China « American Go E-Journal

China’s Bao Yun 6d Sets New Blindfold Go Simul Record

Saturday December 19, 2015

Bao Yun 6d of China has just set a new Guinness record for the most wins in a blindfold go simul, defeating five amateurs ranging from about 2d to EGF 6d in Guangzhou, China. The games lasted nearly 12 hours and the players could not resign until the game was at least 180 moves in. “It is an odd feature of the Guinness process that a resignation has to be defensible, lest players connive in earning the record,” reports AGA president Andy Okun, who was on hand to serve as a witness — along with EGF president Martin Stiassny and Malaysian Go Association president Tiong Kee Soon — to the attempt.

Categories: China

Ke Jie Blanks Shi Yue in Samsung to Win Second International Title

Saturday December 12, 2015

Ke Jie 9p (right) won the 2015 Samsung Cup by defeating Shi Yue 9p 2-0. The Samsung final was held on December 8-9 in Shanghai, China. This was Ke Jie’s second international title — his first was the Bailing Cup in January, 2015 — and this was the first time since 2011 that a player has won two international titles in the same calendar year (Lee Sedol 9p won the BC Card Cup and Chunlan Cup in 2011). Ke Jie’s Samsung win also made him the first of the new generation of young Chinese world champions to win a second international title. He’s undefeated on white this year and his games in the Samsung semifinals against Lee Sedol, and the final against Shi Yue, were wonderful and faultless.
– excerpted from Youngil An’s report on Go Game Guru, where you’ll find An’s commentaries on both games and more photos.

Categories: China,World

China Update: Hangzhou Team Wins Jin Li Smartphone Cup

Tuesday December 8, 2015

The Hangzhou team defied the odds to win the Jin Li Smartphone Cup on December 6. The Cup is actually a 22-round professional league, the biggest in China, also known as the 17th Chinese Weiqi League A. The Jin Li company sponsors a few other tournaments, including amateur tourneys. The Hangzhou team came in first, with the Wuhan team coming in second and the Zhuhai team in third. The Hangzhou team, not being a famous team or really an elite team, was not necessarily expected to win, but pulled through and was victorious in the end. The player with the best record was Ke Jie with a final score of 16 wins and 5 losses. Following him were Zhou Ruiyang with 16 wins and 6 losses, and Wu Guangya with 15 wins and 7 losses. It has been a hot topic that the Shanghai team, the former marquee team, was demoted to the B league, even with elite players like Chang Hao 9P, Qiu Jun 9P and Hu Yaoyu 8P. The Guangxi team was also demoted. This result is considered due to lack of positive competition within a team, in contrast to surge of the younger generation.
– Jonathan Hop, China correspondent for the E-Journal, with updates from Edward Zhang (12/12).

Categories: China

Gu Li Dominates Second Round of the Nongshim Cup

Saturday December 5, 2015

Choi Cheolhan 9P, the third player from Team Korea, defeated China’s Wu Guangya 6P (who stopped Ichiriki Ryo’s winning streak at the end of Round 1) and Japan’s Ida Atsushi 8P to get the second round of the Nongshim Cup underway November 27 to December 1 in Busan, Korea. Then Choi ran into Gu Li 9P (Team China), who took an early lead and never let go. Gu then beat Japan’s Kono Rin 9P and Korea’s Park Junghwan 9P to extend his winning streak to three. The final round will be played in Shanghai, China, where play resumes on March 1, 2016. Thanks to Gu Li’s dominating performance during this round, China still has three players – Gu Li 9P, Lian Xiao 7P and Ke Jie 9P, while Japan has two, Murakawa Daisuke 8P and Iyama Yuta 9P and Lee Sedol is the last man standing for Korea.
– Adapted from a report on Go Game Guru which includes game records and more photos.

Categories: China,Japan,Korea

Lee Sedol 9P to face Ke Jie 9P in MLily Cup Final

Thursday November 26, 2015

Lee Sedol 9P (right) defeated Ahn Seongjun 6P and Ke Jie 9P (left) beat Park Younghun 9P in the semifinals of the second MLily Cup, played November 22-25 in Hefei, China. The Ke Jie-Park Younghun showdown — relayed live on the AGA’s YouTube channel with commentary by Myungwan Kim 9P — was one of the most interesting matches of the year.

Ke Jie is ranked #1 in China, is virtually undefeated as White in 2015 and proceeded to the final of the 2015 Samsung Cup in early November by defeating Lee Sedol. Meanwhile, Park Younghun is in his second heyday in 2015. He’s ranked #3 in Korea, and he proceeded to the final of 20th LG Cup by defeating Tuo Jiaxi 9p about only a week ago.

