Newsflash: Kim Ouweleen has retained his UCC Open title, holding off the challenge from Gavin Rooney, who came second. The tournament had a good turn out, with 30 players taking part.

Results can be viewed here.

Read on for the full report…

It was a 48 hour period of excitement, anguish, death, psychological warfare and good ole craic; what else could it be but a Go tournament in no lovelier city, Cork.

It was a huge event:

There were throng of people from all over, Galway, Dublin, Finland, Cobh, Romania, The Netherlands, England, Belfast , Poland, Spain, North America, Botswana, Germany and even Ballincollig and Kerry, we were very happy. There was a meticulously set up room; black and white chairs the relevant players in each, a separate refreshment room and a massive window to enjoy the dancing leaves outside.

There was a go cake, whiskey drinking until 5 in the morning (the boys from Galway and Belfast know of what I speak) and even a cuckoo clock. There was dancing, and even the stones played a part in this; flirting with each other, eyeing each other up on the board, some played the part of infiltrators and others guardsmen manning the boarders, attack and defence it was all there. There were cookies, or was it biscuits, the Americans and Irish couldn’t make up their minds. There were 4 different kinds of tea, sparkling and still water, juices and even some coffee for the addicts.

There was rain.

There was also a winner; our friendly neighbour from Amsterdam. There was a runner up; our own boy from Cork, or is it Kerry… And in third place; a waist-coated gentleman from the back of beyond way out West.
And then we have below the bar, our winner from across the wee pond, Sue and with a straight our own, Anthony. Last but not least we have the most determined beginner from across the vastly bigger pond, Michelle.
Did we have a good time you say? Indeed, we did. We must thank our commander in charge and Club captain, Justyna for her tireless work, where would we be without her. And thanks also to the newest fanatic in Cork, without whom the prizes not so lucrative, Padraig and his father. And thanks also to the digital minded PR officer for his organizational help, Anthony.