The 2026 INAF Cup gets underway this weekend, featuring four North American professionals facing off against four young professionals from Japan in a single-elimination tournament sponsored by the Iwamoto North American Foundation (INAF).
Organized by the North American Go Federation (NAGF) and the Nihon Kiin, the event pairs NAGF-certified professionals against Nihon Kiin professionals under the age of 25. All first-round matches will be played online on CyberOro/Yugen no Ma under Japanese Rules with 6.5-point komi. Players will have 55 minutes of main time followed by five 60-second byo-yomi periods.
Quarterfinals (June 14):
Ryan Li 4P (NAGF) vs. Yuki Tanaka 3P (Nihon Kiin)
Bill Lin 1P (NAGF) vs. Yoshiakira Konishi 4P (Nihon Kiin)
Michael Chen 2P (NAGF) vs. Koki Fujii 3P (Nihon Kiin)
Alexander Qi 3P (NAGF) vs. Ryota Ikemoto 4P (Nihon Kiin)
The semifinals will be played online on June 21.
The location of the final has yet to be determined. If a North American professional reaches the championship match, the final will be played live at the 2026 U.S. Go Congress in Boston. If both finalists are Nihon Kiin professionals, the title match will be held in Japan.
The tournament offers a total prize fund with $2,000 awarded to the champion and $1,000 to the runner-up, with prizes extending through the first round.
The INAF Cup is one of the few regular opportunities for North American professionals to compete against young Japanese professionals in an international setting, and organizers hope it will strengthen ties between the North American and Japanese Go communities while providing valuable high-level competition for emerging pros.