Life In 19x19

The 2nd European Go Grand Slam Tournament is currently underway in Berlin. This is open to the new European pros plus other top European players through a variety of qualifying routes. The games are broadcast on KGS by users GrandSlam1 - GrandSlam4. More information at http://www.eurogofed.org/EuropeanGrandP ... m2016.html. Results so far (winner in bold).

Preliminary round, Thursday 28th April:
Lukáš Podpera vs Artem Kachanovskyi B+Resign
Alexander Dinerchtein vs Andrij Kravets W+Resign
Catalin Taranu vs Csaba Mero W+12.5
Dusan Mitic vs Cristian Pop W+2.5

Quater Final, Friday 29th April:
Artem Kachanovskyi vs Ilya Shikshin W+Resign
Pavol Lisy vs Dusan Mitic W+Resign
Alexander Dinerchtein vs Ali Jabarin B+5.5
Mateusz Surma vs Catalin Taranu W+1.5

Semi Final Saturday 30th April:
Mateusz Surma vs Ali Jabarin B+7.5
Pavol Lisy vs Artem Kachanovskyi B+3.5
and play-offs:
Alexander Dinerchtein vs Ilya Shikshin W+1.5
Catalin Taranu vs Dusan Mitic B+Resign

Final, Sunday 1st May:
Ali Jabarin vs Artem Kachanovskyi

I see that there is a city team tournament at the same time as the Grand Slam this year, but I didn't see any results or registration list for that. Is it just cities from Germany competing, or are there other teams?

@Javaness: http://teamcup.eurogofed.org/participants.php

Mostly German teams, but a few outside teams too.

Today's games:

HermanHiddema wrote:@Javaness: http://teamcup.eurogofed.org/participants.php

Mostly German teams, but a few outside teams too.

Thanks, I see that it is to be designated as Class A even though it doesn't qualify as a Class A. Where does this obsession to equate 'Important Events' with the top rating class come from?

Final, Sunday 1st May:
Ali Jabarin vs Artem Kachanovskyi W+Resign

3rd place play-off:
Mateusz Surma vs Pavol Lisy B+Resign

5th place play-off:
Alexander Dinerchtein vs Catalin Taranu W+Resign

7th place play-off:
Ilya Shikshin vs Dusan Mitic W+Resign

The games:

Final results:
1. Ali Jabarin 1p
2. Artem Kachanovskyi 1p
3. Pavol Lisy 1p
4. Mateusz Surma 1p
5. Alexander Dinerchtein 3p
6. Catalin Taranu 5p
7. Dusan Mitic 6d
8. Ilya Shikshin 1p

Seeing Ilya Shikshin in 8th position seems just a little striking. Is it possible that there has been a change in the dynamics of top European Go from a few years ago (CEGO project)?

Yes, Ilya coming 8th was certainly surprising (particularly losing to Dusan, who also did well to beat CPop), but that was just losing 3 games and he might well do better another time. CEGO has certainly made a difference in improving the level of the top players. Ali has been focused on studying Go and has obviously gotten stronger. Mateusz has been studying in China recently. Ilya I think hasn't been studying so much but working, for the Russian Go Federation someone said on KGS. Artem hasn't been focused on Go much recently but working as a programmer so his success is perhaps a surprise, but he's always been one of the most talented Europeans with a solid, professional style. Certainly Ilya doesn't dominate the other Europeans like he did a few years ago, the field has narrowed. I think Fan Hui is still stronger than all of them, but it wouldn't be such a big surprise if he did lose the occasional game to Ali or Pavol or so on.

For anyone worried that Ilya had lost his magic, he just won all his games in the Kido cup. Ali Jabarin came 2nd, losing only to Ilya so it does seem he has got stronger, maybe above Pavol now. Just a year or two ago Pavol was clearly stronger than Ali.
http://www.kidocup.com/?Ergebnisse