Belgian Go Federation

Be there and enjoy ! (and do not wait too long before register : the number of registrations is limited to 70 !).

https://www.gofed.be/node/1580

Three rounds down, the final matches approaching, and the championship is still wide open!

The 2026 Belgian Interclub Championship is entering its decisive phase, with defending champion Gents Go Genootschap (GGG) leading the standings on 7 points.

But the race is far from over! Antwerp remains unbeaten after three consecutive victories, Hoshi is building momentum, and the remaining encounters could still shake up the leaderboard.

GGG Chasing Back-to-Back Titles

GGG has enjoyed a strong campaign, securing two convincing 3–0 victories against Phénix and Leuven. Their only setback came against Antwerp, who handed them a 2–1 defeat in Round 2.

With 7 points and 15 tie-break points, GGG currently leads the championship.

Two players have been particularly reliable: Maarten Marien and Kenny Debacq, both undefeated in their two games this season.

For Maarten, the winning streak goes even further. After losing his opening game in 2025, he won his remaining four matches to help GGG claim the title. Add two more victories in 2026, and he now stands at six consecutive Interclub wins!

His progress goes beyond the Interclub. Having steadily climbed from 6 kyu to 4 kyu, Maarten is showing consistent improvement, with his results on the board reflecting his growing strength.

GGG also has history to chase. Since 2023, the championship has changed hands every year, with Phénix winning in 2023, Antwerp in 2024, and GGG in 2025. A victory this season would make GGG the first team since Phénix in 2023 to successfully defend the title.

Antwerp: The Undefeated Challenger

Three matches. Three victories. Antwerp remains unbeaten!

Antwerp has been remarkably consistent this season, winning all three of its encounters by identical 2–1 scores, including an important victory over defending champion GGG.

With 6 points from three matches, the 2024 champions sit second, just one point behind GGG. Despite trailing in the standings, Antwerp remains the only team with a perfect match record.

One of their key players is Tom Van Den Broeck, who has built an impressive Interclub record. After winning all six of his games across the 2023 and 2024 editions, Tom has now collected 11 individual victories since 2023, making him the player with the most individual wins since the competition began keeping individual results.

His first defeat this season came against Leonard Brand in Round 3, but with two victories from three games, Tom remains an important contributor to Antwerp's title ambitions.

Undefeated but still chasing the leaders, Antwerp remains a serious contender for the 2026 championship!

Hoshi: The Comeback Team

After an opening defeat against Antwerp, Hoshi bounced back with consecutive 2–1 victories against Leuven and Phénix.

Now third with 5 points and 13 tie-break points, Hoshi remains firmly in the title race.

Among its standout players is Yannick Kuy, whose Interclub history speaks for itself. Yannick went undefeated in both 2023 and 2024, winning all seven of his games across those two seasons.

His remarkable streak ended in 2025, but he returned to winning ways in the opening round of 2026.

And with a final showdown against GGG on 2 December, Hoshi could still have a major say in who takes home the trophy!

Phénix and Leuven Look to Finish Strong

For Phénix, the 2026 campaign has been a difficult one. The former champions, who claimed back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, have lost all three encounters so far.

Their final match against Leuven on 3 November offers one last opportunity to finish the season on a positive note.

Leuven, meanwhile, still has one match remaining against Phénix. Although currently at the bottom of the standings, Leuven could still play an important role in deciding the final positions.

Current Standings

Each individual board victory earns one point. Tie-break points are weighted by board: 3 for Board 1, 2 for Board 2, and 1 for Board 3.

GGG has the lead and a six-game winning streak from Maarten Marien. Antwerp has the perfect team record and the competition's all-time individual wins leader in Tom Van Den Broeck. Hoshi has the momentum and a chance to challenge the defending champions directly.

Three teams in the title race. Two matches remaining. Everything still to play for!

Who will be crowned the 2026 Belgian Interclub Champion?

The 2026 Brussels Go Tournament celebrated its
40th edition this weekend, with Fu Tianyi (6 dan)
emerging victorious after an impressive performance.

His path to victory was anything but easy! Fu defeated
three former Brussels champions:
Lucas Neirynck (2018), Cornel Burzo (2023), and Chen Xinghong (2025).
A fitting achievement for this special anniversary edition!

Despite a smaller turnout than last year, the tournament
maintained its international character, welcoming players
from at least 11 countries.
One notable absentee was reigning Belgian champion Lucman Bounoider.

Lucas Falls Just Half a Point Short

Lucas Neirynck was the strongest Belgian performer,
finishing with 4 wins out of 5.
His only defeat came against eventual champion Fu Tianyi,
by the narrowest possible margin: half a point!
Lucas had been leading during the game, making the result
particularly heartbreaking. A fantastic performance nonetheless!

