Park Yeonghun Opened The 39th Myeongin

The final of the 39th Myeongin is a clash between 2 leading Korean player, Park Yeonghun (9 dan) and Baek Hongsuk (8 dan), in a best of 5 title series to decide who will be the 39th Myeongin. This year's Myeongin has a different format from the previous cycles. In this cycle, the players went from knockout preliminaries to a knockout main tournament where in the previous cycles, the players went from preliminaries to a main league (where players were split into 2 leagues).

Park Yeonghun (left) vs. Baek Hongsuk (right)

Park is currently the Myeongin title holder (he won it last year from Weon Sungjin), however he doesn't get the privilege to directly defends his title. In fact, he played from round 1 all the way to the final. Meanwhile, Baek is a preliminary player. He was eliminated from the 38th Myeongin's league after scoring his only victory in a match against Lee Sedol.

Park Yeonghun played black in the first game, while Baek Hongsuk played white. The game started with a new pattern at the upper right corner. White 12 is new. Usually white will play hane at Q13 or S13. The outcome up to move 33 seems fair, maybe it is a new joseki. Baek then invaded black's area with white 34 and a fight started to spread at the bottom area.

Park Yeonghun, fighting to defends his title

Park played very well in the center and Baek soon became short on territories. White's last hope is to kill black's group at the upper board. Black played a tesuji at black 141 and 143. White 142 confuses me. I think there's nothing wrong with the direct N14 and it gives white more chance to kill black, but maybe I missed something (if you know the reason of white 142, please drop a comment. Thank you :D).

Black got a ko fight and executed the fight very well. White resigned after 173 moves. The second game will be played on November 24.

Will Baek even the score at the next game?

Here is the game record:
Park Yeonghun (black) vs. Baek Hongsuk (white). Result: B+R

(;
SZ[19]
KM[6.5]
GM[1]
EV[39th Myeongin final round 1]
FF[3]
DT[2011-11-18]
PB[Park Yeonghun]
BR[Myeongin]
RE[B+R]
PW[Baek Hongsuk]
WR[8d]
;B[pd];W[dp];B[qp];W[dc];B[oq];W[ce];B[jc];W[qf];B[nd];W[rd];B[qg]
;W[qc];B[rf];W[ob];B[nb];W[oc];B[nc];W[od];B[oe];W[pf];B[og];W[rg]
;B[rh];W[pg];B[qh];W[ph];B[pi];W[oh];B[oi];W[nh];B[ni];W[mh];B[mi]
;W[oo];B[pn];W[nq];B[np];W[op];B[mq];W[nr];B[pq];W[mp];B[no];W[lq]
;B[mo];W[lp];B[lo];W[ko];B[kn];W[jo];B[jn];W[in];B[io];W[jq];B[ho]
;W[im];B[lm];W[gn];B[iq];W[jr];B[eo];W[do];B[en];W[go];B[ep];W[dq]
;B[gp];W[fp];B[eq];W[gq];B[dn];W[bn];B[cn];W[bo];B[co];W[bp];B[cl]
;W[er];B[fr];W[dr];B[hp];W[fq];B[fo];W[gr];B[hn];W[gm];B[hm];W[gl]
;B[hl];W[el];B[dj];W[hk];B[ik];W[ij];B[jk];W[ic];B[id];W[jd];B[kc]
;W[ck];B[bk];W[dl];B[bm];W[cj];B[bj];W[ci];B[bi];W[ch];B[bh];W[bg]
;B[am];W[hc];B[ie];W[je];B[jf];W[ke];B[gd];W[fb];B[hj];W[hi];B[gk]
;W[gj];B[fj];W[hk];B[fk];W[fi];B[ei];W[eh];B[lh];W[kf];B[ib];W[hb]
;B[jg];W[kg];B[kh];W[lg];B[ih];W[lb];B[re];W[qe];B[mg];W[nf];B[le]
;W[mf];B[kb];W[ia];B[ja];W[jb];B[pc];W[pb];B[ib];W[lc];B[ld];W[jb]
;B[lf];W[ng];B[ib];W[ha];B[la];W[jb];B[kd];W[mg];B[ib];W[ji];B[jh]
;W[jb];B[na];W[mb];B[me];W[mc];B[ib];W[il];B[jb])