Grouping and pairing (Double Elimination)

Group A;
Lee Donghoon, Tong Mengcheng, Shi Yue, Gu Li
1st round -
Lee Donghoon defeated Tong Mengcheng by resign.
Shi Yue defeated Gu Li by resign.

Group B;
Shin Jinseo, Cho Chihoon, Yu Bin, Cai Jing
1st round -
Shin Jinseo defeated Cho Chihoon by resign.
Cai Jing defeated Yu Bin by resign.

Group C;
Lee Sedol, Ali Jabarin, Liao Xingwen, Fan Yunruo
1st round -
Lee Sedol defeated Ali Jabarin by resign.
Fan Yunruo defeated Liao Xingwen by resign.

Group D;
Byun Sangil, Ichiriki Ryo, Fan Tingyu, Li Qincheng
1st round -
Byun Sangil defeated Ichiriki Ryo by resign.
Fan Tingyu defeated Li Qincheng by resign.

Group E;
Kang Dongyoon, Guo Wenchao, Ke Jie, Rui Naiwei
1st round -
Kang Dongyoon defeated Guo Wenchao by resign.
Ke Jie defeated Rui Naiwei by resign.

Group F;
Park Junghwan, Tan Xiao, Huang Yunsong, Xia Chenkun
1st round -
Tan Xiao defeated Park Junghwan by resign.
Xia Chenkun defeated Huang Yunsong by resign.

Group G;
Jung Daesang, Tuo Jiaxi, Zhou Ruiyang, Chen Yaoye
1st round -
Tuo Jiaxi defeated Jung Daesang by resign.
Zhou Ruiyang defeated Chen Yaoye by 4.5.

Group H;
Kang Seungmin, Tang Weixing, Ida Atzushi, Liu Jia
1st round -
Kang Seungmin defeated Tang Weixing by resign.
Ida Atzushi defeated Lu Jia by resign.

2nd round: winner vs winner, loser vs loser

Chen Yaoye has always had trouble with Zhou, and this time is no different. That group is just insane with 3 world champions.

I thought Ali Jabarin gave a very creditable performance against Lee Sedol: he was behind by around komi when he resigned and didn't get crushed by Lee Sedol's trademark fighting, though perhaps that's because Lee took it easy once he was comfortably a little ahead with the rather nice centre he built. I recorded the first 100 moves here: http://eidogo.com/#4lYskgjKW. A move of Lee's I found particularly interesting was below. Ali's was a solid move defending his cutting point there, but it feels a tad slack to me and Lee's answer might give a clue as to why. Once white has defended at c2 I think black can treat the outside group a little more lightly, for example if white pushes out black doesn't need to contain it as letting it out makes c2 become inefficient and black has the a connection for emergencies.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Wcm48 Game line
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . X O O O . |
$$ | . . . . 8 . . . . . . O . O O X X X . |
$$ | . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . 3 . 5 . . 9 . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X . 2 . 1 . X . . . . . , X X . |
$$ | . . O O X . . a . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . 7 X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

I wondered if Lee didn't want Ali to peep at the shape point at o7. This kind of striking the vital shape point is a hallmark of Lee, and if black can make white squirm a bit here and worry about the life and connectedness of those two groups it will be harder to make the centre territory like he did in the game. I think white might continue with cutting across the knight's move to defend the cut in sente, but black is threatending to split white at a so if white takes gote to defend there (or something like b-d) then those exchanges look beneficial to black to me and he could then come back to e9. Maybe white would do something more complicated like L4 though, or just cut on the left and then I don't know what to expect.

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm55 Better for Ali which Lee's 56 prevents?
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . O . . . |
$$ | . . . O . . . . . , . . . . X X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . X O O O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . O . O O X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . a . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . d 5 1 4 . . X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . O . b c 2 3 O O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . O . X . . . . . , X X . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Ali then continued by building a left side territory, but I wondered if this was a bit inefficient with e9 and e12, maybe e12 should be e14?

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bcm57
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . . |
$$ | . . 4 . . 2 . . . . . . . X . O . . . |
$$ | . 3 . O . . . . . , . . . . X X . O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X O O . . |
$$ | . . 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . X O . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ | . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . O . X X . . . |
$$ | . . . , . . . . . , . . . . X O O O . |
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . O . O O X X X . |
$$ | . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . O . . . |
$$ | . . . . X . . . . . . . . . . . . X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . O . O . . O . . O O . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . X X O . . |
$$ | . . O X . X . O . X . . . . . , X X . |
$$ | . . O O X . . . . . . . . . X . . . . |
$$ | . . O X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Grouping and pairing (Double Elimination)

Group A;
Lee Donghoon, Tong Mengcheng, Shi Yue, Gu Li
1st round -
Lee Donghoon defeated Tong Mengcheng by resign.
Shi Yue defeated Gu Li by resign.

