Proposal for the Go European Championship System

Date of proposal: 27.5.2008

Proposed by the Finnish Go Association

Goals for the European Championship tournament

• Primary goal

Find the European Champion.

>The champion should be chosen in a manner suitable for the prestige of the title

• Secondary goals

Find the top 10 European players

In some countries a place within the best 10 Europeans is considered a remarkable achievement and will benefit the player or the local organization.

Keep the EGC attractive to strong non-European players

• Other  goals
• Try to be media friendly
• Try to keep the tournament short (calendar-wise) to enable busy players to participate
• Try to let everyone enjoy the European Go Congress

General

The European Champion is the winner of the European Championship tournament (EC) and only European players may play.

The winner of the European Go Congress Main tournament is the Open European champion and all players may participate.

The last Saturday is a special match day -  There will be a match between the best European and non-European players.

Definition of a European Player

The EGF will make a separate decision to define who is considered as a “European player”.

The Schedule

Thinking times

The Main tournament

Start-up Selection of the Top Group

There will be 32, 40, 48, 56 or 64 players in the top group. Players must sign a written document that they will play all rounds assigned to them in order to be able to play the top group. The top group is filled in the following order:

• 32 European 4 dans or stronger chosen by rating
• up to 16 non-European 5 dans or stronger
• 6 wild cards: local favorites, young players etc.
• remaining 5 dans
• 4 dans up to the next number in the list above

Tournament

The tournament will be run according to the McMahon system, with the exceptions made for the qualification for the European Championship tournament and the last round of the Main tournament. The order of the players is decided by the McMahon score and the tie-breaker SOS.

The last round

In the last round the European players who have a chance to get a place in the top 10 Europeans will be paired  with each other (within their McMahon groups as far as possible). A separate list of best 10 European will be produced.  On this list the players with equal McMahon scores share their places. Likewise a separate list of best three non Europeans will be produced.

The European Championship

Qualification

Only European players may qualify for the European Championship tournament. After three rounds of the Main tournament there will be at most 8 players with the top McMahon score and at most 32 players one point below. From these, 8 players are selected to the upper and 16 to the lower group.  Players will be ordered by McMahon score and tie-breakers (SOS, rating, lottery).  Players with the top McMahon score will qualify for the top group. If two players whose place numbers total to 17 have the same McMahon score they will play an extra preliminary game to decide which one qualifies for the upper and which one for the lower group. Likewise two players whose place numbers total to 49 and have the same McMahon score will play to decide which one qualifies for the lower group. The unqualified players continue in the main tournament. Opponents for the preliminary round may be switched if the players have already played each other during the first three rounds of the main tournament.

During the first three Main tournament rounds, none of the top group Europeans is paired against more than one non-European, as far as there are European opponents available in the same McMahon group. If not all Europeans who need an European opponent can get one a random choice will be made.

Tournament

Players are paired within the upper and lower groups separately. The winners in the upper group continue in the upper group. The losers in the upper group and the winners in the lower group continue in the lower group. Losers from the lower group are joining the Main tournament in the next round. The single winner in the upper group after three rounds is paired down in the fourth round. If he wins he gets a bye in the fifth round. Rematches are avoided as far as possible. The first priority is to avoid a rematch within the European Championship, then a rematch from the preliminary round and then a rematch from the first three rounds of the Main tournament.  The winner of the game in the sixth round is the European Champion and the loser is the second. The loser or losers in the fifth round resolve the third place. See appendix for the pairing

Special Match

The three best Europeans will play an extra game against the best non-Europeans on the last Saturday. This will not affect their places in the other tournaments. It is recommended to allocate some prize money to the match.

Appendix

Pairing for preliminary round of the European Championship

mm is the  McMahon score around 24th and 25th place.

Eight players will be qualified for the upper group and 16 more for the lower group. If a player has already played with the tentative opponent during the first three rounds of the main tournament,  an attempt to pair him with another opponent  who is as near as possible with the tentative opponent is made.  If it is not possible to avoid a rematch then a rematch is played.

Pairings  for the Rounds 5 and 6 in the European Championship

About Tie-breakers