The 2026 New York Monthly Series is an AGA-rated tournament circuit for Youth and Adult players held at the NYIG venue in NYC.
Players must choose one circuit for the entire season. Youth players may opt into the Adult circuit at registration, but no mid-season switching is permitted.
| Circuit | Eligibility | Divisions |
|---|---|---|
| Youth | U18 as of Jan 1, 2026 | Dan (1D+), SDK (9k-1k), DDK A (17k-10k), DDK B (beginner-18k) |
| Adult | 18+ as of Jan 1, 2026 | Open (4D+), Dan (1D-3D), SDK (9k-1k), DDK (beginner-10k) |
Events typically take place on the first Saturday of each month.
| Date(s) | |
|---|---|
| Monthly Tournaments | Jan 10, Feb 7, Mar 7, May 2, Jun 6, Jul 11, Sep 12, Oct 3, Nov 7 |
| NY State Championships | April 11-12 |
| US Go Congress | July 25 - August 1 |
| Grand Finals | December 12 |
All games use AGA rules with area scoring.
| Adult Circuit | Youth Circuit | |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds | 3 rounds | 4 rounds |
| Time Control | 40 min + 10s increment | 25 min + 10s increment |
| Typical Schedule | R1: 9:30, R2: 11:30, R3: 2:00 | R1: 9:30, R2: 11:00, R3: 1:00, R4: 2:30 |
Check-in: 8:30 am.
Awards: 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm.
Handicap: Open division is even; all other divisions use with a cap of 9 and 0.5 Komi.
Attendance: Clocks start 5 minutes after round time; forfeit at 15 minutes. Missing Round 1 without notice results in being dropped.
Points are earned per division and per circuit.
Players must participate in all rounds in order to earn points.
| Place | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | ≥9th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 12 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Best 5: Only a player's best 5 results from Jan–Nov count toward their season total.
Division Changes: Points stay within the division where they were earned.
Tie-breakers: 1. Highest single-event points, 2. Most 1st places (then 2nd), 3. Average SOS, 4. On-site playoff or rock-paper-scissors.
The top 4 players from each division (Adult and Youth) qualify for the Grand Finals.
Eligibility: Must complete monthly events in that division.
Division Lock: On Nov 30, a player is locked into the division where they earned the most points (higher division breaks ties).
Format: Single-elimination (Semifinals and Finals).
Time Control: 30 min + byo-yomi.
Prizes: Adult/Youth top division champions receive $500+; other divisions receive scaled cash or trophies.
AI Policy: No AI or outside assistance; phones must be silent.
Sandbagging: TD may reassign divisions and void results for mis-reported strength.
Rankings: Players are auto-placed by their AGA rating on the day of check-in. It is the player's responsibility to inform the TD of rank updates not reflected in their rating (e.g., if you improved 2+ ranks in the past few months, or have not played in 5+ years).