World Amateur Go Championship Returns to South Korea After 12 Years

The pinnacle of amateur Go competition, the World Amateur Go Championship, is set to return to South Korea after a 12-year hiatus.

The 46th edition of the tournament will commence with an opening ceremony on September 7 in Mungyeong, located in North Gyeongsang Province. The championship matches will run until September 11 at the Onnuri Sports Center. This marks the first time South Korea has hosted the event since the Gyeongju tournament in 2014.

This year's championship will feature players from 53 countries, highlighting the global reach of the ancient board game. South Korea will be represented by Kim Hyun-seok, an amateur 7-dan player, who will compete for the title on home soil.

The tournament format includes two games per day over eight rounds, starting from September 8. Each player will have 60 minutes of main time, followed by three periods of 30-second byo-yomi (time-penalty countdowns). The komi, or compensation points for the second player, will be 6.5 points.

In addition to the competition, a significant leadership transition is expected. Jeong Tae-soon, the current president of the Korea Baduk Association, is slated to be nominated as the new president of the International Go Federation (IGF) during the IGF board meeting scheduled for the championship's opening day. South Korea, China, and Japan have historically rotated the IGF presidency every two years since 2010.