Ben lost his 6th round game against Tae Won Jo of DPR Korea, but his position in the tournament has actually improved following his defeat. This is in the main due to the strength of his opponents, notably Jo (DPR Korea) and Kikuchi (Japan), both currently in the top 5.
Interestingly Kikuchi, who won the tournament in 1992, is now 75, and showed serious signs of fatigue in previous championships – this makes his 5 out of 6 record (only loss to Yu Qing Hu, the representative from China) all the more impressive. Kikuchi has regularly taken on and beaten professional players, his most recent upset being against a 7-dan at age 73. He also established the Ryokusei Academy, and as such has been a teacher for a number of later professionals, including Yamashita Keigo and others.
The top 5 positions are now being held by the traditional Go superpowers: China, DPR Korea, Taipei, Korea, and Japan. Hong Kong and Vietnam are also in the top 10, while Germany, Czechia and USA are the only Western Countries slugging it out at the top.
Ben’s next opponent is from a country South Africans are more at home being rivals with: New Zealand. Roman Pozaroszczyk, currently placed 41st, but also with 3 wins, will be representing the All Blacks.
Posted by Steve in News, Pro News, Tournaments
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