Because there were so many participants, the computers were required to play off among themselves first--in the two categories of 9 × 9 and 19 × 19 grid boards--to determine which would earn the right to vie with the humans.
由於參加者眾，電腦間要先比賽，得到九路和十九路冠軍的，才能與人腦對奕。開始時，與賽者將自己的圍棋程式輸進電腦，然後決定先後順序就正式比賽。