Belgian Go Federation

Thomas Connor (4d) won the 2020 Belgian champion of quick (blitz) games with 6/7, ahead of Jan Ramon, 4d (5/7). Marie Jemine (2d) completed the podium (4/7). Four players got 3 wins: Sven Cuyt (1k), Michael Silcher (4k), Guillaume De Keijser (6k) and Jean-Denis Hennebert (4k). Xavier Bael (10k) ended with 1 point.

This edition was played online on OGS go server.

Surpringly, Belgium team, even if "on paper" much stronger than the Swiss team, lost to the Helvetes (Lucas - (!) , Jan -, Lucman -, Gabriel +).

Belgium occupies now the last position in the B-league ! :-(

Results of the round here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/676

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

Lucas Neirynck is doing well lately: after his win to Alexander Dinerstein, and shortly after having won his 10th title of champion of Belgium, he became also...champion of France (open, as he has not the french nationality). Lucas lives presently in Paris.
He managed to win (among others) against pro Tanguy Le Calvé and against Benjamin Dréan-Guénazia, a strong 6-d.
Results here: https://cdf.jeudego.org/rondes-et-resultats/

By winning the final against Ali Jabarin (2-1), Ilya Chikchine became European Champion for 2020.
This is already his 7th European title (he was already champion in 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2017 and in 2019).
Only Jürgen Mattern (DE) has won more titles (8, in the years '60 and '70) than Ilya.

Complete results of the European Go Championship here: https://www.eurogofed.org/egc/2020.html

On 20/10/20, Belgian team (Lucas Neirynck -, Jan Ramon -, Lucman Bounoider +, Gabriel Mercier -) lost to United Kingdom in the 1st round of the new season of the European Team Championship.

Results of the round here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/675

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

Nearly all the best European players participated in the 2020 European Championship (among the pros, only Pavol Lisy was missing).

This edition is of course organized on-line to due the Covid-Crisis, in a knock-out formula, with sided players.

We already told you that Lucas Neirynck won twice (once against Dinerstein), but he has been finally beaten by Andrei Kravets in the 1/8 of finals.

The quarters of finals were (winners in 1st place):

Ilya Shikchine - Andreii Kravets
Mateusz Surma - Anton Chernykh (an amateur)
Artem Kachanovskij - Tanguy Le Calvé
Ali Jabarin - Benjamin Dréan-Guénaïzia (another amateur)

Semi-finals:
Ilya - Mateusz: 2-1
Ali - Artem : 2-1

Final:
Ilya - Ali: 2-1

Complete results: https://www.eurogofed.org/egc/2020.html

In the 2nd round of the European Championship, Lucas Neirynck realized the most impressive feat in his life: he managed to defeat a professional player, Alexander Dinerstein.

Alexander Dinerstein became pro in 2002 in the Korean Baduk Association. He has been 7 times European champion (between 1999 and 2009), and is still one of the strongest European players (8th in the last European Rating).

It was a very tight game from the beginning to the end, that Lucas finally won by...1,5 point !
It was also a very high level game: according to the website "AI sensei" (with which you can analyse games with the help of some of the strongest programs), the 2 players made (each) only one mistake of >3 points !

To download the game: see "sgf file" in red here: https://www.eurogofed.org/egc/2020.html

In the next round, Lucas will play another pro: Andreii Kravets.

PS: I advice you to look at the spectacular game Lucas won in the 1st round against Sinan Djepov, wherein he managed to survive in the moyo of his opponent before delivering a nice tesuji as "coup de grace".

After 9 comes 10: Lucas Neirynck remains undefeated Belgian Champion for the 10th time in 11 participations with a global score in these 11 finals of 85+/6- (37 consecutive wins since 2016).

For the 2nd time, the final of the Belgian Championship was organized as a knock-out tournament with "2 lives" (see: Tournament rules in Dutch and French)

Unfortunately, 2 qualified competitors did not participate (sickness):
- Jan Ramon (4-d),
- Gabriel Mercier (3-d)
They were replaced by reservist Laurent Calmus and the remaining place was left empty.

There was a little surprise during the 1st day of the competition with the elimination of Huang.
The semi-finals, played the 2nd day, opposed Lucas to Gints (winner: Lucas) and François to Sven (winner: François)..
Sven won the "little final" very quickly and climbed onto the podium.
And Lucas, as you know already, won in the final.


Here is the final standings:
1. Lucas Neirynck (6-d)
2. François Gonze (4-d)
3. Sven Cuyt (1-k)
4. Gints Engelen (3-k)
5. Huang Haisen Jefferson Yong Sen (2-d)
6. Joost Van Nieuwenhuizen (1-k)
7. Laurent Calmus (5-k)
8. bye

Eight European pro players participated in the 5th European Pro Championship
Ilya Shikchine appeared to be the strongest: he won 6 out of his 7 games.
He is followed by a trio : Andrii Kravets, ALi Jabarin and Mateusz Surma (all with 4/7).
Noteworthy: Artem Kachanoskyi, winner of the last year edition, ended at a desappointing last place (2/7).
Complete results: https://www.eurogofed.org/epc/2020.html

32 top European players, amateur and pro - selection made according to the European ranking, participate in this event played "on-line" (among the top 10 European rated players, only Pavol Lisy and Cristian Pop do not play).

Lucas Neirynck has won in 1st round against Sinan Djepov (BG, 5d), and will now play Alexander Dinerstein (RU, 3p) in the 2nd round on 5th October 9:30 AM.

Results to be followed here: https://www.eurogofed.org/egc/2020.html