating, and marketed his first major product, a programming language extension for the Commodore 64. Shortly after catching up on his high school diploma, he developed a completely new architecture for programming language interpreters. Together with Dr. Thomas Kemp and Artur Södler, this led to the creation of Omikron-Basic for the Atari ST. This was about 70 times faster than the programming language developed by Atari itself: in 1988 he sold the solution to Atari, and Atari distributed it with all computers in Europe.

This was followed by more company foundations, investments, numerous innovations, and patent applications for AI processes, which Carsten Kraus used to drive breakthrough innovations to success. FACT-Finder – formerly a division of his company Omikron, now an independent company in which Carsten Kraus still holds shares – is considered Europe’s leading search technology within large online shops. Also part of CK Holding GmbH’s portfolio, among other companies, is the AI start-up Casablanca.ai.

As an AI expert, he is particularly committed to ensuring that Europe is not left behind in terms of artificial intelligence. He is also convinced that new technologies create value for both companies and people.

Carsten himself is a big Go fan and will also attend the congress 🙂

Omikron GmbH, founded by Carsten Kraus, is a subsidiary of CK Holding GmbH.

Omikron is a place for people hungry to learn. Our teams research and develop new AI technologies and data solutions for our customers. Our customers are large retailers and industrial companies. Often, they have numerous IT systems containing customer and product data. To utilize this data, they use our products, such as the Data Quality Server. Because what our customers really need is not more data, but better data.

Today, 220 customers trust us. These include 1&1, Flyeralarm, Radeberger, Vattenfall, Schüco, and TeamViewer.

Good to know

Leipzig is a very open-minded and tourist-friendly city.

Nevertheless, here are two friendly pieces of advice for pedestrians and cyclists to help you enjoy your stay in the city:

Respect the “Ampelmännchen”

If you see a red traffic light, please try to respect the rules and stop. Not just because of your safety or because we asked you to. But also because of the police, who can impose a fine for crossing when the light is red.

Respect the bike lanes

Leipzig and its surrounding areas are very bicycle-friendly. Please show consideration and don’t walk on the bike lanes (usually marked in red with white bike symbols).

Rules at the Congress site

Since the venue is a school site, please:

DO NOT smoke on any part of the school grounds – we will have dedicated smoking areas
DO NOT drink alcohol on the school ground (we will have time and place enough for parties)
DO NOT bring glass bottles inside the gym – our food and drink caterers have beverages in plastic bottles available and we will transfer beverages from glass bottles to reusable cups. We are sure you are used to cups from other festivals 🙂

Accessibility

All floors are barrier-free. A barrier-free toilet is located in Building A.
There are quiet rooms for medical emergencies available (e.g. A110).

All events and lectures will be in English language only and without translation.

A gender-neutral restroom is located in Building A.

The venue opens at 9 a.m. and must be vacated by 9:30 p.m. due to conditions imposed by the city of Markkleeberg.

Code of Conduct

All players are expected to:

behave in a sportsmanlike manner (fair, generous and polite)
respect other participants
play their games seriously
arrive on time and ready to play.

In the playing rooms, everybody is asked to be silent.

Mobile phones should be switched off during tournament games.

During a game, no third person may influence it by any means, except when a referee must make an intervention.

The recording of games with mobile devices (tablets, phones) is NOT allowed in European Championship games. During other tournaments, you may record your game using an electronic device, assuming your opponent agrees and the device is placed flat and visible on the table at all times.

Headphones and earphones are NOT allowed during any tournament. If you prefer a quiet atmosphere for your play, we can offer you ear protection/ear plugs at the Info-Desk in Building A.

We kindly ask you to NOT remove any playing material (boards, stones, clocks) from the tournament rooms. Special rooms for analysis and after-game-games will be made available, the Info-Desk also has Go sets available to borrow.

Thanks for taking care of each other.

Awareness

We are looking forward to a diverse and colorful Congress and the joyful, respectful and fair cooperation of our guests. We want all visitors to feel comfortable and safe. Therefore, all forms of discrimination, verbal or physical violence or transgressions will not be tolerated.

We will NOT tolerate any form of hurtful language, discrimination, abuse, exclusion or offensive behavior based on gender, ethnicity, religion/belief, origin, color, sexuality, gender identity, socioeconomic class, disability or age.

Should you experience or observe such or similar behavior, the people at the Info-Desk (Building A) are available every day to support you in all matters.

Environmental protection

We expect all visitors to the Congress to dispose of their garbage in the provided garbage cans. In Germany, garbage separation is mandatory. At the venue there are garbage cans for paper (blue), plastics (yellow) and residual waste (black). Please note that in Germany deposit bottles are common. These can be returned to any shop to get the deposit back. Any member of the organizing team would be happy to help you with this topic.

Please also keep the areas outside the venue clean. We are mostly located in a protected landscape area and want to keep everything nice and clean. Therefore, please take your garbage back to your accommodation or throw it into the garbage cans, which are available everywhere in the city and on the beach. For smokers, we have beach ashtrays especially for your beach stay in stock. They can be picked up at the Info-Desk.

The Info-Desk

Please don’t hesitate to contact us from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Building A, on the ground floor.

We are a friendly bunch of people who are happy to help you with any question that may occur, such as inquiries about

registration, tournament rules and rooms;
activities at the venue;
sightseeing and tours;
shopping and restaurants;
lost and found items and
health.

You will find a lot of information about daily highlights such as the food plan, sports, activities and results on the pinwalls close to our desk.

We have an open ear if you would like to talk about your game or just share a funny story.

Rental Go sets (with a deposit) and blankets (deposit) for a game at the beach can be borrowed here.

