Belgian Go Federation

The Hoshi Go Club Tournament returned this weekend with a major milestone, doubling in size from 14 to 27 participants and marking a successful new edition of the event.

The level of competition was high throughout the tournament, with several strong dan-level players in the field. After four intense rounds, 15 years old Gao Yuanze (5 Dan) emerged on top, finishing undefeated with a perfect 4–0 record to claim first place.

Yannick Kuy followed in second place with three wins, while Zhao Ziang completed the podium in third.

Among the notable performances, Joachim Laloux continued to impress. The young and rising player secured 6th place and is now closing in on the 1 kyu level in the official ratings.

Venue and Atmosphere

The tournament took place in Brussels near Place Flagey, offering a spacious and welcoming setting. With its four-round format, players had time not only to compete but also to review games, exchange ideas, and enjoy the social side of the event.

With its strong turnout, competitive games, and great atmosphere, this edition confirmed the Hoshi Go Club Tournament as a growing success on the Belgian Go calendar.

Results

Standings: https://hoshigoclub.be/tournoi.html#results

Belgium heads into the final round of the season with its fate still in its own hands.

Despite winning just one of the four games in the previous round, the result was enough to keep Belgium in a strong position in the standings. The team currently sits in 7th place with 5 points, keeping direct survival in League B well within reach.

With only one match remaining, Belgium now has a real chance to avoid the playoffs and secure its place for next season.

The Final Challenge

The final challenge comes against Croatia, who also have 5 points and currently sit in 9th place. With both teams level on points, this matchup is set to be one of the most decisive of the season.

A draw — and certainly a win — would most likely be enough for Belgium to remain in League B next year, adding extra importance to the encounter.

Match Schedule

The round is scheduled for Tuesday, 12 May 20h CET (or the week before).

Final Push

After a season full of tight battles, Belgium now has one final opportunity to finish the job.

One more push. One more match. Let’s finish strong.

Links

Games: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1352

Standings: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/draw/215

Belgium closed out Round 7 of the Pandanet online team championship this week with a hard-fought matchup against Austria, delivering drama across multiple boards before settling for a draw.

The Belgian lineup featured Lucas, Lucman, Jan and Guillaume. The first three boards were played on Friday, March 13, while the remaining game was scheduled for Tuesday, March 17.

Strong Start on the Top Boards

On Board 1, Lucas, playing Black, faced Viktor Lin (6 dan). He opted for a modern extra wide pincer variation leading to a dynamic opening. Lucas quickly took control by executing two successful invasions on the left side, gaining an early lead. Despite his opponent building a strong central wall, Lucas’ prior stones in the area neutralized the threat, and he maintained control to secure the win.

On Board 3, Jan, also playing Black, took on Jannis Adamek (1 kyu). Known for his solid style, Jan opened with classic joseki before shifting gears in the middle game. Move 61 proved decisive, creating a powerful double threat. After isolating stones in the south, Jan built a clear advantage. The game escalated into intense fighting, but once a key group was captured, the result was sealed — Jan won by resignation on move 147.

A Tough Battle on Board 4

On Board 4, Guillaume, playing White against Len Recheis (2 Kyu), fought hard but ultimately came up short.

After the first day of play, Belgium held a 2–1 lead, putting them in a strong position heading into the final board.

Decisive Game Ends in Forfeit

The final match, scheduled for Tuesday, could not be completed due to technical issues and was ultimately forfeited. This result brought the overall score to a 2–2 draw between Belgium and Austria.

Looking Ahead

With this result, Belgium is now part of a four-way tie at five wins. Attention now turns to the next round against the Netherlands, a formidable team whose Boards 2, 3, and 4 remain undefeated this season and currently top the standings.

The upcoming clash is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, or possibly the week prior — setting the stage for a crucial showdown in the race for the top.

Links

Standings: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/draw/215

The 2026 Belgian Go Championship preliminaries wrapped up today, closing an exciting stage of competition and setting the field for the next round.

This year’s edition felt special. Many players who had already secured their place in the finals came to watch the games in person, comment on the matches, and follow the action closely. Thanks to this, everyone could enjoy the live commentary on Twitch, adding an extra layer of excitement to the competition.

