International Go Association
The ancient game of Go is a long-standing tradition in many nations of Orbis Terrae, a game of grand strategy pitting together the forces of life and death. Though simple to explain in terms of rules, the scope of Go is such that it forms a game of great complexity. The Ensojin Go House is pleased, as the last surviving Go House in the Mujin Empire, to play the role of headquarters to the International Go Association.
What is go? Go is an ancient game of strategy for two players, invented in China 2,500 years ago. The game is classified as abstract strategy and has two players compete to capture the greatest amount of territory by taking turns placing coloured stones on a board. The game continues until either both players pass, or a player resigns. In the event neither player resigned, the winner is determined by taking the amount of territory each player had captured, along with modifiers for handicap and komi - special points awarded to white because of blacks' early start. Go is a very complex game - it is believed the number of possible, legal variations of final board configuration is on the order of 10170!
Terms of Membership
What is go? Go is an ancient game of strategy for two players, invented in China 2,500 years ago. The game is classified as abstract strategy and has two players compete to capture the greatest amount of territory by taking turns placing coloured stones on a board. The game continues until either both players pass, or a player resigns. In the event neither player resigned, the winner is determined by taking the amount of territory each player had captured, along with modifiers for handicap and komi - special points awarded to white because of blacks' early start. Go is a very complex game - it is believed the number of possible, legal variations of final board configuration is on the order of 10170!
Terms of Membership
- Any National Go Association can apply to be an IGA member association.
- The International Go Association shall provide tournaments twice-annually:
- The Summer Professional Contest - open to all players with professional designations by their respective national Associations.
- The Winter Invitational - open to players invited by the International Go Association.
- These tournaments shall be hosted by any of the constituent National Associations which are members of the IGA. The host shall be selected by the IGA site selection committee.
- The host of a given tournament shall provide materially for the tournament.
- Member Associations shall be the chief administrators of professional status.
2019 Summer Professional League
Every year, the IGA hosts two tournaments - one in the summer, and one in the winter. By long-standing tradition, the summer event is an open tournament, open to any competitor nominated as their nation's sole contender by their respective national Go Association. This year, the IGA is hosting the tournament from Ensojin Go House in Sakyo-ku, Kyoto. This historic venue is headquarters of the International Go Association, though, interestingly, the headquarters of the Mujin Go Association is actually in Edo.
Entry applications are due no later than the 10th of May to allow ample lead time for scheduling matches. Please have your entries submitted by then. This year, the tournament will not be rank-weighted and no handicaps will be given. In light of this unusual manner of play, in place of the usual practice of handing out a Grand Master and two Master titles, the tournament will instead select a Champion.
Tournament Rules
Once applications close, the final bracket will be created and posted. The IGA will work with the various competitors to facilitate the timing and logistics of matches, with the ultimate goal being to complete play and announce a champion by the end of the summer, if not sooner.
Current Competitors
All Entries are due by May 10, 2019 (2019-05-10) at 0000 UTC.
Application Form:
Entry applications are due no later than the 10th of May to allow ample lead time for scheduling matches. Please have your entries submitted by then. This year, the tournament will not be rank-weighted and no handicaps will be given. In light of this unusual manner of play, in place of the usual practice of handing out a Grand Master and two Master titles, the tournament will instead select a Champion.
Tournament Rules
- Competitors who have applied prior to the 10th of May deadline will be considered part of the tournament unless otherwise stated.
- In the event of an unbalanced number of competitors, the Mujin Go Association will provide appropriate alternates.
- Games shall be limited to a half hour to prevent a repeat of the 2016 Exhaustion Gambit
- Competitors who do not attend their scheduled matches will be forfeit. If you need to reschedule, contact your opponent.
- Anyone found to refuse to reschedule a match in bad faith will be forfeit and their opponent restored to the bracket.
- The tournament will be played in bracket fashion. Each bracket will have a deadline by which it must be played.
- All matches should be recorded - ideally in video format - and posted into the tournament thread once complete. It would also be permissible to live stream the event as long as the archived video could remain live for some time. Finally, simply posting the match's move log would be permissible.
- Komi shall be 5.5.
Once applications close, the final bracket will be created and posted. The IGA will work with the various competitors to facilitate the timing and logistics of matches, with the ultimate goal being to complete play and announce a champion by the end of the summer, if not sooner.
Current Competitors
All Entries are due by May 10, 2019 (2019-05-10) at 0000 UTC.
Application Form:
- Code: Select all
[b][u]Application for Play - IGA 2019 Summer Open League[/u][/b]
[b]Competitor Name:[/b]
[b]Competitor Country of Origin:[/b]
[b]Rank (As Assessed by Competitor's NGA):[/b]
[b]Brief Biography for Press Purposes:[/b]
[b]Competitor's Headshot[/b]
[img]Optional, paste code here[/img]
(OP's note: NationStates chosen over NS Sports as the desire is to have the games themselves played rather than use a scorinator.)