Chess club Van Pion Tot Dame Geraardsbergen

♟️ About Schaakclub Van Pion Tot Dame Geraardsbergen

Schaakclub Van Pion Tot Dame Geraardsbergen (VPTD) is a chess club based in Geraardsbergen, East Flanders, Belgium. The club was originally founded and affiliated with the Royal Belgian Chess Federation in 1947, became inactive around 1953, and was re-established on August 19, 1965 under Belgian federation club number 418. Its regular club activities take place at The Preacher on Markt 9, beside Geraardsbergen’s town hall, where members meet on Saturdays for club championships, competitive games, and recreational chess. VPTD combines local club chess with youth development, Belgian interclub competition, and substantial tournament organization. Its youth program began in 1997 and has produced several Belgian and Flemish youth champions. Today, the club has approximately 50 adult members and 30 junior members, while its interclub teams compete during the Belgian season. However, VPTD is best known internationally for the Internationaal Open van Geraardsbergen, one of Belgium’s longest-running summer Opens. The festival also includes senior chess, FIDE rapid tournaments, blitz, and social activities. Luc Matthijs is listed as President, while long-serving Dirk Flamée is Secretary and Tournament Director. A significant organizational transition became visible in 2026, when Tijl De Moyer, the club’s youth coordinator, began taking over more responsibility for the International Open alongside Flamée. The 41st International Open of Geraardsbergen, held from August 2–6, 2026, attracted 125 players in the main Open, while another 42 competed in the parallel senior tournament. IM Thibaut Vandenbussche won the main event with 7.5/9, ahead of FM Amir Zouaghi on the head-to-head result.

📜 History and Development

VPTD’s first incarnation dates to 1947. After several inactive years, the club was formally re-established in 1965 and developed a stable presence in Geraardsbergen chess. Its international tournament tradition began modestly. A major step came after Wim De Bolster and Dirk Flamée participated in a tournament in Pécs, Hungary, in 1987. There they met Estonian players Harry Pohla and Yuri Vetemaa, who became the first foreign participants in the fourth Geraardsbergen Open the following year. From that point, the tournament steadily became more international, welcoming players from across Europe and beyond. By 2026, the event had reached its 41st edition.

🎓 Youth Chess

VPTD established its structured youth program in 1997, initially through the efforts of the Matthijs and De Moyer families. Weekly training continues in Geraardsbergen, while juniors also participate in competitions across Flanders. The program has produced Belgian and Flemish youth champions including Hendrik Ponnet, Pieter Saligo, Tanguy Ringoir, Louise Vanderstappen, Adriaan Dreelinck, and Jacob Dreelinck. The club has also organized dedicated youth tournaments. One particularly large edition in 2003 attracted 250 young players across different age categories.

♜ Club and Interclub Chess

Regular club activity takes place on Saturdays from 14:00 at The Preacher. Members use these sessions for the club championship as well as informal and competitive games. VPTD also participates in the Belgian National Interclubs. During the 2025–2026 season, its home matches continued to be staged at The Preacher in central Geraardsbergen. This combination of weekly club chess, youth training, and national interclub participation maintains a year-round competitive structure alongside the club’s larger summer tournament program.

🌟 International Open of Geraardsbergen

The Internationaal Open van Geraardsbergen is VPTD’s flagship event. The 41st edition took place from August 2–6, 2026 at the Koninklijk Atheneum Geraardsbergen. The main tournament consisted of nine Swiss-system rounds and was FIDE rated, with a time control of 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move. The festival also included two FIDE rapid tournaments and a nine-round FIDE blitz competition. The 2026 Open attracted 125 players, while the parallel senior tournament brought the combined attendance above 160 players from 14 nationalities. IM Thibaut Vandenbussche scored 7.5/9 to win the main tournament. FM Amir Zouaghi also scored 7.5 points, while local player Jacob Dreelinck remained in contention until the final round.

🏆 Senior, Rapid and Blitz Chess

Alongside the main Open, VPTD organizes the 55+ International Open of Geraardsbergen, which also serves as the Flemish Open Senior Championship. The 5th edition ran alongside the main festival from August 2–6, 2026. It consisted of five rounds, with separate recognition for the 55+ and 65+ categories. Paul Motwani won the 2026 senior tournament. The festival’s two rapid tournaments and blitz event further broaden the program, allowing participants to combine classical competition with faster formats during the same week.

🏛️ Organization and Leadership

The current club board lists Luc Matthijs as President, Paul Lallemand as Vice President, Dirk Flamée as Secretary and Tournament Director, and Lucien Deschuyteneer as Treasurer. Tijl De Moyer is responsible for youth chess. In 2026, Tijl De Moyer also took a larger role in organizing the International Open, beginning a gradual handover from long-serving organizer Dirk Flamée. This transition provides continuity for a tournament that has become closely associated with Geraardsbergen’s summer chess calendar.