Fujitsu Cup Third Round

The third round of 22nd Fujitsu Cup had been played in June 6. Eight players, consist of Park Yeonghun, Kang Dongyun, Lee Chango, and Lee Sedol from Korea, Chang Hao and Piao Wenyao from China and also Kono Rin and Yamashita Keigo from Japan competed each other to gained 4 seats in the semifinals.

The first to gain one from those seats were Chang Hao from China who beat Lee Sedol of Korea.

A fight started in the early game when Chang Hao invaded Lee Sedol's moyo with attahment at move 26. The fight became complicated. At move 80, Chang Hao successfully saved the group by capturing two stones. However, when Chang Hao cut at move 78, I wonder why black didn't capture the stone and instead, playing at the bottom group, which I think can be saved by killing white's big group. Lee Sedol resigned at move 162 when white managed to kill black's group in the upper board.
Recently there are lot things happened to Lee Sedol. Perhaps that why he chose to retir for 1.5 years and it seems to affect his performance in this game.

The second semifinalist was Park Yeonghun from Korea who beat Kono Rin from Japan.
Kono Rin made big surprise in the first two rounds of this Cup. He beat Kong Jie (7 dan) and Gu Li (9 dan) both from China. It was a big upset when Gu lost to Kono. Unfortunately, he lost in this round by 4.5 points margin.
Kono's first move at sansan was rather rare nowadays. Since modern go base on speed and influence. Another interesting point of this game is the combination of move 10-15. It's rare since usually people choose D8 instead of D6. I wonder if it's better for Kono Rin to defend at sansan rather than playing niken biraki in the left side at move 14. After 272 moves, Park Yeonghun won.

The third to gained a seat was Kang Dongyun of Korea.

Kang who beat Iyama Yuta, Japanese raising teenager, beat another rising teenager, Piao Wenyao from China. The game started peacefully with both player took big points. A semeai started at move 77 where black (Piao Wenyao) chased white's group, but white managed to save it at move 106. Piao resigned at move 174.

The last person to gained seat was Lee Changho from Korea by beating Yamashita Keigo from Japan.

I think Lee Changho won the fuseki. A semeai started at move 71, but both made alive to their groups. Up to move 170, I think Lee Changho had won the game, since there were a big hole at Yamashita's position at F2 and K5.
Lee Changho (white) won by 4.5 points.