An insight of the Baduk life in the German city Bochum

 

Writer: Andreas Neumann

 

Bochum is a city in the West of Germany with less than 400.000 inhabitants. It is part of a region that was once famous for its steal and mining industry. Today, the city has changed and only a museum reminds of the old times.

 

 

The Ruhr-University Bochum being one of the biggest universities in Germany is now shaping the life of the city. Every day thousands of students stream to the university. Since Bochum is close to many cities like Dortmund, Dusseldorf, or Cologne the inhabitants enjoy travelling to go shopping or meet friends. Though Bochum is not well-known across the borders, its Baduk life has developed in such a rapid speed that it is now one of the most active Baduk cities in Germany.

 

 

Baduk in Bochum

 

Every Tuesday and Thursday Baduk players meet in the city centre of Bochum for the regular gaming night. The number of active players grew from a small group of 5 players in 2006 to a number of 50 players in 2011.

 

 ▲Bochum Baduk players in their club shirts (2010)

 

Each year a city-championship is held over the duration of six months to determine the strongest player in Bochum. Players participate in team events like the German Baduk-Bundesliga as well as the Ruhr-Liga. In both leagues teams of four players play against teams of other cities. The difference is that in the Bundesliga teams of the whole country play each other in the internet on a monthly basis. The Ruhr-Liga is a regional league where the teams visit the gaming night of the opponent team and play on real boards. In 2011 Bochum is organising six tournaments and a workshop with the Korean player Cho Seokbin. Four of these tournaments are blitz-tournaments where the players have only a small amount of time.

 

 

▲Blitz-tournament in Bochum (2011)

 

In May the Korean player Cho Seokbin (7d) arrived in Bochum. He offers lectures twice a week which contain simultaneous games, reviews as well as lectures in the endgame and joseki.

 

▲Lecture with Cho Seokbin: Review (2011)

To share his presence with more people from the region a workshop was organised at the end of May.

 

 ▲Workshop with Cho Seokbin: Simultaneous games (2011)

 

 

▲Workshop with Cho Seokbin: Joseki lecture (2011)

 

Another Bochum tournament which will take place in July is a rengo-tournament where players of no matter which sex can form teams. The biggest tournament of the year is the Bochumer Bambus that attracted 117 players in the last year and was therefore one of the biggest tournaments in Germany. To our honour the famous Korean Baduk player Young-Sun Yoon (8p) enlightened the tournament with her presence.

 

▲Bochumer Bambus 2010: Young-Sun Yoon (8p)

 

 ▲Bochumer Bambus 2010: Main room

 

 ▲Bochumer Bambus 2010: Top-Board

 

 

Invitation to Bochum city

 

This year the Bochumer Bambus will take place in October and it will be part of the European Baduk Cup, making it listed as one of the major European tournaments. There are four airports in the surrounding area of Bochum from which the main station of Bochum can be reached by train so that international arrival is possible. Players from all around the world are invited to join the tournament and see the Baduk life in Bochum with their own eyes!

All further information considering the tournament or the activities of the Baduk club in Bochum can be found on the following internet page: http://www.dgob.de/lv-nrw/bochum/en/

 

 

▲City Center

 

▲Town Hall

 

 

▲Ruhr-University