Please note that German supermarkets have more rigid opening hours than in other countries, especially in evenings and on Sundays. Outside their opening hours, you can buy things of daily use (e.g. toothbrush, sunscreen) here.

We also offer an EGC2023 Post Office to make it easiest for you to send some sunny greetings to your loved ones at home.

Congress Information

During the Congress, results, photos, fun facts and important information can also be found on our website: https://www.egc2023.de/

Professionals at the EGC

Up to the publishing deadline, we received confirmation of the following Go professionals, whom we warmly welcome to the EGC2023.

Many professional players will attend some of the side events themselves, e.g Pair Go. But they are also scheduled to give lectures, reviews, workshops, stream commentaries and some would surely like to play some games with you.
At the Congress, a traffic light system is used to identify which professional players are available for questions, games or reviews during the day.
If a professional turns their badge to red, it means: “Sorry, I need a break. Please give me some time for myself.”
If the badge is set to green, it says: “I am ready for a conversation. Feel free to talk to me.”
So please look out for their badges. Thank you.

From the Kansai Kiin (Japan)

Chujō Chihiro (中條ちひろ), Professional 1 Dan

she has a special interest in languages
her hobbies include traveling, cooking and yoga
“Let’s have a wonderful time together!”

Li Ting (黎ティン), Professional 1 Dan

board member of the EGF
she considers Go as a language that transcends borders, and as a way of making new friends
resides and plays in Austria with her husband whom she met at the EGC in 2007

From the Nihon Kiin (Japan):

Ōhashi Hirofumi (大橋拓文), Professional 7 Dan

international Go teacher
previously taught at EGCs 2013 and 2017
he placed as runner-up in the 1^st Under-20 Nakano Cup in 2004

From the Hankuk Kiwon (South Korea):

Yoon Youngsun (윤영선), Professional 8 Dan

living and teaching Go in Hamburg
her books on a variety of topics will be available for purchase at the EGC
teaches Go on her own YouTube channel “Yoon’s Baduk Café”

Choi Wonjin (최원진), Professional 2 Dan

winner of Open European Championship 2022, posting an impressive 10-0 record
made Top 8 in the Crown Cup and plays in the “Futures League”
“I am looking forward to communicating, teaching, and having fun with many people in Germany this year.”

Do Eunkyo (도은교), Professional 1 Dan

has a lot of experience teaching Go at international events
teacher at the 2019 EGC and the Latin American GC in 2018 and 2022
teaches Go on her own YouTube channel “Go Inside”

From the Zhongguo Qiyuan (China):

Xiè Hè (谢赫), Professional 9 Dan

ranked #1 in China in 2011 (sharing the place with Tan Xiao)
defeated Kim Ji-Seok, Won Seong-Jin and Lee Chang-Ho to win the Team Championship of the Nongshim Cup in 2012
top Chinese professional in 2010, winning 69/97 games (best average of 71.13%)

Zhōu Ruìyáng (周睿羊), Professional 9 Dan

plays on the highest level in the world as a Top 100 player
has played in the Chinese A league for many years
ranked #1 in China in 2010

Liú Xīng (刘星), Professional 7 Dan

won the World Youth Go Championship in 1998
won the CCTV Cup in 2005
won the Japan China Agon Cup in 2006 and 2007

Lǐ Zhé (李喆), Professional 6 Dan

graduated from the Department of Philosophy of Beijing University in 2017
Associate Professor at Wuhan University, teaches Go culture
selected MVP of Chinese Weiqi A League in 2010

Zéng Bǐngquán (曾炳权), Professional 6 Dan

secretary-general of the Guangdong Weiqi Association
reached the rank of 4-dan professional in 1982
finally becoming a 6-dan professional in 1986

Fàn Wèijīng (范蔚菁), Professional 3 Dan

National Women’s Junior Go Champion in 2002
only female player to feature in the main draw of the Samsung Cup 2008
won the gold medal in the World Mind Sports Games Pair Go competition with Huang Yizhong

Yú Xiǎodān (余晓丹), Professional 2 Dan

founder of Xiaodan Go Academy and president of the Go Association in Huli District, Xiamen City
for 15 years, she has been president of Xiamen Youth Go Association focussing on youth work
from 2013 to 2021, she led the Women’s A league team of Xiamen City, ranking Top 3 four times

From Taiwan Qiyuan (Chinese Taipei):

Lín Póyǔ (林柏宇), Professional 2 Dan

qualified as 1-dan professional in 2018
promoted to 2-dan just this year

From New York Go Institute (USA):

Stephanie Yin, Professional 1 Dan

plenty of experience teaching Go as the head coach of the MIT Go club, as well as on the YouTube channel “NYIG_Go”
founder and president of the New York Institute of Go
main commentator for the Google DeepMind team during the Kē Jié vs. AlphaGo matches (with Michael Redmond and Lee Hajin)

From the EGF (Poland):

Mateusz Surma, Professional 2 Dan

his dad taught him how to play when he was merely 6 years old
between 2009 and 2013, he honed his skills at various Go Schools in Korea
recently his focus has been on growing the Go community outside of Asia – the perfect fit for EGC2023

From the EGF (Ukraine):

Andrii Kravets (Андрій Кравець), Professional 1 Dan

one of the most famous European players
became U12 European champion in 2002
teacher at the Jena International Go School

Special EGC Teacher (France/Korea):

Hwan In-seong, 8 Dan

founder of the Go academy “Yeongusaeng Dojang”
vast experience teaching Go internationally
official teacher of the French Go Federation, alongside Fan Hui and others

Besides, these European professionals attend the EGC2023 and challenge with the top 32 to define the strongest Go player in Europe:

Ali Jabarin, Professional 2 Dan

Artem Kachanovskyi, Professional 2 Dan

Jan Simara, Professional 1 Dan

Stanisław Frejlak, Professional 1 Dan

Tanguy Le Calvé, Professional 1 Dan

General Tournament Information

Registration for Tournaments

Do not forget to register for the tournaments you want to take part in.

