The Brain's Journey in the Game of Go

This presentation will review how the ancient game of Go affects the structure and function of the human brain, based on studies in the literature. It explains that the game requires a high level of cognitive capacity, engaging various lobes and pathways to manage spatial awareness, strategic planning, and memory. Scientific research shows that experienced players develop increased white matter and larger reward centers, suggesting that the game promotes neuroplasticity. Beyond healthy players, the text highlights clinical benefits for individuals with Alzheimer's and ADHD, demonstrating improvements in attention and cognitive scores. In conclusion, it is stated that regular play enhances intuitive decision-making and emotional resilience, offering significant neuroprotective advantages.

Play with Brain: Differences in Cortex Activation of Male and Female Go Players

What happens in the brain during several hours of peak cognitive performance? Play with Brain is the first live neuroscience experiment to investigate brain activity, physiological responses, and decision-making in elite Go players during tournament games. By combining electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), muscle activity, synchronized game recordings, and post-game interviews, the project captures the neural and physiological dynamics underlying complex strategic thinking under real competitive conditions. The study examines how cognitive load, time pressure, game state, and emotional responses influence brain activity and whether these processes differ between women and men. Beyond advancing our understanding of human decision-making in Go, the project establishes a novel experimental framework for studying sustained mental performance, with potential applications in neuroscience, psychology, education, e-sports, and professions requiring prolonged concentration, such as surgery and aviation.

The Effect of Cognitive Load on Heart Rate Variability in Go Players

This presentation explores the physiological basis of cognitive performance by examining Heart Rate Variability (HRV) differences among Go players during problem-solving tasks. Based on research analyzing the HRV parameters of 27 participants measured at rest and during active problem-solving, this session evaluates the autonomic nervous system's response to cognitive load.

Go as a Medium for Mathematical Thinking: Strategy, Pattern Recognition, and Inquiry-Based Learning

This presentation highlights how the spatial and strategic properties of Go can be integrated into formal mathematical pedagogy. By framing the board as a matrix of possibilities, the session analyzes how pattern recognition, calculation, and tactical inquiry map directly onto mathematical problem-solving theories and advanced cognitive development frameworks.

Go (Baduk) as a Tool for Learning and Thinking: A Systematic Review of Educational Outcomes (Collaborative Work with Asst. Prof. Dr. Atilla Özdemir)

Go (also known as Baduk in Korea and Weiqi in China) is one of the world's oldest strategy games, yet it has received only limited attention in educational research relative to comparable games such as chess. The aim of this systematic review is to examine how Go has been addressed in educational contexts, which outcome variables it has been associated with, and the methodological characteristics of the existing evidence base. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Studies retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were screened against predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and ten studies were retained and systematically coded for study characteristics, research designs, data collection tools, examined outcomes, reported effects, and methodological limitations. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised using an adapted version of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The findings indicate that Go has been associated with a range of cognitive, academic, and social–emotional outcomes; prominent themes include problem solving, mathematical thinking, spatial reasoning, attention, working memory, executive functions, motivation, and social interaction. Two controlled studies provided the strongest evidence, linking Go practice to gains in delay of gratification and to improvements in attention, executive function, and prefrontal brain activity in children with ADHD, while single-group studies reported large pre–post effect sizes for problem solving and thinking styles. Although the overall direction of the evidence is positive, the results should be interpreted with caution because of recurrent methodological limitations such as small samples, scarce control groups, short-term interventions, limited random assignment, and a lack of longitudinal follow-up. This review underscores the pedagogical potential of Go for game-based learning while emphasizing the need for methodologically stronger designs in future research.

Sportifying Go in Europe

In many European countries, national Go associations maintain close ties with the official sport authorities. For that purpose, Go communities are led according to the rules of sport, usually related to the International Olympic Committee Good Governance Principles. Recent initiatives by International Go Federations, which should bring Go under the umbrella of IOC recognized sports, sparks motivation for the European Go Federation to show its best in certain areas. One of the most important principles in any sport is that there are pre-defined roles: athletes (players), coaches (teachers) and arbiters (referees). Players are playing, coaches are teaching players, referees are enforcing rules. On this particular occasion, we are going to talk about the roadmap for developing a sustainable referee system across the European Go community, starting at two levels: EGF level and national level.

How "Lanke" Sustained Thousands of Years?

