China Locked LG Cup

China really locked up the LG Cup. Starting from the semi-final, all 4 players are Chinese! This is the first time in LG Cup history.


Left to right: Meng Tailing, Kong Jie, Wang Yao, Piao Wenyao

The first player to advance to the final is Kong Jie. He beat Meng Tailing (5 dan) in a fighting game.
Here is the game record:
Kong Jie (white) vs. Meng Tailing (black). Result: W+R

(;
KM[6.5]
EV[15th LG Cup semifinal]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
GM[1]
PW[Kong Jie]
WR[9d]
DT[2010-11-10]
BR[5d]
RE[W+R]
PB[Meng Tailing]
;B[pd];W[dd];B[qp];W[dq];B[co];W[dm];B[nq];W[cp];B[pj];W[fc];B[nc]
;W[do];B[ip];W[ce];B[jd];W[no];B[po];W[ko];B[kq];W[io];B[ho];W[in]
;B[jp];W[km];B[qe];W[dj];B[ch];W[cj];B[gh];W[ie];B[gd];W[id];B[gc]
;W[ge];B[fd];W[fe];B[ec];W[db];B[ic];W[ih];B[kd];W[ed];B[cf];W[dg]
;B[be];W[cd];B[ei];W[cg];B[ij];W[ki];B[kl];W[kk];B[ll];W[jl];B[jk]
;W[lk];B[il];W[jm];B[ml];W[hn];B[jh];W[ji];B[ii];W[ig];B[gl];W[mk]
;B[nl];W[gj];B[fj];W[hk];B[ik];W[hl];B[gk];W[hj];B[hm];W[im];B[hi]
;W[gm];B[gi];W[hm];B[li];W[kj];B[kh];W[lh];B[lg];W[mh];B[jf];W[kf]
;B[kg];W[mg];B[lf];W[nj];B[pk];W[fg];B[mi];W[oh];B[og];W[nh];B[gg]
;W[if];B[oi];W[ni];B[ph];W[nk];B[ok];W[mf];B[ek];W[di];B[dl];W[cl]
;B[em];W[en];B[cm];W[dn];B[ck];W[bl];B[fm];W[fl];B[el];W[fk];B[bk]
;W[bm];B[ef];W[eg])

The second is Piao Wenyao (5 dan). Piao beat Wang Yao (6 dan) at the semi-final. This will be the second international final for Piao. The first one was World Oza at 2009 where he won the championship.

(;
KM[6.5]
EV[15th LG Cup semifinal]
FF[3]
SZ[19]
GM[1]
PW[Wang Yao]
WR[6d]
DT[2010-11-10]
BR[5d]
RE[B+R]
PB[Piao Wenyao]
;B[qd];W[dc];B[pq];W[dp];B[oc];W[qn];B[qp];W[pj];B[qh];W[on];B[mq]
;W[ci];B[cn];W[co];B[dn];W[fq];B[ck];W[ej];B[de];W[fc];B[ep];W[eq]
;B[cq];W[do];B[eo];W[en];B[em];W[fn];B[bo];W[fo];B[dl];W[cd];B[cg]
;W[eh];B[ed];W[ec];B[di];W[ch];B[dh];W[dg];B[eg];W[df];B[ef];W[cf]
;B[dj];W[bg];B[fh];W[kq];B[pl];W[op];B[oq];W[rj];B[rl];W[ol];B[pm]
;W[om];B[pn];W[po];B[qo];W[pk];B[qk];W[rk];B[rn];W[oh];B[kp];W[lp]
;B[lq];W[jq];B[ko];W[mp];B[ip];W[hr];B[kl];W[lk];B[kk];W[kj];B[ll]
;W[lj];B[jj];W[ji];B[ij];W[ii];B[hi];W[oe];B[qf];W[fm];B[hh];W[el]
;B[ei];W[nc];B[nb];W[ob];B[nd];W[mc];B[od];W[pb];B[mb];W[lc];B[lb]
;W[kc];B[kb];W[jc];B[jb];W[qc];B[rc];W[pc];B[pd];W[rb];B[rd];W[sb]
;B[ic];W[lf];B[kh];W[ki];B[mg];W[lg];B[nk];W[ml];B[lh];W[jk];B[ik]
;W[jl];B[jm];W[il];B[mm];W[ln];B[lm];W[nj];B[hl];W[im];B[hm];W[in]
;B[hn];W[jo];B[jp];W[kn];B[io];W[jn];B[gp];W[lo];B[fp];W[dq];B[iq]
;W[ir];B[gq];W[gr];B[lr];W[ks];B[hk];W[bp];B[bn];W[bq];B[mf];W[id]
;B[hc];W[jg];B[kg];W[kf];B[jh];W[me];B[ne];W[hd];B[ih];W[gd];B[mj]
;W[mk];B[mi])

A Game to See (4)

This is an interesting game from the 14th Samsung Cup. This game is a very long game. A 361 moves game (but I think it's 362) that involves many ko fights.

White: Park Yeonghun (9 dan) from South Korea


Black: Wang Yao (6 dan) from China


Move 11 A rare move. It's more usual to play D13 or play the Mini-Chinese in the bottom
Move 24 It's easier to defend with P12.


Move 81 is the only move. No time to connect first.
Move 146 started the first important ko fight
Move 159 Nice timing! It threats white's corner and also as a ko threat.
Move 198 after 52 moves, white won the ko fight, but as a result, white's corner became threatened.



Move 205 Started the second ko fight.
Move 216 White dcided to save the corner, in return of a re fight of white group in the center.
Move 232 White defended his center group, in return of losing his bottom territory, as black saved his earlier died group.
Move 234 A nice probe. Later it turned out to be seki.
Move 236 A huge move!



The game record ended at move 361, but I think White should throw in first at R9 or S9 to create the seki.

After a long fight, Park Yeonghun (White) won the game by 0.5 point. A pitiful lose for Wang.