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About
LinksTeam of Europe
| Number | 1 |
| Name | Mateusz Surma |
| Age | 24 |
| Rank | 2p |
| Nationality |  Poland |
My name is Mateusz Surma. I was born on September 3, 1995 in Rydułtowy in the region of Silesia in Poland. My dad taught me to play go when I was six and a half.
At various points from 2009-2013, I trained in South Korean schools: King’s Baduk Dojang, Yang Jae-Ho Baduk Dojang, and Choong-Am Baduk Dojang. Altogether, I spent 2 years and 5 months there.
In Poland, during middle school (Gimnazjum nr 1 w Rydułtowach) and high school (Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Rydułtowach), I had an individual study path. I would train in Korea for 3 months, then go back to Poland and study for school at home. In middle and high school, I had one exam per subject after every term.
In 2014, after passing matura (an equivalent to A-level, SAT, Abitur, etc.), I managed to qualify to study at the Faculty of Aeronautics and Space Technology. I was about to enroll, specialising in pilotage, but then— something happened.
In March 2015, I was one of sixteen people invited for the “pro” title qualification tournament in Pisa, Italy. I went there - and managed to win the tournament.
This way I became the first Polish player with the “pro” title.
I finished my first year at university. Even though I had one of the highest average grades at the faculty and a pretty high chance of acceptance to pilotage, I took one year off. I was invited to Beijing, China to study go at Ge Yuhong Weiqi Daochang. I trained there for 8 months through years 2015–2016.
I’ve decided not to go to university anymore, because I’ve realized that it made me study too many completely useless things - much more useful stuff might be learned by just self-studying at home. In regards to my graduation - I have my own company, nobody will ask me for any graduation certificates :-)
I wrote nine go books (available in five languages: English, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish).
I run an Online Go School and Online Go Shop - https://polgote.com/en.
I'm married since 2018. My daughter was born in February 2020.
At various points from 2009-2013, I trained in South Korean schools: King’s Baduk Dojang, Yang Jae-Ho Baduk Dojang, and Choong-Am Baduk Dojang. Altogether, I spent 2 years and 5 months there.
In Poland, during middle school (Gimnazjum nr 1 w Rydułtowach) and high school (Liceum Ogólnokształcące w Rydułtowach), I had an individual study path. I would train in Korea for 3 months, then go back to Poland and study for school at home. In middle and high school, I had one exam per subject after every term.
In 2014, after passing matura (an equivalent to A-level, SAT, Abitur, etc.), I managed to qualify to study at the Faculty of Aeronautics and Space Technology. I was about to enroll, specialising in pilotage, but then— something happened.
In March 2015, I was one of sixteen people invited for the “pro” title qualification tournament in Pisa, Italy. I went there - and managed to win the tournament.
This way I became the first Polish player with the “pro” title.
I finished my first year at university. Even though I had one of the highest average grades at the faculty and a pretty high chance of acceptance to pilotage, I took one year off. I was invited to Beijing, China to study go at Ge Yuhong Weiqi Daochang. I trained there for 8 months through years 2015–2016.
I’ve decided not to go to university anymore, because I’ve realized that it made me study too many completely useless things - much more useful stuff might be learned by just self-studying at home. In regards to my graduation - I have my own company, nobody will ask me for any graduation certificates :-)
I wrote nine go books (available in five languages: English, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Spanish).
I run an Online Go School and Online Go Shop - https://polgote.com/en.
I'm married since 2018. My daughter was born in February 2020.
My latest achievements:
• 2nd place in the European Professional Championship (2017, Saint Petersburg, Russia)
• Four wins in a row in the Chinese Go League (2017, Quzhou, China)
• 1st place in the Samsung Cup preliminaries - World Division Baduk Masters
(2017, Seoul, South Korea)
• 2nd place in the European Championship (2017, Oberhof, Germany)
• 2nd place in the European Professional Championship (2019, Jena, Germany)
• 1st place in the European Grand Slam (2019, Berlin, Germany)
• 1st place in the European Grand Prix Finale (2020, Leksand, Sweden)
• 2nd place in the European Professional Championship (2017, Saint Petersburg, Russia)
• Four wins in a row in the Chinese Go League (2017, Quzhou, China)
• 1st place in the Samsung Cup preliminaries - World Division Baduk Masters
(2017, Seoul, South Korea)
• 2nd place in the European Championship (2017, Oberhof, Germany)
• 2nd place in the European Professional Championship (2019, Jena, Germany)
• 1st place in the European Grand Slam (2019, Berlin, Germany)
• 1st place in the European Grand Prix Finale (2020, Leksand, Sweden)
| Number | 2 |
| Name | Artem Kachanovskyi |
| Age | 27 |
| Rank | 2p |
| Nationality |  Ukraine |
I learned to play Go at the age of 7. My father read about the game in a newspaper and then he taught me and my brother to play. At first I visited a local Go club. After I got stronger than my teacher (3 kyu), I studied the game alone.
