PEDERSEN WINS AMBASSADOR’S CUP IN DENMARK: Torben Pedersen 1d won the Japanese Ambassador’s Cup in Copenhagen February 13-14, undefeated in six rounds. This full handicap tournament offered chances to kyu players: Jeppe Juul 4k lost only to Pedersen and took silver, while Rasmus Bisschop-Larsen 7k won bronze, with best SOS of those with four wins. All winners and a majority of the 24 participants came from the organizing Kobenhavn Go Klub. Click here http://www.kgok.dk/res/ambcup10r.html for results.
– Peter Dijkema
GERLACH GRABS GÖTTINGEN: Current German Champion Christoph Gerlach 6d swept the A-group of the 19th Göttingen Open last weekend, ahead of Willem-Koen Pomstra 5d (4-1) from Holland and local Marion Welter 3d (3-2). From B-group Dutchmen Gijs van Swaaij and Zeno van Ditzhuizen (both 1k from Utrecht) moved to A-group on Sunday, where they continued to win. Click here http://www.dgob.de/tourn/tourn.cgi?f=10degoe1.txt&mode=cml for the A-table with 18 and here http://www.dgob.de/tourn/tourn.cgi?f=10degoe2.txt&mode=cml for the B-table with 34.
– Peter Dijkema, from www.dgobe.de
KARLSRUHE NARROWS GAP WITH HEBSACKER IN GERMAN LEAGUE: Karlsruhe defeated Hamburg St. Pauli in the sixth round of the German Bundesliga on February 11, while leader Hebsacker (also from Hamburg) drew Berlin Blunders. With three rounds left to play, Hebsacker leads Karlsruhe by a single match-point. With two lost matches and a draw, the Frankfurt Dragons are third. Next month, Frankfurt meets Karlruhe. The Hebsacker-Karlsruhe top-match is scheduled for April. In the final round in May, Hebsacker will face the Dragons and Karlsruhe Berlin Igoist, now in 4th place.
– Peter Dijkema, based on www.dgob.de
BLANCHARD BROOMS ANTONY: Benjamin Blanchard 1d from Tours won – with a perfect record – the jubilee 25th edition of the tourney in Antony, near Paris in France on February 6-7. Mathieu Dagenet 1d and Dai Junfu 7d finished 2nd and 3rd with 4-1 each. In Antony 118 took part. Also Antonin Vivès 3k and youngsters Lina Nguyen, Nicolas Richard (both 15k) and César Simonot (16k) won all five games. For full results, click here http://ffg.jeudego.org/resultats/afficheTournoi.php?idt=12435
– Peter Dijkema, after a tip found at Facebook
THREE TOP LEUVEN: Despite losing the last round to emerging star Kim Ouweleen 1d from Amsterdam (Holland), Jan Bogaerts 3d from Le Pantin (Brussels) still finished first on SOS in the jubilee 20th Leuven Open – celebrated with home-baked cakes – in Belgium on February 6-7. Huang Yong Sen 3d also won four, to take silver. Marie Jémile 4k and BGF-President Cédric Declerfayt 5k (both Le Pantin) won all five. 43 players participated. Click here http://www.gofed.be/tournament/results&tournament=LEU&year=2010 for results.
– Peter Dijkema
GERMANY UPDATES: Danek Dominates Erdinger: Veteran Vladimir Danek 5d (Prague) swept the 13th Erdinger tournament in Bavaria, Germany the first weekend of February, ahead of Jonas Fincke 4d (Munich), while 15-year-old fellow townsman Lukas Podpera 3d took home bronze on SODOS, ahead of Thomas Kettenring 3d (Munich). In the field of 128, only Stefan Fischmeister 5k (Linz, Austria) also won all five. On top of 128 in the main, five more players showed up in Erdingen just to compete in the 13×13-marathon. 1st Bochum Blitz: The Bochum club, already famous for its yearly Bambus (‘Bamboo’) tournament, now lays more claim to fame with their seasonal Bochum Blitz. The first Blitz will be this Saturday, February 20. Participation is free. For details, or to sign up, click here http://www.dgob.de/lv-nrw/bochum/?Blitzturnier:2010 and then click on “mailformular”.
– Peter Dijkema, after www.dgob.de
MACFADYEN WINS WANSTEAD: Matthew Macfadyen got his first tournament win of the year at Wanstead, which returned to its early-year spot on January 30) at the same Wanstead House venue in East London. Other players winning all three were: Mike Cumpstey 3k (Manchester), Eric Hall 5k (Swindon) and Gary Gibson 7k (Wanstead). 32 players participated. Click here http://picasaweb.google.com/igokailondon/Wanstead100130?feat=directlink# for a gallery of photos.
– Peter Dijkema, after www.britgo.org
DANIGABI KEEPS LEAD IN KGS INSEI LEAGUE: Argentina’s ‘danigabi’ has increased his unbeaten lead in the February KGS Insei League to 13-0, while ‘ha’ had moved into second place with 4-2, ahead of 2-1 by both ‘Artem92’ and ‘malexander’. Like ‘ha, ‘Arlequ1’ is from France. Meanwhile, a debate has begun on go-sensations about whether the winning percentage is a fair measure. “A 20-2 result should be better than 12-0,” according to ‘danigabi’, while others argue that a player might be inclined to stop competing after a good initial score, while others would like to challenge him and play as much as possible, because of the free commentaries earned for every four games played in the league.
– Peter Dijkema
