2019 China Weiqi League

[Aram]

Professional "ranks" are not very useful for figuring out how strong someone is.

Looking at the European Go Database and the European rating system, Ilya Shikshin is already very close, or at, the historic peak rating of Catalin Taranu.

This of course isnt a perfect measurement for strength either, but at least miles better than just looking at professional ranks.


Looking at the incredible number of 5-7 dan amateurs in China, i find it incredible and extremely positive that the European pros manage to get wins against the professionals in the Chinese C-league.
Do not underestimate the overall level of Go in China at the "low pro" levels.

Huge congratulations for the European team!

[Uberdude]

Professional "ranks" are not very useful for figuring out how strong someone is.

Looking at the European Go Database and the European rating system, Ilya Shikshin is already very close, or at, the historic peak rating of Catalin Taranu.

This of course isnt a perfect measurement for strength either, but at least miles better than just looking at professional ranks.

Note that Catalin's peak rating in EGD was following a rating reset to 2820 which is the EGD rating that has been decided to correspond to his prior promotion to real-life 5p. When Ilya got his EGF 1p he didn't reset to 2700 because he was already above 2700 and has earned all his points up to ~2800 through winning games not external promotions. All of the other EGF pros got a rating boost to 2700 when they got 1p but most have managed to maintain/improve it since.

I'm not even sure I'd bet on Michael Redmond to beat Ilya.

[wolfking]

Pan Tianxing 5D is 18 years old. Here is a picture of her taken in last year's Pro Qualification Tournament(photo from Sina Sports):

r8_第十三台潘天行_副本.jpg (99.76 KiB) Viewed 10209 times

[wolfking]

CL 4th round results:

Thanks to the posts above we already knew that Team Europe had a clean sweep of Dalian Yidao 4:0
1. Ilya Shikshin 3p vs Gu Wanshan 1p
2. Pavol Lisy 2p vs Wang Zixin 1p
3. Mateusz Surma 2p vs Wen Zhaoyi 1p
4. Artem Kachanovskyi 2p vs Pan Tianxing 5D

Sina Sports called this a "Historical Breakthrough for European Go" in the news title. Here is the link to the article: http://sports.sina.com.cn/go/2019-06-18 ... 9756.shtml. I hope this win will boost their confidence and will lead to more wins!
Team Europe will play Henan Luoyang Software in round 5.

Hangzhou Supor also won 3:1 against Nie Weiping Dojo
1. Yu Fulin 2p vs Lou Luoning 5p
2. Li Zerui 1p vs Zhang Qi 2p
3. Hu Zihao 1p vs Xue Hongzhe 1p
4. Wu Yiming 1p vs Yu Jiabu 5D
Wu Yiming 1p finally got her first win, albeit against a player even younger than she is. I do not know the exact age of Yu Jiabu 5D but I think he is around 10. He and Chendu Go Institute's 10 year old Huang Siyuan 5D, Team Henan Luoyang Software's 9 year old Duan Boyao 5D are among the youngest players in the CL this year.

Shanghai Qingyi lost 1:3 to Beijing Yiben Qingyuan.
1. Tang Yi 3p vs Gao Yu 3p
2. Pan Yang 3p vs Wang Yinlingshui 2p
3. Zhang Zihan 3p vs Yang Wenkai 1p
4. Chen Si 6D vs Xiao Qi 1p

Team Europe vs Dalian Yidao

r4_euro_dalian_副本.jpg (92.35 KiB) Viewed 10136 times

In the front Ilya vs Gu Wanshan

r4_GuWanshan_Ilya_副本.jpg (100.48 KiB) Viewed 10136 times

Artem's next opponent Duan Boyao 5D. Photo shows him accepting 2nd place award in 2019 Evening Paper Cup Children's group

eveningPaper2019_award_段博尧_副本.jpg (65.4 KiB) Viewed 10136 times

[Liso]

Europe gained another draw!

( Pavol and Artem won this time )

Young player Boyao played maybe too confidently and invest only 10 or 15 minutes against Artem's one and half hour,

[silviu22]

Team Europe is doing quite well this year. Europe has 4 points and there are 7 other teams with 4 points. But there are 6 teams with fewer points:
4 with 3 points (teams 1, 3, 13, 24)
1 with 2 points (team 27)
1 with 0 points (team 21). This is Dalian Yidao, the team Europe defeated in round 4.

Also, all Europeans have a reason to be happy: they all won (Ilya has 2 wins, Pavol 2, Mateusz 1, Artem 3).