The registration team is located next to the Info-Desk. During the main registration period, we will have extra team members on hand, this is from 22nd July, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., to 23rd July, 9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

During the Congress, registration is open every day for you. Registration deadlines are listed in the following description of the individual tournaments.

Please note that for the side tournaments, registration will also be possible via a registration form online (at www.egc2023-forms.de). You can login to the page with your name. Your password will be the email address that you used to register for the Congress. Besides registration, you can also skip individual rounds and re-register for those rounds. This applies to the main and side tournaments.

If you have any questions, or you find yourself in difficulties logging in please don’t hesitate to contact our team at the registration desk for offline help.

Please make sure that you have checked your rank and the spelling of your name. Let us know if it needs any adjustments.

Skipping a round

If you need to skip one round please inform the organization team:
1. You have the option to fill out a form online for main and side tournaments (at www.egc2023-forms.de). That will speed up the process and reduce the effort.
2. Besides that, we will provide dropping forms (paper) to fill out at the registration desk in Building A, on the ground floor.

Arbitration

In any dispute regarding the result of games and rules, your first course of action is to contact the referee on site. They will wear the green team member shirt.

A protest against a referee’s decision will be submitted to the appeals committee.

Absence of Players

After the announced start of a game, the organizers will check all boards. The pairing of a game cannot be guaranteed when at least one of the players is not at the board within

30 minutes after the start of the round. Attempts are made to fix this situation. If the waiting player can play another reasonable game and agrees to play with another opponent, the pairing of the game will be changed.

This does not apply to the European Championship and to boards 1-16 in the Open Championship.

Playing Areas

At the time of writing, not all rooms had yet been allocated. And due to weather conditions, the location for outside games may also change at short notice. So, please check the room plans at the venue posted in every building and of course at the Info-Desk.

Due to limited space in this bulletin we have only listed the main details of the Congress tournaments here. For further information please check the Congress website (menu item: events) or find the rules on match day posted in the playing rooms.

Main Tournaments

European Championship

The European Championship is the most prestigious event of the EGC. Only the best 32 European players can participate, using the European Championship System, to decide the best Go player for 2023. In 2022, Benjamin Dréan-Guénaïzia (7d, France) won the championship in Vatra Dornei. Will he be able to defend the title?

Time Setting: Fischer Time with 80 min + 40 sec
Room: Building C 2nd floor

Sun 23.07. 11 a.m.	Mon 24.07. 10 a.m.	Tue 25.07. 10 a.m.	Wed 26.07.1 0 a.m.	Thu 27.07. 10 a.m.	Fri 28.07. 10 a.m.	Sat 29.07. 11 a.m.	Sun 30.07.1 1 a.m.
Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Semifinals	Finals

Open Championship

The Open European Championship is the largest tournament of the European Go Congress. Everybody who has registered at the EGC2023 can participate, including players from outside Europe. There is one game per day with long thinking time. For lunch (between 12 a.m. and 2 p.m.) a move can be sealed. The tournament is EGF-ranked and there are nice prizes to win, not only for the top players, but also for everybody with a good tournament performance.

Registration: until Sunday 23rd July, 10:30 a.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time 80 min + 40 sec (Dan) / 60 min + 30 sec (1-10k) / 40 min + 20 sec (11k-30k)

Sun 23.07. 11 a.m.	Mon 24.07. 10 a.m.	Tue 25.07. 10 a.m.	Thu 27.07. 10 a.m.	Fri 28.07. 10 a.m.	Mon 31.07. 10 a.m.	Tue 01.08. 10 a.m.	Thu 03.08. 10 a.m.	Fri 04.08. 10 a.m.	Sat 05.08. 0 a.m.
Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Round 8	Round 9	Round 10

Pair Go

This tournament is open to mixed-gender pairs with an average rank lower or equal to 5.5 dan (in this respect, professionals count as 8-dan). Of all registered pairs, the 32 best compete for the title of ‘Open European Pair Go Champion’. All other pairs play in the (normal) Pair Go Tournament.

Registration: until Thursday 27th July, 3:30 p.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time 25 min + 10 sec

Thu 27.07.	Fri 28.07.
4 p.m. Round 1	4:30 p.m. Round 4
6 p.m. Round 2	6:15 p.m. Round 5
8 p.m. Round 3	8 p.m. Round 6

Weekend Tournament

Traditionally, the weekend between the two Congress weeks is the time for a separate five-round McMahon tournament. Everybody who has registered can participate, including players from outside Europe. The tournament is EGF-ranked and there are nice prizes to win for everybody with a good tournament performance.

Registration: until Saturday 29th July, 10 a.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time 40 min + 15 sec

Sat 29.07.	Sun 30.07.
11 a.m. Round 1	10 a.m. Round 4
3 p.m. Round 2	2 p.m. Round 5
6:30 p.m. Round 3	–

Team Cup

This is a team tournament with 4 players. Mix-it-up: try to form a team with highly diverse players in terms of country/region, rank, gender and age and get extra points. Fight other teams for points – on two days in the afternoon and three rounds each day.

Final settlement: You can collect points for team wins (2 points), team draws (1 point) and diversity (up to 15 points).The team with the most points wins the EGC 2023 Team Cup.

Registration: until Thursday 3rd August, 4 p.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time 30 min + 5 sec

Thu 03.08.	Fri 04.08.
4:30 p.m. Round 1	4:30 p.m. Round 4
6:30 p.m. Round 2	6:30 p.m. Round 5
8 p.m. Round 3	8 p.m. Round 6

Side Tournaments

Women’s Tournament (and all non-men)

A three-round tournament for all people identifying as female or gender-diverse.