Lee Sedol is currently ranked #2 in Korea, and Ahn Seongjun is ranked #7.

Click here for more analysis, photos, game records and game commentary by Younggil An 8P on Go Game Guru.

– Go Game Guru
Update (12/24): Ke is not, as originally reported, undefeated this year on white; in fact he has lost twice.

Categories: China,Japan,Korea

MLily Semifinal Showdown Tonight: Park Younghoon 9P vs Ke Jie 9P Live on AGA Youtube Channel

Tuesday November 24, 2015

Ke Jie 9P lost Game 2 of the MLily Cup semifinal against Park Younghoon 9P Monday night, setting up a decisive Game 3 showdown that will be broadcast Tuesday night. Myungwan Kim 9P will provide live English commentary on the AGA’s Youtube Channel starting at 7P PST (10P EST).

Categories: China,Korea

More Pro Go on the AGA Youtube Channel: Park Younghoon 9P vs Ke Jie 9P, with Myungwan Kim 9P commenting, 11/23 at 6pm PST

Sunday November 22, 2015

Catch more top professional games with live English commentary on the AGA’s Youtube Channel Monday, November 23. Myungwan Kim 9P will comment the semifinals of the MLily Cup, between Park Younghoon 9P (#3 in Korea) and Ke Jie 9P (#1 in China). The MLily Cup is one of the major international tournaments, with a grand prize of over a quarter million dollars US. They’re playing a best-of-three series, with the first game already in the books — a win for Ke Jie — and Game #2 will be broadcast LIVE this Monday at 7pm PST (10p EST). As a bonus, Myungwan Kim will also review game #1 during the player’s lunch break.

Categories: China,Japan

Shi, Lui to Represent in Asian Tournaments

Thursday November 19, 2015

Gansheng Shi 1p is heading to Hangzhou, China, to represent North America is the 2015 Li Min Cup World Best Go Star Championship Finals. The tournament takes place from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3 at the Hangzhou Qiyuan building, one of the more impressive go association headquarters in the world, more than 30 stories high with a luxury hotel, go museum and go school included. Eric Lui 7d meanwhile is representing the US in the 10th Korean Prime Minister Cup in Seoul, Korea. There is still an opening for a US team to attend the 2nd Jin Long Chen Cup in Guangzhou, China (click here for details). “I know it is hard to put together a group on short notice, especially with the need for a visa and to pay your own air fare,” said AGA President Andy Okun. “I’m confident though that anyone who is able to do it will have a cultural and go experience they will always remember.” Guangzhou, Okun noted, is one of the great cities of the world. Once known in the West as Canton, it is the third largest city in China and the central city of one of its western provinces, a hub for trade, finance and manufacturing at the hub of the Pearl River Delta.

Categories: China,U.S./North America

Ke Jie and Shi Yue Proceed to 2015 Samsung Cup Final

Sunday November 8, 2015

Ke Jie 9p will face Shi Yue 9p in the 2015 Samsung Cup finals. As previously reported (Ke Jie Wins Samsung Cup Semifinal 11/3 EJ), Ke — thenew #1 in China and ranked #2 in the world in Dr Bai Taeil’s rating system — defeated Lee Sedol 9p 2-0 in the semi-finals last week. Shi Yue 9p — #2 in China — lost the first game in his semi against Tang Weixing 9p but came back to win the next two games. Click here for GoGameGuru’s complete report, including comments by Younggil An 8P, game records and photos.
– photo: Ke Jie 9p (left) and Shi Yue 9p

Categories: China,World

Player Sought for Li Min Cup Selection Tournament

Friday November 6, 2015

The American Go Association will hold online playoffs for a North American rep to the 2015 Li Min Cup. The playoffs will be held the weekend of November 14-15; the Li Min Cup will be held from November 27th to December 3rd in Hangzhou, China. The American Go Association is looking for one player to represent North America. The Li Min tournament will be a single-knockout format; food and accommodation will be provided and players will also be provided with 10,000 RMB as travel allowance.

Online playoff eligibility: Players must be born after January 1, 1992 and have US or Canadian citizenship. US players must have 1 year continuous membership in AGA and have been resident in the US for 6 of the last 12 months. Players must be able to play in the online selection games.

Due to the last minute nature of this invitation, players must either have China visa already or be able to obtain one in time to play in the tournament on November 27.

Interested players must email cherry.shen@usgo.org by this coming Monday, November 9th.

Categories: China,U.S./North America

American Go E-Journal » China