European Fujitsu Finals 1999

EGCC, Amstelveen, Netherlands. 11th - 12th December 1999

Participants in the Fujitsu Finals 1999:

Guo Juan, aged 39, Netherlands, 7 dan (EGF-rating 2757), Winner last year
A former Chinese professional 5 dan, now living in the Netherlands. She was four times European Champion and three times winner of the Fujitsu Finals. Through her enormous teaching efforts she has helped to raise the level of Go in europe to a much higher standard. Last year she added the internet Go School to her activities.
Participating for the sixth time: winner in '94, '95 and '98; semi final in '96,'97.

Catalin Taranu, aged 26, Romania, 4 dan pro (EGF-rating 2768), runner-up last year
Learned go at 16 years old. Went to Japan in 1994, became pro in one year and reached 4 dan in three years. His best moment in go was when he became 1 dan pro, the first European professional at the Nihon Ki-in. He came to japan at the invitation of Sajio Sensei, one of the most popular Japanese professionals in Europe.
Participating for the sixth time: winner in '97, runner-up in '98, semi-final in '96.

Rob van Zeijst, aged 37, Netherlands, 7 dan (EGF-rating 2699), Invited by EGF
Has played over 10,000 games since starting Go at the age of 8 and joining a club at 13 to become the strongest member 6 months later. 1-dan at 15. Amsterdam Tournament Winner at 17 when only 3-dan. European and Dutch Champion at 19. Was insei for 10 months. Three times European Champion. Has lived in Japan since the age of 20. Profession: translator Japanese/English/Dutch. Writer of weekly Go column in the English Yomiuri Newspaper. Interests/hobbies are reading, motorcycling, speaking double-dutch and fantasizing about being young, handsome and rich (not necessarily in that order). Married to Japanese woman, with a son (3) and daughter (1).
Participating for the seventh time: twice winner in '93 and '96; runner-up in '94; semi final '95 and '97.

Hans Pietsch, aged 31, Germany, 3 dan pro (EGF-rating 2729), Invited by EGF
After six years of hard study Pietsch made professional shodan in January 1997 and reached 3 dan this year. He set a name for himself by beating Yoda Norimoto, then World Champion, in the first round of the 1997 LG cup. In 1996 he was the first non-Dutch person to reach the final of the Fujitsu Finals.
Participating for the fourth time: runner-up in '96; semi final '98.

Felix von Arnim, Germany, 5d (EGF-rating 2526), GP London
Started to play Go in 1986. Was German champion in 1995. Works as software engineer. Also likes to play bridge.
Will make his debut in this year Fujitsu Finals.

Radek Nechanicky, aged 28, Czech Republic, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2555), GP Prague
Has been playing go for 18 years. Comes from a go playing family. His profession is programmer.
Participating for the fifth time.

Christoph Gerlach, aged 33, Germany, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2601), GP Paris
Plays go since 1986. One of the most succesful player in recent years. Always has a good score at the major tournaments. He is chief editor of the German Go Journal. and managed to qualify for the Fujitsu Finals in the highly contested Paris tournament. He has twice won the European Pair Go Championship. His occupation is software engineer.
Participating for the fifth time: semi final in '98.

Dmitrii Bogatskiy, aged 18, Ukraine, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2567), GP Budapest
Learned the rules of Go at the age of six from his father (the current Ukraine champion). From the age of nine he really started playing and studying. Before playing Go he played a little chess but not since starting with Go. Student of applied mathematics. When he was 13 years old he went to Japan at the invitation of Kobayashi Chizu to study as insei for eleven months. In that time he improved from 3 to 5 dan.
Participating for the third time.

Franz Josef Dickhut, aged 30, Germany, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2622), GP Amsterdam
Learned Go in 1984 from a teacher. Was German youth champion twice and German Champion once. Lived for one year in Korea (1996), not to study Go but to learn the language. In '98 and '99 had many good results in major European tournaments. In 1999 he started teaching advanced players both over internet and in real life.
Participating for the third time.

Emil Nijhuis, aged 19, Netherlands, 5 dan (EGF-rating 2525), GP Hamburg
Was invited to study Go in Japan at the age of fourteen. In '97 he caused a major upset by beating Hans Pietsch in the first round of the Fujitsu Finals. HAS represented Europe in the World Youth Championship several times.
Participating for the third time.

Alexandr Dinerstein, aged 19, Russia, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2607), European Champion '99
Has been playing in Korea for two years now as an insei. Was the surprising winner this year of the European Championship with 10 out of 10. Beat the American Champion and Japanese woman professional champion in an Internet match. Will make his debut in this year Fujitsu Finals.

Ion Florescu, aged 29, Romania, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2624), EC Slovakia
Played Go since 1984 every day until he started his own bussines (jeans and shoes) one year ago, which is taking all of his time. From 1995 on he was an insei for three and a half years. Likes the old masters (Dosaku, Shusaku).
Will make his debut in this year Fujitsu Finals.

Dmitrij Surin, aged 27, Russia, 5 dan (EGF-rating 2567, EC Slovakia
Began playing go in 1983. Dmitryi was Russian junior champion in 1989. His best result was his third place in the 1999 European Championship.
Will make his debut in this year Fujitsu Finals.

Victor Bogdanov, aged 39, Russia, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2584), Grand Prix ranking
Former Russian Champion and twice European representative in the Fujitsu world championship. Multiple winner of the Grand Prix, like this year.
Participating for the seventh time.

Vladimir Danek, aged 38, Czech Republic, 6 dan (EGF-rating 2577) Grand Prix ranking

Czech Champion and record holder in grand prix tournament participation. Finished second in last two seasons Grand Prix ranking. Has played in all of the Fujitsu Finals so far but has had to wait until last year to get to the quarter finals for the first time.
Participating for the seventh time.

Dmitriy Yatsenko, aged 34, Ukraine, 5 dan (EGF-rating 2491), Grand Prix ranking
The lowest ranking participant according to the rating list, but managed to reach the semi finals in the only Fujitsu Finals he has played, beating Van Zeijst in the quarter finals.
Participating for the second time.
Supervising judge: Miyamoto Naoki, 9 dan

1. round
Emil Nijhuis (5.dan) - Juan Guo (7.dan)                       0:1
Dmitrij Surin (5.dan) - Ion Florescu (6.dan)                  0:1
Viktor Bogdanov (6.dan) - Alexandr Dinerstein (6.dan)         1:0
Hans Pietch (3.dan pro) - Felix fon Arnim (5.dan)             1:0
Dmitriy Yatsenko (5.dan) - Catalin Taranu (4.dan pro)         0:1
Vladimir Danek (6.dan) - Christoph Gerlach (6.dan)            1:0
Dmitriy Bogatskiy (6.dan) - Franz Josef Dickhut (6.dan)       0:1
Radek Nechanicky (6.dan) - Rob van Zeist (7.dan)              0:1
2. round
Juan Guo (7.dan) - Ion Florescu (6.dan)                       1:0
Hans Pietch (3.dan pro) - Viktor Bogdanov (6.dan)             0:1
Vladimir Danek (6.dan) - Catalin Taranu (4.dan pro)           0:1
Franz Josef Dickhut (6.dan) - Rob van Zeist (7.dan)           0:1
3. round
Viktor Bogdanov (6.dan) - Juan Guo (7.dan)                    1:0
Rob van Zeist (7.dan) - Catalin Taranu (4.dan pro)            1:0
4. round
Viktor Bogdanov (6.dan) - Rob van Zeist (7.dan)               0:1