The 37th CITIC Security Cup World Amateur Go Championship (WAGC) was inaugurated in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, on June 4, Wuxi Daily reported.

This is the third time the championship has been held in China, following Hangzhou in 2010 and Guangzhou in 2012.

Mayor Wang Quan attended the opening ceremony. He said that the championship will help to promote the game of Go in the city.

Bai Baoxiang, who won the championship in 2011, will play for China’s Go association in this competition.

The WAGC is an international tournament for amateur Go players to compete for the official world amateur title, held once a year under the supervision of the International Go Federation (IGF).

The first WAGC was held in 1979 with 30 participants from 14 countries and has gradually grown to 76 countries and regions in 2016. From 2010 onwards, the event has been rotated among Japan, China and South Korea for a term of two years. Each participating national Go association sends one player, typically the amateur champion of the country concerned.