Belgian Go Federation

Koichiro Habu, a Japanese 5-d player living in Poland, won the 33rd edition of the Leuven tournament, with 4/5, ahead on tie-break on German 3-d Lukas Wandelt, 2nd.
Jan Ramon (4-d) completeted the podium with a 3/5 score.
Marcel Van Herck (8-k) was the only other player with 4/5.
There were 23 participants (a litlle desappointing figure).
Completed results here: https://www.europeangodatabase.eu/EGD/Tournament_Card.php?&key=T230506D

You are soon welcome in Leuven, traditionnaly the 2nd most important tournament in Belgium (after the Brussels tournament).

https://www.gofed.be/en/tournament/leuven

In April, Belgium team made a draw with Croatia. Lucas and Gabriel won (Gabriel against a 4-d opponent !), but Gints and Renaud lost against stronger opponents.

Complete results here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/909

It remains 2 rounds to play. Belgium is still 8th out of the 10 teams in the B-league, just above the "risk zone"
(the team which ends 10th is automatically demoted to C-league, the team which ends 9th plays against the 2nd of the C-league).
https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps

Belgian team made a draw against South Africa in the 6th (out of the 9) round of the ETGC.

Lucas Neirynck surprisingly lost against a "mere" 3-d, Lucman Bounoider won, so did Gabriel Mercier and Renaud Gaban lost by some points to a 1-k.

Complete results here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/908

Belgian team is still 8th out of 10 teams in the B-league: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps

All European amateur players 6-dan or stronger (but the Russian ones) were invited by the EGF to the 7th European pro qualification tournament, whose winner would become the 9th European-made professional.

Among the (only) 8 participating players (there were 9 positive answers), Lukas Podpera (7-d, CZ), the best ranked European amateur, was the big favorite, especially in absence of any Russian candidates.

He had lost the final of the 2 previous editions:
in 2019 against Tanguy Le Calvé: https://www.eurogofed.org/proqualification/index_2019.html
and in 2021 against Stanislaw Frejlak: https://www.eurogofed.org/proqualification/index_2021.html

And, against all odds, he faced exactly the same cruel destiny in this year edition !
he lost the final (1-2) to his countryfellow Jan Simara (6-d) (he lost the 3rd - and deciding - game by...1,5 point).

Jan Simara is certainly very strong (he has been European champion in 2012), but undoubtely weaker than Lukas. Nevertheless, Jan fully deserves to become the 9th European-made professional ! Congratulations to him !

More info: https://www.eurogofed.org/proqualification/index_2023.html

The following players will join the pre-qualified players in the finals:

• Lucas Neirynck
• Jan Ramon
• Victor Schneider
• Renaud Gaban

Reserve players are (in that order):

• Marie Jemine
• Joost Vannieuwenhuyse
• Guillaume De Keijser
• Roel Van Nyen

On WE 11+12/03 the preliminaries rounds of the Belgium Championship will be organised.
This tournament is reserved to our BGF members but it is free of charge.
A particularity: it is played without handicap.
The best 4 players will join the already 4 qualified players (the best 4 in last year championship) in the final rounds in June.

Please come and play !
The tournament starts Saturday at 10 AM exactly !

Practical info here: https://www.gofed.be/node/1356

Registered players (last updated Wednesday 08/03/2023 5 PM ):
1. Lucas Neirynck 6D
2. Marie Jemine 1D
3. Joost Vannieuwenhuyse 1k
4. Roel Van Nyen 2k
5. Renaud Gaban 2k
6. Victor Schneider 2k
7. Guillaume De Keijser 5k
8. Ghislaine Weissgerber 8k
9. Midas Vanooteghem 8k
10. Moad Boukricha 12k
11. Adam Beguin 18k

On 07/02, a partly new Belgian team with 2 new faces, made a draw against Turkey:

Lucas Neirynck (6-d) won against Franco-Turkish Denis Karadaban (5-d).
Gabriel Mercier (2-d) lost to a 3-d.
as did Renaud Gaban (2-k) - who played for the 1st time in the European Team Championship - against another 3-d.
Another new face in Belgian team, Victor Schneider (3-k) realized a great feat by beating his 2-d opponent ! Congratulations to him !

Complete results here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/907

Belgian team is still 8th out of 10 teams in the B-league: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps

Lucas Neirynck realized a great achievement in the 6th European Grand Prix Final organized in Grenoble: he reached the final, wherein he lost against the Polish professional Stanislaw Frejlak (Lucas had won against him in the preliminaries rounds).
The young Italian rising star Davide Bernardis (IT, 5-d) beat Lukas Podpera (CZ, 7-d) in the small" final for the 3rd place.

More info : https://www.eurogofed.org/index.html?id=362

On 17/01, Belgian team made a draw against Switerland.
Lucas Neirynck and Lucman Bounoider won, Jan Ramon and Gabriel Mercier lost

Complete results here: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps/rounds/906

Belgian team is now 8th out of 10 teams in the B-league: https://pandanet-igs.com/communities/euroteamchamps