Belgian Go Federation

Olivier Drouot wins this 2024 edition of Rapid Games Belgian Championship (12 min per player + 10 sec / move, handicap - 2).
Second and Belgian Rapid Champion is Lucman Bounoider.

A high level tournament with many Dan and high SDK players but only 7 participants (and half of the participants are board members...).
Still a lof of suspense for the win and many tense situations for games that have been confortably played from home.

Final result

1 - Olivier Drouot - 6 victories - Winner of the Rapid Belgian Championship !
2 - Lucman Bounoider - 5 victories - Belgian Rapid Go Champion !
3 - Jan Ramon - 3 victories
4 - Renaud Gaban - 3 victories
5 - Guillaume De Keijser - 3 victories
6 - Michael Silcher - 1 victory
7 - Jean-Denis Hennebert - 0 victories

The Belgian team faced a tough opponent in Round 3 of the Pandanet Team Championship, falling 3-1 to Austria. Despite the defeat, Vincent's resilience on Board 4 kept Belgium from being swept, preserving a measure of pride in a hard-fought contest. The lineup for this round featured Lucas, Lucman, Kevin, and Vincent. Here's how the matches unfolded:

Board 1: Lucas Battles Viktor Lin in a Close Contest

Lucas (White) went up against Austria's top player, Viktor Lin, in a highly anticipated matchup. The two had faced each other several times before, with Viktor holding a slight edge in their rivalry.
This game lived up to expectations, delivering a complex and dynamic battle. Both players avoided large-scale territory, opting instead for intricate fighting with small groups spread across the board. By the midgame, Lucas found himself trailing by 9 points after his group on the left was surrounded. However, he there was potential for a comeback. To succeed at reducing his opponents influence in the centre while ensuring the survival of his group.
The game came down to a critical ko fight initiated by Lucas. If successful, he could turn the tables. But Viktor played it safe, ignoring the initial threat and forcing Lucas to settle for capturing a few stones. This wasn’t enough to close the gap, Lucas resigned.

Board 2: Lucman Fights Hard but Falls Short

Lucman (Black) took on Peter Neubauer in their first recorded match. He opened with his favorite joseki in the southeast, but this time, Peter came out ahead, securing an 8-point lead early on.
The game transitioned into a moyo-building phase, with Lucman looking for opportunities to regain ground. He launched an invasion at move 49, and white did an invasion by saving the stones at P8. But even after the trades and ko, Peter's lead remained intact.
Despite Lucman's best efforts to apply pressure across the board, Peter held firm. He secured life for his groups in the center and west, while creating a significant moyo in the northwest. In the end, Peter converted his early lead into a decisive victory, winning by more than 15 points.

Board 3: Kevin Falls to Relentless Pressure

Kevin (White) faced Lisa Mayer in a game that was evenly balanced through the opening stages. By move 49, Kevin had successfully reduced Black's potential in the south.
A sequence in the northwest weakened Kevin’s groups on the left, leaving them vulnerable to attack. Lisa capitalized on this, launching a series of relentless assaults. Kevin managed to secure a good result locally in the east, but Lisa used the momentum to invade the north and split Kevin's groups.
Unable to defend everything, Kevin ultimately lost a key group in the north and resigned. It was a well-executed game by Lisa, who maintained pressure throughout.

Board 4: Vincent Saves Belgium’s Pride

With Belgium down 3-0, Vincent (Black) stepped up to face Valentin Hauer, determined to prevent a sweep. Vincent played a solid opening, prioritizing the safety of his groups and creating a stable foundation.
White’s invasion at move 42, however, triggered chaos. Valentin applied maximum pressure on the east, but Vincent responded with calm and precise defensive moves. When the dust settled, Vincent emerged with a 10-point lead, having cut off White’s stones and established strong shapes.
As the game progressed, White attempted to build a massive central territory. Vincent saw the opportunity to exploit a weakness, launching a deep invasion and sacrificing a single stone to reduce White’s potential significantly. With White unable to close the gap, Vincent secured the win, salvaging a point for Belgium.

Final Score: Austria 3 – Belgium 1

While Austria walked away as the better team this round, Vincent’s victory ensured Belgium avoided a sweep. Congratulations to Austria on a well-deserved win.
For those eager to review the games in detail, the records are available on the Pandanet website.

The 2024 Interclub Go competition has come to an exciting finish.

The final day of the tournament featured a thrilling showdown between Gent and Antwerpen, with three teams still in contention for the title.

If Gent won the match, they would secure the championship.
If Antwerpen managed to win two games, the title would hinge on a tiebreaker between them and Phénix, the reigning champions.
Antwerpen came in with fewer points than Gent but they took it home, winning all three games in the final match and claiming the championship outright.

With their dominant performance, Antwerpen ends the season as the 2024 champions.

Congratulations to the team on this impressive achievement!

Complete results: https://www.gofed.be/node/1431

The dreaded team Michael Silcher - Moad Boukricha wins this year again the Belgian Rengo Championship, undefeated, uncontested.

Congratulations for this win !
And see you next year with hopefully a little more competition.

This is just a tournament for fun: a quick games (on-line) experience !

