If they only called it Baduk, wouldn't that point to the fact that they only played it that way

Your theory is also possible. However, if sunjang baduk was the only baduk until that point, doesn't it seem more likely that they would come up with a new name to describe free placement baduk instead of changing the meaning of an existing term? All of this is pure speculation, of course... Also, I don't know if they only called it baduk back then. I only know that the term "sunjang baduk" did not exist until the early 20th century. Someone much more knowledgeable than me in these matters would be needed to sort that out with more certainty.

My understanding from the lecture is that Koreans played sunjang baduk almost exclusively before the 20th century, and then were encouraged (coerced? forced? not sure) to change to modern baduk by the occupying Japanese. A famous baduk player (forgetting the name) also encouraged the change (again, I don't know the details). I got the impression that, in Nam Chi-Hyung's view, the adoption of modern baduk was a positive change in the long run. She did not discuss the name change but, given the circumstances, it would not be surprising to assign a new name to the old style baduk. But again, my only knowledge comes from her lecture.

It's also important to remember that in even games, ancient Chinese go was played with diagonal fuseki. I'm not sure when they stopped. But in the seventh century, it's not as though there was free-placement versus fixed-placement, there were two different kinds of fixed placement.

Yes. It is possible that Chinese style diagonal placement baduk would have been played along with sunjang placement baduk. It is reported that Kim Ok-kyun (Honinbo Shuei's Korean friend---there are some interesting stories in John Fairbairn's Shuei book about him and the Driftwood Go Board; the report is not from John's book though) claimed that Chinese style placement was popular in the late 18th century, when gambling on baduk became all the rage and sunjang baduk came back into style because it sped up the games compared to Chinese placement baduk.

History often is murky and there are often many gaps in the historical record. I would say that the argument that only sunjang baduk (and no other variant) was played in Korea until the 20th century is an awfully strong one to make given the nature of these things.

This is a snapshot from an adventure video-game I played a couple of months ago. Those two guys on the left must be playing 9x9 Go. It's Black's turn, but he never actually moves.

Do you guys think this a well-played game? Who has the advantage?

Also, can you guess the video-game?

White's moves look reasonable, black's stones are all on the second line.

It's Pretty interesting game.
I had found and posted that reference on Sensei's a while ago: http://senseis.xmp.net/?ReferencesToGo

_________________
a1h1 [1d]: You just need to curse the gods and defend.
Good Go = Shape.
Associação Portuguesa de Go

Did we get this BBC feature?

http://www.bbc.com/travel/video/one-day ... y-in-seoul

Are they playing Go in the Gangnam Style video? See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q1 ... re=related (about 53 seconds in)

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Spilling gasoline feels good.

I might be wrong, but probably not.

Episode 16 of 천추태후 (千秋太后) aka The Iron Empress has another Baduk scene with irregular stones.
This is the same royal couple from the Baduk scene in episode 4, but now they are living as peasants (it's Kdrama after all), so the board is rough hewn as well as the stones.



In this scene the woman captures a bulky 5 shape, which the man immediately kills.



She then complains when he won't let her take the move back and says she won't play anymore if he won't let her win

As always you can watch the entire series on Drama Fever and Hulu. This scene starts around 15:10 of the episode.

some video I found

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gt8zU_wqw4&feature=relmfu

Don't know if it can even be counted as a 'sighting' but at least the Go Club gets some mentions in the anime Hyouka. A mysterious thief has struck the school, pilfering the go stones from the Go Club, and other small objects from other clubs. I had hoped the main characters might investigate the Go Club, or possibly that a trail of go stones might lead them to the culprit, but alas, it was not to be.

That is BadukTV, a Korean tv channel dedicated to baduk, and as you discovered they have a youtube account posting videos (it is legit). They have other interesting videos there, have a look.
BadukTV also streams through web for a monthly fee, www.baduktv.kr

If anyone's curious to see the big igo soccer match, it's here at about 18:23
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/video/22178/

"Sorry, but our licensing agreement does not allow us
to show this video "


Edit: Just watched it elsewhere. The episode was pretty weird, but the Igo Soccer match was hilarious!

_________________
a1h1 [1d]: You just need to curse the gods and defend.
Good Go = Shape.
Associação Portuguesa de Go

Glad you found it! I forget that online licensing only works in the same country. (And all the episodes are weird. ^^)

Previously on 천추태후 (千秋太后) aka The Iron Empress, we saw very primitive Go boards with irregular "found" stones being used for playing pieces.

Episode 35 shows a royal charachter not only using proper stones, but playing on the coveted 6 Brothers Turtle Board.





The Iron Empress is on Drama Fever and Hulu. This scene starts around 13:12 of the episode.

I love that board