China's top Go competition starts in Beijing

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China's top Go players will compete with each other at a year-end game - the China Weiqi Player Saint Competition – which kicked off on Thursday in Beijing.

The event was organized by the Chinese Weiqi Association (CWA), as "Weiqi" means Go in Chinese pinyin.

According to CSW President Lin Jianchao, the significance of the competition is that it is the largest open Go game in China, with the highest prize money among the nation's Go games, and the "Saint" implies the supremacy title that any Chinese Go player could achieve.

Screenshot from the Go Ratings website shows players' world rankings by December 19, 2018.

Mi Yuting (no.1 in China and no.3 in the world) and Ke Jie (no. 2 in China and no. 4 in the world) will be among a total of 210 players, including 32 female players in the game.

They will run through five-stage games in competing for the top prize money 800,000 yuan (115,830 U.S. dollars) and the second prize 200,000 yuan (28,960 U.S. dollars).

Lian Xiao (L) and Ke Jie contemplate on the board during the Nongshim Cup World Go Strongest Tournament in Shanghai, China, February 27, 2018. /VCG Photo

"This is the most sacred game that I have ever dreamed to play since I was a child," said 24-year-old Lian Xiao (no.4 in China and no. 6 in the world). He vowed to try his best in his reigning champion fight.

"I do not feel much pressure as most of my 'potential' opponents were my old friends," he added.