The event began in 2000, soon after the opening of is sponsors, the Taiwan Chi Yuan Culture Foundation, on 4 March 2000.*
It is open only to professional dan players who are members of the Taiwan Chi Yuan [=Qiyuan or Go Association]. Note that "duan" [dan] is now used instead of "pin", and unlike with pin the dan grades are in the same order as in the the other go-playing countries.
The event has two sessions a year: Spring and Autumn. The Spring games are played in April, May and June. The Autumn games are in September, October and November. Each player plays eight games in each session.
In the initial events, when only 10 players were available (9-dans can't be promoted so don't compete), the players were split into two sets of five players each: High-Dan and Low-Dan. Within each section, the players all played each other twice.
The criteria for promotion are as follows:
Games
Wins
Games
Wins
Games
Wins
1d to 2d
8
75%
10
70%
12
66.5%
2d to 3d
12
75%
14
70%
16
66.5%
3d to 4d
16
75%
18
70%
20
66.5%
4d to 4d
20
75%
22
70%
24
66.5%
5d to 6d
24
75%
26
70%
28
66.5%
6d to 7d
28
75%
30
70%
32
66.5%
7d to 8d
32
75%
34
70%
36
66.5%
8d to 9d
36
75%
38
70%
40
66.5%
In other words, if, upon completion of a series and over the period of the number of games specified for his grade, a player scores at least the win-loss ratio given next to it, he earns promotion. An exception is specified: a score of 90% or higher earns promotion by two grades. The published regulations do not say over what number of games.
The rules also are unclear on komi. They simply say that two points are given back for each grade difference, but this may be based on standard Ing komi of 8 points.
Time limits are 2.5 hours per player, with the last three minutes counted as byoyomi. Upon completion of the game, the winner must record it, and it must be accurate.
A fee is paid for each game on the basis of grade as follows (all in New Taiwan dollars):
The winner of each section, counting games played over the whole year, also receives a prize of 5000 dollars. The top player also is allowed to play a three-game match with the sole 9-dan, Zhou Junxun, in which the game fee is 10,000 dollars.
* Note that you may see this, and similarly other dates in Taiwanese documents, game records etc, as 89.04.03. The year is the Year of the Chinese Republic, dating from the 1912 Revolution.
