Belgian Go Federation

Tianfang Ma from China has won the 2025 edition of the WAGC (World Amateur Go Championship), ahead of Japanese Minoru Ozeki (2nd) and Korean Sawoo Kim (3rd).
They all got 7 wins out of 8 rounds (Ozeki won against Ma but lost to Kim, who lost to Ma).

Among the 4 players with 6 wins, Lukas Podpera (CZ, 7-d) ended 6th and is the best Western competitor.

Our guy this year was Kevin Prist (3-d). He ended 30th out of a field of 52 players, with a 4 wins/4 defeats score. To be noticed: he managed to beat Geert Groenen (NL, 6-d) !

Complete results: https://leago.gg/event/wagc2025/standings/r/7

François Gonze won the 2025 Leuven tournament ahead of (with one SODOS point) Lucman Bounoider, both ended with 4 points out of 5.
This is his 4th triumph in Leuven (he had aleady won it in 2014, 2016 and 2019)
Three players got also 4 points: young Belgian rising star Joachim Laloux (14 years old), Guillaume Léo and Kevin Durant.
To mention: the return of an old figure: Guy Belmans has played his 1st Belgian tournament since...2003.
There were 25 participants.
Complete results: https://www.gofed.be/webfm_send/660

Lucman Bounoider (3-d) won all his games in the 2nd edition of the Hoshi Brussels tournament (05-06/ 04), ahead of Olivier Drouot (3-d), Kevin Prist (3-d) and Yannick Kyu (1-k).

There were 14 participants.

Complete results: https://www.gofed.be/webfm_send/657

https://www.gofed.be/node/1484

On the first weekend of Juli, the 5th and 6th, the Gent Go Tournament will take place. You can register here.

Tournament set-up

System: 6 rounds MacMahon
Time limit: 45 min
Byo-yomi: 5*20 sec Japanese
Rules: Japanese
Komi: 6,5

More info

This weekend marked the Finals of the Belgian Go Championship, delivering intense battles and a dramatic conclusion to the competition.

After the first day, Jan Ramon (4-dan) was the last undefeated player, showing impressive form and positioning himself as the favorite. However, Sunday’s matches brought unexpected twists.

The Road to the Finals

The first major upset of Sunday saw Yannick Kuy (1-kyu) defeat Jan, shaking up the leaderboard. Meanwhile, in a much-anticipated rematch, Kevin Prist (3-dan) secured a win against Lucman Bounoider (3-dan), keeping his championship hopes alive.

Kevin continued his strong performance by defeating Yannick, who had employed the "Great Wall of China" opening. With this win, Kevin advanced to the finals, setting up a decisive showdown against Jan.

The Championship Match

With both players holding one loss each, the title was on the line—whoever won this final game would become the Belgian Champion.

Kevin fought fiercely, pushing Jan . However, in the end, Jan emerged victorious, securing the national title. This victory also served as revenge for his previous loss to Kevin at the Lille Tournament.

Congratulations to Our New Champion!

A big congratulations to Jan Ramon, the 2025 Belgian Champion, and to all participants for a fantastic tournament filled with exciting games and memorable moments.

Final Standings

1 Ramon Jan
2 Prist Kevin
3 Kuy Yannick
4 Bounoider Lucman
5 Silcher Michael
6 De_Keijser Guillaume
7 Boukricha Moad

Looking forward to next year’s battles!

Come and enjoy !
https://www.gofed.be/node/1486

In the seventh round of the Pandanet Team Championship, Belgium faced off against the United Kingdom, resulting in a hard-fought 2-2 draw. Our lineup for this round featured Lucas, Jan, Lucman, and Kevin, all determined to keep Belgium in the race for a top-two finish.

Board 1: Lucas Dominates from Start to Finish
Lucas Neirynck (White) vs. Michael Cheung (4 Dan)

Lucas entered this match as the favorite and wasted no time asserting control. By move 17, despite being locally outnumbered 3 to 1, he emerged with a 10+ point lead. From that point onward, he never gave his opponent a chance to turn the game around, maintaining a steady advantage and securing Belgium’s first win of the round.
Belgium 1 – UK 0

Board 2: Jan Falls into a Tactical Trap
Scott Cobbold (4 Dan) vs. Jan Ramon (Black)

Jan started with his signature solid opening, aiming to build a strong foundation for the middle game. The turning point came when White, playing moves 38 and 39, began shaping central influence.
Jan’s attempt to counter with a pincer at move 43 backfired when his stones were cut off and captured, giving White a 9-point lead. He fought back by attacking a weak White group in the center, but his opponent skillfully maneuvered to connect his own groups while keeping Jan’s completely surrounded.
Despite his aggressive efforts, Jan’s group was ultimately captured, sealing the game in favor of the UK.
Belgium 1 – UK 1

Board 3: Lucman Secures a Convincing Victory
Lucman Bounoider (White) vs. Jake Dane (4 Dan)

Lucman’s game was a back-and-forth battle, featuring sharp fighting from the outset. The key sequence unfolded in the top right corner, where complications arose after an early pincer. By move 90, Lucman had skillfully maneuvered to keep the game balanced, despite his group still being somewhat unsettled.
The decisive moment came at move 135, when Black attempted to invade White’s area of influence. Lucman countered calmly and efficiently, securing solid points while keeping his groups connected. By the time the dust settled, he held a commanding 20+ point lead, clinching Belgium’s second victory of the match.
Belgium 2 – UK 1

Board 4: Kevin Struggles Against Bruno’s Precision
Bruno Poltronieri (4 Dan) vs. Kevin Prist (Black)

Kevin opted for a double kosumi opening, aiming for a flexible, dynamic game. However, White capitalized early with a counter-pincer, leading to a 7-point advantage for Bruno by move 33.
Kevin attempted to break through with a push-and-cut sequence, but his stones were captured, and Bruno extended his lead to 37 points. Despite Kevin’s best efforts to mount a comeback, his opponent’s precise play left no room for recovery, handing the UK their second win and evening the match.
Belgium 2 – UK 2

Final Score: Belgium 2 – UK 2
With this result, Belgium now sits in third place, trailing Italy (1st) and the Netherlands (2nd). Only the top two teams advance to League One, keeping the pressure on as the competition heats up.
Belgium still has a crucial matchup against Italy, meaning our path to promotion is still open—but every game counts from here on out.
No pressure.
For those who want to relive the action, all game records are available on the Pandanet website.
https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps
Complete results: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1116