UK End Second in B League

In the last round of the Pandanet Go European Team Championship the UK managed to beat Finland and hold onto the second place in the B League. Unfortunately Michael Chang forgot that his game was an early start and it was forfeited to Olli Ervelä. However the other three UK players won by resignation to take the match 3-1. This means the UK will have to play Hungary (a team with average strength 5d) in a play-off to gain promotion to the A League.

League winners Netherlands beat Sweden who ended third. Fourth placed South Africa drew with Ireland, leaving them in fifth. Karl Irwin lost to Victor Chow and Gavin Rooney to Andrew Davies, but both Matei Garcia and Stephen Nulty won. Sixth was Finland, seventh Belgium and, despite their huge number of penalty points, Croatia came eighth. Austria took the play-off place and Switzerland was relegated.

League A ended as expected with Czechia, Ukraine, France and Germany advancing to the on-the-board finals in Turkey.

League Page with game records

Scott Cobbold wrote: I won my game against Arto Heikkinen. It started out with my opponent playing sanrensei and pincering in both corners. I played a standard reducing move, however while attacking me Black neglected their own weaknesses allowing me to split their shape; a few moves later on in the game Black tried to chase me again but got captured themselves.

Bruno Poltronieri wrote: I won by resignation against Teemu Rovio. My game was a mess of dumplings, but a mess in my favour. White had too much to worry about so I killed a group on the right side, then just had to survive.

Jake Game wrote about his game against Pekka Lajunen: My game was very back and forth, but in the end I got lucky when my opponent overplayed and died.