Number of participants at EGC throughout the years?

[kvasir]

Does someone have this sort of information? (see title)

This year the EGC was smaller than in some other years but a quick look through the European Go Database suggests that you don't have to go back very many years to find similar number of participants in the main event. Some recent EGC's have boasted about having more than 1000 participants, probably true to some extent in certain cases, but the main event had at most 900 players in Italy 2018. Should registration numbers and other estimates of number of participants be available somewhere? Did any congress have a significant number of spectators or non-registered visitors? Does anyone except myself think this is interesting?

[k0n0]

Does someone have this sort of information?

Yes.
https://www.eurogofed.org/history/congress.htm

[RobertJasiek]

Note that some numbers must be studied cautiously. E.g., 1997 had 590 in the main tournament results but many ghosts (fake participants) and the, after my suggestion, EGF corrected number 551 comes closer to the truth.

There are also registered congress participants not playing (any or major) tournaments and I think fewer unregistered visitors.

The 2022 main tournament had 290 players but I do not see a result table yet. The number is relatively low for recent congresses. Corona seems to have had a major impact on decisions not to participate. Besides most (Bela-)Russians might not participate but the impact on the total number would be rather small. I guess that only a few might have been afraid of the proximity to a country in war. I would have participated if the congress had Corona management at all and then strict Corona rules.

[kvasir]

Yes.
https://www.eurogofed.org/history/congress.htm

Thanks!

The 2022 main tournament had 290 players but I do not see a result table yet. The number is relatively low for recent congresses. [...]

I found this https://egc2022.ro/main-wallist/ table which appears to show 323 players in the main. Like you said it is not unusual to have some ghosts and I found some in the rapid and weekend tournament but when I glanced over the main I didn't find any without at least a single game.

Agreed it is less than in recent years. Maybe it is the risk of covid but I am inclined to think it is the total accumulation of uncertainty (i.e. covid, the war, will it be cancelled, how much will it cost in the end, how will I get there, ...). Another thing is that many recent congresses had around 100 Asian players, Italy in 2018 had more than 150, but this years only appears to have had around 20 which mostly came from Korea.

[RobertJasiek]

Judging only from the main tournament walllist, how about players with roughly 30 (partly more), typically (mostly) successive congress participations?

Jan Rüten-Budde DE present (>30?, I do not know if his wife has also participated regularly)
Peter Zandveld NL absent (37 or more)
Oleg Gavrilov RU not in the list (30 or 31 if present in 2022, in one earlier year, 2017(?), missing due to health, might have been present although not in the main tournament in some years)
Matti Siivola FI absent (in at least one earlier year, 2019, missing due to family incident)
Robert Jasiek DE absent (27)
Others (maybe French players)?

In earlier years, Alan Held made it to 30, I think successively. For more accurate numbers, I need to study all walllists...

[kvasir]

Judging only from the main tournament walllist, how about players with roughly 30 (partly more), typically (mostly) successive congress participations?

I checked the EGD records which go back to 1996 and found 6 people that were at EGC 24 times. My criteria for "being at the EGC" was that they played in a tournament which tcode starts with "E" and was in August or July, it is not really correct because were are sometimes other tournaments in these months (for example the European Team Championship used to be held in July) but I figured that I can save looking up every EGC tournament code from the last 26 years for sometime when I am feeling bored (not waste the fun now, oh I don't know if I can wait!).

Half of those 6 people were in the main at EGC, I should check the weekend and rapid but it will be easier after they are published at EGD.

Maybe I'll reserve making a list until I have looked up the right tcodes.

[erikbrum]

On https://gobond.nl/clubsites/nijm/egc.html you can find participants that plays on the EGC since 1985. In a week I hope to join 2022 Vatra Dornei.

Erik Brummelkamp (36 times)

[k0n0]

On https://gobond.nl/clubsites/nijm/egc.html you can find participants that plays on the EGC since 1985.

Years are shifted or I am reading it wrong way.
For example, the file is indicating Tuchola happened in 1994, but it was in 1995.

[gennan]

I think you should read it as alternating colored/white columns with years left-aligned and ranks right-aligned.

[k0n0]

...

Thank you

Proximity (of stones) is an important factor, but this is not true here

[RobertJasiek]

On https://gobond.nl/clubsites/nijm/egc.html you can find participants that plays on the EGC since 1985.

Good start, must have been much effort, thank you!

Erik Brummelkamp (36 times)

So you seem to be number two or three just after Peter Zandveld and maybe Jan Rüten-Budde. Congrats!

[erikbrum]

Vatra Dornei is append. In Holland I am number four. Robert Rehm (39 times since 1971), Peter Zandveld and Jaap Blom have more participated.

[RobertJasiek]

Thank you again!

I did not know that Robert Rehm started his visits so early and apparently still has slightly more than Peter Zandveld (or maybe the same number). This year, among the frequent participants, Jaap-K Blom, Rudi Verhagen and Peter Zandveld were absent.

Since you were present, how was this congress? When there were congress bulletins, it was a custom that 30 times visitors reported about their congress experiences. Maybe you could share your experience from all attended congresses? Why do you enjoy congresses so much and why should more people visit them more regularly?