Registration: until Monday 24th July, 4 p.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time 30 min + 5 sec

Mon 24.07.

4:30 p.m.
Round 1

6:30 p.m.
Round 2

8 p.m.
Round 3

U12/U16 Tournament

In the second week, we will organize two tournaments for all U12 and U16 players.

Registration: until Tuesday 1st August, 4 p.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time U12: 15 minutes + 5 sec; U16: 20 minutes + 5 sec
Start: Tuesday 1st of August, 4:30 p.m.

Blitz Tournament

This is a one-day tournament comprising 8 very fast rounds.

Registration: until Thursday 27th July 8 p.m. and cancellation till 28th July 3 p.m.
Time Setting: 10 minutes Sudden Death

Fri 28.07.

5 p.m. and every half hour
Rounds 1-8

Rapid Tournament

This tournament is played on a 19×19 board, with reduced thinking time. There are 8 rounds, beginning shortly after the main tournaments. You don’t have to play all rounds.

Time Setting: Fischer Time 30 min + 1 sec
Registration: at the main registration and until 3 p.m. on every tournament day

Sun23.07. 4 p.m.	Mon 24.07. 3 p.m.	Tue25.07 .3 p.m.	Fri 28.07. 3 p.m.	Mon31.07. 3 p.m.	Tue01.08. 3 p.m.	Thu03.08. 3 p.m.	Fri 04.08. 3 p.m.
Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Round 8

Rengo

This is a fun five-round tournament taking place on the free day, where you play as a team of 3 players on one board. Handicaps will be given according to the average rank of the players (rounded down). Teams can get three extra handicap stones (in total) for highly-mixed teams in terms of country/region, strength and age.

Registration: until Tuesday 1st August, 9 p.m.

Time Setting: Fischer Time 30 min + 10 sec
Start: Wednesday 2nd August, 10 a.m.

Tsume-Go Marathon

Do you enjoy puzzles and challenges?

Every day there will be new Tsume-Go problems for different strengths available. Try to solve as many as you can every day, to improve your reading skills and to have a chance to win some cool prizes in the end. You can collect each day’s problems from the Info-Desk. You can also return your solutions to the same place.

Start: Sunday 23rd July, 10 a.m.

9×9 Tournament

This tournament is played on small 9×9 boards with five-rounds preliminary stage, and a six-rounds knockout stage two days later.

Registration: until Sunday 23rd July, 5 p.m.
Time Setting: 13 min Sudden Death

Sun 23.07. Preliminary Stage	Tue 25.07. Knockout Stage
6 p.m. Rounds 1-5	5 p.m. Rounds 6-11

9×9 Kids Tournament

This is a tournament especially for kids and teenagers. Anyone younger than 16 years old can participate. You can play as many games as you want, and games are played with handicap. The more games you play and the more often you win, the more points you collect. The player with the most points wins the tournament.

Registration: shortly before the tournament
Time Setting: none
Monday 24th July, 5 p.m.-8 p.m.

13×13 Tournament

A two-stage tournament with a preliminary and knockout on the 13×13 board.

Registration: until Monday 31st July, 3:30 p.m.
Time Setting: Fischer Time 10 min + 8 sec

Mon 31.07. Preliminary Stage	Tue 01.08. Knockout Stage
4:30 p.m. Rounds 1-5	4:30 p.m. Rounds 6-11

9×9 and 19×19 Marathon

If you still have time between events and you want to play more games, we have a possibility for you. Register in the marathon tournaments and play as many games as you can with whomever you like. Get happy and win some cool prizes at the same time!

Registration: enter your name into the pairing poster at the Info-Desk
Time Setting: you can agree with your opponent for any time setting,
our recommendations:
- 9×9: Fischer-Time 10 min + 5 sec
- 19×19: Fischer-Time 20 min + 10 sec

Rooms: find your own space together with your opponent (e.g. under the trees on the school yard, on the beach or in a restaurant or hotel)
Start: Saturday 22nd July, 8 p.m.
End: for the first week it is Sunday 30th July, 5 p.m. and for the second week Saturday 5th August, 4 p.m.

Variants of Go

We are going to play a lot of different Go variants at the EGC. Some of them are absolutely crazy, some are only moderately crazy. The most important part is to have fun. You don’t need to know all the rules beforehand. A detailed explanation of the rules is posted on the webpage and explained on game day. Every day you can try another variation of Go.

Registration: shortly before the tournament

Chess & Go

The Chess & Go Event will be played in teams of 2 versus 2. There are no restrictions on team composition and games will be played without handicap. Both teams play a game of Rengo (on a 13×13 board) and Pair Chess simultaneously. One team plays with the black Go stones and black Chess pieces, the other team uses the white ones. There is a special playing order to be followed until either the Chess game or the Go game are finished. At that point, the remaining game is continued as either “normal” Rengo or Pair Chess.

Time Setting: Fischer Time 10 min + 15 sec per „Chess&Go” move
Start: Wednesday 26th July, 4 p.m., 5 rounds

Sunjang Baduk

This variant is played on a 19×19 board, but with the twist that the board is not empty at the beginning. 16 stones (8 of each color) are already placed on the board, in a position that invites fighting.

Time Setting: Fischer Time 15 min + 5 sec
Start: Sunday 23rd July, 5 p.m., 4 rounds

Yose Go

Prove your endgame abilities. The players are given a recording of the last stage of an interesting game. The players will pick colors (Nigiri) and finish the game, recording the final score. Afterward, they swap colors and finish the game with opposite colors. The sum of the scores determines the result of the match. Wins in the individual games don’t count.

