Korean new super star: Kim Eunji destroyed legend Lee Changho!

Have you heard of the GS Caltex Cup Senior vs. Women's Go Team Tournament? This tournament began in 2007 and has held 18 editions to date. The format of the competition features two teams: a team of senior players and a team of female players, with each team consisting of twelve players competing in a relay match. This tournament is quite interesting because both sides send out the best players from their respective categories, and the results are usually very close. In the past 17 editions, the women's team has won 9 times, while the senior (gentlemen's) team has won 8 times.

This tournament highlights the past disparity in skill levels between male and female players, as even senior male players (the senior team is primarily composed of players over 50 years old) who have passed their peak by more than ten years still hold no clear advantage. It’s common to see less well-known senior players easily defeating popular female players.

However, in recent years, the competitiveness of female players has improved, prompting the organizers to reform the entry criteria for the senior team three times, in 2018, 2019, and 2022, and rename it to the gentlemen's team. These changes included lowering the age limit from 45 to 40 and eliminating the rule that required at least 8 players over 50. What has led to the improvement in the strength of female players? One possible reason is the emergence of AI, which provides young players with tools to understand Go better. It might also be due to an overall improvement in the skill level of the female Go player population, or it could be attributed to the outstanding performance of individual players like Choi Jeong 9-dan.

Speaking of Choi Jeong 9-dan, she held the top spot in the Korean Go rankings for an impressive 10 years and 8 months. However, in July 2024, her rank was surpassed by Kim Eunji 9-dan (born in 2007), signaling the arrival of a new era.

On August 6, 2024, in the 18th GS Caltex Cup Gentlemen vs. Women's Go Team Tournament, Kim Eunji faced off against a legend from the previous generation, the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time: Lee Changho 9-dan. Now 49 years old, Lee Changho is no longer at the top level, with his Korean ranking dropping to 79th. Facing Kim Eunji, who is currently ranked 32nd, a loss would not be surprising. However, what was striking was the overwhelming difference in strength, as the former world number one had virtually no chance to fight back against Kim Eunji's attacks, highlighting a stark contrast in power.

In this game, Kim Eunji played as Black. Up to this point, the win rates for both sides remained unchanged, as the extremely complex shapes in the upper right and lower left were all AI-recommended joseki variations (the lower left corner resulted in a double life). The outcome of the game would depend on the middle game fight. At this point, Lee Changho chose to attach to the corner.

This attachment move should be familiar to high-level players, as it hopes for Black to hane at P3 on the outside.

If Black hanes at P3 on the outside, White's intention is fulfilled, as White would achieve a better result than a 3-3 invasion (with White getting more territory in the corner and Black's side territory being smaller).

In the actual game, Kim Eunji chose to hane in the corner and then extend. Can you imagine that Lee Changho's two stones would be completely destroyed?

After White jumped at 4, how should Black attack next?

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A knight move would be a severe attack, but before playing this move, Black needs to be prepared for White's counterattack at point A.

Black must carefully calculate!

If White extends at 5, Black can follow up with move 6, leading to a capturing race with 4 liberties versus 3 liberties, where Black can win the race.

White also has no way to escape.

However, White 5 can crawl on the other side.

What is the result in the corner?

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The result is a ko fight, but Black can initiate the ko, and has a local ko threat.

If White uses the lower left as ko threats, White can gain 20 points, but Black can capture the lower right, which is worth more than 40 points, leaving Black with a winning position.

So, Lee Changho did not initiate the ko but instead expanded his eye space on the side. Can you guess Kim Eunji's next move?

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Kim Eunji chose a solid press move, which not only neutralized White's counterattack but also put pressure on White’s group. I think this move is very instructive!

White tried to escape while creating eye space.

Moves 3 and 5 for Black were tesuji to destroy White's eye space, and move 5 was a preparation set up by Black's press at move 1.

In the actual game, after White jumped at 5, White obviously did not have two eyes locally, but it was not yet the right time to go for the kill. Can you guess Kim Eunji's next move?

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Another solid press move—did you guess it right? Clearly aiming at both of White's groups, it’s an excellent move!

In the actual game, White hane'd once and then jumped out, trying to take care of both sides. Can you guess Kim Eunji's next move?

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Black continued to pressure White’s large dragon in the center, while also threatening to gain solid territory with the atari at point A. Black's attacking moves flowed very smoothly.

White couldn’t tolerate Black’s atari at Q9, so White extended a stone. After Kim Eunji's peep at 3, she blocked the centre with 5.

Although it would not be a problem for white to live a group, but...

Black got two marked stones in the attacking progress, which Black could use to cut through White’s group with move 4.

White's stones were now stranded in Black's vast framework, with a bleak future.

So, Lee Changho played White 2 to hane!

If Black retreated with move 3, White would live with move 4, and the power of Black’s cut at 5 would be diminished!

However, in the actual game, Kim Eunji did not retreat at point A but instead played a counter atari! This was the highlight of the game!

Black abandoned one stone in the center, and it’s clear what Kim Eunji’s objective was.

Black began the process of slaughtering White’s dragon!

In the end, Lee Changho's large dragon was completely destroyed, making it a brilliant game for Kim Eunji.