2nd round -
Lee Donghoon defeated Shi Yue by resign.
Tong Mengcheng defeated Gu Li by resign.

Lee Donghoon advances to round of 16.

Group B;
Shin Jinseo, Cho Chihoon, Yu Bin, Cai Jing

1st round -
Shin Jinseo defeated Cho Chihoon by resign.
Cai Jing defeated Yu Bin by resign.

2nd round -
Shin Jinseo defeated Cai Jing by resign.
Yu Bin defeated Cho Chihoon by resign.

Shin Jinseo advances to round of 16.

Group C;
Lee Sedol, Ali Jabarin, Liao Xingwen, Fan Yunruo

1st round -
Lee Sedol defeated Ali Jabarin by resign.
Fan Yunruo defeated Liao Xingwen by resign.

2nd round -
Fan Yunruo defeated Lee Sedol by 3.5.
Liao Xingwen defeated Ali Jabarin by resign.

Liao Xingwen vs loser of winner match

Group D;
Byun Sangil, Ichiriki Ryo, Fan Tingyu, Li Qincheng

1st round -
Byun Sangil defeated Ichiriki Ryo by resign.
Fan Tingyu defeated Li Qincheng by resign.

2nd round -
Fan Tingyu defeated Byun Sangil by resign.
Ichiriki Ryo defeated Li Qincheng by resign.

Group E;
Kang Dongyoon, Guo Wenchao, Ke Jie, Rui Naiwei

1st round -
Kang Dongyoon defeated Guo Wenchao by resign.
Ke Jie defeated Rui Naiwei by resign.

2nd round -
Kang Dongyoon defeated Ke Jie by resign.
Guo Wenchao defeated Rui Naiwei by resign.

Group F;
Park Junghwan, Tan Xiao, Huang Yunsong, Xia Chenkun

1st round -
Tan Xiao defeated Park Junghwan by resign.
Xia Chenkun defeated Huang Yunsong by resign.

2nd round -
Tan Xiao defeated Xia Chenkun by resign.
Park Junghwan defeated Huang Yunsong by resign.

Group G;
Jung Daesang, Tuo Jiaxi, Zhou Ruiyang, Chen Yaoye

1st round -
Tuo Jiaxi defeated Jung Daesang by resign.
Zhou Ruiyang defeated Chen Yaoye by 4.5.

2nd round -
Zhou Ruiyang defeated Tuo Jiaxi by resign.
Chen Yaoye defeated Jung Daesang by resign.

Group H;
Kang Seungmin, Tang Weixing, Ida Atzushi, Lu Jia

1st round -
Kang Seungmin defeated Tang Weixing by resign.
Ida Atzushi defeated Lu Jia by resign.

2nd round -
Kang Seungmin defeated Ida Atzushi by 13.5.
Tang Weixing defeated Lu Jia by resign.


Advanced to round of 16;-
Lee Donghoon, Shin Jinseo, Fan Yunruo, Fan Tingyu, Kang Dongyoon, Tan Xiao, Zhou Ruiyang, Kang Seungmin

3rd round,
Tong Mengcheng vs Shi Yue.
Yu Bin vs Cai Jing
Liao Xingwen vs Lee Sedol
Ichiriki Ryo vs Byun Sangil
Guo Wenchao vs Ke Jie
Park Junghwan Xia Chenkun
Chen Yaoye vs Tuo Jiaxi
Tang Weixing vs Ida Atzushi

A few notable results:
- Li Qincheng, recently promoted to 9p for winning the blitz Asian TV cup, is out already
- Above was due to Ichiriki Ryo beating him, a good result for Japan. Ichiriki now has to win his rematch vs Byun Sangil (lost 1st time) to progress.
- Ida Atzushi is JApan's other hope, but unlikely to beat Tang Weixing.
- Kang Dongyun beat world #1 Ke Jie, as he did on way to winning the last LG cup.
- So Ke has to beat Guo Wenchao to progress (likely).
- Lee Sedol also lost (to Fan Yunruo, another young Chinese, through with 2 wins) so has to beat Liao Xingwen to progress (likely)
- Another favourite, Park Junghwan, has to beat Xia Chenkun to proceed (likely).
- Also, Shi Yue, has to beat Tong Mengcheng to proceed, this is the toughest match of a top 10 player facing going out, except...
- Chen Yaoye vs Tuo Jiaxi: one of these top 10 world champions is going home. Zhou Ruiyang is through this tough group.
- Yu Bin is the only one left of the oldies/women/western with a chance to proceed.
- Gu Li out, Kang Seungmin (goratings #165) through.

