Benjamin Teuber 6D (l) won the Nikolaus tournament in Brauschweig, Germany 
on December 6-7, with 38 players participating. Lin Hai 4D took 2nd and Stefan Katschick 5D won third place. Stephan Thober 1D of Greifswald won the Mecklenburg-Vorpommeren state championship on November 21-22. Volkmar Liebscher 3D was 2nd and Martin Schidt 1D was 3rd. Franz-Josef Dickhut 6D won the Japanese Consul-General’s Cup, also held November 21-22. At stake was a ticket to Japan, and Dickhut told the EJ that “My wife is from Korea, so we go there almost every year. But I’ve only been to Japan a few times, representing Germany in the WAGC.” Christoph Gerlach 6d won the ‘Blitzmeister’ title December 13-14 when the final four contestants met in a marathon in which they played each other six times.
– Peter Dijkema