Rules
7 rounds swiss, or round-robin (everyone against everyone) if less than 8 participants
handicap - 2 (taking the last available rating in points rating into consideration; thus: rounded delta minus 200)
12 minutes + 10 seconds/move.

Registration form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhBM2jCynO1sxJbGFRfPrjTJwRgBlr...

Conditions de participation - deelname voorwaarden
Etre membre de la Fédération Belge de Go. Inscription gratuite (remarque: seule une personne de nationalité belge peut être désignée "Champion de Belgique blitz").
Lid van de Belgische Go Federatie zijn. Geen inschrijvingskosten (opmerking: enkel personen die de Belgische nationaliteit hebben, kunnen "Belgisch Kampioen blitz" worden).

Round 2: Belgium Secures First Victory in the Pandanet Team Championship!

The Belgium team has notched its first win of the 2024-2025 Pandanet Team Championship, taking down Switzerland in a commanding 3-1 performance. For the first time this season, our top lineup—Lucas, Jan, Lucman, and Kevin—hit the boards together, delivering a statement victory.

Board 1: Lucas Dominates the Rematch

Lucas (Black) faced John Walsh in what promised to be a tightly contested match. Despite being the favourite, Lucas knew better than to underestimate Walsh, who had previously bested him this year. But this time, Lucas was locked in.
After a solid opening, Black emerged with a 7-point lead by the first josekis at the top. Lucas then capitalized on a key mistake when White played away after move 64, allowing Black to cut and initiate a fight. The result? Lucas isolated White’s top stones and extended his lead to 20 points. By move 111, White’s biggest territory had collapsed, forcing a resignation. A masterclass from Lucas.

Board 2: Jan’s Fight Falls Short

Jan (White) took on Fabien Lips in a rematch with revenge on his mind. Both players opened with san-san, building frameworks with a mix of territory and influence. Jan applied pressure early, isolating a Black group with move 36. By move 90, Jan had the slight lead, leading by nearly 3 points.
However, the tide turned in a critical sequence from moves 110 to 119, even though Jan captured the cutting stones Fabien now had a territorial lead. From that point on, Jan couldn’t regain momentum. Despite the loss, Jan showed promise in an intense match.

Board 3: Lucman’s Magical Maneuver

Lucman (Black) went toe-to-toe with Josef Renner in a game full of fireworks. After an aggressive two-space low pincer, the players entered a complex variation. When the dust settled, Lucman held a 10-point lead and impressive board thickness.
Then came the magic. Lucman methodically reduced White’s options on the top side. With surgical precision, he left White’s group with no way out, forcing a resignation by move 113. A clinical finish and a vital point for Belgium.

Board 4: Kevin Shuts Down the Moyo

Kevin (White) rounded out the day with a strong performance against Arnaud Pilet. Using the same joseki as Lucman in the bottom right corner, Kevin built an early 15-point lead by move 59. Arnaud attempted to mount a comeback by building a central moyo, but Kevin stayed calm and in control.
Despite Arnaud’s efforts, the lead proved insurmountable. Kevin maintained his composure and cruised to victory, sealing Belgium’s 3-1 triumph.

Final Score: 3-1 Victory Over Switzerland

With our all-star lineup firing on all cylinders, Belgium secures its first win of the season and jumps to second place overall. The team’s resilience and strategic depth were on full display, and the stage is now set for an exciting season ahead.
For those who want to dive deeper into the games, the records are available on the Pandanet website.
https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1111?tourname...

This Saturday 16/11 was the Hoshi Go Club Tournement.

The Board 1 final match was a rematch between Kevin Prist and Lucman Bounoider.

Lucman had the win last time at the Brussels go tournement Final round, but this time Kevin Prist got the Win.

Congraulations to him!

The winners of the 13x13 tournement:

1. Jonathan Teuns 3 Victories
2. Felix Küng 2 Victories
3. Martin Lemaire 1 Victories
4. Michèle Rossignol aucune Victories

The Results of the 19x19 Tournement:

Hoshi Go Club tournament
Le Viaduc - 43 Rue du Viaduc - 1050 Bruxelles

16th November 2024
registration 10:00
first round 10:30
end of the tournament: 18:00

Rythm: 3 games, 45 min / 5 x 20 seconds japanese byo-yomi
Japanese rules
Handicap -2 on MMS until 5 Kyu / non handicap from 4 Kyu
Valid for Belgian and European ratings

Inscription via email hoshigoclub@gmail.com (please mention : Name Firstname & Club & Level)

Kaku Maekawa, a Japanese 6-d studying presently a PhD in Köln, won unbeaten the 38th edition of the Brussels tournament.
Xinghong Chen (China) ended second with 4 wins, ahead of a groupe of 5 players with 3 wins.
Among these players with 3 wins, the best Belgian: Lucman Bounoider (3-d) (7th)
To be noted: Kevin Prist (2-d) managed to beat Koichiro Habu (5-d).

Beside these best finishers, there were 5 players with 4 wins (nobody got 5 wins except Maekawa): Louis Baudaux (1-k), Voja Stojanovic (5-k), Moad Boukricha (8-k), Jeffrey Nguyen (9-k) and Zidan Zha (9-k). Congratulations to them !

There were 53 participants.

Complete results: https://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/Tournament_Card.php?&key=T241026E&...