Life In 19x19

Lee Youngjoo 2p has played two games in the league so far. Unfortunately, last week she played Choi Jung 9p and this week she played Cho Hyeyeon 9p.

Hoping to end Buan's losing streak, Fujisawa Rina 3p was called to this match playing the day after defending the 30th Female Meijin against Yashiro Kumiko 6p. She faced another title holder born in 1998, Kim Dayoung 3p, who secured the 1st Female Kisung* (Go Saint) against Oh Yujin 5p in December. Kim won along with Yeosu who, having unchanged players since debuting in 2016, continue their winning streak this season despite Buan's move.

*mind there's not a exact main equivalent in Korea.

Seogwipo shuts out again, against the widely considered strongest team this season. With the clear advantage of having some of the world's strongest female professionals on a team, seven out of nine teams have foreign candidate players. Seogwipo's advantage with Kim Soojin 5p, debuting in the league with this impressive win, employs familiarity with the Korean schedule, avoidance of jetlag and minimisation of fatigue.

Seoul has 2017 MVP Kim Cheayoung 3p (12w, 2l), and in this game the support of the director's daughter in the examination room.

Yeosu, a mid-tier team without a reserve, increased their win percentage goal from 50% to 60% after a four win streak. Kim Dayoung 3p scored a reversal in a match of captains, while on first board Kim Miri 3p may have narrowly escaped loss;

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bbc5_wc0 Lee Minjin 8p (W) v Kim Miri 3p (B)
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O X X X X 3 . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O O X 2 X . X . X O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X O O O X X . X X X O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . O O X . . O X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . X X O . O . . X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . X O X X O O . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O O X X O . . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X O . O . X O . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . O O . O O . 1 X . . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . , . O O X . X O . . |
$$ | . O . O X . X . O . . . X . . O . O . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . O X . . X X O . O . . |
$$ | . . . X X . X . . . . X O O X X . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . O O X . O . O X X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X . . X . O X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X X O O O X O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . . O X . . X . . . . O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . O X X X . X O a . . O X O X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

Click Here To Show Diagram Code

[go]$$Bbc5_wc0 Lee Minjin 8p (W) v Kim Miri 3p (B)
$$ ---------------------------------------
$$ | . . . . O X X X X . . . . . . . . . . |
$$ | . . . . O O O X 2 X . X . X O O . . . |
$$ | . . . . . X O O O X X . X X X O O O . |
$$ | . . . O . X . . . O O X . . O X X O . |
$$ | . . . . . . . . O . X X O . O . . X . |
$$ | . . O . . . . X O X X O O . O X X . . |
$$ | . . . . . . O O X X O . . X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . . . . . X X O . O . X O . . X . |
$$ | . . . . . O O . O O . 1 X . . X X O X |
$$ | . . . O O X . . . , . O O X . X O . . |
$$ | . O . O X . X . O . . . X . . O . O . |
$$ | . X . X . X . . O X . . X X O . O . . |
$$ | . . . X X . X . . . . X O O X X . X . |
$$ | . O . . . . . . O O X . O . O X X . . |
$$ | . O . . . . . X . . X . O X X . . . . |
$$ | . . . O O X X X O O O X O . X , . . . |
$$ | . . . O X . . X . . . . O O O X . . . |
$$ | . . . O X X X . X O 3 . . O X . X . . |
$$ | . . . . O . . . . . . . . . . X . . . |
$$ ---------------------------------------[/go]

White appears to be in danger in the second diagram

Coming into the match, Pohang had two consecutive wins and summoned Wang Chenxing 5p against Buan who had lost in the third round even with Fujisawa Rina 3p. Pohang was expected to win, but not by a hairs breadth.

While Wang's match had a large difference, it was partly due to white 170 which allowed black 173: Being her third season, she's more used to the culture and schedule. Heo Seohyun 1p is the second youngest player in the league, born in 2002 behind Kim Kyeongeun 1p in 2003, so there's reasonable expectation for her development.

The same can be said for the entire team of Buan, something An Hyungjoon 4p will likely acknowledge, however— Kim Minjeong 1p lost, but against Cho Hyeyeon 9p who is the de facto flagship player for Pohang, playing for them in each of the four season's since the league's initiation as one of the top players along with Kim Cheayoung 3p and Choi Jeong 9p. You may not want to meet them across the board in the sort term, but in the long term it can only be helpful.

But Oh Yujin 5p has already proven herself to be very strong. In this game, she lead after an early mistake by Oh Yujin 5p, and swiftly finished the game in 195 moves

The action with Chungnam SG GOlf never seems to end.

Shock 1:2 defeat in the first round, 3:0 shutout in the second, another shock 0:3 loss in the third, back on track in the fourth with Rui Naiwei 9p on hand winning a match with huge dragons.

Top 3 Teams after round 5:
Yeosu
(5/5, 100%)
----------
Pohang
(3/4, 75%)
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Chungnam
(3/5, 60%)
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Chungnam wins an important game against Pohang, leveling it's win count with the rival championship contender, with some of the toughest pairings in the league on boards two and three. Gyeounggi also bags their first win of the season against Inje, and Seoul (Baduk Elegance) overcome Seogwipo to match them in wins while in game four, Kim Dayoung 3p doesn't manage to overcome her sister, a dificult feat, but Yeosu still continue to sweep the championship so far.