A few simple rules ... limitless possibilities
London Open Go Congress
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| Location | Schedule | Rules | Sponsorship & Prizes | Fees | Accommodation |
| Online Entry | Online Player List | Last Year |
28 December 2011 to 31 December 2011
Organised by the British Go Association and the Central London Go Club
in collaboration with the European Go Federation.
Sponsored by the Nippon Club.
Note: Please carefully read the accommodation booking procedure if you are planning to stay at ISH.
NEW! NEW!
The date for the late entry surcharge has been extended.
It will now take effect from midnight 18 December!
Please see the online booking form.
Ko Juyeon, Korean Professional 8p will attend the London Open this year, providing teaching and game analysis for players at all levels.
The London Open is held at the International Students House very near to Regent’s Park. In association with Park Crescent Conference Centre well furnished playing facilities are provided, as well as low cost accommodation in a variety of formats. The congress takes place mainly in their very large Theatre. Players (and even their family!) are able to stay on site and enjoy all the facilities provided including bar, internet access and restaurant.
Please note that registration starts at 12:00 on Wednesday 28th December, allowing players to travel on the first morning of the tournament.
LOCATION
International Students House , 229 Great Portland Street , London , W1W 5PN
The map shows how to find the venue. It is in the centre of London, right next door to Great Portland Street station between Baker Street and King’s Cross on the Circle, Metropolitan, and Hammersmith & City lines. It is also near to Regent’s Park and Warren Street underground stations. On the one hand you will be able to take a crisp walk in Regent’s Park, and on the other you can be in the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street shopping within a 10 minute walk.
For changes to London tube service check with TfL.
SCHEDULE
If you arrive early on Tuesday 27, you can play Go in the Cyber-Cafe.
| Tuesday 27 | 18:00 - 22:00 Organisers available for arrivals from abroad. |
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| Wednesday 28 | 12:00 - 14:00 Registration 14:15 Opening Ceremony 14:30 Round 1 18:30 Round 2 |
| Thursday 29 | 10:00 Round 3 14:15 Round 4 19:00 Pair Go |
| Friday 30 | 10:00 Round 5 14:15 Round 6 19:00 Lightning |
| Saturday 31 | 10:00 Round 7 14:00 Packup 14:00 Game Commentary 14:30 Closing Ceremony 15:15 Rengo Tournament 19:30 New Year’s Eve Meal 22:00 Games and drinks |
After the closing ceremony we will have a Rengo tournament for those who are staying for the New Year celebrations. There will also be an evening meal arranged at a local venue on 31stst Year.
RULES
The London Open will be using official BGA Rules - please see Rules of Play for fine details.
Players are expected to enter at their EGF rank, without a compelling reason why it should be different.
The tournament rules are:
| Playing time | 90 minutes if either player is 19 kyu or stronger, 60 minutes otherwise |
|---|---|
| Canadian Overtime | 20 moves in 5 minutes |
| Komi | 7½ points |
| Handicap | McMahon difference - 1 (where required) |
NOTE
All players are required to be familiar with the Canadian Overtime procedure:
If your main time flag falls:
1. Count 20 stones from the bowl.
2. Close the bowl.
3. Reset the clock to 5 minutes.
4. Play all 20 stones before the flag falls.
5. When all your stones are finished, repeat the above steps, starting with 1.
If the flag falls when you are in overtime, you lose.
When your opponent is in overtime,it is considered good sportsmanlike behaviour for you to reset the clock while your opponent is counting the stones.
SPONSORSHIP and PRIZES
The London Open is a major European tournament so the top three places will receive prizes of £150, £100 and £50. As it is a Level 5 event in the European Cup, the top 7 European players will receive European Cup points (the highest placed will get 18). There will be also be prizes for the best youth players and so on. Trophies will be awarded for six or more wins, and for four or five wins you get the much valued London Open Certificate. There will naturally be prizes for the Lightning and Pair Go Tournaments.
The tournament is receiving sponsorship from the Nippon Club, the Central London Go Club and also the British Go Association.