A lucky draw couples with some lucky matches (Park vs Huang Yunsong, Kang vs Ke Jie), it seems like Korea will have 7 of their 8 players go through to the round of 16...

So it'll be 7 vs 9 compared to 8 vs 20 in the round of 32.

Let's hope that Ichiriki Ryo can at least pull through.

And with one match being Yu Bin vs Cai Jing, China will have one weaker player through instead of a top-20 player.

Lee Sedol hasn't played at his best though, and Liao is a promising young player, so could still see a 10-5-1 distribution.

Good to see both Fan Yunruo and Fan Tingyu going through, as some were feeling their Nongshim Cup selection was unjustified.

I don't think it is a particularly good result for Korea, since they had lost many top-10 players in the prelims. And now their top-2 still need to wait for the play-off to get a chance. Kang Seungmin is an interesting case though, this is the first time I hear his name, but not only he dashed all Japan's hopes (not only Ida, but also Shibano in the prelim final), he also beat top-20 like Kim Jiseok and Tang Weixing on his way.

China have so many strong players and young-rising stars at the moment (the only 2 notable absences are Mi Yuting and perhaps Gu Zihao), so I guess they can't really complain about the draw. The only "unreasonable" group to me is the group G with 3 world champions.

3rd round(Winners advance to round of 16),
Tong Mengcheng defeated Shi Yue by resign.
Yu Bin defeated Cai Jing by resign.
Lee Sedol defeated Liao Xingwen by resign.
Byun Sangil defeated Ichiriki Ryo 0.5.
Ke Jie defeated Guo Wenchao by resign.
Park Junghwan defeated Xia Chenkun by resign.
Tuo Jiaxi defeated Chen Yaoye by 3.5.
Tang Weixing defeated Ida Atzushi by resign.

Advanced to round of 16;-
Lee Donghoon, Shin Jinseo, Fan Yunruo, Fan Tingyu, Kang Dongyoon, Tan Xiao, Zhou Ruiyang, Kang Seungmin, Yu Bin, Tang Weixing, Tuo Jiaxi, Ke Jie, Lee Sedol, Tong Mengcheng, Park Junghwan, Byun Sangil

ㆍRound of 16: 10/6/16
ㆍRound of 8: 10/8/16
ㆍSemi Final(3 games): 10/31 - 11/2/16
ㆍFina;(3 games): 12/6 - 12/8/16

Great to see Yu Bin getting to the round of 16 (even if the weaker group helped), the first time he advanced this far in any major tournament since 2008. He will turn 50 next April.

Is Yu Bin still the head coach of the Chinese weiqi team? Perhaps all that contact and training with the top young players also keeps him sharp. He won the 4th LG cup back in 2000 and the Asian TV cup in 2004 and 1997.

I've heard a few times on Chinese pro game commentaries, how Yu Bin is the (only) late bloomer.

along with saying how the Chinese city A league is getting younger and younger, how shocking it is that Gu Li at 33 is now an oldie (the oldest player there)

Ida had to resign after only 94 moves. He lost a big clump of stones.

The round of 16 draws:

Lee Sedol vs. Tong Mengcheng
Lee Donghoon vs. Ke Jie

Byun Sangil vs. Zhou Ruiyang
Tang Weixing vs. Fan Tingyu

Shin Jinseo vs. Fan Yunruo
Kang Seungmin vs. Tan Xiao

Kang Dongyoon vs. Tuo Jiaxi
Park Junghwan vs. Yu Bin

Ke and Park got drawn into the opposite halves for once.

Coming up next:

Round of 16 - 10/4/16
Round of 8 - 10/6/16

i predict park junghwan will beat yu bin

Round of 16;

Ke Jie defeated Lee Donghoon by resign.
Tuo Jiaxi defeated Kang Dongyoon by resign.
Tan Xiao defeated Kang Seungmin by resign.
Park Junghwan defeated Yu Bin by resign.
Tang Weixing defeated Fan Tingyu by resign.
Zhou Ruiyang defeated Byun Sangil by resign.
Lee Sedol defeated Tong Mengcheng by resign.
Fan Yunruo defeated Shin Jinseo by resign.

Ke Jie's game was rather weird: it's like he said "komi is big, I win, let's start the yose" at move 60.

KJ certainly didn't give Donghoon much of a chance in that game; very well played.

Tan Xiao just won, same for Park Junghwan. No surprise so far. And Tang always seems to perform well here, beating Nongshim Cup star Fan Tingyu to advance.

Bad day for Korea. Only 2 games left, and only Park JH has won so far.