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Lee Sedol 9p (left) secured a solid lead against Gu Li 9p after winning Game 7 in their ten-game match on August 31 in Tibet’s capital Lhasa, widening his lead to 5-2 and putting him just one game away from winning outright. Gu’s back is against the wall now and must win the next three games just to draw the jubango. As has happened in most games throughout the match, Gu was ahead in the opening and established what seemed like a sure win. At 130, though, Lee (playing black) cut off Gu’s center group and killed white’s dragon on the right side (see below for game). Gu could not recover and now faces a kadoban, or potentially match-deciding game, next month (September 28) in his hometown of Chongqing. For more information on Game 7 or other games in the MLily Gu vs Lee Jubango including photos and game analysis by An Younggil 8p, please visit Go Game Guru.
–Annalia Linnan, based on a longer article by Go Game Guru; photo and game record courtesy of Go Game Guru

Lee Sedol 9p (left) advanced his lead in the MLily Gu vs Lee Jubango after defeating opponent Gu Li 9p in their most recent match on July 27 in Liuan. After six games, Lee is ahead of Gu at 4-2.

During Game 6, the opening favored Gu (B) but Lee (W) seemed to ensure his victory over the course of the game through insightful cuts, sacrifices, and trades. However, the game became more complicated with moves 146 and 148, leaving fans with white knuckles for the last 30 moves. Each move could have swayed the game but Lee persevered until Gu resigned at 178.

Although Gu and Lee have established a pattern for their wins and losses (Lee won games 1 and 2 while Gu took games 3 and 4, etc.), game 7 will be a key match in the 10 game series. If Lee succeeds, he will force Gu against the ropes. If Gu comes back, Lee will need to be nearly flawless in games 8 through 10.

Game 7 will take place in Lhasa on August 31. In the meantime, fans can read preliminary analysis on game 6 by An Younggil 8p on Go Game Guru. For more information about the MLily Gu vs Lee Jubango including photos and coverage of previous games, please visit Go Game Guru.

—Annalia Linnan, based on a longer article by Go Game Guru; photo and game record courtesy of Go Game Guru

Focus was the name of the mid-point Game 5 in their 10-game match on May 25 but the intense altitude at the jubango venue in Sangri-La added an extra obstacle for Gu Li 9P and Lee Sedol 9P. Held at 3,000 m (10,000 ft) above sea level, both players took breaks but Lee battled through what Go Game Guru’s An Younggil 8P called “the most spectacular game of the match so far.” Just when everyone thought Gu would take the game, Lee dusted himself off and landed several critical blows against Gu in the final complicated fights. With questionable moves beginning at 140, Gu eventually resigned after Lee’s move at 223. Lee will be able to bask in his 3-2 lead for the next two months as the players take leave until Game 6 on July 27. For more information, including photos (check out the one of Lee using an oxygen mask and Joanne Missingham and her sister modeling local costumes) and preliminary analysis from Younggil, visit Go Game Guru.
—Annalia Linnan, based on a longer article by Go Game Guru; photo and game record courtesy of Go Game Guru

Wang Chenxing 5P (left) secured her first major international title when she defeated Yu Zhiying 5p in the 4th Bingsheng Cup on September 12. On her journey to the final round, Wang defeated last year’s winner Rui Naiwei 9P, Xie Yimin 6P, and Li He 3P.

However, 15-year-old Yu deserves recognition in her own right. If she had defeated Wang, she would have broken the world record for youngest international title holder in the go world. The current record is held by Lee Changho 9p for his win at the 3rd Tongyang Securities Cup in 1992 when he was 16 years and 6 months. At 15 years and 10 months, Yu’s triumph would have shattered Lee’s 20-year streak.

First played in 2010, the Bingsheng Cup remains the only women’s individual international go tournament. It draws the top 16 players from China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Named after Sun Zi (aka Sun Tzu), the author of The Art Of War, the Bingsheng Cup is held annually at the Sun Wu Memorial Hall on Qionglong Mountain in Suzhou, China. For more information about the 4th Bingsheng Cup including photos, a post-game interview with Wang, and game records, visit Go Game Guru.
­– Annalia Linnan, based on a longer article by Go Game Guru; photo courtesy of Go Game Guru