Weiqi tournament successfully concluded

From January 8 to 11, 2026, the snow-covered China Cultural Center in Stockholm became the focus of the European weiqi community, the 9th European Weiqi Grand Prix Finals and the Jusandan Open Tournament successfully concluded.

The 9th European Weiqi Grand Prix Final served as the concluding event of the 2025 European Weiqi Grand Prix Tour. The tournament brought together the top 16 elite European players based on annual points rankings, representing the highest competitive level of weiqi in Europe today. After four days of intense competition among participants from over a dozen European countries, the event concluded successfully on the 11th.

This year’s finals held significant meaning for the European Weiqi community, especially for Mr. Martin Šiastný, Chairman of the European Go Federation, who had served for 16 years. The successful hosting of the event marked a perfect conclusion to his outstanding 16-year tenure at the federation. At the awards ceremony on the 11th, he expressed, “China Cultural Center in Stockholm perfectly realized my vision. What you provided was not only impeccable hardware facilities but also meticulous and culturally warm service. It was your efforts that made these finals so perfect, opening a new window for the future of Weiqi in Europe and achieving a cross-border cultural exchange.”

The event not only provided viewing opportunities for the live audience but also broadcast featured matches via the OGS platform. High-dan European players provided live commentary on Twitch, allowing weiqi enthusiasts unable to attend in person to appreciate this high-level competition.

From January 10 to 11, the Jusandan Open Tournament was held concurrently at China Cultural Center in Stockholm. These two events took place in parallel at the same venue. Unlike the high-level European Weiqi Grand Prix Final, the Jusandan Open Tournament adopted an open registration system, allowing any player to participate. This setup significantly expanded the scope of participation. Some players from the European Weiqi Grand Prix Final joined the friendship tournament after their matches concluded, greatly enhancing the overall competitive level of the tournament and providing more players with the opportunity to compete against top-tier opponents.

Mr. Damir Medak, Vice President of the European Weiqi Federation, was also present to support the event organization. What made it even more commendable was that his son, Stjepan Medak, successfully qualified and competed in the Finals as a player. In an interview, Mr. Damir expressed his emotions, saying, “This is a very special moment for me. As an organizer, I hoped for the event’s complete success; as a father, I feel proud that my son can compete on the same stage as Europe’s top weiqi players. This precisely embodies the charm of weiqi—it is both a rigorous sport and a culture that carries passion and heritage.”

With the successful conclusion of both tournaments, amidst the black and white stones, there were collisions of top-tier intellect, flows of deep friendship. The fruit of ancient Eastern wisdom, weiqi, has left behind new branches full of vitality, friendship, and hope in the Nordic winter.

China Cultural Center in Stockholm