The first American Chang Qi tournament will be held this fall in conjunction with the semi-finals of the 2015 Chang Qi Cup, which will be held in the US in September, the first time a professional go tournament semi-final will be held in North America. A major Chinese go tournament, the Chang Qi Cup semis will feature four of the world’s top go professionals, live review and commentary from the legendary Chang Hao 9P and a major American amateur tournament, all held at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, September 26-28.
“This tournament is a great opportunity to see top pros battling it out in person,” says local organizer Cole Pruitt. “We expect to draw many of the strongest players in North America to compete” in the inaugural American Chang Qi tournament which will offer a total prize pool of at least $15,000 distributed across several divisions. “Every part of the event is free for the public and online registration is coming soon!”
Supported by the Shanghai Ing Foundation, the event is organized by the American Collegiate Go Association. the tournament will be AGA-rated and will be jointly hosted with the American Go Association. The American Chang Qi tournament will include a special ‘university showdown’ where students can win prize money for having the best turnout from their school, the best record during the tournament, and more. “On Saturday night, we’re planning a special ‘Students and Professionals’ night out, where students at the event can hang out with and get to know professional players visiting from China,” adds Pruitt.
“As we gear up for the event, we want to bring on university students to help us organize it and make it an incredible event. We encourage all interested students to apply to be an organizer. In exchange for helping us run the event, we’ll cover your travel, room, and board in Boston during the event and you’ll get behind-the-scenes access, wine-and-dine the visiting pros from China, and more.”
photo: Chang Hao 9p competes at the 10th Chang Qi Cup back in 2013 (credit: Go Game Guru)
