In late August, it became known that on January 6-10, an open international team tournament will be held in St. Petersburg. The organizers declare the desire to revive the well-known old school ranzist Leningrad New Year Prize and at the same time hold the Russian team championship, the need for which has been actively discussed in recent years.

The team should include 4 people and one spare (if desired, the team can perform without a spare). The organizers expressed the wish for the teams to represent a specific region (since in the initial idea that was discussed the team tournament was more like a tournament between different regions), but there is no strict requirement for this, teams formed in an arbitrary manner are allowed.

Venue -y. St. Petersburg, save the center on Vosstaniya Street opposite the Moscow railway station.

The time of January 7-10 (January 6, the day of arrival and opening) 2016. Approximate list of participants will be known by mid-end of November.

On the one hand, the idea and the dates of the meeting seem successful, on the other – somewhat strange. Firstly, two Christmas tournaments are already held in the winter window (not counting Tallinn Open, which is held on Catholic Christmas): ibid, in St. Petersburg, in Gomoku and Rybinsk, in Renju, so lovers and Renju and gomoku and in previous years could find venues where, in early January, it was possible to spend time with your favorite game, but Christmas tournaments in recent years have not been particularly popular.

The team tournament will certainly bring some interest, it is already expected that at least one team from Moscow will take part in it, one or more teams from St. Petersburg and Podugi, possibly a hodgepodge representing Nizhny Novgorod, Moscow, Rybinsk. Of the foreign teams, the participation of Estonian players is most likely; the appearance of Swedes (as well as other Scandinavians and players from Eastern Europe) or players from Asia seems most unlikely. Attention to the tournament will be raised also because next year the next World Team Championship will take place, in which our team has not won prizes for a long time. But the main question is how long the success of the tournament will last. Making a new tournament format in the background of far from the best times seems not quite logical, so whether a teammate can repeat success in a year is a big question.