Candidates and Aspirants 2026

Saturday 2nd–Monday 4th May 2026

University of Warwick, Faculty of Arts Building FAB 1.11, Coventry CV4 7EQ

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Invitation

We welcome you to a long weekend of Go over the Early May Bank Holiday, with two tournaments running in parallel in one venue, bringing together players of all strengths in a friendly and social environment:

• Candidates. The British Championship begins here. The strongest UK players compete over six rounds for a place in the Title Match and a shot at becoming the next British Champion.
• Aspirants. For players below the top level. With the same schedule, long time controls, and a relaxed atmosphere, it is ideal for enjoying serious games with ample time to think, review and socialise.

Rules

• Time controls: Fischer time with 75 minutes + 20 seconds per move (Class A rated).
• Ruleset: Standard BGA rules with 7.5 komi.
• Spectatorship: All players are encouraged to spectate games from either tournament, but are kindly reminded to follow the BGA Code of Conduct at all times. Player behaving improperly as a spectator may be sanctioned in their own tournament.

Venue and Schedule

Saturday and Sunday the playing venue will be the Faculty of Arts Building 1.11. Note that on Sunday the playing venue will be the Oculus Building next door.

Candidates (British Championship)

• Participation requirements. Players must satisfy ALL of the following.
  1. Qualification: Played all rounds in an EGF-rated tournament in the year ending 31 March 2025 and achieved an EGD GoR of 1900 or higher at the end of that tournament.
  2. Eligibility: As defined in the British Championship Rules.
  3. Commitment: Intend to play all rounds.
• Format. Six round Swiss with seeding in Round 1:

  Players will be split into two groups, ordered by EGD GoR. The top player in the strong group will play the top player in the weaker group, and so on down. On Board 1 the strong player will have black, on Board 2 white, etc.

• Prizes. Thanks to private sponsorship, the 2026 British Championship offers significant prizes:
  
  

  British Go Champion	Runner-up	3rd	4th	5th	6th
  £500	£250	£100	£75	£50	£25

  Additionally, the BGA will fund up to £200 towards the total expenses of both Title Match players.

Aspirants

• Participation requirements. Players must satisfy ALL of the following.
  1. Have EGD GoR 1899 or lower at time of online or in-person registration.
  2. Cannot participate in Candidates (due to not meeting one or more of its requirements).
  Players who later satisfy all requirements for Candidates will have their registration transferred to Candidates. All other players remain able to play Aspirants, regardless of later rating changes.
• Format. Six round McMahon with handicap minus one.
• Prizes. ALL Aspirants players who qualify for 2027 Candidates will receive free entry to Candidates 2027. In addition, for players who have played all rounds:
  
  

1st	2nd or 6 wins	3rd or 5 wins
£50	£20	£10

Registration

• Entry. Please use the single online entry form for both tournaments, selecting the one you intend to play and the entry fee/category that applies to you.
• Fees. Payment is made at registration, by cash or card.
  
  

  	Full tournament	Day rate (Aspirants only)	BGA non-members
  Adult standard	£40	£15	+£5
  Adult first-time	£30	£12	NA
  U of Warwick student	£20	£8	+£5
  Youth	£20	£8	NA

  Warwick student discounts are offered in recognition of the University of Warwick Go Society's support in arranging the venue.

Logistics

Getting here

The playing venue(s) are on the University of Warwick main campus, with good bus access to the rest of the city. Coventry is well-connected to the rest of the UK by public transport and by air with the nearby Birmingham International Airport. Routes:

• Coventry Train Station ➤ venue (22 minutes, direct bus 12X Platinum)
• Birmingham International Airport ➤ Coventry Train Station (11 minutes, direct train)

Parking

On-campus parking is plentiful but costs £2.50 each day (applies to weekends and the bank holiday Monday). The Junction Car Park (Car Park 8), CV4 7EZ is next to the venue(s).

Accommodation

Nearby on-campus accommodation can be booked through Warwick Conferences. Many cheaper options can be found off-campus with easy public transport access (see travel details above); you may wish to check the usual sites like Booking.com or Airbnb, and there are several Premier Inns in Coventry.

Food and drink

We will supply unlimited (within reason) tea, coffee, soft drinks and biscuits.

There is a large selection of food on campus as well as a Co-op store (list with opening times here). On Saturday night a booking has been made at 19:00 for a group meal at the on-campus buffet restaurant Panda Mami (£18.99 per person, student discount £2).

Sightseeing

There are many attractions in and around Coventry, such as the iconic (and free to visit) Coventry Cathedral or Warwick Castle. See Visit Coventry or Tripadvisor for some suggestions.

The banner image is based on a photo of Coventry Cathedral by Ben Sutherland, used under a CC BY 2.0 licence. Modified from the original.