World Amateur Go Championship
The International Go Federation World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) has been held every year from 1979 onwards. Each participating national Go association sends one player, typically the amateur champion of the country concerned. The tournament has grown from 44 countries and territories in 1995 to 68 in 2007. In 2009, 70 players were eligible to play, but only 66 competed (presumably because of financial, political or health reasons).
In its early years the WAGC was a knockout tournament, but nowadays it's an 8-round Swiss. (In 1984 and 1985 it was a 7-round Swiss). The time limits in 2006 were 90 minutes per player with 10 minutes/15 moves Canadian byo-yomi.
In 2006, Korea also started holding a world amateur championship. See Korea Prime Minister Cup World Baduk Championship.
The following is a list of winners to date:
Edition | Year | Venue | Number of Players | Winner | Country | Link |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | 1979 | Tokyo | 15 | Nie Weiping | China | |
2nd | 1980 | Tokyo | 20 | Imamura Fumiaki | Japan | |
3rd | 1981 | Tokyo | 24 | Shao Zhenzhong | China | |
4th | 1982 | Tokyo | 28 | Cao Dayuan | China | ![]() |
5th | 1983 | Osaka | 29 | Ma Xiaochun | China | |
6th | 1984 | Tokyo | 30 | Wang Qun | China | ![]() |
7th | 1985 | Tokyo | 31 | Wang Jianhong | China | |
8th | 1986 | Tokyo | 34 | Chan Ka Yui | Hong Kong | |
9th | 1987 | Beijing | 34 | Imamura Fumiaki | Japan | |
10th | 1988 | Tokyo | 36 | Zhang Wendong | China | |
11th | 1989 | Nagoya | 38 | Che Zewu | China | |
12th | 1990 | Hiroshima | 39 | Chang Hao | China | |
13th | 1991 | Kanazawa | 39 | Imamura Fumiaki | Japan | |
14th | 1992 | Chiba | 40 | Kikuchi Yasuro | Japan | |
15th | 1993 | Fukuoka | 40 | Sun Yiguo | China | |
16th | 1994 | Kyoto | 43 | Hiraoka Satoshi | Japan | |
17th | 1995 | Tokyo | 44 | Hirata Hironori | Japan | ![]() |
18th | 1996 | Omachi, Nagano Prefecture | 46 | Liu Jun | China | ![]() |
19th | 1997 | Sapporo | 46 | Liu Jun | China | ![]() |
20th | 1998 | Tokyo | 50 | Kim Ch'an-u | Korea | ![]() |
21st | 1999 | Oita | 55 | Yu Chae-seong | Korea | ![]() |
22nd | 2000 | Sendai | 56 | Sakai Hideyuki | Japan | ![]() |
23rd | 2001 | Miyazaki | 56 | Li Daichun | China | ![]() |
24th | 2002 | Hida Takayama | 61 | Fu Li | China | ![]() |
2003 | Not held due to SARS outbreak, see IWABC | |||||
25th | 2004 | Kurashiki | 64 | Kang Wook Lee | Korea | ![]() |
26th | 2005 | Aichi | 65 | Yu Qing Hu | China | ![]() |
27th | 2006 | Nagasaki | 68 | Hiraoka Satoshi | Japan | ![]() ![]() |
28th | 2007 | Tokyo | 68 | Shan Ziteng | China | ![]() |
29th | 2008 | Tokyo | 68 | Sung Bong Ha | Korea | ![]() |
30th | 2009 | Fukuroi, Shizuoka Prefecture | 66 | Yu Qing Hu | China | ![]() |
31th | 2010 | China |
See also:
-
30th Edition website
-
List of tournament locations and participating countries on Nihon Ki-in site
- Incheon World Amateur Baduk Championship.
-
1979-1995 cross tables
Amateur to Professional
The level of play at the WAGC is obviously quite high, and many of its amateur winners have gone on to become successful professionals:
- Cao Dayuan (9-dan) 1982
- Chan Ka Yui (9-dan) 1986
- Chang Hao (9-dan) 1990
- Che Zewu (7-dan) 1989
- Kim Ch'an-u (3-dan) 1998
- Ma Xiaochun (9-dan) 1983
- Nie Weiping (9-dan) 1979
- Sakai Hideyuki (7-dan) 2000
- Shao Zhenzhong (9-dan) 1981
- Wang Jianhong (9-dan) 1985
- Wang Qun (8-dan) 1984
- Yu Chae-seong (2-dan) 1999
- Zhang Wendong (9-dan) 1988