European Go Federation Explained

European Go Federation
Type:Sports federation, International Go Federation
Formation:1957
Headquarters:Amstelveen, Netherlands
Membership:Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Leader Title:President
Leader Name:Martin Stiassny
Language:English
Website:www.eurogofed.org

The European Go Federation (EGF) is a non-profit organization with the purpose of encouraging, regulating, co-ordinating, and disseminating the playing of the board game Go in Europe. The EGF was founded in 1957, the same year that the inaugural European Go Congress (EGC) took place in Cuxhaven, Germany. The Congress has been an annual event every year since then, held each time in a different European city.[1] The European Go Championship takes place during the EGC, as well as the Annual General Meeting (AGM). In 2014, the European Professional System was established by the European Go Federation.[2]

Membership is open to any Go-organising association in a country in or near Europe. There are currently 35 full members, and two suspended members.[3]

Function

The EGF elects an Executive Committee which supervises a number of commissions in charge of normal activities in between the AGMs.

Major European tournaments do not fall under the Executive Committee's supervision, but are directly co-ordinated by the EGF itself. Major events organised by the EGF include the European Grand Prix; the Pandanet European Team Championship; European Youth Go Championships in three age categories; the European Youth Team Championship; the European Pair Go Championship, the European Women's Championship; the European Student Championship and the European Championship, held during the annual European Go Congress.[4] An official Rating List is maintained by processing the results of as many European tournaments as possible.[5]

The European Go Federation is a member of the International Go Federation.[6]

Members

Country Member name
ArmeniaArmenian Draughts and Go Federation
AustriaAustrian Go Federation (Go Verband Österreich)
Belarus (membership suspended)Belarus Go Federation
BelgiumBelgian Go Federation (Belgische Go Federatie - Fédération Belge de Go)
BosniaGo Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Go Asocijacija Bosne i Hecegovine)
BulgariaBulgarian Go Association (Bulgarska Go Asotsiatsija)
CroatiaCroatian Go Alliance (Hrvatski Go Savez)
CyprusCyprus Go Association (Kypriakos Syndesmos Go)
Czech RepublicCzech Go Association (Ceska Asociace Go)
DenmarkDanish Go Association (Dansk Go Forbund)
FinlandFinnish Go Association (Suomen Go-liitto ry)
FranceFrench Go Federation (Fédération Française de Go)
GeorgiaGeorgian Go Federation (საქართველოს გო-ს ეროვნული სპორტული ფედერაცია)
GermanyGerman Go Federation (Deutscher Go-Bund)
HungaryHungarian Go Association (Magyar Gószövetség)
IcelandIcelandic Go Association (Hið Íslenska Gofélag)
IrelandIrish Go Association (Irish Go Association)
IsraelIsraeli Go Association (Agudat Ha-Go Ha-Yisraelit)
ItalyItalian Go Federation (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Go)
KazakhstanKazakhstan Go Federation (Kazakhstan Go Federation)
LithuaniaLithuanian Go Association (Lietuvos Go Asociacija)
LuxembourgGo Club Luxemburg (Le Club de Go du Luxembourg)
NetherlandsDutch Go Association (Nederlandse Go Bond)
NorwayNorwegian Go Association (Go i Norge)
PolandPolish Go Association (Polskie Stowarzyszenie Go)
PortugalPortuguese Go Association (Associaçăo Portuguesa de Go)
RomaniaRomanian Go Federation (Federatia Romana de Go)
Russia (membership suspended)Russian Go Federation (Rossiiskaya Federatziaya Go)
SerbiaSerbian Go Federation (Go Savez Srbije)
SlovakiaSlovak Go Association (Slovenská Asociácia Go)
SloveniaSlovenian Go Association (Go Zveza Slovenije)
SpainSpanish Go Association (Asociacion Espanola de Go)
SwedenSwedish Go Association (Svenska Goförbundet)
SwitzerlandSwiss Go Association (Schweizer Go Verband - Fédération Suisse de Go - Federazione Svizzera di Go)
TurkeyTurkish Go Players' Association (Türkiye Go Oyunculari Dernegi)
UkraineUkrainian Go Federation (Ukrainska' Federatsiya Go)
United KingdomBritish Go Association (British Go Association)
Note: On 3 March 2022, the EGF decided during an emergency general meeting to suspend indefinitely both the Russian and Belarusian associations due to the 2022 Invasion of Ukraine by Russia. All planned or future events organised by the EGF were cancelled and players from both countries were banned from representing their nations at European events. The first major event affected was the 2022 European Youth Go Championship held between the 10 and 12 March in Czechia.[7] [8]

EGF Professional players

The EGF established a professional system in 2014 with Chinese sponsorship. Top European players are invited to take part in a Qualification Tournament, with one or two of the most successful competitors being awarded professional status. Professionals can then be promoted by earning points from wins against other professional players in major tournaments. As of 2023, there are nine such players, who enjoy benefits including automatic qualification to the Grand Slam and the opportunity to represent Europe in major international tournaments.

