The Nihon Ki-in is trying a new idea. You may wish to join in in, or it may be a good model for fledgling pros in Europe and USA.

20 top NK pros are hoping to raise 3 million yen by crowdfunding before end of August for a pro 13x13 tournament. They have raised over half already.

Details: https://readyfor.jp/projects/igo13ro

If it was 9x9... Somehow I can't really get 13x13 (I have enjoyed some teaching games against Lluís Oh, but that's it.)

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Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net

That looks like quite a fun little idea, I hope that they are able to make it a reality. Have professionals ever had a 13x13 tournament before? I seem to remember that 9x9 has been done previously.

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North Lecale

There was a TV program with (relatively quick) 9x9 games, for instance.

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Geek of all trades, master of none: the motto for my blog mostlymaths.net

It would be fun to see this. Hope it happens! Says their achievement rate is at 90%, if this means what am thinking looks like it just might.

Found a mid level dan player on KGS awhile back who seemed keen on keeping some 13x13 games sprinkeled in with the rest of his games, unfortunately I forgot his handle but did enjoy reviewing those games.

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"Tsumegos are for reading power and Tesujis for knowing which moves to read"

Make it 37x37

This event has now concluded and was won by Ishida Yoshi. He beat Takao Shinji in the final.

Other results
Semi-finals: Takao beat Cho U, Ishida beat O Meien
Quarterfinals: Takao beat So Yokoku, Cho U beat Mimura Tomoyasu, Ishida beat Yamashita Keigo, O beat Cho Chikun.

In other words it was something of a Joan and Darby event.

Komi was 6.5 and time limits 30 seconds a move with 10 x 1 minute.

The target of 3 million yen was exceeded, with 3.85 million collected (minimum donation 3000 yen).

Obviously this was the first ever 13x13 pro tournament but there was no indication of whether it will be repeated.

The final game bore out the usual feeling that 13x13 games allow both fusekis and josekis that share characteristics of 19x19, and it featured a successful large-scale sacrifice, a couple of kos and a semeai, and Takao even staged a resignation-setting scene.

Are the game records available somewhere online?

See http://homepages.cwi.nl/~aeb/go/games/games/Pro13x13/index.html

Comments on the games by their file numbers:

game# comment
1+2+5+6+7: loser made big (for 13x13) mistake(s)
3+8: loser did not know well how to play 13x13
4: Black 67 at E13 was the correct endgame; Black should have won by more than 1.5 points

4 games were won by Black and White each. However, in view of the comments this does not confirm 6.5 komi. 8.5 komi could have produced the same results, except for game 4, where 8.5 komi would have revealed and properly punished Black's mistake. The tournament made the mistake to use the same komi as in Japanese 19x19 and 9x9 pro tournaments. 8.5 komi would have been better.

Last week on the NHK Education show Igo Focus had a segment on it and will finish this week. One guy really wanted to push 13x13 as a good quick alternative and did crowdfunding to show high level games as well. It was an impressive job initiating such an event.