Latest achievements:
2017 - European Grand Slam 1st place, European Championship 3rd place.
2018 - European Grand Prix final 2nd place, European Professional Championship 3rd place, Pandanet Go European Team Championship 3rd place
2019 - European Grand Prix final 3rd place, European Professional Championship 1st place, European Grand Slam 2nd place, Pandanet Go European Team Championship 3rd place, European Championship 2nd place, Silk Road Tournament 1st place.
2020 - European Grand Prix final 2nd place
| Number | 3 |
| Name | Ali Jabarin |
| Age | 26 |
| Rank | 2p |
| Nationality |  Israel |
Started playing go in 2006(12 years old), after being introduced by a friend who watched Hikaru no Go.
I played obsessively for approximately a year and then started participating in tournaments, where I fell in love with the game and the community.I was just playing and studying by myself until I finished high school, and then I went to study Go in Asia, first in Korea(6 months) before starting university, and then in China (3 times 6 months) after turning pro.
I prefer a peaceful style of go, trying to choke the opponent out of territory, and drawing out overplays.
My favorite players are Kim Jiseok, Chen Yaoye and Shi Yue.
Other than Go I help manage a local theater in my hometown Jaffa, continue to study computer science, and travel to China frequently. My main hobbies are games, reading and travelling.
| Number | 4 |
| Name | Stanislaw Frejlak |
| Age | 23 |
| Rank | 7d |
| Nationality | Poland |
My achievements:
Polish Champion 2012, 2017, 2019. 4th place in the 39th World Amateur Go Championship in Tokyo, May 2018.
4th place in the European Championship 2019.
3rd place in the European Grand Prix Finale 2019.
| Number | 5 |
| Name | Lukas Podpera |
| Age | 25 |
| Rank | 7d |
| Nationality |  Czechia |
Dreaming of becoming a pro since childhood, lost two times in European Pro Qualification's final, still keep trying.
3rd places on European Championships 2016 and 2019.
6th place on World Amateur Championship 2014.
European Youth U20 Champion 2012 and 2014.
European Team Champion 2013 with Czechia.
Czech Go Champion 2013, 2016, 2018.
Czech Go Baron 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019.
Click to read more3rd places on European Championships 2016 and 2019.
6th place on World Amateur Championship 2014.
European Youth U20 Champion 2012 and 2014.
European Team Champion 2013 with Czechia.
Czech Go Champion 2013, 2016, 2018.
Czech Go Baron 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019.
| Number | 6 |
| Name | Tanguy Le Calvé |
| Age | 24 |
| Rank | 1p |
| Nationality |  France |
Recent achievements:
2018 - Pandanet Go European Team Championship 2nd place, French Open 2nd place, Amsterdam International Go Tournament 2nd place.
2019 - Became 1 dan pro, Pandanet Go European Team Championship 1st place.
2018 - Pandanet Go European Team Championship 2nd place, French Open 2nd place, Amsterdam International Go Tournament 2nd place.
2019 - Became 1 dan pro, Pandanet Go European Team Championship 1st place.
| Number | 7 |
| Name | Cristian Pop |
| Age | 45 |
| Rank | 7d |
| Nationality |  Romania |
I learned to play go when I was 15 years old.
3rd place at KPMC in Korea.
4th place at World Championship in Japan.
Several times third place in European Go Championship.
11 times Romanian champion.
| Number | 8 |
| Name | Thomas Debarre |
| Age | 26 |
| Rank | 6d |
| Nationality | France |
I was born in 1993. I started playing go at the local club in my hometown of Strasbourg in France when I was 7. I played compulsively throughout my adolescence, until I reached 6d when I was 17. I am now less a lot less active then I used to be, but I continue to play tournaments regularly. I am 5 times French champion, twice European Team Champion with France, 3 times semifinalist at the European Championships, and got 4th place at the World Amateur Go Championships in 2011.
| Number | 9 |
| Name | Benjamin Drean-Guenaizia |
| Age | 27 |
| Rank | 6d |
| Nationality | France |
I'm Benjamin Dréan-Guénaïzia, 27 years old from France.
I started playing Go at the age of 13, in the Go Club of my hometown in Concarneau.
I reached 3d level after 3 years of playing, then I took a break from the game for 2 years. After that, I started playing more and reached 6d level.
I reached 3d level after 3 years of playing, then I took a break from the game for 2 years. After that, I started playing more and reached 6d level.
My best achievements so far have been French Go Champion in 2017&2019.
| Number | 10 |
| Name | Viktor Lin |
| Age | 28 |
| Rank | 6d |
| Nationality |  Austria |
I'm a 6-time Austrian champion and 1-time European student champion. My most noteworthy result thus far is placing 4th at the European Championship 2017.
Rather than playing Go, I've spent more time organising various Go projects. I also worked as a translator for Go-related texts. You've probably seen something I wrote somewhere, e.g. the subtitles in the AlphaGo reviews of the AlphaGo vs Ke Jie matches, or the English text on Fox Go Server.