London Open Go Congress

39th London Open Go Congress

28th December 2012 to 31st December 2012

International Students House

Organised by the British Go Association [5] and the Central London Go Club [6]
in collaboration with the European Go Federation. [4]

Supported by the Nippon Club. [1]

Note: Please carefully read the accommodation booking procedure if you are planning to stay at ISH.

Guo Juan, 5p, will attend the London Open again this year, providing teaching and game analysis for players at all levels, from the 29th to 31st.

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 28th December, allowing players to travel on the first morning of the tournament.

TRAVEL

Please see the Transport for London [7] website for advice on travelling during the festive period.

LOCATION

International Students House [8] (ISH), 229 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PN

The map [9] shows how to find the venue.

ISH 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 adjacent to Regent’s Park and near to Warren Street underground stations.

For changes to London tube service check with TfL [10].

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.

Travel by car is not recommended as on-street parking is expensive and there is only limited parking at ISH which is chargeable and has to be pre-booked. Note that none of the tournament days are bank holidays, but the congestion charge does not normally apply at new year period (ISH is just outside the zone anyway).

Please note there is no smoking anywhere in the building.

SCHEDULE

If you arrive early, during the evening on 27th December, organisers will be available to meet you (and possibly play some Go). Find us in the Portland Room.

Thursday 27	18:00 - 22:00		Organisers available for arrivals from abroad.
Friday 28	12:00 - 14:00		Registration
	14:15		Opening Ceremony
	14:30	Round 1
	18:30	Round 2
Saturday 29	10:00	Round 3
	14:15	Round 4
	18:30		Lecture by Guo Juan
	19:00		Pair Go
Sunday 30	10:00	Round 5
	14:15	Round 6
	18:30		Lecture by Guo Juan
	19:00		Lightning
Monday 31	10:00	Round 7
	14:00		Packup
	14:00		Game Commentary by Guo Juan
	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 31st December to celebrate the lead up to New Year.

PREVIOUS OPENS

If you want to get a feel of the event before deciding to come please take a look at the reports and photo galleries from recent London Opens:

• 2011 Gallery and Report [11]
• 2010 Gallery and Report [12]
• 2009 Gallery [13]
• 2008 Gallery [14]
• 2007 Gallery [15]
• London Pair Go [16]

RULES

The London Open will be using official BGA Rules - please see Rules of Play [17] 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 your 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 top three places will receive prizes of £150, £100 and £50. As the London Open is a Level 1 event in the European Cup [18], the top three European players will receive European Cup points (the highest placed will get 6, then 3 and 1). There will naturally be prizes for the Lightning and Pair Go Tournaments.

The tournament is receiving support from the Nippon Club, the Central London Go Club, the British Go Association and other sponsors.

TOURNAMENT FEES

The Lightning Tournament and Pair Go Tournament are free to all players. The fees for the main tournament are:

Entry Fee	Full	Student	Junior (Under 18)
Early bird (On or before Wed 31st Oct)	£40	£35	£20
Standard	£47	£42	£27
Late (After Sun 16th Dec)	£55	£52	£37
Surcharge	£5 if you aren't a member of the BGA or your national Go Association

We will expect you to pay in pounds Sterling at registration.

If you only want to play for one or two days then discounted rates apply - please enquire for details.

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 and correct as notified. Note that all these rooms, including the dormitory, come with a continental breakfast voucher to the value of £2.90. Free wifi is also provided for all guests.

Single	£38.70
Single-en-suite	£45.00
Twin	£29.70
Twin-en-suite	£33.30
3 Bedded	£25.20
4 Bedded	£23.40
Multi bedded - Dormitory	£21.00

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 department [19]. 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. The accommodation department will respond with instructions on how to pay to complete your booking. Your credit card (Visa, Master Card, Switch, Solo, Maestro) will be accepted as deposit. If you do not hear from them within 2 working days, please phone ISH on +44-(0)20-7631-8300. This is an automatic menu service - press 0 to get the operator and ask to speak with accommodation services. If you have problems booking directly through ISH then please contact David Cantrell [20] 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/ [21], or http://www.londontown.com/ [22], or http://www.visitbritain.com/ [23].

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 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 confirmation! If you do not get a confirmation, and you are sure it is not sitting in your spam box, then please email David Cantrell [20] with a valid reply address! You may also enter via:

• email: David Cantrell [20]
• post: Flat 2, 11 Beulah Road, Thornton Heath, London CR7 8JH, United Kingdom

If you fail to contact David by email, please contact Martha McGill on her mobile: 07765 018159.

If you have any problems during the congress, contact Jenny Radcliffe: 07789 724501.

If you are not entering online, please print out the online form and supply all the required detail.

McMAHON SCORE

By default, your initial McMahon score (MMS) will be set from your European Go Rating (GoR) after your last pre-London tournament. This is to even out discrepancies between different countries' rating systems, and so avoid very uneven games. Your initial McMahon score determines who you will play in the first round. See http://senseis.xmp.net/?McMahonPairing [24] for more information.

If you have never played in a tournament before, we will use the grade you give us when registering to estimate your GoR. Otherwise, you can find your GoR by visiting the European Go Database at http://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/Find_Player.php [25]. In the 'Find Player' screen, type in your name, and click on your 'Pin Player' when it comes up. This will take you to your player card. Your GoR is shown in the box on the right; the corresponding EGF grade is given in brackets. This GoR value is how your MMS will be determined (not the 'rank' shown on the left, or your entry grade).

If you do not think your GoR is accurate – if, for example, you are a quickly improving kyu player who hasn't played in any recent tournaments – please state this in the Notes box on your entry form, or contact Martha McGill [20].

VISAS

Entering the UK is usually automatic for European nationals, although if you are from outside the original EEC you should check the rules. European nationals should carry a European Health Insurance Card card at all times for free emergency health cover (in most cases). Please note that this is not a substitute for travel insurance.

For the rest of the world the laws about visiting the UK are complex, and will depend on your country of origin and the length of your stay. The necessary information can be found at http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/ [26]. There is a special scheme for Chinese nationals visiting in a group of 5 or more: see the ADS agreement [27].

You may find that a letter of sponsorship or explanation from the British Go Association will help your application. To request a letter of sponsorship please contact Martha McGill [20].

90% of applications for general visitors' visas are decided within 3 weeks, and 98% within 6 weeks. However, the process can theoretically take up to 12 weeks, so you are advised to apply as soon as possible.

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 us [20].