The Confucius Cup is the premier tournament in the Irish calendar. As a Bonus Point Level C tournament in the European Grand Prix, it attracts some of the strongest players in Europe — recent champions include Kim Youngsam, Stanislaw Frejlak 1p, and Kim Seongjin. Thanks to the generous support of our hosts, the Confucius Institute of UCD Dublin, the facilities and hospitality are of the highest standard.

2024

The 2024 Confucius Cup will take place over the weekend of 20th–22nd September at the Confucius Institute building on UCD’s Belfield campus in south Dublin. The Rapid tournament will take place on the evening of Friday, 20th. The Confucius Cup (Open) tournament will take place on Saturday, 21st, and Sunday, 22nd.

Location

The tournament will take place on the campus of UCD Dublin, on the south side of the city. Several public bus routes serve the university, and travel times from the city centre should be no more than 20 minutes at the weekend. The university is well connected to the airport via the Aircoach bus service (route 700), and offers plentiful parking for those driving. The Confucius Institute building is close to the main entrance from the N11 (campus map).

Accommodation

Accommodation in Dublin can be expensive and I recommend booking early.

We have reserved a block of rooms at a discounted rate at the nearby Talbot Hotel in Stillorgan: €229.50 per night for a twin room, including breakfast for both occupants. The Talbot is located 2km away from the tournament venue, along the 700 route of the Aircoach express bus service from the Airport. Email the Talbot directly and quote the code “Confucius Cup” to receive the discounted rate. You will need to provide credit card details via phone or email to book, but you can cancel without charge up to three weeks beforehand. The number of rooms is limited.

If you are interested in sharing a room but don’t have a partner in mind, contact the tournament director and I will try to match you with someone.

There may also be one or two spaces available in the homes of Dublin players.

Registration

Registration is now open. If you are planning on attending, please register in advance — it helps greatly in keeping things running on time.

See the list of registered players.

Registration Fees & Payment

Rapid Tournament
Standard Rate — €10
Concession Rate (students, unwaged etc.) — €5

Open Tournament
Standard Rate — €30 (€35 from 1st September)
Saturday Only — €20
Sunday Only — €15
Concession Rate (students, unwaged etc.) — €15

Advance payments to:

Eoghan Barry
IBAN: DE98 1001 1001 2627 2593 46
BIC: NTSBDEB1XXX
Reference: Confucius Cup

I will accept payment at the tournament in cash only — please bring exact change.

Tournament Format

The Rapid tournament is a five round Swiss tournament. Time controls are 18 minutes sudden death for the first round, decreasing by 2 minutes for each subsequent round. Handicap is difference in score plus 1. Ties are broken by direct comparison, SOS, then SOSOS.

The Confucius Cup is a five round McMahon tournament, with the first three rounds played on Saturday and the remaining two on Sunday. Time controls are 60 minutes main time plus five periods of 30 seconds byo-yomi (EGF Class A). Komi is 6.5. Handicap is difference in McMahon Score minus 1. Ties are broken by direct comparison, SOS, then SOSOS.

Schedule (Provisional)

Friday, 20th September

19.00 Check-In
19.30 Rapid Tournament Rounds 1–5

Saturday, 21st September

09.00 Check-In
09.45 Opening Ceremony
10.00 Confucius Cup Round 1
13.30 Confucius Cup Round 2
16.30 Confucius Cup Round 3
19.30 Dinner

Sunday, 22nd September

09.00 Check-In
09.15 Confucius Cup Round 4
13.00 Confucius Cup Round 5
16.30 Closing Ceremony and Prize-Giving
19.30 Dinner and drinks

This schedule is subject to change.

Prizes

There will be additional minor prizes for players who win four games or more in the Open tournament.

Food & Drink

Coffee, tea and pastries will be served in the morning and afternoon on Saturday, and in the morning on Sunday. There will be a Chinese buffet dinner (included in price of entry) in the canteen on Saturday evening. Light finger food will be served on Sunday afternoon, before the Closing Ceremony.

Other food options and a full bar are readily available throughout the day in the Food Hall of the nearby UCD Student Village.

If you are staying on for Sunday night, there will be a group dinner at an Asian restaurant in the city centre, followed by a few creamy pints in a pub.

Twitch & OGS Broadcast

The top boards will be broadcast on OGS, with live reviews by EGF professionals on the EGF Twitch channel. The Twitch broadcast will be shown on the big screen in the lecture theatre adjacent to the main playing area.