Down to the Last Game

After beating Park Sohyun in the first game, Cao Youyin of China luckily beat Umezawa Yukari Female Kisei in the third game of
the second stage of the 8th Jeongganjang Cup.




Umezawa who took white in the game actually had the advantage since the beginning, but later she make a terrible blunder during the endgame which
led to a favorable ko fight for Cao. Umezawa eventually resigned.

At move 220, Umezawa made a mistake by playing H14. She should just played N19 to made her group 100% alive and eventually won the game by small margin.

At the fourth game, Kim Hyeoyimin (5 pro) from Korea stopped Cao Youyin 2 winning streak by winning the game as black by 1.5 points. Kim Hyeoyimin decided to play for big moyo
after she trade the corners for outside influence.




Countering this, Cao played a shoulder hit at the bottom board, trying to reduce white's territory. Kim took the advantage by attacking white invader, thus
completing her moyo.

After a tight endgame, Kim Hyeoyimin eventually won the game by 1.5 points.

The fifth game was played December 24 between Kim Hyeoyimin of Korea against one of the Mukai sisters, Mukai Chiaki (3 pro).

Mukai Chiaki who played black in this game decided to play for a close endgame. She played carefully and got sente during the endgame at move 175. It was
a big yose move, because she captured 2 stones, made her group 100% alive, and got sente.



Kim Hyeoyimin resigned at move 227. Mukai Chiaki of Japan will play Li He from China at the Christmas Day.

So far Korea is down to their last player Park Jieun, while Japan has 2 members left Mukai Chiaki and Suzuki Ayumi. China still has the lead with Li He, Ye Gui, and last year's superstar Song Ronghui as their members.

China Keep the Lead

After eliminating Aoki Kikuyo from the competition, Park Sohyun from Korea met Cao Youyin from China in the second game of the second round of the 8th Jeongganjang Cup.

Park who played as white in the previous game got reversed color in this game.


Cao Youyin (left) vs. Park Sohyun (right)

The game opened by black making a wall in the upper board by attacking white's group, but Cao Youyin took the chance when she got sente by making a shimari in the bottom board.

At move 52 white played a capping move, trying to reduce black's moyo. Black responded by also playing a capping move in white area. White's response was aggressive. Playing a pincer and started a semeai.

Black tried to attack white's weak group after her attacked group connected to the upper board.She got some advantage from attacking, but the gap is still big for white who took the advantage when attacking black's group.


Board position up to move 107

Black tried to make a comeback, by attempting to kill white's group. The game turned to a live or dead ko for white. White saved her group when she decided to ignore black's small ko threat and captured black's stone. I wonder if black can skip move 187 and played T18 instead, though move 187 gave a connection between black's group, but it gave white a better chance to live. After all it was a do or die ko for Park.


I think the one who stand behind Cao Youyin is Yu Bin (9p from China) who is the coach for China's Jeongganjang team.

Park Sohyun resigned to Cao Youyin at move 218. Cao Youyin will play one of Japan's member today. With Cao's victory, China keep the lead by still having 4 members in the competition.