Category: 1st Hanguk Kiwon Championships

  • Clean sweep in the 1st KBA Championship

    Clean sweep in the 1st KBA Championship

    Park Junghwan, who had after winning the first and second game in this best of five, had the best chances to win the title, did so in a clean sweep, and the inaugural KBS Championships that started in February 2021 (well over a year ago), came to an end. Although the score doesn’t fully confer the exciting middle game that happened in the third game.

    Game 3

    The game like the previous ones was played with 90 minutes and 5×40 seconds of byo-yomi, Park Junghwan started strong, not unlike yesterday, but the trend that he laid out in the opening was halted in the middle game, as Park Junghwan “mismanaged” his middle-bottom group. However, Lee Donghoon didn’t capitalize on his opponents’ mistake, and soon after Park Junghwan was well on his way again, to in the end win the game by the smallest possible margin (0.5 points). Most interestingly is, that Lee Donghoon, who is known for his endgame calculations miscalculated, and thought he was winning his first game in this finals until the end. Park Junghwan later commented that he played well in the opening, taking a small lead, but that he suffered a loss while trying to break through with his middle bottom stones. But that by attacking his opponent he regained his lead, but that in the endgame he suffered too many losses, and that it was solely because of his lead before the endgame that he came out on top, and that he isn’t particularly good at it [endgame], but that when he manages his stamina well, he is able to compete on equal footing, with the strongest.


    Park Junghwan wins 50 million won (37 thousand euros), and Lee Donghoon for being the runner-up ads 20 million (15 thousand euros) to his bank account.

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  • Park Junghwan wins 2nd game of inaugural KBA Championship

    Park Junghwan wins 2nd game of inaugural KBA Championship

    After Park Junghwan won the first game in this best of five match he only needed two more. Starting this game he had the best odds, as Lee Donghoon only bested Park Junghwan two times before. against nine wins for Park (including the first game of this title).

    The opening was a rather calm one, but from early on Park Junghwan, playing white, was slightly ahead, and from there constantly expanded his lead, until move 156, after which Lee Donghoon realized he fell behind and resigned. Park now only needing one more win, to win his first domestic title in over two years.

    Time management might have played a significant factor here, as Lee Donghoon entered byo-yomi when Park Junghwan still had 35 minutes and 16 seconds on his clock.

    The next games are to be played over the coming days (March 8-10), depending on whether Park Junghwan wins the championship in a clean sweep, or Lee Donghoon manages to win a game (or two, or three).

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  • First Game of the 1st KBA Championships

    First Game of the 1st KBA Championships

    Diagram 1

    The first game of the KBA Championships was played last Sunday (20th of February). Park Junghwan 9p, ranked second in South Korea, played against Lee Donghoon 9p who is ranked number four. The game was favorable for Park Junghwan who played as black, but with move 135 (Diagram 1) he made a mistake that evened the game, giving Lee Donghoon a great opportunity. Lee Donghoon however didn’t cash in, as he made a fatal error only a couple of moves later with move 140 (Diagram 2; for the suggested AI variation, see Figure 1 for what he perhaps should have played), after which he soon resigned. The next game will be played this Saturday.

    Diagram 2
    Figure 1: AI variation

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  • 1st Hanguk Kiwon (KBA) Championships – Finals in February!

    1st Hanguk Kiwon (KBA) Championships – Finals in February!

    The First KBA Championship Finals are played on the 20th and 26th of February. A possible third game of which there is no set date might follow, depending on results. The finalists are Park Junghwan 9p and Lee Donghoon 9p, Park Junghwan is the number two Go professional in South Korea and the world right now. Lee Donghoon is ranked number four in South Korea, who recently played exceptionally well in the Chinese Weiqi A-League, where he won six out of his eight games in the knockout tournament that followed the regular season.

    Shin Jinseo 9p (left), who lost from the immediately recognizable Lee Donghoon 9p (right).

    The tournament started back in April 2021, when five groups of four players played a very short double elimination system which reduced these twenty players to ten over the course of three rounds. These ten players were then joined by the number one and two of South Korea, namely Shin Jinseo and Park Junghwan. These 12 players were subsequently divided into two groups (making sure Shin Jinseo and Park Junghwan were in different groups) who played round-robin.

    Lee Donghoon won from Shin Jinseo on the 7th of January, and with this secured his spot in the final, eliminating Shin Jinseo, who will have to play for 3rd place on the 28th. Park Junghwan won from Kim Jiseok 9p on the 23rd of January, and with winning all his games as well, joined Lee Donghoon in the finals. Choi Jeong 9p, who was the only female player who entered the tournament, unfortunately, lost all her games in the round-robin stage of the tournament.

    The head-to-head record is 9-2 in Park Junghwans favor, however the only time these two met in a final before, Lee Donghoon won the 33rd KBS Baduk Championship in 2015 with 2-0, which actually is the only time Lee Donghoon managed to win from Park Junghwan. Perhaps Lee Donghoon being in top shape, is able to repeat this feat once more?

    Click here for additional tournament information (Go to Everyone!)

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