Belgian Go Federation

The General Assembly of the Belgian Go Federation will take place on Sunday 19/01/2025 from 2 PM till 5 PM
at the Association Belgique-Chine Avenue Paul Deschanel,92 - 1030 Brussels (Schaerbeek).

This important yearly meeting is the main opportunity to exchange information, share ideas and comments regarding the past year and the future of your club and of the BGF.

In particular, we would appreciate the participation of every club captains, or at least 1 representative per club.

Agenda:
1. Report on 2024 activities (by the president); 2024 financial report (by the treasurer)
2. Projects for 2025 (and later) - among which the developpment on a new BGF website - and setting of the 2025 budget
3. Update of the statutes (so as to remain complient with the new legislation)
4. Election of the board of directors

PS: only BGF members have voting rights.

The Belgian Go team kicked off the new year with an incredible victory in Round 4 of the Pandanet Team Championship, defeating the Netherlands 3-1. Before this round, the Netherlands held second place in the league, making this an uphill battle for Belgium. With key players like Kevin unavailable and a challenging schedule, the odds were against us. According to the European Go Database, Belgium was the underdog in every match.
Yet, our lineup of Lucas, Jan, Lucman, and Guillaume rose to the occasion and delivered an unforgettable performance.

Board 2: Jan Ramon vs. René Aaij

The first game of the round was played on Sunday and featured Jan Ramon (Black) against René Aaij. René, a top Dutch player with multiple podium finishes last year, promised to be a tough opponent.
Jan opened with his characteristic double komoku and a small shimari on the north side of the board. The early game was tight, with a ko fight around move 40. By move 57, Jan had claimed the corner, gaining a small lead. White’s move 58 was strong, cutting and isolating part of Black’s central group. However, White’s mistake at move 62 allowed Black to connect through a ladder, giving Jan a 10-point advantage.
Jan capitalized on his lead by attacking White’s weak groups on the right, solidifying his influence in the center. By move 117, Jan was ahead by 13 points. A dramatic ko fight emerged at move 137 when Jan pulled out a black stone in the corner. Although White lived big in the corner, narrowing the gap to just 2 points, Jan launched a bold invasion on the left. A chaotic fight ensued, with groups on both sides at risk of dying. Jan’s brilliant endgame play at move 195 secured his victory in this nail-biting match.His opponent thought is was an overplay, and then Jan could live in the west.

Result: Belgium’s first underdog victory.

More info: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps
Complete results: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1114

Board 1: Rob van Zeijst vs. Lucas Neirynck

Lucas Neirynck, fresh off a third-place finish in the European Grand Prix Final 2024, faced Rob van Zeijst on Board 1. Lucas (White) had a challenging game as Rob showcased his exceptional skill and experience.
By move 44, Black’s groups were solid while White had two weak groups. Rob’s north-side invasion put Lucas on the defensive, and by move 100, Rob had established a 15-point lead according to AI analysis. Despite Lucas’s efforts to turn the tide, Rob’s solid play kept him in control. He managed to cut off one of Lucas’s groups in the east, sealing the game in his favor.

Result: Belgium loses on Board 1.

Board 3: Lucman Bounoider vs. Gelmer Bouwman

Lucman Mohammad (White) faced Gelmer van Dijk on Board 3. Lucman attempted to steer the game into familiar territory with his favorite joseki, but Gelmer opted for a simpler variation, isolating Lucman’s stones in the corner and gaining a 10-point lead by move 67.
The game’s turning point came when Gelmer invaded the west at move 91. Lucman launched a sharp counterattack, cutting through Black’s groups. Although Gelmer managed to live in the corner, his outside groups were heavily weakened. A final ko fight ensued, but Gelmer lacked sufficient threats, allowing Lucman to secure a commanding 20-point victory.
Result: Another win for Belgium.