One of the biggest storylines of the tournament was the return of François Gonze (4 Dan). Making a strong comeback, he dominated the field and claimed the preliminary championship in perfect fashion. Over five rounds, he delivered a flawless performance, finishing the tournament undefeated with five wins out of five.

Another key moment came in round four, where Philippe Tranchida faced Joachim Laloux in a decisive match, Joachim Laloux, the young and rising 3-kyu player, stepped up under pressure and secured the victory, confirming his growing presence among Belgium’s promising Go talents.

Final Results

Place	Name	Level	Wins
1	Francois Gonze	4 Dan	5
2	Joachim Laloux	3 Kyu	4
3	Tranchida Philippe	1 Dan	3
4	Guillaume De Keijser	2 Kyu	2
5	Teirlinck Laurens	2 Kyu	1
6	Silcher Michael	4 Kyu	0

Next Stage

The top four players from the preliminaries will now advance to the final stage of the championship. There, they will join Kevin, Jan, Lucman and Yannick, who were already qualified.

The final stage of the 2026 Belgian Go Championship will take place on 16–17 May, where the country’s strongest players will battle it out for the national title.

Links

All Twitch comments: https://www.twitch.tv/belgiangofederation

Monday 23/02 and Tuesday 24/02 marked Round 6 of the Pandanet Team Championship, as Belgium faced South Africa in a crucial showdown between two teams level on points and fighting to gain ground in the standings.

Team Line-up

Lucas, Lucman, Jan, and Renaud.

Monday: Early Setbacks

Boards 3 and 4 were played first on Monday, and South Africa struck early.

On Board 4, Renaud took Black against Andrew Davies (2d) in a hard-fought battle. Renaud applied pressure from the opening, but despite the early initiative, his opponent defended calmly and gradually built a steady lead. Davies maintained control through the middle game, eventually converting his advantage into a win by resignation to give South Africa the first point.

At the same time on Board 3, Jan had White against Chris Welsh. Opting for a slower, solid opening, Jan steered the game toward a long endgame battle. The strategy nearly guaranteed a close finish. Early on, the advantage leaned toward Welsh, but Jan steadily reduced the gap move by move. In the end, however, there simply was not enough board left to complete the comeback, and South Africa secured a 1.5-point win.

The two Monday losses placed maximum pressure on Belgium’s top boards heading into Tuesday.

Tuesday: The Comeback

On Board 2, Lucman faced Aki Zhou (5d) with Black in a game full of momentum swings. After the opening, Lucman built significant influence across the board while White secured solid territory. A sharp fight in the middle of the board forced complications and dictated the direction of the game. He surrounded a key group, shifted his moyo across the board, and compelled another invasion. After a complex and tactical battle, Lucman converted just enough to claim Belgium’s first win by 1.5 points.

All eyes then turned to Board 1.

Lucas, playing White against Victor Chan (7d), who had lost only once all season, delivered a thriller. The game began with a cross opening and quickly evolved into a running fight with multiple weak groups. It was not until move 64 that play shifted to the opposite side of the board. As the east and west sides collided, Lucas found himself in serious trouble — at one stage trailing by 37 points. But the game remained complicated, with a ko fight and unresolved weaknesses still in play.

Lucas mounted a dramatic comeback, killing a key group and leveling the position by move 200. From there, it became a pure endgame battle, and Lucas held his nerve, securing a 3.5-point victory.

Final Result

2–2

After a roller-coaster round filled with fighting games and dramatic swings, Belgium secured a hard-earned 2–2 draw against South Africa.

Looking Ahead

Round 7 awaits on 17/03 (or possibly the week before) against Austria — another team positioned in the lower part of the standings alongside Belgium. It will be another important opportunity to pick up valuable points.

Links

All games: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1350
Standings: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/draw/215

LAST BREAKING NEWS:

the games played on Saturday and Sunday will be commented live by Yannick KUY (2-d) on https://www.twitch.tv/belgiangofederation

***

The dates for the 2026 Belgian Preliminary Tournament have been confirmed, and registration is now open.
This year will most likely be the last time we organise the event in this format, so make sure to register and not miss out.

In this tournament, we will determine which four players will qualify for the Belgian Championship Finals on 16 and 17 May. They will be joined by the four top finishers from last year’s finals (*).