Registration: until Wednesday 2nd August, 10 a.m.
Time Setting: 5 min preparation time and then Fischer Time 5 min +15 sec

Wed 02.08.

2:30 p.m. and every half hour
Round 1-4 or 5

Frisbee Go

This is an outdoor activity and may be moved in date based on the weather conditions. The goban is created by placing a net on the grass. Black and white frisbees are used as stones. Stones are placed by throwing them from outside the board. The minimum distance from the board will be set age dependent, if necessary.

Time Setting: no set time, but players are encouraged to play at a reasonably fast rate
Location: school grounds or beach
Start: Wednesday 2nd August, 12 a.m.

Bonus Go (Beer Go)

Not just for the alcohol-addicted 😉

During each game, you CAN drink a beer to gain an extra point. Ranking is done by points gained. First tiebreaker after points is the progress score.

(progress score is calculated like this: after each game, the points from drunk beers and from winning games are added to your total score. So if you drink a beer and win in the first round, you have a progress score of 2. If you drink another beer and lose, your progress score is 2 + (2+1) = 5)

Time Setting: Fischer Time 10 min + 5 sec
Location: beach of Cospudener See
Start: Tuesday 1st August, 6 p.m.

**A very new variant on the EGC2023**

Beach Volleyball Team Go

Do you want to play Go and Volleyball at the beach? Welcome!
Probably the only tournament that our director René is joining as this is his creation. Don`t miss playing with him.

You will play as a team of 6 players. 2 players will play Rengo on a 13×13 board and the other 4 players will have a volleyball match. Switching sport included.

The volleyball teams play until the first team has 7 points. Winning a volleyball match grants 5 points (or captured stones). Volleyball players will switch with Rengo players after each round of volleyball is finished, while the Rengo match moves on as long as there is time left on the clock. Pairings are free to choose. The winning team of one volleyball+Rengo game is determined by counting on the board (win: 2 points, tie: 1 point).

As this is a new creation there might be adjustments in the rules.

Time Setting: Fischer Time 15 min + 10 sec
Location: beach volleyball field at Cospudener See north beach
Start: Wednesday 26th July, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Variants with two match time options

You can play 4 rounds either at lunchtime at 1 p.m. or in the evening at 6 p.m. It is only possible to play at one of these times.

Time Setting: Fischer Time 10 min + 5 sec

Freeze Go (Atari-Atari)

In addition to the regular Go rules, capturing is forbidden after an atari. That is, if White reduces the number of liberties of any black group to one, Black is not allowed to capture stones in the next move. Self-ataris don’t count. This can lead to absolutely crazy variations where both players scramble to play any atari they can find, in order to repeatedly “freeze” their opponent.

Tuesday 1st August

Explosion Go

The rules are simple: Black plays one stone, then White plays two, then Black three, White four etc. All stones are played sequentially, so each move has to be legal by itself. Don’t be surprised if a new group suddenly appears in the eye space of your group.

Friday 4th August

Keima Go

Each player plays two moves in a row. The stones must be at a keima (knight’s move) distance. The first move must be valid on its own, suicide is not allowed. The regular ko rule doesn’t apply. If both moves of a player have captured a ko, the opponent is not allowed to take both ko. At the end of the game, all stones remaining on the board are alive. Points are counted under Chinese rules. Intersections count as territory if they are surrounded on all sides by stones from one color or the boundary of the board. Komi and handicap will be published on-site.

Monday 24th July

Magnet Go

In Magnet Go (aka 1000V Go or Electric Go) after a stone is placed, it affects the nearest of the stones on the same line in each of the four directions:

If the stone has the same color as the placed stone, it is moved away until it either bumps into another stone or the edge of the board.
If it has the opposite color, the stone is attracted, meaning moved next to the placed stone.

Stones are only removed from the board after the movement phase is over. In the picture, the marked white stone has just been played. Thus, the black stone is attracted (orange arrow), the white stone is repelled (red arrow). The other stone is not moved, since it is not on the same line with the new stone.

Thursday 3rd August

Miai Go

In this variant you always have to find two moves instead of one. Then you suggest those two moves to your opponent and they decide which of your moves is actually played.

Tuesday 25th July

One Color Go

While there are still two players sitting at the board, we only need one color of stones. Both players place white stones, and a referee keeps track of the “actual” board position. Be careful to remember the board position well. Illegal moves don’t lose the game, but have to be taken back.

Thursday 27th July

Phantom Rengo

This variant is played on two boards. At each board sits one player from each team and they play a game against each other. They are not allowed to see the other board. However, all four players are actually playing on the same board which only the referee can see. After each move, the referee checks if the move is allowed and requests a take-back otherwise. The reason (e.g. suicide, immediate retake of a ko) is not given. If stones are captured, they are removed by the referee and the total number of stones is announced.

Monday 31th July

Torus Go

For this variant we play with different board rules: every boundary point of the Go board is considered to be connected to the boundary point on the other side of the board, so that each point has four neighboring points. This leads to some surprisingly tricky gameplay. In the picture on the left, the two white stones are connected (indicated by the orange arrows). The two black stones are connected as well (red arrows).

Friday 28th July

Special Events

Simultaneous Rengo

Saturday 22nd July, 2-4 p.m.
in good weather it will take place outside

Opening Ceremony

Saturday 22nd July, 5-7 p.m.
Room: large auditorium in Building A or sports ground

VIP Dinner

Sunday 23rd July, 6:30 p.m.

EGF Meeting

Tuesday 25th, July 6 p.m.

Special Board Game Night

We all love playing at least one board game: Go.