Board 4: Guillaume De Keijser vs. Herman Hiddema

The final game saw Guillaume Jacobs (Black) take on Herman Wortelboer, a 4-dan player. Despite a misclick at move 11 that cost Guillaume 4 points, he managed to stabilize the game. By move 47, Guillaume captured four stones in the center, connecting two weak groups but still trailing by 6 points.
As the game progressed, Guillaume’s group in the east came under severe attack, and he found himself 25 points behind. However, a critical turning point came at move 120 when White overplayed while attacking Guillaume’s stones. Guillaume seized the opportunity, starting a capturing race that led to a decisive ko fight. Although White killed some of Black’s stones, Guillaume managed to kill all of White’s stones in the left half of the board, securing an improbable 10.5-point victory.
Result: A miracle win for Belgium.

Final Score: Netherlands 1 – Belgium 3

On paper, Belgium was the underdog in this round, but the team’s determination and skill turned the tide. With this remarkable 3-1 victory, Belgium starts the new year with momentum and confidence.
Great games were played by all, and we thank everyone who supported the team. For those who want to relive the action, the games can be viewed on the Pandanet website.
Let’s keep up the great work and look forward to the upcoming rounds!

More info: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps
Complete results: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1114

Dear Go players,

The board of the Belgian Go Federation wishes you a happy new year 2025 !

Also, we would like to inform you on our intentions for 2025 regarding the renew of the website.
We need and want to have a new Belgian Go Federation site with modern design and new features because we think you deserve it. :)

But it's difficult to find volunteers with expertise in Web IT, even more volunteers who are willing to invest a good amount of their time.
For sure, creating a website with a few pages and nice pictures, many can do it. But when you have to manage membership with different access rights, mailing, record tournament results, handle a rating, and ensure migration and maintenance, things get more complicated and expensive in time and budget. And after several attempts the last 10 years, the last try as well did not reach much of our expectations.

Least to say for the future of Go in Belgium the Federation site is very important whereas we are behind in technology running with 20 years old tools.

So sure, if some serious IT developer is still willing to volunteer to achieve this great task of migrating our site to a new shiny one, we would be more than happy.

Otherwise, we will likely have to ask professionals, and pay them for the service...with a scarce budget.

For the moment, we still use the same old gofed.be site, but be aware that our good old gofed.be website is at risk. And as time goes by, the need to change the gofed website will become imperative.
Of course, this point is on the agenda of the forthcoming General Assembly 19th January 25.

Michael Silcher
President of the Belgian Go Federation

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

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:

Place	Name	Rank	Country	Club
1	Prist Kevin	3D	BE	Phen
2	Drouot Olivier	3D	BE	Pant
3	Tranchida Philippe	2K	BE	Pant
4	Bounoider Lucman	3D	BE	Pant
5	Nollet Yvan	3K	BE	Pant
6	Kuy Yannick	2K	BE	Phen
7	de_Keijser Guillaume	4K	BE	Phan
8	Henri Anne	2K/td>	BE	Pant
9	Stojanovic Voja	4K	BE	Pant
10	Lemaire Thomas	7K	BE	Pant
11	Boukricha Moad	7K	BE	Pant
12	Tolmatcheff Frédéric	7K	BE	Pant
13	Groc Johanna	9K	BE	Pant
14	Murai_von_Buenau Timothy	10K	BE	Pant
15	Devaux Marion	13K	BE	Pant
16	Six Lucas	18K	BE	Pant
17	Buchy Marc	18K	BE	Pant

The opening round of the 2024-2025 Pandanet Championship saw the Belgium team go head-to-head with Finland, resulting in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. This season brings a fresh look for Belgium, with stricter anti-cheating protocols reshaping the roster. The lineup for this first matchup featured Lucas, Lucman, Kevin, and Vincent, each ready to make their mark.

Board 1: Lucas Secures the First Win

Lucas (White) set the tone early, playing his game on October 11. After navigating a competitive start, Lucas took command from move 45 and never looked back. A decisive kill on a large dragon secured the first point for Belgium, putting them up 1-0 and establishing momentum.

