Hwang In-seong (left) will be special guest this year at the London Open, the UK’s largest go tournament, which runs from December 28-31, ending with a New Year’s Eve meal and drinks (Upcoming European Tournament: London Open Go Congress, EJ 10/30).
Hwang, a Korean national, was a yeongusaeng – the equivalent of a Japanese insei – although he never made pro status. He is now resident in Europe, where he is the second highest-ranked player on the European Go Database (after Fan Hui), graded at 8d* with a GoR of 2802.
Click here for Hwang’s interview with Eurogotv in May this year, where he discusses, amongst other things, his decision to quit yeongusaeng, his move to Europe and his teaching activities, including his own Yunguseng internet go academy.
Report by Tony Collman, British correspondent for the EJ. Photos: (left) Hwang teaching, courtesy of Belgian Go Federation website; (right) Hwang gives a presentation on approaching life-and-death issues at an invitational event in October at the home of Oxford City Go Club Secretary Harry Fearnley; photo by Ruth Davis.
*Although graded at 8d in Europe, Hwang styles himself as 7d since, as Harry Fearnley explains, in his native Korea no amateur is allowed a higher grade.
