This year, Europe received a one-seat invitation to participate in the 4th Quzhou Lanke Cup - World Weiqi Open, a prestigious international tournament played in the very heart of the "weiqi" birthplace, in Quzhou, China, in April.

The timing being quite short to prepare for an international tournament in the busy European Go season, many 7d+ players declined the invitation.
Thus, the qualifiers took place as a one match game between the two motivated players Stanislaw Frejlak 2p and Lukas Podpera 7d.

Both played an online game on the 10th of March to decide who would get to represent Europe. Stanislaw won after a chaotic game and will go to Quzhou!




Congratulations!

The tournament will happen in April, we will make sure to follow how Stanislaw will be doing.

So....stay tuned!

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Tournament information:

Time and Venue

Venue: Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China

Phase I: April 7th check-in, April 8th-12th international preliminary, April 14th 48-player round, April 15th 32-player round

Phase II: October 8th check-in, October 9th-10th 16-player to quarterfinals, October 12th semifinals, October 13th/15th/16th final three games, October 17th departure

Competition information

Eligibility: Professional players and amateur players of 7-dan or higher

Main tournament: 48 players including 13 seeded players (top 2 from previous edition, 4 from China, 2 from South Korea, 2 from Japan, 1 from Chinese Taipei, 2 wildcards)

Preliminary quotas: 28 open seats, 3 women's seats, 1 veteran seat (professional players born on or before December 31, 1981)

Rules: Chinese Weiqi rules with the black side giving 3¾ stones as compensation, Each player has 120 minutes of basic time, followed by 5 renewable 60 seconds

Format: Single elimination from preliminary to semifinal; best-of-three final

Prize Structure (pre-tax)
Champion: 1,800,000RMB
Runner-up: 600,000RMB
Semifinal losers: ¥200,000RMB
Quarterfinal losers: 100,000RMB
Round of 16 losers: 50,000RMB
Round of 32 losers: 30,000RMB
Round of 48 losers: 20,000RMB
Other costs: Main tournament prizes covered by organizers; all other expenses borne by participants

[1000RMB = 125€ before taxes]