Board 2: Lucman’s Comeback Falls Short

Lucman (Black) faced off in a game that had all the makings of a grind-it-out contest. Both players opened with solid shapes, but Lucman’s early attempt to invade the bottom left fell flat, putting him behind by komi. With the game slipping away, Lucman went on the offensive, launching a powerful invasion to split White's groups. White countered, giving up the corner while maintaining a narrow lead. Lucman’s relentless pressure brought the game within three points, but Belgium couldn’t seal the deal, dropping Board 2 to even the score.

Board 3: Kevin Edges Out the Twitch Sensation

In a marquee matchup against Twitch sensation Mikkgo, Kevin (White) put on a show. The game started with a high-stakes clash at the top, where Kevin emerged ahead by four points. Mikkgo wasn’t backing down, launching a left-side invasion that disrupted Kevin’s corner and white was able to make life and some points for his group. With the game still even, Kevin made his move—an aggressive invasion into Mikkgo’s framework. The gamble paid off, wrecking Mikkgo’s territory and swinging the lead back to Kevin.

But the drama wasn’t over. Mikkgo’s last-ditch invasion on the bottom left set up a ko capturing race (semiai) that had me on the edge of my seats. In the final moments, Kevin’s big one-eyed group outlasted Mikkgo’s, and with some clutch play, he clinched the victory, giving Belgium a 2-1 edge.

Board 4: The One That Got Away

With this board we had a chance to get our firs team win. Vincent (Black) took off to a good start, carving out a 14-point lead. For some moments, all signs pointed to a Belgium victory. But his opponnt played solid endgame. The 1-dan opponent mounted a comeback, and Belgium’s hopes for a win faded as Vincent fell short by just 2.5 points.

Final Score: 2-2 Draw Against Finland

In a round that had its share of highs and heartbreaks, Belgium walked away with a 2-2 split. The team's performance showed grit and flashes of brilliance, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.

For those who want to relive the action, the game records are available on the Pandanet website.

https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1111?tourname...

We're excited to introduce the team representing Belgium in this year's Pandanet competition.

This year's lineup includes both experienced players and people who still need to have their first games in this competition:

Here is the linup with the European Database Ranking

Lucas Neirynck - 6 Dan
Jan Ramon - 3 Dan
Lucman Bounoider - 3 Dan
Kevin Prist - 2 Dan
Kiem Lam - 1 Dan
Vincent Quoilin - 1 Kyu
Guillaume De Keijser - 4 Kyu

We invite all Go fans to follow and support our national team over the next few months. Stay updated on their progress, match results, as they compete on the European stage!

The General Assembly of the Belgian Go Federation will take place on Sunday 14/01/2024 from 2 PM till 4 PM (online - MS Team).

This important meeting is the main opportunity to exchange information, share ideas and comments regarding the past year and the future of your club and of the BGF.

The link to participate to the meeting will be communicated to the every BGF member who are interested (send a mail to : board at gofed dot be).

Dear fellow Go players,

If you are ready to play at most one tuesday evening (online) each month and if you are are hungry for battles or for nice plays with players from all over Europe, please read the following message:

The European Team Go Championship, also known as the "Pandanet League", is expected to restart in October and we need 12 Go players.

Anyone (whatever your level is) is welcome to register, you just need to have Belgian citizenship and be a member of Belgian Go Federation.

For each match, we need to constitute a team of 4 players, among the 12 selected at the beginning of the season.

Usually dan players are preferred but many times in the past, our kyu players were able to score victories against dan players and were the heroes of the team! Thus, don’t be shy and ask for being a team member whatever your level is !

You can find further information about Pandanet League here (currently last season information):
https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps
and last year Belgian Team here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/teams/29/BEL

If you are interested, please send an email to info@gofed.be before Friday 29th of September.

With the hope to see you soon and motivated,

Gabriel Mercier,

Belgian Team Captain 2015-2023.