American Go E-Journal

The North American Go Federation (NAGF) has finalized the format of the 2021 NAGF Pro Qualification Tournament, which will take place in person at the National Go Center in Washington DC over six days – from August 16 to 21. A total of 10 players will play a preliminary round in two round-robin groups, followed by a best-of-three semi-final round and a concluding best-of-three final. The winner of the tournament will receive the title of NAGF Professional 1 Dan, plus a $2,000 USD prize. The runner-up will receive a $1,000 USD prize.

All players will have 75 minutes main time with 60 seconds/5 times byo-yomi for each game. All games will be broadcast live on KGS by the AGA broadcast team. There will be a live Twitch streaming event on August 21, starting at 10 AM US Eastern Time, details TBA. All players and staff who are eligible and able to receive COVID vaccines are asked to come to the competition fully vaccinated, and everyone will be asked to wear a mask inside the venue. “It’s been a difficult journey preparing for this tournament during the pandemic, but we are thrilled to be certifying a new professional player in this competition,” says NAGF Executive Director Hajin Lee. “For the players who couldn’t attend this year due to various circumstances, we’d like to note that we will continue to organize annual Pro Qualification Tournaments going forward.”