TOURNAMENT FEES
The lightning tournament is free to all players. The fees for the main tournament are:
| Entry Fee | Full | Student | Junior (Under 18) |
| Early bird (Before Sun 16th Oct) | £35 | £30 | £20 |
| Standard | £42 | £37 | £27 |
| Late (After Sun 11th Dec) | £52 | £47 | £37 |
| Surcharge | £5 For non-membership of your national Go association |
If you do enter by post, please make cheques payable to London Open Go Congress. However we prefer you to pay in Sterling at registration.
ACCOMMODATION
The International Students House offers accommodation on site in single, twin, triple, 4 bedded, and multi-bedded rooms. Players staying for the period of the congress will be entitled to a special discounted rate as shown below.
The rates quoted are per-person-per-night. Note that all these rooms, including the dormitory, come with a continental breakfast voucher to the value of £2.50.
| Single | £37.00 |
|---|---|
| Single-en-suite | £41.00 |
| Twin en-suite | £32.00 |
| Twin | £29.00 |
| 3 Bedded | £23.00 |
| 4 Bedded | £21.00 |
| Multi bedded - Dormitory | £19.00 |
Tournament organisers have stayed in the accommodation. It is simple, clean, and functional. There are toilet and shower facilities on each floor of the building.
The London Open has reserved beds at ISH, but you are warned that there is a huge demand at ISH on New Year’s Eve because of their big party. If you leave your booking till shortly before the tournament, you may find that all the accommodation at ISH is fully booked!
Quieter single and double rooms are available at the Mary Trevellan Hall which is an annex to the main ISH site situated about a 10 minutes walk away. Ask to be placed in MTH if you wish for peace on New Year’s Eve!
BOOKING
Any player entering the London Open should book accommodation directly through ISH by emailing the accommodation officer David Wilde. If you email out of office hours you will normally get an auto reponse from ISH saying that he is out of the office. You can if you wish, email accommodation. State the room type you want, clearly specify your date of arrival and date of departure, and state that you are booking accommodation for the ‘Go Tournament’ in order to obtain the discount on room prices. David Wilde will respond with instructions on how to pay to complete your booking. If you do not hear from him within 2 working days, please phone ISH on +44 -(0)20 76318300. This is an automatic menu service - press 0 to get the operator and ask to speak with David Wilde. If you have problems booking directly through ISH then please contact David Cantrell who will assist you with the booking.
If you do not wish to stay at ISH, alternative (but more expensive) accommodation may be found on the web, for example through http://www.wakeuplondon.co.uk/, or http://www.londontown.com/, or http://www.visitbritain.com/.
| Please note that once you have booked your room at ISH, you still need to enter the London Open. Pre-registration and booking at ISH are entirely separate procedures! |
ENTRY
The preferred method of entry is via the ONLINE ENTRY FORM. Every entry will receive an immediate automatic email response. You will get a manual confirmation within two 2 days. You will of course need to supply your email address in the entry form. Please ensure that you use a valid address as otherwise you will not be able to receive a manual confirmation! If you do not get a manual reponse, and you are sure it is not sitting in your spam box, then please email David Cantrell with a valid reply address! You may also enter via:
- email: David Cantrell
- post: Flat 2, 11 Beulah Road, Thornton Heath, London CR7 8JH, United Kingdom
- phone/fax: +44 (0)1223 710 582 (Geoff Kaniuk)
Players requiring Visas are reminded to apply for these early so that the required paperwork can be completed in good time.
If you fail to contact David by email or Geoff by phone, please contact Anna Griffiths on her mobile: 07779 238047. The BGA's tournament mobile phone 07506 555366 will be operational only during the 4 days of the congress.
If you are not entering online, please print out the online form and supply all the required detail.
PLAYER LIST
If you wish your name and grade to appear in the online list of players, please indicate this in the online entry form. The default is that your name is on the list unless you explicitly ask for it not to appear. If you wish your name to be removed or added after submitting your entry, then please just email me.