The tournament is open and free of charge to all members of the BGF (and open only to members).
Non-Belgian players have to have been domiciliated in Belgium since at least one year.

(*) Pre-qualified players are: Jan Ramon, Kevin Prist, Yannick Kuy, Lucman Bounoider.

Venue

Belgium-China Association - Avenue Paul Deschanel 92 - 1030 Brussels

How to get there

The tournament location is 20 minutes walking from the Brussel North train station (Brussel-Noord / Bruxelles-Nord)
2 minutes away from the tram station Côteaux
15 minutes away from the metro station Botanique

1st round on 10 AM on Saturday 14/03.
Swiss system - 7 rounds (possibly round robin up to 8 participants)

Registration Deadline: Please apply before Friday 13/03 at 18h.

Already registered players

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AAUnr1sZxWfJZQv-Z-gnhE4dA4mWa98S...

Tuesday marked the conclusion of Round 5 of the Pandanet Team Championship , with our team facing the United Kingdom in a pivotal matchup.

The lineup featured Lucas, Lucman, Jan, and Renaud, and the match unfolded across two days. Three boards were contested on Sunday 01/02, where the United Kingdom built early momentum. Lucas and Jan were unable to convert their games, putting the team under pressure heading into the remaining board.

Renaud delivered the standout performance of the round, securing a crucial victory on board four, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tide. The United Kingdom closed out the match with a 3–1 victory, as Lucman was unable to find the breakthrough needed to shift the overall result.

Looking ahead, the team turns its attention to the next round against South Africa . Both teams currently sit around the bottom of the league standings with identical point totals, making the upcoming matchup—scheduled for Tuesday, 23 February (or the week before) , or possibly the week prior—a critical opportunity to gain ground.

The General Assembly of the Belgian Go Federation will take place on Sunday 18/01/2026 from 2 PM till 5 PM
at the Association Belgique-Chine Avenue Paul Deschanel,92 - 1030 Brussels (Schaerbeek) (place confirmed !).

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 2025 activities (by the president);
2. 2025 financial report (by the treasurer)
3. Discharge of the administrators
4. Projects for 2026 (and later on)
5. Setting of the 2026 budget (and of the 2026 member fee)
6. Election of the board of directors

In the third round of this year’s Pandanet Team Championship, the Belgium team faced a strong and well-balanced Finnish side. For this important matchup, Belgium fielded its top lineup: Lucas, Kevin, Lucman, and Jan, all ready to battle across the four boards.

The games were tense and closely contested, with both teams showing solid opening preparation and fighting spirit in the middle game. Neither side was able to gain a decisive overall advantage, and after the dust settled the match finished in a draw.

With this result, Belgium moves into 5th place in the current standings. While it wasn’t a win, the draw against a strong opponent keeps the team well positioned as the season progresses.

Belgium’s next challenge will come against Sweden, scheduled for January 13 or the week before. We look forward to another exciting round.

Belgium fought hard in the second round of the Pandanet League, but Ireland came out on top.
Board 1 – Lucas Strikes First
Lucas (Black) faced Karl Irwin using a sharp modern opening. Karl built an early 13-point lead, but Lucas turned on the engines and showed exactly why he’s now 7d in France—flipping the game with precise reading and taking the win.
Belgium 1–0
Board 2 – Renaud’s Dragon Falls
Renaud (White) played a Cho Chickun territorial style before diving into Black’s moyo. A high quality fight broke out, but Renaud had to resign after his dragon died.
Belgium 1–1
Board 3 – Joachim’s Near Upset
Joachim (Black), fresh off a win at the Korean Prime Minister Cup a 1st Kyu, pushed Ireland’s 3rd board to the limit. He even led by 2 points in the endgame, but the win slipped away at the very end.
Belgium 1–2
Board 4 – Guillaume Outpaced
John Courtney controlled the rhythm from start to finish, slowly widening his lead until Guillaume’s group finally fell.
Final: Ireland 3–1 Belgium

complete results of the 2nd round: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/1346
https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps
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Not the result we hoped for, but plenty of promising play across the boards.
Next match: Belgium vs. Finland — December 9, 2025.