Do you live in Australia or New Zealand, and play the ancient oriental game of go, online?

Been wanting to play in a tournament, but just can't make it to a capital city or afford to burn an entire weekend face-to-face?

This year is your chance. Come join us at the second annual Australian Digital Tournament.

This is a first-class tournament of the Australian Go Association and WAGC-eligible regional tournament of the New Zealand Go Society. If you are an Australian player, it affects your national rating, earns you international representative points, the whole ball of wax. If you are a New Zealand player, it is a fun chance to crush Australian players in a trans-Tasman tournament...and earns you international representative points.

There are six rounds of go tournament, one round per week played at a go server near you.

The server is OGS and we are playing in the Australia room. Registration is $10. Prizes are some cash, some free entry to national championships, and eternal glory.

Second division for kyu players, first division for the Australian Digital Champion from the dan players. This is Tom Chen, the 2015 Digital Champion, at the awards ceremony at the 2016 Australian Go Congress:

The tournament organisers are the umpire (honorary Australian national coach, An Younggil 8p), Matthew Crossman (Sydney) and Horatio Davis (Brisbane).

First Division

For players from second kyu to eighth dan.

Even games, no handicap stones, komi is 6.5 points to white, c olour is set by the draw ( standard Swiss ).

standard Swiss First prize is $100 + free entry to the 2017 Australian Go Congress (October, Sydney).

2017 Australian Go Congress Second and third prizes are $50.

Second Division

For players from twentieth kyu to second dan (yes, you can play in both divisions if you are between second kyu and second dan, I did this last year and it is quite fun).

Up to nine handicap stones, komi is 0.5 points to white when there is handicap.

Even matches will have a komi of 6.5 points to white.

Handicap and colours will be set by the draw.

The draw is a progressive Swiss (each time you lose a round you get one more handicap stone next round).

First prize is $50 + free entry to the 2016 Australian National Championships (December, Melbourne).

Second and third prizes are $25.

Tournament Rules

Six rounds of online go, starting on Sunday the 26th of June, one round per week.

The draw for each round will be sent out by email on Sunday 26 June (for the first round), play starts Sunday 26 June.

In the week after your draw is sent to you, you and the opponent you're drawn against play a game on the Online Go Server, then email the game record (or game number, at least) to the tournament director by 6pm Saturday.

Games may be played on KGS, IGS, or Tygem by mutual agreement, someone must email me the SGF game record.

The time and place of games are to be worked out by talking to your opponent. All players' email and OGS username will be published on the tournament web page so you can do this. Not playing because you didn't talk to your opponent is a forfeit.

Match times will be at least 60 minutes per player main time, plus 5x30 seconds byoyomi. It can be more (or unlimited!) by mutual agreement.

Match times will be at least 60 minutes per player main time, plus 5x30 seconds byoyomi. It can be more (or unlimited!) by mutual agreement. Australian standard tournament scoring: wins are worth 1 point, ties and draws and byes are worth half a point, losses and forfeits (not showing up or breaking the rules) worth zero points. Winners are by how many points you scored, ties broken by Sum of Opponents' Scores, and then by Sum of Defeated Opponents' Scores, and then by which of you defeated the other in the round where you played.

wins are worth 1 point, ties and draws and byes are worth half a point, losses and forfeits (not showing up or breaking the rules) worth zero points. Winners are by how many points you scored, ties broken by Sum of Opponents' Scores, and then by Sum of Defeated Opponents' Scores, and then by which of you defeated the other in the round where you played. The draw is a Swiss with modified slide pairing.

Japanese (territory) scoring and counting, situational superko, jigo are draws.



Player strength is measured in their equivalent Australian rankings.

If you're Australian, you're expected to be an Australian Go Association member, join up at the AGA web page if your club hasn't already taken care of it for you.

If you're New Zealand, you need to be a permanent resident or citizen to earn WAGC points.

Since they asked on reddit: no, no computer aids, no stronger players or friends helping you, just you by yourself playing your opponent. The tournament umpire is an 8d professional and can tell.

Round Dates

Round 1 drawn 26 June, play Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July, email us game results by 6pm, 2 July.

Round 2 drawn 2 July, play Sunday 3 July to Saturday 9 July, email us game results by 6pm, 9 July.

Round 3 drawn 9 July, play Sunday 10 July to Saturday 16 July, email us game results by 6pm, 16 July.

Round 4 drawn 16 July, play Sunday 17 July to Saturday 23 July, email us game results by 6pm, 23 July.

Round 5 drawn 23 July, play Sunday 24 July to Saturday 30 July, email us game results by 6pm, 30 July.

Round 6 drawn 30 July, play Sunday 31 July to Saturday 6 August, email us game results by 10pm, 6 August.

Results announced Sunday 7 August, at 3pm.