Professional Players of the EGF[9] !Player!Nationality!Year Became Pro!Promotion History
Ilya ShikshinRussian2015Promoted to 2p in 2018, to 3p in 2019, to 4p in 2021.
Artem KachanovskyiUkrainian2016Promoted to 2p in 2018, to 3p in 2024.
Pavol LisýSlovakian2014Promoted to 2p in 2018.
Mateusz SurmaPolish2015Promoted to 2p in 2019, to 3p in 2023.
Ali JabarinIsraeli2014Promoted to 2p in 2018.
Andrii KravetsUkrainian2017
Tanguy le CalvéFrench2019
Stanisław FrejlakPolish2021
Jan ŠimaraCzech2023

Current title holders

Below is a summary of the current holders or most recent winners of the major EGF-organised events.

!Title!Title Holder!Notes
European ChampionshipAndrii Kravets 1p[10] Held August 2024 in Toulouse, France. Kravets successfully defended his title from 2023.
European Women's ChampionshipLi Ting 1p[11] Held May 2023 in Strasbourg, France.
European Grand Prix FinaleCornel Burzo 6d[12] Held December 2023 in London, UK.
European Grand SlamMateusz Surma 3p[13] Held October 2023 in Prague, Czechia.
Pandanet European Team ChampionshipFrance[14] Finals held August 2024 in Toulouse, France.
European Pair Go ChampionshipMilena Boclé 3d and Florent Labouret 5d[15] Held April 2024 in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
European Student ChampionshipMartin Ruzicka 4d[16] Held September 2022 in Trier, Germany.
European Youth Championship – U20 CategoryBenoit Robinchon[17] Held March 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.
European Youth Championship – U16 CategoryYuze Xing 5d[18] Held March 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.
European Youth Championship – U12 CategoryBartik Dach 2d[19] Held March 2024 in Hamburg, Germany.
European Youth Team ChampionshipUkraine[20]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: List of European Go Congresses . 2019-05-26 . 2012-08-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120809000127/http://www.eurogofed.org/results/congress.htm . live .
  2. Web site: 1st European Pro Qualification 2014. 2014. 11 January 2015. 11 January 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150111151005/http://www.eurogofed.org/proqualification/. live.
  3. Web site: EGF Members . 2009-07-17 . 2009-08-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090807135049/http://www.eurogofed.org/members/ . live .
  4. Web site: EGF Top Events . 2022-03-10 . eurogofed.org.
  5. Web site: E.G.D. - European Go Database | EGF ratings system . Europeangodatabase.eu . 2021-12-28 . 2012-10-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121004205141/http://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/EGF_rating_system.php . live .
  6. Web site: List of official members of the International Go Federation . 2009-08-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120205081757/http://intergofed.org/members.htm . 2012-02-05 . dead .
  7. Web site: European Go Federation . 2022-03-10 . European Go Federation . en.
  8. Web site: EGF Suspends Russia British Go Association . 2022-03-10 . britgo.org.
  9. Web site: European Pros . 2022-02-26 . www.eurogofed.org.
  10. Web site: European Championship 2024 . 2024-08-10 . www.eurogofed.org.
  11. Web site: European Women's Go Championship 2023 . 2024-03-25 . eurogofed.org.
  12. Web site: 7th European Grand Prix Finale 2023 . 2024-03-25 . eurogofed.org.
  13. Web site: European Go Grand Slam Tournament . 2024-03-25 . eurogofed.org.
  14. Web site: Pandanet: European Team Go Champs . 2024-08-10 . Pandanet: European Team Go Champs . en.
  15. Web site: European Pair Go Championships 2024 . 2024-08-10 . www.eurogofed.org.
  16. Web site: European Student Go Championship 2022 Tournament card E.G.D. - European Go Database . 2023-04-17 . www.europeangodatabase.eu.
  17. Web site: European Youth Go Congress 2024 U21 Tournament card E.G.D. - European Go Database . 2024-03-25 . europeangodatabase.eu.
  18. Web site: European Youth Go Championship 2024 U18 Tournament card E.G.D. - European Go Database . 2024-03-25 . europeangodatabase.eu.
  19. Web site: European Youth Go Championship 2024 U12 Tournament card E.G.D. - European Go Database . 2024-03-25 . europeangodatabase.eu.
  20. Web site: European Tournament Results . 2024-08-10 . www.eurogofed.org.