European Professional Championship

The European Professional Championship is the premier individual title of the European Go Federation's professional system, created in 2014 when Europe certified its first professionals. Before then the continent had no professional path of its own, and its strongest players measured themselves mainly in open tournaments against visiting Asian pros. The championship is played as a round robin among the certified European professionals, and winning it has become the clearest mark of being Europe's leading player. Its short history mirrors the coming of age of European Go, from a hobbyist pursuit into a scene that produces genuine professionals of its own.