But of course there are more, and not only the classical ones. There have been many new inventions since Go. You might have heard of Settlers of Catan, for example? Since these board games are very popular in Germany, we are planning a large board game event at the EGC. You’ll be able to try out many exciting games there and play games with hundreds of people from all over the world.

Start: Tuesday 25th July, 6 p.m.

Group Photo

Thursday 27th July, 9:30 a.m.
Location: main school yard between Buildings A and C

Toulouse Day

Meet the team of next year’s EGC!

Toulouse, capital of Occitania region, is an essential stop-off in the heart of southwestern France. Once the capital of the Visigoths and now the capital of the air and space industry, Toulouse invites you to explore its 2000 years of history. The so-called Pink City is also a gastronomic center that benefits from a wide variety of products reflecting the culture of its region.

The EGC2024 team is happy to invite all participants to visit them at their stand.
Please come and ask any questions you have about traveling to Toulouse, about the EGC2024 programme and making the most of your stay in the sunny region!

Registration and Payment for EGC2024 will be possible.

Wednesday 26th July, 12 a.m.-6 p.m.

Pair Go Prizegiving

Saturday 29th July, 9:30-11 a.m.
Room: large auditorium in Building A right next to the Info-Desk

Party/Karaoke Nights

Details to be confirmed! But rest assured, this will be full of surprises you don’t want to miss.

Sunday 30th July, 8 p.m. and 1st August, 6 p.m.

Open Day

The European Go Congress (EGC) in Markkleeberg/Leipzig can be visited by guests on all days. But on Sunday 30th July, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. there will be a special Open Day with tutorials for beginners and interested people. They can play their first games with other new Go players or with Go veterans.

In addition, the finals of the European Championship – starting at 11 a.m. – can be watched by everybody live in the large auditorium in Building A, commented on and analyzed. Find out who will be declared the strongest Go player in Europe or watch the other players in their last two rounds of the weekend tournament. Don’t miss it!

Prizegiving first Week and Weekend

Sunday 30th July, 6-7:30 p.m. – prizes for the European Championship and all tournaments of the first Congress week and weekend
Room: large auditorium in Building A right next to the Info-Desk

Closing Ceremony and Prizegiving second Week

Saturday 5th August, 5:30-7:30 p.m. – prizes for the Open Championship and all tournaments of the second Congress week
Room: large auditorium in Building A right next to the Info-Desk

Lectures/Presentations/Workshops

For the Congress we are putting together a nice selection of lectures, presentations and workshops held by professional and experienced players. More information about exact dates and rooms will be announced at the Congress and can be found at the Info-Desk.
These are some of the highlights so far that will take place on every playing day:

Game Reviews
Kyu Workshops
Dan Workshops
Keynotes/Lectures
Simultaneous Games

Broadcasting and Streaming Comments
During the whole European Championship we will offer commented streaming, from 23rd to 30th July, starting every day at 10 a.m. The moderator is none other than Stephen Hu.

Commentators will be Antti Törmänen (Professional 1 Dan), Jeff Su (6 Dan) and several EGF professionals. And you can never know which spontaneous guest might join.

Two or more games per round are planned to be commented on, no doubt featuring some tense battles and high explosive encounters. In addition, 6 boards will be broadcasted on OGS using new AI boards to record the moves.

Referee Workshop

On Wednesday 2nd August there will be a referee workshop. If you would like to attend, please send a registration mail to workshop@egc2023.de before Wednesday 26th of July. After completing the workshop, the newly qualified referees will be entered into the EGF referee directory.

Group Discussion

And we want to inspire you for some group discussion on Wednesday 26th July:

“Diversity in Go”.
Even though this year’s EGC is being held in Germany, it doesn’t have to be a sausage party! Join us to discuss how the Go community can become more diverse – and what’s holding us back!

Further Information

Go Shop made by Hebsacker Verlag (Room A112)

Since 2002 we, Steffi Hebsacker and Tobias Berben, have been selling Go boards, stones, bowls and books in Germany and Europe. In the beginning, we started with the production of a quite cheap Go set especially for children, because there was nothing commercially available in Germany at that time. An online store followed, because somehow our Go set had to be sold. And because one set is not enough for a whole shop, we also began to import and sell boards, stones, bowls and the whole range of books – today we have more than 500 items in stock.

In addition to the online business, we also have a sales booth at many big Go tournaments in Germany. As in 2012 in Bonn and 2017 in Oberhof, we will have our own show and sales room at the EGC 2023 in Markkleeberg/Leipzig in room A112. There you can not only browse through all the Go books, but perhaps also find your new Go board or a beautiful pair of bowls. We will also sell some special items and offer some great bargains. And you can test the IZIS AI Goban in our shop – we offer it with a special discount of 10% during the EGC and until the end of August.

You will also find all the EGC merch and the products from Camille Lévêque in our shop. We plan to open the store daily (except Wednesdays) from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Food and Drink

Everyone knows that you need energy to think. A balanced diet and a little sugar or caffeine should therefore support you during your games. We have 2 caterers on site at the Congress who will take care of your physical well-being from breakfast to lunch, snacks and dinner. So let us introduce our providers here. A detailed daily meal plan will be provided during the Congress.

Lekkerbek

Kay Valtin and his team from the restaurant “Schützenhaus” in Zwenkau will provide culinary delights directly on the EGC grounds. He is usually on the road at Christmas markets with his mobile kitchen hut. But this summer he will be serving a selection of dishes for both large and small appetites and all price levels. Of course, vegetarian and vegan dishes are also available.

Opening hours: 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Café Mitsu

Johannes’ Café Mitsu is Leipzig’s sustainable, mobile coffee shop. Here you can get high-quality specialty coffee, regional sodas, vegan, gluten-free cookies and cakes, nibbles and ice cream – all in organic quality. Drinks are served exclusively in Recup reusable cups, or even better: you can bring your own cups!
Opening hours: 8:30 a.m. to around 7 p.m.

