Lustrous Go Stars Gather in 15th Samsung Insurance World Masters Baduk
     The 15th Samsung Insurance World Masters Baduk drew the curtain on September 7 at Jinji Lake Shilla Hotel, Suzhou Industrial Park, attended by top 32 I-go masters including Chinese Kong Jie, Gu Li, Chang Hao, and South Korean Lee Changho and Lee Sedol. These top 32 players will PK from September 8-10 at the world Go individual event hosted by South Korea which opened in China for the first time. Founded in 1996 and renamed this year, Sams... [more]

> The 15th Samsung Insurance World Masters Baduk Kicks Off
> Suzhou Comes into World Attention by "Samsung Cup"
> Samsung Cup Renamed Due to Language Discrepancy
> Defending Champion Plays the Gobang for Warming-Up
 



Wow! Chang Hao and Lee Changho Both Lost
     At 11 a.m. of September 8, the first round of Top 32 Group Match of the 15th Samsung Insurance World Masters Baduk kicked off in Suzhou, in which Chang Hao, Chinese famous 9th Degree Master, was beaten by Han Sanghoon, a South Korean player, while Lee Changho, the South Korean "Go-God" in the same group, was also unexpectedly beaten by 17-year-old Tan Xiao, a new Chinese star. On September 9, Chang Hao and Lee Changho will have a fierce competition, in which the winner will have a chance to enter the next round while the loser will be eliminated directly without a chance for Top 16. Other rounds of the competition were basically within the expectation, and players like Gu Li, Kong Jie and Lee [more]

 

 
 


Sep. 9: 6 SK players, 1 Chinese and 1 Japanese Players Enter the Next Round, with Chang Hao Eliminated
     On September 9, the second round of Double-Defeat Knockout Top 32 Group Match of the 15th Samsung Insurance World Masters Baduk continued its course in Jinji Lake Shilla Hotel in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). In the key China Vs South Korea competitions, Kong Jie was beaten by Lee Sedol, falling out of the winning group into the losing group, together with Gu Li from China, who was beaten by Heo Youngho from South Korea. In the losing group, C... [more]


 


 
Five Chinese Players Including Gu Li & Kong Jie Enter Top 16
     On September 10 saw the conclusion of the Top 32 Competition of the 15th Samsung Insurance World Masters Baduk at Jinji Lake Shilla Hotel in Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). After Wang Lei entered the next round on Sep.9, another four Chinese players, Gu Li, Kong Jie, Zhou Ruiyang and Wang Tao, also entered the next round on Sep. 10. South Korea has 10 players qualified for Top 16, and Lee Changho succeeded in entering the next round by defeating... [more]


 


Tournament Players

China:
Kong Jie, Qiu Jun, Gu Li, Chang Hao, Chen Yaoye, Tuo Jiaxi, Peng Quan, Tan Xiao, Wang Lei, Wang Tao and Li Kang
South Korea:
Lee Changho, Lee Sedol, Choi Chulhan, Kim Jisuk, Park Junghwan, Yoo Changhyuk, Won Sungjin, Park Younghoon, Min Sangyeon, Park Jinsol, Han Sanghoon, Kang Yootack, Heo Youngho, Yang Jaeho, Seo Neunguk, Kim Hyeoimin(female) and Park Jiyon(female)
Japan:
Yamashita Keigo, Hane Naoki, Murakawa Daisuke

Draw Board:

Group A: Choi Chulhan vs Li Kang Qiu Jun vs Won Sungjin
Group B: Kim Jisuk vs Tuo Jiaxi Kim Hyeoimin vs Park Jiyon
Group C: Lee Changho vs Tan Xiao Chang Hao vs Han Sanghoon
Group D: Hane Naoki vs Heo Youngho Gu Li vs Min Sang Yeon
Group E: Park Junghwan vs Park Jinsol Zhou Ruiyang vs Seo Neunguk
Group F: Wang Tao vs Kang Yootack Yamashita Keigo vs Yang Jaeho
Group G: Lee Sedol vs Murakawa Daisuke Kong Jie vs Peng Quan
Group H: Park Younghoon vsYoo Changhyuk Chen Yaoye vs Wang Lei

Rules
five one-minute byo-yomis in two hours, 6.5 black compensation
Schedule
July 8-20, On-line pre-election
July 24-25, amateur qualifying match
August 2-7, comprehensive qualifying match
September 8-10, Top 32 Competition (Suzhou)
October 12, Top 16 Competition
October 14, Top 8 Competition
November 1, 3, 4, Best of Three SemifinalDecember 7,8,10, Best of Three Final

 
   As the champion of previous event, Kong Jie, the 9th Degree Master,
is inevitably asked whether he has confidence in defending his champion, to which he makes a guarded reply that the only thing he could do is try his best.....[more]		  

                                                                Facing a new session, Lee Changho seems quite low-profile and modest, saying"I would often learn from Lee Sedol, the 9th Degree Master, in the domestic competitions and with his help, I am now in pretty good shape. I hope I will have a good performance this time."......[more]

  "As a go-player, the goal is sure to fight for the champion, which is also the goal of every player. However, as what I said in the previous interview, I am longing for a better performance rather than the champion,"said Lee Sedol, the champion of the 9th, 12th and 13th sessions of Samsung Cup.......[more]  
                   As the super top player in the world, Gu Li never won the champion of Samsung Cup and for this session, he said he recently lost more games than he won due to his bad state. However, he said half-jokingly that he had a regular pattern that his state ....[more]
  Chang Hao from Shanghai is quite familiar with Suzhou."I used to
come here a lot but not that often recently. It seems there are not many go activities in Suzhou in recent years."He said on the way to the hotel from the airport by car and he felt good when seeing a more beautiful and clean environment in Suzhou.......[more]