Chinese Go Association Announces "Korean Players Expelled from Chinese Go League"
Also Notifies Withdrawal from World Go Tournament Hosted by Korea
Chinese Go player Ke Jie 9-dan's resignation loss in the final game of the LG Cup Kiwang title match on the 23rd sparked backlash from the Chinese Go community, putting Korea-China Go exchanges at risk. On the 28th, the Chinese Weiqi Association (Chinese Go Association) announced it would not participate in the world Go tournament hosted by Korea next month (the 1st Sopalkosanol World Top Player Championship) scheduled for the 6th.
On the 23rd, at the Korea Baduk Association in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Ke Jie 9-dan is protesting during the final game of the best-of-three final of the 29th LG Cup Chosun Ilbo Kiwang. Baduk TV
Earlier, on the 23rd, Ke Jie received a warning from the referee for violating the captured stones (prisoners) management rule during the third game of the LG Cup Kiwang final hosted by the Korea Baduk Association, which he immediately protested. According to the captured stones management rule newly established by the Korea Baduk Association around November last year, captured stones must be placed in the prisoner container. In contrast, unlike Korean Go, where prisoners are counted as territory, Chinese Go counts only the stones on the board, so there is no separate prisoner management rule in Chinese Go matches.
On that day, Ke Jie placed the prisoners on the table and was warned. When Ke Jie refused to resume the game after the foul declaration, resulting in a resignation loss, the Chinese Weiqi Association issued a statement rejecting the decision. The Chinese delegation also did not attend the awards ceremony held the day after the final game. Ke Jie, who was to receive the runner-up prize of 100 million won, also did not attend.
Chinese Go player Ke Jie 9-dan's resignation defeat in the final match of the LG Cup Kiwangjeon on the 23rd has sparked backlash in the Chinese Go community, bringing Korea-China Go exchanges to their greatest crisis. Asia Economy DB
Following the LG Cup incident, on the 25th, the Chinese Weiqi Association suddenly announced that foreign players would no longer be allowed to participate in the Chinese Go League. Last season, about 20 Korean players participated in the Chinese Go League as foreign players. Then, on the 28th, the Chinese Weiqi Association declared it would not attend the 1st Sopalkosanol World Top Player Championship held in Seoul on February 6, causing the tournament to be indefinitely postponed. Four Chinese players, including Ke Jie, were scheduled to participate in this tournament.
Back in China, Ke Jie changed his social media profile from "8-time world champion" to "9-time world champion," claiming that he was the LG Cup winner. Furthermore, in a live broadcast on social media, Ke Jie raised his voice, saying, "I was humiliated in Korea" and "I will never compromise." Chinese Go veterans such as Nie Weiping 9-dan and other Chinese professional players also expressed that they could not accept the LG Cup results. Chinese netizens, seeing this, flooded Ke Jie's Weibo with comments calling him "9-time champion," showing their support. Chinese media harshly criticized, saying, "The real winner was Byeon Sang-il, who did not actually win the match," and "Korea lost face instead of winning the game."
As the controversy grew, the Korea Baduk Association decided to review the prisoner management rules again after the Lunar New Year holiday. The prisoner management rule was created to prevent confusion in position judgment caused by Chinese players throwing captured stones around during international tournaments. In Korean Go, prisoners are used to fill territory during counting, so players check the opponent's prisoner count during the game to assess the position.
In contrast, Chinese Go counts only the living stones on the board during counting, so prisoners are unnecessary. Therefore, captured stones may be thrown anywhere or placed in the opponent's prisoner container. Before the controversial final match, the Korea Baduk Association had delivered the new "prisoner management" rule, established last November, to the Chinese Go team. However, Ke Jie failed to adapt to the new rule, ultimately leading to an unprecedented defeat.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
