By Yuki He, China Correspondent for the E-Journal
Xie Erhao 9P has emerged as a Go hero for China after notching seven consecutive wins in the 25th Nongshim Cup.
The Shin Ramyun Cup World Baduk Championship, commonly known as the Nongshim Cup, is a prestigious international Go team championship featuring teams from South Korea, China, and Japan. In this high-profile tournament, each country sends its top five players to compete, creating a spectacle avidly followed by Go enthusiasts who appreciate its rich historical significance.
Initially, the Nongshim Cup was dominated by South Korean players, with the legendary Lee Chang-ho 9P securing six championships for his country from 1999 to 2005. Japan broke this streak in 2005-2006, thanks to the efforts of Norimoto Yoda 9P, and since then the championship has been more evenly contested between South Korea and China.
The 25th tournament began in Beijing in early October. The opening match saw Japanese player Hsu Chia-yuan 9P defeat South Korea's Seol Hyunjun 8P, who was then bested by China's Xie Erhao 9P, commencing his remarkable winning streak.
Xie's string of victories in the tournament’s first stage included a narrow win over Byeon Sang-il 9P, followed by a win against Japan's Toramaru Shibano 9P, known as "Meiji," who made a crucial error in a large ko fight.
When the tournament resumed in Busan, South Korea, Xie continued his winning spree, narrowly defeating Won Seong-jin 9P. Xie also displayed extraordinary skill in a match against Japan's Ryo Ichiriki (9P), known as "Kisei." Ichiriki missed a key opportunity and ultimately resigned after a misguided ko fight near the game's end. This brought Xie's winning streak to five. In a nail-biting game against world champion Park Junghwan 9P, Xie cleverly executed a "fake running move" on the right side, securing a slight but decisive advantage. Xie's seventh consecutive win was against Japan's Yo Seiki 8P, who made an early mistake, allowing Xie to dominate the game.
However, Xie's impressive run ended on December 4th against South Korea's formidable Shin Jin-seo 9P, who defeated Xie in 133 moves.
Despite not clinching the tournament win, Xie's remarkable achievement of seven consecutive wins cements his status as a new Go hero in China, a feat matched only by Fan Tingyu 9P in 2018 and Yang Dingxin 9P in 2019.
Four Chinese players remain in contention: Ke Jie 9P, Gu Zihao 9P, Ding Hao 9P, and Zhao Chenyu 9P, alongside Japan's Yuta Iyama 9P, who is the next challenger.
Shin Jin-seo 9P has been a dominant force in the Nongshim Cup since 2020, concluding the tournament twice, in 2021 and 2022. The question of who can end his reign remains open as the tournament is set to resume in Shanghai, China, in February 2024.
Game records are posted here: October 17 *** October 18 *** October 19
November 29 *** November 30 *** December 1 *** December 2 *** December 3
photos: (top left) Xie Erhao (9P) playing at the 25th Nongshim Cup World Go Team Championships; (bottom right): Fig.2 The 25th Nongshim Cup World Go Team Championships, Xie Erhao (9P) (left) vs Shin Jin-seo (9P) (right), images courtesy: Fox Weiqi