Iwamoto Awards

The Worldwide Iwamoto Awards is an international contest for go promotional projects, organised by the European Go Cultural Centre (EGCC) in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.

It is named after 9 dan professional Iwamoto Kaoru (岩本 薫, 2 May 1902 - 29 November 1999), founding father of the EGCC and three other international Nihon Ki-in go centres in Seattle, New York and São Paulo. The Iwamoto Awards were created to continue Iwamoto Kaoru’s dream of spreading go around the world.

Anybody actively promoting and spreading go can enter the competition and submit their project. An independent jury, gathered by the EGCC and consisting of go experts representing all continents, judge the submissions using a point system, according to set criteria. The top three contenders win prizes of €1000, €500 and once again €500.

History:

The first edition of the Iwamoto Awards took place in 2001 and was won by Albert Fenech's project Strasbourg Rules. Since then, four more editions were held in 2003, 2007, 2012 and 2015.

Until 2012, the competition was organised on a European scale. In 2015, the awards were expanded to a global level: the first Worldwide Iwamoto Awards were won by Daniel Bösze's Public Touchscreen Go Table in the city centre of Vienna.

The 2018 Worldwide Iwamoto Awards started on 1st of March 2018 and will run until May 31st.

Hall of Fame (Past Winners):

• 2015 (20 participants):
  • Winner: Public Touchscreen Go Table by Daniel Bösze.
  • Encouragement Prize: The Surrounding Game by Cole D. Pruitt and Will Lockhart.
  • Encouragement Prize: Proyecto Gakko no Go by Maria Loli Puerta.
• 2012 (11 participants):
  • Winner: Giochiamo a Go nelle Scuole by Maurizio Parton.
  • Encouragement Prize: Go Videos for Teaching and Broadcasting by Paolo Montrasio.
  • Encouragement Prize: Go Public by Andres Neumann.
• 2007 (12 participants):
  • Winner: EuroGoTV by Harry Weerheijm.
  • Encouragement Prize: Go Workbooks by Wim Berkelmans.
  • Encouragement Prize: Real Big Problem Book by Kalli Balduin.
• 2003 (8 participants):
  • Winner: Colorful Rating Book by Kalli Balduin.
  • Encouragement Prize: Go in Education by Marc Gonzalez Carnicer.
  • Encouragement Prize: Internet Go School by Dariusz Dabkowksi.
• 2001 (13 participants):
  • Winner: Strasbourg Rules by Albert Fenech.
  • Encouragement Prize: Children's Grand Prix by Jana Hricova.
  • Encouragement Prize: Go Cases for School by Thomas Nohr.

For more information and to enter your own go project in the competition, please visit the official page.