A Weekend at the Confucius Institute Dedicated to the Chinese Strategic Game of Weiqi

On 12 and 13 September 2026, the Confucius Institute of the University of Banja Luka, in cooperation with representatives of the “Reactor” Board Games Club from Banja Luka, organized an Open Tournament in the Chinese strategic board game weiqi to mark the International Day of Confucius Institutes.

The two-day international tournament, held at the Faculty of Political Science, brought together 20 players from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia and the United States. The top players of this ancient Chinese strategy game received valuable cash prizes.

This was the second time that the Confucius Institute organized such a tournament. For the second consecutive year, the Institute has also been offering its fellow citizens a free course in the strategic game of weiqi, held every Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Faculty of Political Science.

What Is Weiqi and How Is It Played?

Weiqi is a strategic board game played by two players. The game is played on a board using playing pieces known as stones.

The board has 19 horizontal and 19 vertical lines that intersect at 360 points. The stones are placed on these intersections. One player plays with black stones and the other with white stones. Each player has 190 stones. Black plays first, after which the players take turns alternately. A move consists of placing one stone on one of the vacant intersections.

A stone may be placed on any intersection, including those along the edge of the board. Once placed on an intersection, a stone remains there until the end of the game, except when it is captured.

Photos: D. Desnica