This will be a small talk about my journey to Lanke Mountain (烂柯山) which made me think about how Go sustained for thousands of years.

Session Overview & Call for Participation

This concluding session is designed as a dynamic, open forum dedicated to the structural and institutional development of Go across Europe. Moving away from traditional lectures, the floor will be entirely dedicated to a moderated brainstorming and Q&A session.

Active audience participation is not just encouraged; it is the core of this session. We particularly invite national association representatives attending the AGM, individuals working toward the recognition of Go as an official sport in Europe, and anyone with constructive critiques or fresh ideas regarding the European Go ecosystem. If you want to build a better system, this is the place to roll up your sleeves and turn ideas into action.

Call for Panelists: The moderator and the panelist lineup will be finalized soon. If you are willing to take responsibility and wish to share the stage as a panelist to discuss the institutional future of our mind sport, please contact us at hello@egc2026.com.

The Future Begins at the Board: Teaching Go to Young Minds

Go is a game which is simple in main principles but amazingly complex with countless varieties and patterns. To teach complex information to cheerful and low-focussed children's minds can be quite overwhelming when there is no clear strategy for teaching. Teaching Go can not be the same for adults and children. Teaching strategy must take into account how the children's mind conceives information: quick and with fun. It can not be expected for children to stay silent and listen to the Go teacher for more than 10–15 minutes. In this session the way to teach Go to children will be analyzed and discussed, and tips to help teachers be effective when teaching children will be provided.

Quantum Baduk: Real Science or Buzzword?

Quantum computing is one of the most hyped technologies of our era, and Go AI stands as one of the most spectacular recent success stories in computer science. This talk examines whether quantum algorithms could yield the next massive leap in Go-playing engines, similar to the impact of deep learning. We survey what quantum algorithms offer—particularly quantum search and quantum Monte Carlo methods—and evaluate whether these speedups genuinely address the core computational bottlenecks of modern Go engines like KataGo. The session demystifies current literature regarding quantum game-tree searches, outlining constraints of current hardware and highlighting illuminating truths about why classical Go AI functions so remarkably well. No quantum mechanics background is required.

Thousands of Children, Thousands of Moves: The Educational Journey of Istanbul Go School

Over the past 15 years, Istanbul Go School has introduced more than 10,000 children to the game of Go. Which platforms and teaching methods have proven to be the most effective? What are the most common mistakes when teaching Go to children? Can every child learn Go — and more importantly, should every child be expected to? How should we determine the right pace when teaching children? Should we aim for intensive Go training, or should we focus more on creating a fun, social, and welcoming Go community?

Teaching Go Under Variable Conditions: A Conceptual Framework for Adaptive Instruction

Teaching the game of Go poses distinctive pedagogical challenges, as learners vary considerably in terms of their prior knowledge, cognitive strategies, decision-making speed, and problem-solving approaches. While conventional instructional models often presuppose relatively homogeneous learning conditions, authentic teaching contexts are marked by ongoing variability in learner ability, classroom dynamics, time constraints, and available resources. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for adapting Go instruction to such variable conditions by integrating learner-centered pedagogy, differentiated instruction, and dynamic teaching strategies. The proposed framework conceptualizes instructional variability along four interrelated dimensions: learner characteristics, environmental conditions, instructional constraints, and game complexity. Building on these dimensions, it outlines a flexible teaching model that enables instructors to adjust learning objectives, task difficulty, feedback strategies, grouping arrangements, and assessment methods in response to changing instructional contexts. Rather than prescribing fixed lesson sequences, the model foregrounds continuous observation, formative assessment, and in-the-moment pedagogical decision-making. Illustrative teaching scenarios show how this approach may be applied across diverse instructional settings, including those involving beginner and advanced learners, heterogeneous classrooms, limited instructional time, online environments, and mixed-age groups, with particular attention to sustaining learner engagement while gradually increasing cognitive demand through scaffolded play situations, guided discovery, and reflective analysis. Rather than proposing a new curriculum, this paper presents a conceptual model designed to foster adaptive expertise among Go instructors, reframing instructional variability as an educational resource rather than a constraint. The principles discussed may extend beyond Go education to inform the broader literature on adaptive pedagogy and the teaching of complex strategic games. Future empirical studies are needed to examine the model's applicability and effectiveness across diverse learner populations and instructional settings.