Restaurant & Bars

We have two recommendations for leisure time in restaurants and bars for you.

Located nicely beside the lake is the “Heiter Blau & Sonnig” (meaning “clear, blue and sunny”). A beach bar on the north side of the lake, just 1.5 km away from the venue. You can get small dishes, cocktails, draft beer and sodas there. It will not close as long as customers are there 😉

If you want to hang out in Leipzig and join a late game in a pub we suggest the “Karli”. As people from Leipzig like to abbreviate things, the restaurant and pub mile on the Karl-Liebknecht-Straße in south Leipzig is called that way. You can find any kind of meal there: Asian, Irish, Cuban, Syrian, Italian, German and more. It is kind of touristy (not as much as the old town) but a lot of Leipzigers go there as well. Please ask at the Info-Desk for the exact addresses of restaurants where we have placed Go boards for you to use.

Freetime Information

Transportation and Parking

Reading this bulletin means that you made it to the venue, that you received your welcome bag and by chapter 9 are still hungry for more information. Nice to see.

Here are some important facts for travelers by car, public transportation and bike.

by public transportation

For traveling from the venue to or within Leipzig we recommend purchasing a weekly ticket (7 days) from the Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe for 2 zones which costs 34.10 €.

If you plan to go on train trips around the country during the Congress: There is a ticket (“Deutschland-Ticket”) that costs 49 € for a whole month (1.-31.) and which allows you to travel with all public transportation anywhere in Germany (NOT including the ICE or IC high-speed trains). This means the public transport from the venue to Leipzig is included. The “Deutschland-Ticket” is only available digitally. It is sold as a subscription that can be canceled monthly. The Info-Desk team would be happy to help you with this.

by bike
There are a large number of bike stands at the venue. In Leipzig and its surroundings, you can take your bike with you on public transport. However, you need an extra ticket for this. On both Sunday mornings we plan to organize a bike tour around the Cospudener See which is 11 km in distance (about 30 min + swimming). To discover the area, wake ourselves up and prepare for the games.

by car

Unfortunately there is no on-site parking possible.

Parking spaces in the area around the venue – as it is a residential area – are limited in number and during the summer are highly desirable due to swimmers and guests of the lake. For that reason, we encourage you to make use of public transportation if possible.

Nevertheless, it is possible to park in the streets around the venue, only in the marked areas (white lines and blue “P” signs). Please read our parking guidelines on the website (menu item: venue). We expect that the local authorities will check thoroughly if cars are parked correctly during the summer. So, have a second look before you park to avoid expensive parking tickets.

You can find some smaller, free parking areas near the venue and one huge free parking area 1.7 km northwest from the venue: Parking Cospudener See, Ziegeleiweg, 04416 Leipzig. It will be a 20 Minutes walk along a charming landscape park.

Shopping of Daily Necessities (closest to the venue)

Supermarkets

Aldi Nord (850 m south) Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

Lidl (1.1 km north) Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-9 p.m.

Netto (1 km north) Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Drugstore

Rossmann (1.3 km east) Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Pharmacy

Rathaus-Apotheke (1.3 km east) Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-12 a.m.

Rathausstr. 35

Tel: 0341/3588788

ATM, Cash Machine
Sparkasse (1.3 km east) at Rathaus Passage
Deutsche Bank (1.6 km south-east) at Marktkauf

Postbank (1.9 km south)

Laundrette self-service
Waschsalon Connewitz, Wolfgang-Heinze-Straße 11, Leipzig, Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-10 p.m.

What to Do in Markkleeberg

In Markkleeberg you can play Go. So far, so clear. And of course we can go swimming in the Cospudener See or hang around at the beach. But the city offers more nice places to relax, stroll and enjoy. Here are some recommendations for small time windows and short distance walks:

Have a stroll through the neighborhood. There are a lot of nicely restored houses and mansions showing an architectural cocktail from the end of the 19th century and the early 1920’s.

The Kees’scher Park, just down the Mehring-Street, offers a lot of green space, a restored orangerie and an entrance gate in neo-baroque style. You can take a blanket with you and enjoy the quiet atmosphere there. (opening hours 7 a.m.-8 p.m.)

With some more time you can explore the following:

Another man-made landscape park is the agra-Park (named after an agricultural fair) 2.3 km east from the venue. Opening hours are from 6 a.m. till 11 p.m. Besides the White House (the Herfurth’ mansion) the park contains the German Photography Museum (10 €, Tue-Sun 1 p.m.-6 p.m.), two playgrounds and the ionic muse temple that Camille Lévêque eternalized on the official Congress poster. That might be a place for a photo, don’t you think?

Bus number 65, starting close to the venue, takes you as close as 500 m to the park entrance.

A walk around the lake will take at least 2h. You can visit the Bistumshöhe, discover cute bathing coves and explore outdoor enclosures for donkeys, bison and sheep. Why not grab an ice cream at the south-east end of the lake before you return to the venue?

Bistumshöhe is an observation tower with an open-work wooden construction. It is intended to evoke the industrial chimneys that shaped the landscape in the south of Leipzig for decades as landmarks.

If you like to move a little bit faster and reach even further destinations you can rent bicycles in Markkleeberg here:

Cospudener Kombüse – just behind the venue (14 € for 7 hours)
Rad Röhnert – main road (15 € per day)
Grupetto – on the way to the main station (15 € per day)
GROSSE Radwelt – 3.5 km east (15 € per day)

and for groups or families:

Tretmodile – 6+2 person pedal mobile – 2 km south (40 € per hour)

Activities/Guided Tours/Trips in Leipzig and its Surroundings

Half Day Excursions

There are so many things to do that it is not possible to list all of them here. We hold a huge list of activities at the Info-Desk sorted by categories. Just come by and tell us your preference, e.g. children, art, music, technique, history or sports and we will provide you with brochures and suggestions for a slide park, galleries and theater, opera or techno clubs, tours through the former open-cast mining landscape, a visit to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, the peaceful revolution, castles, canoeing and many more.

