The 2024 "Confucius Cup" Irish Go Championship Concludes Successfully

 

The 2024 "Confucius Cup" Irish Go Championship was successfully held from September 20th to 22nd at the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland. As one of the key tournaments in Europe, this event was co-organised by the UCD Confucius Institute and the Irish Go Association, attracting over 40 top players across Europe.

The tournament featured two main events: a Blitz Tournament on Friday evening 20thand the Confucius Cup Open over the weekend (21st and 22nd). The Blitz Tournament on Friday used the Swiss system, while the Confucius Cup Open on Saturday and Sunday adopted the McMahon system. After two days of intense competition, Surma Mateusz claimed the championship with an outstanding performance, while Podpera Lukas took second place, and Burzo Cornel secured third. Habu Koichiro, Boviz Dominik, Bouette Valerian, and Zhang Fengyin placed fourth to seventh, respectively.

Professors Wang Liming, the Director of the Confucius Institute, and Xie Jiangnan, the Chinese Co-Director, presented trophies and prizes to the winners. To allow Go enthusiasts who couldn’t attend in person to experience the excitement of the event, the main games were live streamed on the OGS platform. Professional players from the European Go Federation also provided real-time commentary through their Twitch channel. A large screen in the auditorium next to the main venue displayed the live stream, enabling the audience to watch the games up close.

The Confucius Cup has become a well-known event in the European Go community. Through competition, players have forged deep friendships and promoted cultural exchange between different cultures and nationalities.