Their next opponent is strong (team 10). Team 10 has only 4 points but they had strong opponents and they never played team 21 (which everybody has defeated so far).

Team Japan seems to do quite well, too. They seem to be placed 3-6 with 7 points. In league B, there are two teams with 8 points and 4 teams with 7 points, Japan being one of those with 7.

Is round 6 the last round in the C league?

You can see the results here: http://www.eweiqi.com/index.php?m=conte ... 3&id=31089. The chart is a bit confusing, but the teams are listed by team number, not by number of points. Japan team is #11 in the top grid and next play team 10.

Europe is team #17 in the 2nd grid (the one with very long player names) and play team #10 next.

[wolfking]

BL 4th round results:

Team Japan beat Team China Mobile Shanghai 3:1
1. Hsu Chiayuan 8p vs Yun Junsang 9P
2. Shibano Toramaru 7p vs Wang Yao 6p
3. Motoki Katsuya 8p vs Huang Mingyu 2p
4. Yu Zhengqi 8p vs Cheng Jiaye 1p

Taiwan Huanxu Electronics lost to Team Shanghai Qingyi 0:4
1. Lin Junyan 8p vs Tong Yulin 4p
2. Xu Haohong 6p vs An Jungki 5p
3. Jian Jingting 4p vs Qiao Zhijian 5p
4. Lai Junfu 4p vs Guo Xinyi 5p

Tong Yulin 4p participated in 2015 US Go Congress in Minnesota and won the US Open. An Jungki 5p was the amateur 7D who defeated world champion Chen Yaoye 9p in the LG Cup in 2015.

Taiwan Zhonghuan also got swept by local team Quzhou Lanke Go Institute 0:4
1. Chen Shiyuan 9p vs Weon Seongjin 9p
2. Lin Lixiang 7p vs Zhong Wenjing 6p
3. Lin Shixun 6p vs Zhang Wei 6p
4. Chen Qirui 5p vs Qin Yuexin 5p

[wolfking]

WBL 4th round results:

Taiwan Youshi lost to Beijing Go Institute 1:2
1. Yang Zixuan 3p vs Ma Yuanyuan 2p
2. Yu Lijun 2p vs Wei Xintong 5D
3. Bai Xinhui 1p vs Yangu Yunqi 5D

Harbin Six Harmony lost to Hainan Luoniushan 1:2
1. Nyu Eiko 2p vs Oh Yujin 6p
2. Ye Gui 5p vs Zheng Yan 2p
3. Chen Manqi 5D vs Qiu Danyun 2p

[wolfking]

CL 5th round results:

Euro pros tied Henan Luoyang Software 2:2
1. Ilya Shikshin 3p vs Chen Yang 3p
2. Pavol Lisy 2p vs Li Jianyu 2P
3. Mateusz Surma 2p vs Xu Feiran 2p
4. Artem Kachanovskyi 2p vs Duan Boyao 5D

Young player Boyao played maybe too confidently and invest only 10 or 15 minutes against Artem's one and half hour

I know young players tend to play fast but that is probably TOO fast!

Shanghai Qingyi lost to Team Guangdong 1:3
1. Tang Yi 3p vs Cheng Honghao 3p
2. Pan Yang 3p vs Zhu Jianshun 3p
3. Zhang Zihan 3p vs Li Huasong 4p
4. Chen Si 6D vs Chen Tuli 6D

Dalian Yidao lost 0:4 to Team Europe's 2nd round opponent Hebei Sports Lotto:
1. Gu Wanshan 1p vs Ding Mingjun 2p
2. Wang Zixin 1p vs Jia Ganglu 2p
3. Wen Zhaoyi 1p vs Qian Liuru 4p
4. Pan Tianxing 5D vs Wan Enze 5D

Hangzhou Supor swept by Beijing Phoenix Real Estate 0:4
1. Yu Fulin 2p vs Li He 5p
2. Li Zerui 1p vs Gao Tianliang 2p
3. Hu Zihao 1p vs Yu Haoran 1p
4. Wu Yiming 1p vs Pan Weijian 2p

After 5 rounds, Guangdong Tianjixing Culture leads with 9 points. Previous leader Hangzhou Go Association suffered their first lost game at the hand of the new leader Guangdong Tianjixing in this round (Hangzhou Go Association did not lose a single game in the first 4 rounds!) and lost the round 1:3. Team Europe's first round opponent Hangzhou Black White Go Institute also accumulated 8 points. 6 other teams tied at 7 points.

