The winners in the quarterfinal round of the men’s team event are from China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The matches were not close; the winning teams won all their games.

Team Japan

The losing teams from the Ukraine, Hong Kong China, DPR Korea, and the Czech Republic have the consolation of knowing that they lost to some of the best go players in the world. In the semifinal round the Japanese team confronts the Korean team while the Chinese team plays the team from Chinese Taipei.

The two Chinese pairs won their games in the quarterfinal round of the pair knockout, defeating the one remaining amateur pair (Kim Shin-young and Hong Seok-ui of the Republic of Korea) and the one remaining Japanese pair (Kanazawa Kumiko and Kobayashi Satoru).

Jan Hora and Jitka Bartova

China is now assured of at least one pair go medal. Also competing for medals will be Hsieh Yi-min (aka Xie Yimin) and Chou Chun-hsun of Chinese Taipei, who defeated Kim Eunseon and Hong Sungji of the Republic of Korea, and On Sojin and Lee Hajin of the Republic of Korea, who defeated Chang Kai-hsin and Lin Chih-han of Chinese Taipei.

Kim Shin-young and Hong Seok-ui may have lost their chance for a medal, but by beating a pro pair in the first knockout round, they earned the title of International Amateur Pair Go Champions. This title comes with a certificate, plate, and cash prize from the Japan Pair Go Association, a certificate from the Prime Minister of Japan, and a certificate and plate from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mariya Zakharchenko and Iurii Pliushch

The seven amateur pairs who lost in the first knockout round are competing in a separate knockout to determine the runner-up in this International Amateur Pair Go Championship.

In the first three games of this separate knockout, Mariya Zakharchencko and Iurii Pliushch  of the Ukraine beat Wang Xiangru of China, Jo Saebyol and Jo Taewon of DPR Korea beat the Hiraokas of Japan, and Jitka Bartova and Jan Hora of the Czech Republic beat Tungalag Ravjir and Sansar Tsolmon of Mongolia. In the semifinal round these three winning pairs will be joined by Rita and Tibor Pocsai of Hungary.

– James Davies