Surely we will find an activity that suits your interests – from A (Auensee park railway) to B (Bowling) … to Z (the Zoo).

Because of the enormous selection of things to do, we have organized just one tour for you.

On both Wednesdays (26th July and 2nd August) there will be (especially for us) English guided tours through Leipzig combining 1 hour of walking in the center and 1.5 hours cruising in an air-conditioned bus to more distant destinations.
Capacity: 52 people.
Starting time: 9:30 a.m.
Meeting Point: Thomaskirche bus stop.
Reduced cost: 18 € p.P.
Please register at the Info-Desk.

Tours with a Discount

The daily guiding tours from www.leipzig-erleben.de, which are unfortunately just available in German, can be booked with keyword “EGC2023” to get a discount. The following themes are available: Old town, Passage & courtyards, Times and Tales (Geschichten und Geschichte), Thomas Church with tower (Thomaskirche mit Turmbesteigung), Night stroll with stories from the old days (Nachtwärter).

The Zoo Leipzig is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Six theme worlds and three playgrounds are more than enough to fill many unforgettable hours.There are keeper talks & feeding times every day from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at different animal enclosures. There is free admission for children under 6. Children (6-16 years) pay 14 €, adults 22 €.

For groups of 20 adults or more, there is a 4 € discount on the admission price per person (22 €). For a group of 10 children or more, there is a discount of 2 € per child.

We will help you find other Congress attendees with the same destination so that you can build a group that can receive the discount.

Full Day Excursions

Close to Leipzig there are a lot of cities, such as the German capital Berlin, Halle, Dresden or Prague (CZ) and landscapes, such as the middle mountain ranges Harz, the Thuringian forest, the Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) or the Elbsandsteingebirge (Elbe Sandstone Highland, the so called Saxon Switzerland), all worth visiting. The decision of which one to choose depends on your preferences. Regardless of this, here we recommend two small jewels that combine some sightseeing in old towns and hiking in a hilly area.

Naumburg

A stroll through Naumburg reveals the former wealth of the town: the Wenzelturm (Wenceslas Tower), Marientor, the town hall, numerous town houses with beautiful portals, gables and richly decorated oriels.

The Saale-Unstrut wine region with the “Rotkäppchen”-Town of Freyburg is considered the most northerly cultivation region for quality wine in Germany. A visit to the Rotkäppchen sparkling wine cellars (including a tasting) is one highlight. A plus is the Castle Neuenburg – opening hours Tue-Sun 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

You can travel to Naumburg by car (60 km, autobahn A14 and A9). Or you can go by train with the RB20 or RE48, both in less than one hour. It will cost around 20 € for a 24h ticket.

Meissen

Meissen, dominated by the Albrechtsburg Castle and the cathedral, enchants its visitors as a picturesque town with medieval alleys and markets. As a city of porcelain and wine, this is the cradle of Saxony. The oldest European porcelain manufactory has been based in Meissen since 1710. You can visit the Meissen Porcelain Museum Mo -Sun, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. for 12 €.

The Hoflößnitz Vineyard Museum near Radebeul, once an electoral-royal vineyard, is close (15 km south, 30 min by train), as is Moritzburg Castle (15 km east, 1h by train).

You can travel to Meißen by car (autobahn A14, 100 km). Or you can take the train RB50 plus city train S1 in about 1.5 hours. It will cost around 40 €. So, here the “Deutschland-Ticket” is definitely recommended.

Important addresses and telephone numbers in Markkleeberg

Emergency pharmacies (open on Sundays)

Rathaus-Apotheke (1.3 km east) 22.07.23 6 p.m. – 23.07.23 8 a.m.

Rathausstr. 35

Tel: 0341/3588788

Römer-Apotheke (1 km north) 29.07.23 6 p.m. – 30.07.23 8 a.m.

Sonnesiedlung 2a

Tel: 0341/3580415

Torhaus-Apotheke (3.6 km east) 05.08.23 6 p.m. – 06.08.23 8 a.m.

Arndstr. 2

Tel: 0341/3379590

Police

Police Station Markkleeberg (1.5 km east)

Am Poseidon 4

Tel: 0341/35310

Telephone numbers

medical emergency service: 19292
medical standby service: 116117

Fire department/emergency: 112
Police: 110

Taxi (Leipzig central station to venue ~ 22€)
- Funk Taxi: 0341/4884
- Taxi Lehmann: 0163/8775925
- Löwentaxi: 0341/98 22 22

Spiritual

Please find a small selection of places of religion and spirituality in Markkleeberg and Leipzig in alphabetical order here:

Auenkirche – Evangelical-lutheran – 2.9 km east
Brodyer Synagogue (Israelite Religious Community) – Keilstraße 4, Leipzig
Chùa Phước Nghiêm Buddhist Temple (Vietnamese Buddhist Community) – Kamenzer Straße 1, Leipzig
El-Furkan-Moschee (Islamic cultural center) – Apostelstraße 19, Leipzig
Krishna Temple (Vedic cultural society) – Merseburger Straße 95, Leipzig
Martin Luther Church – Evangelical-lutheran – 400m north
Peter und Paul Church – Catholic – 1.9 km north east
Russian Memorial Church Leipzig – Orthodox – Philipp-Rosenthal-Straße 51A, Leipzig

EGC 2023 Newsletter