There are 6 teams with 3 points or less. 7 other teams tied with Team Europe at 4 points, including their next opponent Team Heilongjiang.

Europe's match up next round
1. Ilya Shikshin 3p vs Liu Yunlong 4p
2. Pavol Lisy 2p vs Gong Yanyu 3P
3. Mateusz Surma 2p vs Dong Kun 2p
4. Artem Kachanovskyi 2p vs Qu Ming 6D
Qu Ming is another new pro prospect and is a week away from his 15th birthday.

[wolfking]

BL 5th round results:

Team Japan beat Team Shanghai Qingyi 4:0
1. Hsu Chiayuan 8p vs Tong Yulin 4P
2. Shibano Toramaru 7p vs An Jungki 5p
3. Motoki Katsuya 8p vs Qiao Zhijian 5p
4. Yu Zhengqi 8p vs Guo Xinyi 5p
This is a good win for Team Japan. Shanghai Qingyi just swept Taiwan Huangxu and is not a weak team.

Taiwan Huanxu Electronics tied Shanghai Foreign Language University 2:2
1. Lin Junyan 8p vs Wang Yanhao 5p
2. Xu Haohong 6p vs Wu Zhenyu 4p
3. Jian Jingting 4p vs Jin Shan 1p
4. Lai Junfu 4p vs Linghu Jiajun 1p

Taiwan Zhonghuan tied Nanjing Mudao Yigao 2:2
1. Chen Shiyuan 9p vs Kim Sonjin 5p
2. Lin Lixiang 7p vs Liu Yuhang 4p
3. Lin Shixun 6p vs Liu Yuncheng 1p
4. Chen Qirui 5p vs Chen Xuan 2p

After 5 rounds Team Yunnan and Henan Yuzidao both have 8 points. Team Japan, Quzhou Lanke Go Institute, Shanghai Zhongyan Mobile Games Qingyi, Guangdong East Lake Go Institute all have 7 points. Japan still have a chance for the two promotion spots with 3 rounds to go. Their next opponent is Shanghai Zhongyan Mobile Games Qingyi.

[xiayun]

Europe's match up next round
1. Ilya Shikshin 3p vs Liu Yunlong 4p
2. Pavol Lisy 2p vs Gong Yanyu 3P
3. Mateusz Surma 2p vs Dong Kun 2p
4. Artem Kachanovskyi 2p vs Qu Ming 6D

Gong Yanyu is the highest ranked player for the Heilongjiang team and has 4-1 record so far. For the others, Liu is 3-2 (although probably faced stronger players being the 1 seed), Dong is 2-3, and Qu 1-4.

[wolfking]

WBL 5th round results:

Taiwan Youshi is on bye for this round.

Harbin Six Harmony lost to Hangzhou International 1:2
1. Nyu Eiko 2p vs Dong Tianyi 1p
2. Ye Gui 5p vs Zhou Yushan 1p
3. Chen Manqi 5D vs Yan Ximo 5D

Team Chendu Sports Investment has won every round and is the leader at 10 points. The team is led by 63 year old Kong Xiangming 8p. She was the first 8p female player of China and arguably the strongest female player in the world at her peak. She is the ex wife of Nie Weiping 9p and mother of Ko Reibun 7p. Team Chendu also enlisted Korea's Cho Seungah 2p's help. They have a good chance to advance to WAL with 2 more rounds to go.

Three more teams are tied at 8 points in second place. All three teams hired Korean helps. Zhejiang Sports Lotto has Choi Jeong 9p, Shanghai Qingyi employed Oh Jeonga 4p, China Pingmei invited Kim Hyeoimin 9p. All of them have a good chance to advance to the WAL.

Edit: Kim Hyeoimin was promoted to 9p last month.

[silviu22]

Just as I feared, Europe lost 0-4 to team 4. Next they play a comparable team (#1) - this team seems to have played the same opponents as Europe and had similar results. So I expect the games in this last round to be competitive. Europe has 4 points and there are 4 other teams with 4 points, one team with 2 points and one with 1 point. So they will not finish in last place even if they lose in the last round. It would be good if they could at least draw in the last round...

Japan lost 1-3 (only table 2 won), so they are almost out of contention for qualification to the A league. Japan has 7 points and there are 4 teams with 8/9 points. So qualification is not impossible, but unlikely. Last year they finished with 7 points as well. So if they can avoid losing in their last 2 games, they will have the satisfaction of doing better than last year.

