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Nick De Ruyck and Paul Van Dijke played, recorded and transcribed six 13-point matches over the past months (MS1 0053). Here is how they performed :

PR Nick (6*13) loses 1-5

A great PR for Nick, who is currently ranked as an Intermediate player on the BMS GT. This corresponds to a 10+ PR. Scoring an Advanced PR of 8,64 in six 13-point matches can’t be coincidental. Nick has been filming and transcribing his matches for more than a year now and it is encourageing to see that all this hard work is paying off. If Nick can keep up this consistent dedication, he will surely join Belgium’s small group of Advanced players in the near future. And who knows where he will go from there…

Marc Van Damme (middle) gives Nick (left) a well-deserved thumbs up!

Nick’s opponent was Paul Van Dijke, ranked 6 on the BMS GT. Paul’s current overall PR is 6,25, which gives him Master Class 3 status :

PR Paul (6*13) wins 5-1

Not a bad PR, but probably slightly disappointing for an ambitious player who is determined to improve. Paul has already scheduled a couple of other Master Series, so we will know soon enough if he can make a step forward.

Paul in recreational mode at a BMS event in Brugge.

Geert Van der Stricht and I also wrapped up a 6*13 Master Series (MS1 0058) :

PR Geert (6*13) loses 2-4

Another top-notch PR for Geert, who keeps performing at World Class level. He has now tentatively established himself as Belgium’s number 2 on the BMS GT.

PR Michel (6*13) wins 4-2

Lackluster performance by me and a serious setback ( “for an ambitious player who is determined to improve”). I was hoping to consolidate my Master Class 1 status, but things are going the other way… Hopefully my next MS1 (10*13 against Robin Bilderbeek) will be better.

Johan Huyck and I played, recorded and transcribed ten 11-point matches over the past months. This is how we performed :

PR Johan (10*11). Johan loses 2-8.

Johan has nestled himself in pole-position to turn Belgium’s below-5 trio into a quartet. Some consistence will be required to achieve this, of course.

PR Michel (10*11). Michel wins 8-2.

As for me, I will have to keep putting in the dedicated practice if I want to continue making progress. Needless to say that this is true for all of you readers out there…

One of the best ways to learn and improve your game is to record your matches, transcribe them into XG and study your mistakes carefully. This is what the best players in Belgium have been doing for some years and the results are there for all to see.

Over the past month, Geert Van der Stricht (BMS GT : 4,67 PR, ranked number 2) and Johan Huyck (BMS GT : 5,67 PR, ranked number 4) played, recorded and transcribed six 19-point matches. This 56th Master Series ended in a 3-3 draw, but more important is how  both players performed :

PR Geert (6*19)

Geert’s dedication and hard work are bearing fruit. XG’s evaluation (“World Class”) is not just a flattering epithet. It is a reliable and accurate reflection of a player’s skill level. True, in a Master Series, there is not much at stake and players can approach the challenges on the board in a purely academic fashion, but have a look at how Geert did in Monte Carlo, during the most recent World Championships :

Geert’s overall PR at the World Championship in Monte Carlo 2018 (67 EP)

This is a pretty strong PR, bearing in mind that these matches were played under high-pressure conditions with the prestigious title of World Champion at stake. It was certainly not for lack of skill that Geert was eliminated in the early rounds of the Championship…

Also Johan Huyck excelled in this Master Series :

PR Johan (6*19)

After some months away from the game, Johan seems to have come back refreshed and eager to improve. This encourageing PR may well be the boost Johan needed to continue his progress towards the 5 PR boundary. Especially his Cube Play in these long matches is worth noting.