Chen Yaoye 9P took his fifth consecutive Tianyuan title when he bested Gu Lingyi 5P on May 15. Although Gu joined the top ten Chinese pros in 2009, and was once viewed as one of China’s “most promising” players, he wasn’t able to dethrone Chen.
Chen himself was in a similar situation five years ago when he secured the Tianyuan title from six-time victor Gu Li 9P. As Gu Li defeated Chen in his first international final, at the 10th LG Cup in 2006, some could say Chen’s counter-attack was a long time coming. Before he can even contemplate matching Gu Li’s six-year streak, however, Chen will need to focus on his upcoming match against Lee Sedol 9P in the final round of the 10th Chunlan Cup, on June 17. He will also have to watch out for this year’s Korean Chunwon champion Park Younghun 9P at the China Korea Tengen playoff, rumored to take place in September. Unlike the stereotypical Korean combative style, Park (like Chen) is more flexible. According to Jing at Go Game Guru, “he’s a master of the endgame and tends to prefer more peaceful, territory oriented games.”
For more information about the Gu Lingyi - Chen Yaoye match, including photos and game records, please visit gogameguru.com.
-Annalia Linnan, based on a longer article by Go Game Guru
