Players battle it out during the competition. [Photo/ cs.zjol.com.cn]

On Oct 24, the Virtuous Quzhou · Sports Kecheng tournament, invited more than 200 Go masters from the top of 55 Go cities in China to battle it out for supremacy, according to reports in the local media.

The game of Go was invented in China more than 2,500 years ago and is believed to be the oldest board game being continuously played to the present day.

Sponsored by the Chinese Go Association and operated under the auspices of the government of Kecheng District, the tournament was co-organized by the Quzhou Lanke Chess Academy.

Go is a game where two players take turns placing black and white stones.

As distinct from previous years, this year's competition adopts (adopted? Please see note) the national team’s two-stage mode of online first, then offline. Under it, each team fields (fielded, see note) five players in each round of the tournament and the tables are (were, see note) arranged according to the age groups.

Quzhou's Lanke Mountain – administered by Kecheng -- is the legendary birthplace of Go, or Weiqi in Chinese, and as a result many Go fans show a keen interest in the district.

Local officials say the 2020 Virtuous Quzhou · Sports Kecheng Chinese Go Hometown League is one of the most important brand competitions of the Chinese Go Association.