YEONGAM — Shin Jin-seo has become the first player to win the Guksu Sanmaek International Baduk Championship twice.
Shin defeated China's Li Weiqing by resignation after 205 moves, playing black, in the final of the 12th Guksu Sanmaek International Baduk Championship World Pro Championship held at the Yeongam County Community Hall in Jeonnam-Gwangju on the 21st. The winner's prize was 100 million won ($70,000), with 40 million won going to the runner-up.
The game was a tight contest in which the advantage shifted back and forth, and was decided in the endgame. Shin pulled ahead in the endgame to seize the win, and Li, unable to close the gap, eventually resigned. The victory widened Shin's head-to-head record against Li to 8-1.
After a somewhat sluggish first half of the year, Shin has now won 19 straight games from June 22 through the final, extending an unbeaten run in the second half of the season.
"I entered with a relatively light heart since it came right after my Lanke Cup win, but once I was the only one left, I started wanting the title," Shin said. "I have reached many finals but often ended up as runner-up, which was disappointing, so I am glad to have won this time."
Shin, who entered the main draw as a seeded player, beat Chinese Taipei's Chen Chi-jui in the round of 16, then Chinese Taipei's Lu Yi-chuan in the quarterfinals and China's Wang Xinghao in the semifinals to reach the final.
With his win in the one-game final, Shin returned to the top of the event four years after his victory in the eighth edition in 2022. He is the first player in the tournament's history to win it twice.
Li, meanwhile, reached the final by beating Korea's fourth-ranked Byun Sang-il in the round of 16, Lee Jae-sung in the quarterfinals and Japan's Hsu Chia-yuan in the semifinals. He was unable to overcome his losing record against Shin in the final and settled for second place.
A closing ceremony that included the awards presentation was held after the final. Yeongam County Mayor Woo Seung-hee, Korea Baduk Association Senior Vice Chairman Cho Hun-hyun, Secretary General Yang Jae-ho and Jeonnam Baduk Association President Ki Myung-do attended to congratulate the winner and the runner-up.
The 12th Guksu Sanmaek International Baduk Championship World Pro Championship was hosted by the Korea Baduk Association, co-organized by the association and the Jeonnam Baduk Association, and sponsored by Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, Yeongam County and the Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City Office of Education. Each player was given 30 minutes of thinking time plus three 40-second byo-yomi periods.