This article is from the November & December 2022 edition of the European Go Journal

The next EGC was originally planned to be held in Ukraine, which due to Russia’s ongoing war is not possible. After a period of uncertainty, Leipzig has now been confirmed as the next host city. The 65th EGC will take place from July 22nd – August 5th, so clear your calendars!

Registration is already open at egc2023.de/en; the organizers are planning for around 800 – 1000 participants. There’s an early-bird discount for those who register before 31st January, so be sure not to miss out. For updates, you can check out the EGC on social media.

Hosted on a modern school campus in the suburb of Markkleeberg, the Congress site also boasts a beautiful lake and promises excellent weather. Leipzig is easily reached by road, rail or air from all of Europe, with direct flights from multiple Northern American cities. For those already thinking about their summer holiday, where else in the world could you spend two weeks surrounded by go players, professionals and exciting games?

An experienced organizing team has been gathered to assist Congress Director René Scheibe, and work has begun in earnest. Invitations are being made to notable professional players from Asia, and a program of teaching seminars will complement the main event: The European Championship. For those of us not yet possessing professional strength, the highlight will be a fortnight of tournament games with prizes not only for the podium placers.

The school campus and our venue – Just a stone’s throw from the beach!

To help introduce the location and 65th Congress to our readers, our proofreader Matt asked René a few questions:

Matt: I was very glad to hear the 2023 Congress had been confirmed, can you tell us a little about the location?

René: It wasn’t easy to find a suitable venue in so little time. The most important thing is that the participants will feel like they are on their summer holiday while at the Congress. I can already imagine the go players relaxing on the beach and playing a few games with cocktails and ice cream. My wife and I spend much of our summers on the Cospundener Lake; the Rudolf- Hildebrand School also has excellent facilities and plenty of space for exciting tournament games.

Go on the beach – what more could you want?

Matt: What about your team, who have you asked to help you?

René: Since first visiting a go camp organized by JIGS (Jena International Go School) I’ve had good connections to Manja Marz and her family. Manja has a ready answer for every one of my questions, and Michael Marz will make sure that plenty of international professionals will enrich our EGC. I am very glad to have the help of my wife, Peggy, who supports me on all fronts and lends me a hand with the organization. You’ll get the chance to meet her at the Info Point during the Congress. I also have a long list of helpers from Leipzig, who are searching out accommodation, helping with the website and much more. Then we have volunteers from around Germany, from the Hebsacker-Verlag and from the previous and future teams for the Romanian and French Congresses. We regularly meet online and in person and plan our next steps. I am very glad of every one of these helping hands.

Matt: What will make this Congress special?

René: The complete package of tournament atmosphere and holiday feeling. Leipzig has something for everyone, it’s a city with many open-minded young people. Especially in summer there is so much to do and see. The lake also provides us with all manner of opportunities for relaxation and activities. You can have a look on the website for details. Everyone who knows me will agree that I can ensure a structured procedure during the day and then party hard in the evening [he laughs]. That’s what I’d like to provide you all each day of the Congress. I’m really looking forward to welcoming a great many participants, and enjoying interesting conversations, games and evenings together.

Matt: Thank you very much for speaking to us, and for stepping in to organize the EGC. I can’t wait!