There was a meeting of BGA Council on 28th November 2010. Here are the highlights:

The London Open was again sponsored by the Nippon Club, Pandanet and Winton Capital Management, but attendance was a little down this year, no doubt due to the extremely cold weather and snow-related travel difficulties that immediately preceded Christmas. Luckily this had disappeared by the time the London Open started and 99 players turned up to play in this, by now traditional 4 day event, finishing on New Year's Eve.

Wang Wei (6 dan), who had just moved from Cork to London (but is originally from China) was thought to be the favourite for the Open being the previous year's runner up. Indeed after four rounds only Wang Wei and Antti Tormanen (6 dan) from Oulu in Finland were unbeaten at the top - they played in round 5; Antti won after an epic battle. Annti then won his last two games to be unbeaten and take first place.

The second season of the online team league has now been concluded.

Congratulations to Dundee on winning the Championship - the eventual outcome depended on a game between Yohei Negi and Yangran Zhang played on 15th December, won by Yohei for Dundee over CLGC A who came a close second with Edinburgh not far behind.

In Division 2 Billericay Dickies just clinched the title on "goal difference" (one more game won) over St Albans to take the lead and win promotion.

In Division 3 CLGC B convincingly took the lead and the promotion spot. Second place were Cambridge B.

In Division 4 Edinburgh 2 convincingly won promotion to division 3.

Britain (Represented by Matthew Macfadyen, Jon Diamond, Des Cann and Andrew Simons) scored an excellent 3-1 victory against Belgium in the second round, with Jon maintaining his perfect record.

Full details and game records at BGA Euroteams page

28 players attended the UCC Tournament in Cork, the largest number yet. Seven nationalities, as well as Irish, took part including several Dutch. The winner was Willem-Koen Pomstra (5 dan) from Arnhem. Local 4 dan Tong-Yu Cao only lost to the winner, taking his usual second place. Przemyslaw Dyszscyk (2 kyu Poland) and Maxime Houssin (5 kyu France) won 4 games and Dublin's Jos Elkink (11 kyu) won all 5 games. Best beginner was Cork's Con Quigley (20 kyu).

Results

Sue Paterson (3 kyu Arundel) was the unbeaten winner of the West Surrey Handicap. She was one of 13 people who battled through the end of the snowy cold snap to take part. Runner up was Jonathan Reece (2 kyu Oxford) and also winning 3 were Frenchmen Philip Bourrez (2 kyu) and Max Bourget (8 kyu). Dawn Street (18 kyu) won 2/3. As usual Xinyi Lu won the 13x13, Tony Atkins won the quiz and this year Sue Paterson also won the Pits card game.

Results

At the Extraordinary General Meeting of the BGA that approved the 2009 accounts, Gerry Mills was presented with a portrait of himself painted by Go player and artist Jiri Keller. He was also presented with a book on walking and a card, gifts in recognition of his more than 10 years running the BGA book shop (his last event being there at the East Midlands Tournament).

Despite over night snow, 61 players managed to take part in the East Midlands Tournament at the National Space Centre in Leicester. Top of the list of prize winners was Jon Diamond. The list also contained Helen Harvey, Andre Cockburn, Matei Mandache, Matt Marsh, Ben Haines, Mark Wrangham, Mark Eddy and Andrew Russell. Winners in the 13x13 side competition were Aston's Hamzah Reta and Ibraheem Mustafa.

Results

Andrew Simons took the national Small Board Champion's title and £50 prize at the 17-player tournament in Cambridge, winning 6 out of 8. Prizes for 5 out of 8 went to Anna Griffiths, Pauline Bailey, Steve Bailey, Langdon Truscott and Peran Truscott. There were special prizes for juniors. Top junior was Adan Mordcovich (5kyu Wanstead) winning the £20 prize amd second was Roella Smith (Cambridge) winning the £10 prize.

Results

Jon Diamond did his duty as President of the BGA by winning his game in the UK's first match in the B League of the new Pandanet Go European Team Championship. Unfortunately Matthew Macfadyen, Will Brooks and Jonathan Chin lost their games, so that the UK lost the match 3-1 to Poland.

BGA Euroteams page