Joachim Reaches 1 Dan!

Another highlight came from Joachim Laloux,
who finished with an impressive 4/5 record
and officially reached 1 dan!
He climbed from 3 kyu to 1 dan in just one year,
faster than Yannick Kuy's progression of one year and five months.
Congratulations, Joachim!

A special mention also goes to
Yuanze Gao,
who also won 4 out of 5 games,
including an impressive victory over former Brussels champion
Cornel Burzo!

40 Editions of Brussels Go

This anniversary edition also celebrated the tournament's rich history.
It was particularly special to welcome Jean-Denis,
who participated in the 1987 Brussels Go Tournament,
the earliest edition with results preserved in our database.

Forty editions, generations of players, and countless memorable games!
Congratulations to Fu Tianyi and all participants, and a big thank you
to the organizers and volunteers who made this edition possible!

Full Results

View the complete results on the

European Go Database.

Pictures

A new season, fresh faces, and plenty of fighting spirit!

The 2026–2027 Pandanet European Team Championship kicked off this week, with Belgium battling Slovakia to a hard-fought 2–2 draw in the opening round.

Belgium's lineup featured Lucas Neirynck, Lucman Bounoider, Jan Ramon, and Maxim Van Wassenhove.

A Promising Debut for Maxim

One of the highlights was the debut of Maxim Van Wassenhove, the young Belgian talent born in 2014 and currently living in China. Making his first appearance for the national team, Maxim immediately made an impact by securing a victory.

Lucman Secures Belgium's Second Win

Lucman Bounoider delivered Belgium's second win of the round. Both victories had something in common: solid fighting and the determination to come out on top.

Looking Ahead

With the first match point secured, Belgium now turns its attention to Round 2 against Finland, scheduled for Tuesday, 10 November, or during the preceding week.

Congratulations to all four players on their games!

One round down. A whole season ahead. Let's go, Belgium!

Links

Games and SGF's:

https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1512?tourname...

Standings:

https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/draw/244?tournament_...

A new season. A new challenge. Belgium is ready to compete!

The 2026–2027 Pandanet European Team Championship kicks off this month, and Belgium is gearing up for another exciting campaign against some of Europe's strongest Go teams.

After securing its place in League B last season, Belgium returns determined to build on that success.

Meet Team Belgium

Nine players will represent Belgium this season, bringing experience, talent, and fighting spirit to the board.

1. Lucas Neirynck
2. Lucman Bounoider
3. Jan Ramon
4. Gabriel Mercier
5. Maxim Van Wassenhove
6. Renaud Gaban
7. Felix Van Wassenhove
8. Joost Vannieuwenhuyse
9. Guillaume De Keijser

Support Team Belgium

We look forward to your support throughout the season! Follow the games, cheer on our players, and help Team Belgium make this another memorable campaign.

Nine players. One team. One goal.

Let's go, Belgium!

More info about the Pandanet European team Championship: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps

Résults of the 2026 blitz Belgian championship

1 Olivier Drouot — 6 pts (SODOS : 17) — winner of the Blitz Championship 2026 !
2 Yuanze Gao — 6 pts (SODOS : 16)
3 Yannick Kuy — 5 pts
4 Philippe Tranchida — 4 pts
5 Guillaume De Keijser — 3 pts — Belgian blitz Champion 2026 !
6 Michael Silcher — 2 pt
7 Auguste Elengesa Lekele N’Sele — 1 pt (SODOS : 5)
8 Jean-Denis Hennebert — 1 pt (SODOS : 1)

Congratulations to all the participants !

Not quite totally unexpectfully, the Chinese player, Yu Fu (8-d), is the 2026 world amateur champion in the WAGC. He ended unbeaten (8/8).

Silver medail goes to Japanese Hyo Ka (7-d) with 7/8.

And bronze medail goes to ...an European player ! Lukas Podpera (CZ, 7-d), as best player with 6 wins. Congratulations to him !

Note the surprinsingly desappointing result of the Korean player, Hyeon Seok Kim, who ends 8th with a 5-3 score.

Our guy this year was Bram Vandenbon (2-d). He did great with (also) 5 wins and 3 defeats (*) and an admirable 18th place out of a field of 52 participants.
(wins against: india (1-k), australia (3-d !), mexico (3-k), austria (3-d !), sweden (2-d); defeats to: canada (7-d), argentina (4-d), UK (4-d)

Complete results: https://wagc.go.art.pl/en/2026