Although the Congress proper begins this Sunday, the European go scene will be treated to a prélude this Friday, as two tournaments kick off: the Pandanet European Team Championship (PETC) Finals and the second stage of the Saijo Europe Youth Go (SEYGO) Tour.
After the exclusion of the Russian team, the four teams battling for the 2022 Team Championship title are Czechia, France, Poland and Ukraine. France, the Championship winners for the previous three years, were placed highest in the leaderboard going into the finals but, with Dai Junfu 8d not attending, the team has lost its top-board player. The word from the Ukrainian camp is one of confidence that this could perhaps be their year. Neither Czechia nor Poland can by any means be discounted, however; both field strong teams and both scored important victories in the league stage: Czechia beat Ukraine 3-1 in the seventh round, and Poland in turn beat Czechia 3-1 in the eighth.
The Team Championship Finals will be broadcast live on Pandanet, with the first round beginning at 10:30 local time, and the second at 16:00.
The Saijo European Youth Go (SEYGO) Tour is a series of events aimed specifically at motivated young players in two age groups, under 12 and under 18. The project is led by Catalin Taranu 5p, our Congress organiser, in collaboration with supporters from across Europe. The first stage of this season began in March, and this second stage will last two days and take the form of a 5-round knockout tournament.
What better way to prepare for the Congress than by getting a little inspiration from the games of our strongest teams and brightest youth? Safe travels to everyone making their way to Romania this weekend, the games already await you here!