In a tumultuous turn of events at the 29th LG Cup finals in South Korea, Chinese Go player Ke Jie lost the game following two instances of rule violations. During the second match of the finals, Ke Jie failed to place his captured stones into the stone container at the correct moments, which goes against the latest South Korean regulations. This marked the first instance in a world-class Go tournament final where a rule violation directly led to a loss.
The situation unfolded as Ke Jie missed placing a captured stone correctly on the 18th move, resulting in an initial 2-point penalty as per the updated guidelines of the Korea Baduk Association. The rules, which were revised in November 2024, are designed to ensure that the captured stones are correctly accounted for, maintaining the integrity of score calculation based on territory-counting methods used in South Korea and Japan.
Disagreements over rules and the inherent differences between Chinese and South Korean practices have been highlighted by voices within the Go community. Tao Xin, a Chinese professional, pointed out that Chinese players, accustomed to the stone-counting method, may inadvertently commit violations under the strict South Korean system. Similarly, renowned commentator Meng Tailing emphasized that while the rule is logical for maintaining scoring accuracy, it contrasts with the more lenient handling of captured stones in Chinese competitions.
The controversy deepened later in the game when a second violation occurred at move 80, prompting the referee to intervene. With both players stepping away from the table following the incident, the accumulation of two offenses forced a forfeiture under South Korean rules. Despite protests from the Chinese delegation, the final outcome stood, leaving the match tied at 1-1 ahead of a decisive game scheduled for the following day.
Historically, while similar infractions in professional matches have sometimes resulted in rematches, this instance represents an unprecedented direct forfeit in an international final. The incident not only underscores the practical impact of rule changes but also intensifies discussions about the challenges Chinese players might face in adapting long-standing playing habits to a different regulatory environment.
5 Comments
Coccinella
This ruling sets a dangerous precedent. Are we going to start disqualifying players for every tiny infraction?
Answer
Ultimately, we all want the best players to win, regardless of their nationality. Let the strongest player on the board prevail.
The Truth
This is not about sportsmanship, it's about power politics. The Korean organizers are using this incident to gain an advantage.
Answer
The Go community needs to stand up against this injustice. We cannot allow the Korean Baduk Association to dictate the rules of the game.
Coccinella
The Chinese Go community needs to adapt to international standards if they want to compete at the highest level.