Translation result
The Korea–China Women’s Big 5 showdown kicked off with a headline pairing between Korea’s No. 2 Choi Jeong, 9-dan, and China’s No. 2 Tang Jiayuan, 7-dan. Choi prevailed and took home the 5,000,000 KRW match fee (about $3,750).
On the evening of the 2nd at 7 p.m., at the Korea Baduk Association’s BadukTV studio in Seoul’s Seongdong District, Choi beat Tang by resignation after 205 moves, playing Black. The game stayed razor-close through about move 130; Tang, as White, appeared to hold the edge in the opening and middle game. Choi mounted a strong late rally: after Black moves 131 and 133 sparked a counterattack, a decisive center “shake” swung the position in her favor. Tang’s attempt to rescue two central white stones (moves 76 and 124) ultimately cost her four white stones on the upper side, and she conceded after move 205.
According to Cookie News, there is no team prize pool for the event. Instead, each of the five games awards 5,000,000 KRW to the winner and 2,000,000 KRW to the loser (approximately $3,750 and $1,500, respectively). That structure effectively turns the event into a series of individual matches; a Korea Baduk Association official told Cookie News that paying match fees per game made it easier to secure players. The official also explained a sponsorship change: “SOOP initially showed interest and we moved forward positively, but due to internal issues SOOP could not sponsor this time. For now, the tournament is proceeding with Infobel (Chairman Shim Beom-seop).” Infobel is a long-standing sponsor that also backs the Ssopalcosanol Cup.
After the game, Choi praised her opponent: “Tang has great balance and rarely collapses. She’s a strong player, and I was glad to face her. This exhibition was fun, and I played with no regrets.” Tang, disappointed by the late turnaround, lauded Choi’s mentality: “What I respect most is how Choi meets male players without fear and takes them on boldly. I’d like to ask her what her secret is.” Choi smiled and downplayed it: “Maybe being the underdog reduces pressure and lets me play more freely. These days, I think Tang is playing even better.”
The next match is set for the 3rd at 1 p.m., pitting the two countries’ No. 1 women’s players: Korea’s Kim Eun-ji, 9-dan, against China’s Zhou Hongyu, 7-dan. Choi said, “I trust Kim Eun-ji,” while Tang replied, “Of course I’ll be cheering for the Chinese player.”
The remaining matchups are: Korea No. 3 Oh Yujin, 9-dan vs. China’s Yu Ziying, 8-dan; Korea No. 4 Kim Chaeyoung, 9-dan vs. Wu Yiming, 7-dan; Korea No. 5 Sumire, 6-dan vs. Lu Minquan, 7-dan. Time control is 30 minutes plus a 30-second Fischer increment per move. One game will be played each day through the 5th, for a total of five matches. Because each game carries an individual match fee (winner 5,000,000 KRW / loser 2,000,000 KRW), all five games will be played even if a team reaches three wins early.
All games will stream live on BadukTV, operated by the Korea Baduk Association, and on the association’s official YouTube channel. After each game, commentators fluent in Chinese will provide live translation so viewers can hear interviews and postgame thoughts from the Chinese players. After Game 1, BadukTV commentator Mok Jin-seok provided fluent Chinese translation while reviewing the game. The event schedule: games on the 2nd and 6th begin at 7 p.m.; games on the 3rd through the 5th start at 1 p.m.
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