I found that usgo.org has written about the event and given the names of the players. Has it been so long ago since Nyu Eiko became a professional? And I've just seen the former 10-year-old insei Antti said rose to B class now win the Womens Kisei Challenger decision match. Things move so fast
.For those who like details, the format has been changed so that both men and women play in identical parallel team and individual tournaments. Each contingent sends two male and two female players.
December 10, 11, 12, 13: (Team tournament, one game a day at 12:30 Local time, 04:30 UTC)
(Parallel) two-player team tournaments: I think something akin to a swiss format may have been applied for this event.
December 14 (NHK Cup-style Individual + Pair Go rounds 1, 2 and 3 09:00/00:00, 14:00/05:00, 17:00/08:00), 15 (NHK Cup-style Individual + Pair Go rounds 4 and 5 09:300/00:30, 14:00/05:00)
Each contingent selects two players for the pair go tournament, while the remaining two players play in the (parallel) NHK Cup-style individual tournaments. Six players are sorted into group A and B. One player obtains a bye into round 2 after lots are drawn.
The loser of round 1 is eliminated. In round 3, the two remaining players play a match to decide the placement order of each group. In round 4, the winner of group A plays the runner up of group B and the winner of group B plays the runner up of group A. Round 5 consists of the final and 3rd place decision matches. There will also be a match for places 5 and 6 (Numerals used for clarity). The pair Go tournament works in the same way so there are essentially three parallel tournaments with the same format over two days.
The pairs and players are sorted into 3 tiers: Tier 1 consists of China and Korea. Tier 2 Consists of Japan and Chinese Taipei (Taiwan). Tier 3 consists of North America and Europe. I think the draw is configured so the members of the same tier do not play on the first day (rounds 1-3).
I think I personally appreciate the revised system as a great improvement, but maybe less rounds and less players mean that there is considerably more pressure for each game as in the new system, just one win or loss on one game is a lot more important than before as it automatically determines which two match outcomes of a win, loss or draw are possible according to the result of the unfinished board. It also increases the value of a single board point. North America and Europe have some clout in determining which of Japan and Chinese Taipei get 3rd or 4th, and the same is true in the case of Japan and Chinese Taipei affecting the board position between China and Korea.
It also gives viewers the opportunity to choose between the longer time-setting team tournament games and shorter time-limit pair and individual tournament games, so this could be a possible way to help balance 'mickey mouse' time limits.
The team tournament time limits are 2 hours + 5 times 1 minute per move, pair and individual 11 times 30 seconds per move.
