Here is a chart that I made from data on mamumamu0413's ratings site. It shows the contestants ranked by their ratings and color coded by country. On the right side of the table we see the probability that the stronger player (read from the left over) will defeat the weaker player (read from the top down) in the various possible match ups between countries. This allows us to look a little into the match strategy.

Looking at the table and the match results, when Ichiriki and Byun Sangil (Pyeon Sang-il in my table. Sorry about the names. I do all this with lookups into the GoGoD name dictionary and I am way too lazy to fix it all up!) met in round 1 the ratings gave the edge to Byun 61% vs. 39%. However, Ichiriki scored the point so a red square for Japan. In round 2 China fielded its #3 rated player, Tuo Jiaxi, whose 9.9 rating gave him an 80%-20% advantage in a matchup with Ichiriki. Tuo won so a yellow square for China. In round 3 Korea came back with its own #3 rated player Kang. His 9.7 rating put him near Tuo's strength so there was only a 54%-46% rating-based advantage. In fact Kang won so blue square Korea. This was repeated in round 4 when Kang was an overwhelming favorite (86%-14%) over the 8.0-rated Ida. As the players lose, I have grayed-out the other (might have been) match ups in the table. As a result nearly half of the 75 theoretically possible match ups at the beginning of the match have either been played (4 colored squares) or have been eliminated through the loss of the different competitors (31 gray squares).

So who will China send in for round 5? Will they use Wang Xi, who would be a slight underdog (46%-54%) against Kang, or will they keep him in reserve for weaker opponents? If they choose one of the stronger players, which one will it be?

_________________
Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

Reminder!!

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
11/29 - 6th game
11/30 - 7th game
12/01 - 8th game
12/02 - 9th game
12/03 - 10th game

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
Wang Xi defeated Kang Dongyoon by resign.


Team members,
Korea:Park Junghwan, Kim Jiseok, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Mi Yuting, Wang Xi, Lian Shiao, Tuo Jiaxi
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
11/29 - 6th game
11/30 - 7th game
12/01 - 8th game
12/02 - 9th game
12/03 - 10th game

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/29 - 6th game
Wang Xi defeated Murakawa Daiske by resign.


Team members,
Korea:Park Junghwan, Kim Jiseok, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Mi Yuting, Wang Xi, Lian Shiao, Tuo Jiaxi
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
11/29 - 6th game
11/30 - 7th game
12/01 - 8th game
12/02 - 9th game
12/03 - 10th game

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/30 - 7th game
Wang Xi defeated Ahn Seongjoon by resign.


Team members,
Korea:Park Junghwan, Kim Jiseok, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Mi Yuting, Wang Xi, Lian Shiao, Tuo Jiaxi
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
11/29 - 6th game
11/30 - 7th game
12/01 - 8th game
12/02 - 9th game
12/03 - 10th game

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
12/01 - 8th game
Wang Xi defeated Kono Rin by resign.


Team members,
Korea:Park Junghwan, Kim Jiseok, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Mi Yuting, Wang Xi, Lian Shiao, Tuo Jiaxi
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
11/29 - 6th game
11/30 - 7th game
12/01 - 8th game
12/02 - 9th game
12/03 - 10th game

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
12/02 - 9th game
Park Junghwan defeated Wang Xi by resign.


Team members,
Korea:Park Junghwan, Kim Jiseok, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Mi Yuting, Lian Shiao, Wang Xi, Tuo Jiaxi
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
11/28 - 5th game
11/29 - 6th game
11/30 - 7th game
12/01 - 8th game
12/02 - 9th game
12/03 - 10th game

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

2nd stage (Pusan Korea)
12/03 - 10th game
Iyama Yuuta defeated Park Junghwan by resign.

2nd stage is complete.

Team members,
Korea:Kim Jiseok, Park Junghwan, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Mi Yuting, Lian Shiao, Wang Xi, Tuo Jiaxi
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

I'm glad to see that representatives from all three countries remain, but what a gauntlet Iyama will face when play resumes!

Poor Kim, if Iyama doesn't beat the next Chinese player, korea is in trouble !

_________________
On Go proverbs:
"A fine Gotation is a diamond in the hand of a dan of wit and a pebble in the hand of a kyu" —Joseph Raux misquoted.

Team members,
Korea:Kim Jiseok, Park Junghwan, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Lian Shiao, Wang Xi, Tuo Jiaxi, Mi Yuting
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

3rd stage (Shanghai China)
3/3/2015 - 11th game Iyama Yuuta vs Mi Yuting
3/4/2015 - 12th game
3/5/2015 - 13th game
3/6/2015 - 14th game

Iyama Yuuta defeated Mi Yuting by resign.


3/4/2015 - 12th game Iyama Yuuta vs Kim Jieseok

The Nihon Ki'in reports that Iyama beat Mi Yuting by resignation. He plays Kim tomorrow.

_________________
Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

So easy task... beat Kim Jiseok, Lian Xiao, and Shi Yue in three consecutive days.

Iyama Yuuta received 52nd 秀哉賞. This is his 4th.

The Iyama - Mi game is up on go4go: it was basically one big fight that spread over the whole board. It's not what I'm used to seeing from Iyama's longer tournament games, but it was fun to play through!

http://www.go4go.net/go/games/sgfview/46324

3/4/2015 - 12th game Iyama Yuuta vs Kim Jieseok

Kim Jieseok defeated Iyama Yuuta by 4.5.


Team members,
Korea:Kim Jiseok, Park Junghwan, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Lian Shiao, Wang Xi, Tuo Jiaxi, Mi Yuting
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

3/5/2015 - 13th game Lian Shiao vs Kim Jieseok

Lian Shiao defeated Kim Jieseok by resign.
(Kim ruined good game. bad end-game....)


Team members,
Korea:Kim Jiseok, Park Junghwan, Ahn Seongjoon and Byun Sangil, Kang Dongyoon
China:Shi Yue, Lian Shiao, Wang Xi, Tuo Jiaxi, Mi Yuting
Japan:Iyama Yuuta, Kono Rin, Murakawa Daiske, Ida Atzshi and Ichiriki Ryo

Bold case = alive

2014 Nongshim cup goes to China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Nongshim Ramyun(Sponsor) announced that Nongshim cup winner's share will be increased to W500,000,000 (about $500,000) at 17th Nongshim cup(coming October).