Shin Jin-seo, one of the world's top Go players, has won his 10th career major title.
Shin defeated Byun Sang-il by resignation after 219 moves while playing black in the second game of the final of the 4th Quzhou Lanke Cup World Go Open, held in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, on the 15th. Shin won both the first and second games of the final, taking the series 2-0 and claiming his second Lanke Cup title.
Shin has reached the final in all four editions of the tournament since its launch, finishing runner-up in the first and third and winning the second and fourth. The victory is his first at a world event in 13 months, following the SG Cup World Go Masters Championship (sponsored by Sopharcosanol) last September, and brings his career major total to 10.
That places him third alone among Korean players in career major titles, behind Lee Chang-ho with 17 and Lee Se-dol, now retired, with 14. Counting domestic and international events together, it is his 46th career title.
Shin gradually built an advantage in a midgame fight in the lower left corner, then seized control by capturing white stones on the lower side. Byun captured black stones on the left side to build a large territory, but Shin closed out the game late with precise reading that revived the captured stones.
"I hadn't won in a while, so it feels like a long-standing burden has been lifted, and I'm happy to win," Shin said after the game. "There are many world events left ahead. I'll concentrate as much as I can, but I want to approach them with more of a mindset of enjoying the game than before," he added. "I'll work hard so I can win in the remaining tournaments."
The Lanke Cup, hosted by China, pays 1.8 million yuan (about 388 million won) to the winner and 600,000 yuan (about 129 million won) to the runner-up. Under Chinese Go rules, the komi is 7.5 points, and each player has two hours of thinking time plus five one-minute byo-yomi periods.