VANCOUVER, BC — After two rounds of friendly but fierce competition at the 2025 World Amateur Go
Championship, a baker’s dozen 13 players remain undefeated at 2–0, setting the stage for pivotal third-round matchups as they battle to go 3–0 and emerge as early favorites in the 8-round competition.
Click here for latest standings, match results and player bios.
Among the leaders are top contenders Tianfang Ma 8d (China), Sawoo KIM 5d (Korea), Minoru Ozeki 7d (Japan), Yu-Cheng Lai 7d (Chinese Taipei), Alan Huang 7d (USA), and Brady Bei Ming Zhang (Canada), all of whom notched back-to-back wins. Also joining them with perfect records are representatives from Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Thailand, New Zealand, Spain and Serbia—highlighting the tournament's international depth and talent.
With the top of the 52-player field starting to solidify, Round 3 promises high-stakes pairings as the undefeated players clash for position in the championship hunt.
WAGC 2025 continues Monday at 9:30 AM PST. Catch all the live action on YouTube and Twitch., and follow our coverage on X and Facebook.
As Round 3 of the 2025 World Amateur Go Championship gets underway in Vancouver, the top contenders are matched against mid-field players, offering them a chance to build momentum—but also leaving the door open for surprise upsets. Just ask Lucas Kramer of Germany, who very nearly pulled one off against China’s Tianfang Ma 8d in Round 1 (check out Michael Redmond 9Ps Round 1 commentaries here; the Ma-Kramer commentary is at the 1:45 mark).
Here are some of the key Round 3 pairings; selected games will be relayed on Pandanet. Players will be invited to livestream their post-game reviews on YouTube and Twitch, and Michael Redmond 9P will provide more commentaries as well. NOTE: these have been updated (the original post had the Round 2 pairings)
🏆 Top Board Battles (2–0 Players)
Tianfang Ma 8d (China) vs Wichrich Karuehawanit 6d (Thailand)
Ma remains one of the favorites, but Karuehawanit has shown confident play and will be looking for an upset.
Minoru Ozeki 7d (Japan) vs Xiaofan Xu 5d (Singapore)
Japan's Ozeki faces a rising challenge from Xu, who’s been impressively steady.
Yu-Cheng Lai 7d (Chinese Taipei) vs Chahine Soyaume Curpen Koleejan 5d (New Zealand)
Lai is in top form, but Koleejan could test him with creative play and momentum from earlier rounds.
Alan Huang 7d (USA) vs Sawoo Kim 5d (South Korea)
A pivotal match for the American hopeful, as Kim represents the disciplined and sharp Korean school.
Brady Bei Ming Zhang 7d (Canada) vs Nai San Chan 6d (Hong Kong)
A North American favorite, Zhang faces a skilled technician in Chan in what may be the closest match of the top boards.
Benjamin Dréan-Guénaïzia 7d (France) vs Miloš Bojanić 4d (Serbia)
Bojanić has performed well, but Dréan-Guénaïzia brings deep experience and high-level composure to the board.
🔍 Mid-Field Matchups to Watch
In Hang Sam 5d (Macao) vs Ignacio Cernuda Cangas 4d (Spain)
Both players are looking to bounce back from early losses and stay in contention.
Cezary Czernecki 5d (Poland) vs Tuğkan Eren 4d (Turkey)
A strong European matchup that could tip either way.
Gerardus Groenen 6d (Netherlands) vs Stjepan Medak 4d (Croatia)
Expect a methodical, balanced fight between two seasoned players.
📈 Key Matches in the Lower Brackets
These games won’t shape the top of the standings, but they’re full of heart, fight, and international camaraderie:
Henry Williams 18k (Ireland) vs Marc Stoehr 2d (Sweden)
Silvano De Peña Castillo 9k (Dominican Republic) vs Olli Hella 4d (Finland)
Luciano Salerno 4d (Argentina) vs Simón Cristi Martinez 3k (Chile)
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Photo: Vietnam’s Duy Minh Vo 5d takes on Minoru Ozeki 7d of Japan in Round 1, under the watchful eyes of TAKEMIYA Yoko, President of the IGF and Chairman of the Nihon Kiin, AGA president Gurujeet Khalsa and referee Michael Redmond 9P. Photo by Chris Garlock/American Go E-Journal.