[wolfking]

CL 6th round results:

Euro pros lost to Team Heilongjiang 0:4
1. Ilya Shikshin 3p vs Liu Yunlong 4p
2. Pavol Lisy 2p vs Gong Yanyu 3P
3. Mateusz Surma 2p vs Dong Kun 2p
4. Artem Kachanovskyi 2p vs Qu Ming 6D

Shanghai Qingyi lost to China Coal Mine Go Institute 1:3
1. Tang Yi 3p vs Ding Lie 6p
2. Pan Yang 3p vs Li Le 4p
3. Zhang Zihan 3p vs Lu Jia 2p
4. Chen Si 6D vs Li Cong 3p

Dalian Yidao tied Nie Weiping Dojo 2:2:
1. Gu Wanshan 1p vs Lou Luoning 5p
2. Wang Zixin 1p vs Zhang Qi 2p
3. Wen Zhaoyi 1p vs Xue Hongzhe 1p
4. Pan Tianxing 5D vs Yu Jiabu 5D

Dalian gets first point in this competition.

Hangzhou Supor tied Henan Luoyang Software 2:2
1. Yu Fulin 2p vs Chen Yang 3p
2. Li Zerui 1p vs Li Jianyu 2p
3. Hu Zihao 1p vs Xu Feiran 2p
4. Wu Yiming 1p vs Duan Boyao 5D

Wu Yiming gets her second win against an opponent who is 3 years younger. And she is only 12!

Team Europe will play Nie Weiping Dojo (team #1) in the last round
1. Ilya Shikshin 3p vs Lou Luoning 5p
2. Pavol Lisy 2p vs Zhang Qi 2P
3. Mateusz Surma 2p vs Xue Hongzhe 1p
4. Artem Kachanovskyi 2p vs Yu Jiabu 5D
Lou Luoning 5p is a teacher at the Nie Dojo. Artem gets to play another young kid Yu Jiabu 5D.

silviu22 already gave a nice analysis of their standing so I will not repeat it here.

After 6 rounds, Guangdong Tianjixing Culture leads with 10 points, followed by Yunnan Go Association, Hangzhou Black White Go Institute, Hangzhou Xiaoshan Mingshi Go Institute (Xiaoshan is a district in Hangzhou and is where I used to live), Hangzhou Go Association with 9 points each.

[wolfking]

BL 6th round results:
The team numbers refer to numbers in this results table:
http://www.eweiqi.com/index.php?m=conte ... 3&id=31100

Team Japan (team #11) lost to Team Shanghai Zhongyan Mobile Games Qingyi (team #10) 1:3
1. Hsu Chiayuan 8p vs Zhang Li 6P
2. Shibano Toramaru 7p vs Lee Yeongkyu 9p
3. Motoki Katsuya 8p vs Zhu Yuanhao 5p
4. Yu Zhengqi 8p vs Cao Xiaoyang 5p

Like silviu22 said, Japan is not out of promotion yet but need some luck.


Taiwan Huanxu Electronics(#7) tied Nanjing Mudao Yigao(#6) 2:2
1. Lin Junyan 8p vs Kim Sonjin 5p
2. Xu Haohong 6p vs Liu Yuhang 4p
3. Jian Jingting 4p vs Liu Yuncheng 1p
4. Lai Junfu 4p vs Chen Xuan 2p

Taiwan Zhonghuan(#14) tied China Pingmei Shenma(#9) 2:2
1. Chen Shiyuan 9p vs Park Sangjin 4p
2. Lin Lixiang 7p vs Shu Yixiao 5p
3. Lin Shixun 6p vs Hu Aohua 4p
4. Chen Qirui 5p vs Xu Zexin 3p

After 6 rounds Quzhou Lanke Go Institute(#3), Shanghai Zhongyan Mobile Games Qingyi(#10) and Guangdong East Lake Go Institute(#13) all have 9 points. Team Yunnan(#2), Henan Yuzidao(#8) have 8 points. Japan(#11) tied with their first round opponent Hebei Sports Lotto(#12) with 7 points.

Their next opponent is a strong Yunnan team which had been leading the league until defeated by Quzhou Lanke in this round.

1. Hsu Chiayuan 8p vs Na Hyun 9P
2. Shibano Toramaru 7p vs Fu Chong 6p
3. Motoki Katsuya 8p vs Liu Qifeng 4p
4. Yu Zhengqi 8p vs Hu Xiao 3p
Liu Qifeng 4p is one of the two undefeated players in the BL (the other is new pro Huang Chunqi 2p). Hu Xiao is last year's new pro too and already promoted to 3p!