Wim D’haluin
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Wim D’haluin Chairman Borgerhouse SK: The Borgerhoutse Schaakkring celebrates its 75th anniversary this year – a milestone that was the direct reason for submitting our candidacy to host the Belgian Chess Championship 2026. Wim joined the club in the 1987-88 season, when the club was exactly half its current age. Fairly quickly, he joined the board as secretary, working in the shadow of illustrious names such as Jan Cools, Pol Geerts and Marc Haegeman. Over time, he grew into the roles of tournament director and club chairman, while also being responsible for many years for publishing the club newsletter BSK-Nieuws, known in the corridors as the “yellow booklet”. His philosophy – like that of his predecessors – has always been to combine achievements at the chessboard with the necessary relaxation afterwards. The stories about the former iconic club venue “De Oude Worstepan” are still legendary in that regard. This combination of chess and fun also attracted a great number of top players, which is why the Borgerhoutse Schaakkring has always performed strongly in both the national Interclub competition and the provincial Zilveren Toren. |
Gaston Boutchon
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Gaston Boutchon Chief Arbiter IA: Gaston Boutchon has been active as an International Arbiter since 2001. After a period of approximately twenty years during which he did not direct any tournaments, he recently resumed his role, partly following the passing of his wife. He currently works as a bus driver, combined with a survivor’s pension. In the past, he built a 35-year career at De Lijn, where he held various positions: from bus driver to process analyst. That broad experience gives him a sharp understanding of both operational and organisational aspects. With his renewed commitment as an arbiter, he looks forward to actively contributing to the chess community once again. |