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Tournaments

Tournament description

Little Golem runs tournaments for every game:

  • Championship
  • Speed League (upcoming)
  • Ladder
  • User tournaments

Players can also use the Waiting Room for rated casual games.

See time controls and vacation. Speed League uses its own faster clock.

Championship

The championship is the main type of tournament on LG. Players are divided into groups in each league. There is only one group in the first league. In the second league there are two groups. In the third league there are four groups, and so on. The championship is played as a double round-robin.

The winner of the first league is the champion.

The top two players in each group advance to the next higher league. Players finishing as low as fifth stay in their current league.

A new championship starts for each variant twice a year. The calendar lists the start dates for each variant.

Speed League

Speed League is an upcoming recurring competition for players who prefer more frequent moves. The planned format is five-player groups, with two games against each opponent, using 72 hours + 24 hours per turn, capped at 72 hours. No vacation: vacation time does not extend these clocks. The target first start is 15 November 2026. See Speed League for the proposal and details still to be announced.

Ladder

Each game has an ongoing ladder tournament. Players are ranked in a list. Players may challenge opponents up to CEIL(SQRT(position)) places above them. Example:

Position CEIL(SQRT(position)) Can challenge
1 - -
2 2 1
3 2 1-2
4 2 2-3
5 3 2-4
6 3 3-5
7 3 4-6
8 3 5-7
9 3 6-8
10 4 6-9

If the challenger wins the game, the challenger overtakes the opponent. Each player can challenge at most one player and defend against at most two players at the same time. A new ladder game with the same opponent is possible only 21 days after their previous game. The game starts immediately when the player registers for the tournament. Games are started automatically. Players always challenge the player in the highest available position.

Waiting Room

The Waiting Room is used for rated casual games. A game starts when another player accepts the open request.

User tournaments

Players can create their own round-robin tournaments.

1 - Calendar of championships

Calendar of championships

Championships are scheduled throughout the year. Each variant has two scheduled starts per year. A new championship starts on the listed date when the previous championship for that variant has been completed.

January and July 1

  • Draughts: Dameo
  • Go: Size 37x37, Size 13x13
  • WYPS: Italian 14, Japanese 8, Dutch 8
  • Hex: Size 19
  • Reversi: Size 6x6
  • EinStein würfelt nicht!: 3-point match, Backwards capture
  • Morelli: Size 9
  • ConHex: ConHex
  • Polyomino: penta
  • Twixt PP: Size 30
  • Breakthrough: Size 8
  • Havannah: Size 6

February and August 1

  • Chess: Chess, Crazyhouse
  • Go: Hahn Pointing System
  • QYPS: Size 5
  • Twixt PP: Size 24
  • Four in a row: Size 6x7, Size 10x10
  • Lines of Action: Scramble, Quick, Black Hole
  • EinStein würfelt nicht!: 1-point game, 7-point match
  • Havannah: Size 10, Size 7
  • Tumbleweed: Size 8, Size 11
  • Draughts: International Draughts
  • WYPS: German 8, French 14, Spanish 14, Russian 11, Slovak 5, Slovak 14, Russian 8
  • Polyomino: small
  • OSKI: Italian
  • Reversi: Size 10x10
  • Amazons: Size 10
  • Dots and Boxes: Size 6x6
  • Slither: Size 9
  • Catchup: Random
  • Morelli: Size 13, Size 31

March and September 1

  • Go: Random100
  • WYPS: English 14, English 5, Polish 8, Greek 14
  • OSKI: French, Spanish, Slovak
  • Hex: Size 13, Size 15
  • Golem Word Game: 100 letters
  • EinStein würfelt nicht!: 11-point match, Black hole
  • Slither: Size 13
  • Polyomino: hexa
  • Four in a row: Size 8x8
  • Gomoku: Gomoku Pro, Gomoku
  • Dots and Boxes: Size 7x7
  • Havannah: Size 8

April and October 1

  • Go: Size 19x19
  • Shogi: Shogi 5x6, Shogi 5x6 PLUS
  • WYPS: Italian 8, Dutch 14, Czech 8, Japanese 14
  • Polyomino: mini
  • OSKI: Greek, English
  • Twixt PP: Size 48
  • Reversi: Size 12x12
  • Connect6: Connect6
  • Havannah: Size 9
  • Tumbleweed: Size 4
  • Fendo: Size 7

May and November 1

  • Draughts: English Draughts/Checkers
  • Shogi: Shogi, Tori Shogi
  • WYPS: Slovak 8, French 8, Spanish 8, Slovak 11, Russian 5, Russian 14, Numeric small, German 14
  • QYPS: Size 8
  • OSKI: Dutch
  • Hex: Size 11
  • Amazons: Cross
  • StreetSoccer: Street Soccer
  • Havannah: Size 4
  • XiangQi: XiangQi
  • Chess: Grand Chess
  • Reversi: Size 8x8
  • DVONN: DVONN
  • Four in a row: Size 9x9
  • EinStein würfelt nicht!: 19-point match
  • Catchup: Size 7

June and December 1

  • Go: Size 9x9, Size 27x27, Toroidal Go
  • Chess: Chess960
  • Shogi: Mini Shogi, Shogi 3x4
  • LYNGK: Stack6
  • Gomoku: Gomoku Pro 9x9
  • Dots and Boxes: Size 4x4, Size 5x5
  • Lines of Action: Size 8x8
  • EinStein würfelt nicht!: 5-point match, 50-point match
  • Havannah: Size 5
  • Morelli: Size 11
  • WYPS: English 11, Polish 14, Greek 8, Numeric, English 8
  • OSKI: German
  • TZAAR: Random
  • Catchup: Size 5
  • Tumbleweed: Size 6
  • Oceans 11: Deck 54

2 - Speed League

A faster recurring league competition

Speed League is an upcoming competition alongside the regular Championship. It is intended for players who enjoy making moves more frequently and want seasons that continue after the previous season finishes.

The target first start is 15 November 2026. The exact start time and registration announcement will be published on Little Golem. This is a target date, not confirmation that a season has already been scheduled.

Time control

Each player starts with 72 hours in their time bank. After each turn, 24 hours are added, up to a maximum bank of 72 hours. The same time control is planned for every game.

The cap limits the time bank, not the total length of a game or season. Long games can still last several months. This clock supports daily play in each ongoing game. The 72-hour cap is a maximum reserve, not a fresh three-day allowance for every turn.

No vacation: vacation time does not extend Speed League clocks.

Groups and seasons

The standard group has five players. Each player plays two games against each opponent, giving eight games per player in a full group.

The competition will use league levels, promotion and relegation along the same general principles as the regular Championship. Exact progression rules, tie-breaks and arrangements for smaller groups are still being worked out.

Further seasons are intended to start automatically after the previous season of that game and variant finishes. The interval between seasons and the rules for continued participation will be announced before the first season.