Life In 19x19

The first game of the jubango is just 2 weeks away. Both player did not manage to win a single title in 2013. So the past year was bad for them. However, this is only on a relative term - they still managed to enter multiple finals.

Gu Li has been doing really well after the new year. He entered the last 4 of the Chinese Qisheng tournament. Then yesterday he came from behind to beat Li Zhe 2-1 in the final of Chinese Longxing tournament - he won his last title 15 months ago.

Lee Sodol on the other hand suffered another blow after the new year, losing to Cho Hanseung 3-1 in the Korean Kuksu tournament, his 6th (?) consecutive runner-ups.

So it looks like Gu Li is in a better position to enter the jubango.

I remember that somebody assigns ELO type ratings to the Asian pros, but don't remember who. Does anybody know where Gu Li and Lee Sedol currently rate in this list? Thanks.

There are individual ratings for the Korean and Chinese professional systems. Dr. Bae Taeil has developed a system for international ratings, but I haven't seen an update of it since 2011.

I might try and wade through the Korean/Chinese ratings to at least see how Lee and Gu compare against their compatriots, but it would be a heck of a lot easier for someone who reads Chinese or Korean to do it.

According to the Korean Baduk site the current top 3 there are:
1. Park Junghwan
2. Kim Ji Suk
3. Lee Sedol

From what I can see Lee Sedol was ranked as nr 1 in November, but fell down to 3. place in the December rankings.

Gu Li currently Chinese No. 4, after Shi Yue, Chen Yaoye and Wang Xi.

Thanks. While I wish it was #1 vs #1, at least they are both still in the top five.