An interview with Park Yeonghun, 9-dan

An interview with Park Yeonghun, 9-dan who entered the final match of the Samsung World Go Championship after beating Gu Li, 9-dan (China) with 2-1 score.

Congratulations! What can you tell us about your match with Gu Li?
All 3 games were difficult for me. Gu Li's lead in last two games was obvious, but he finished them passively and gave me chances in yose. He did not make any big mistakes, but made some dubious moves in endgame.

If we check the games, we can see that Gu Li, 9-dan has an outstanding middlegame power. Is it true?
Yes, his Go is powerful. I tried to keep my games simple, but I was not able to control them.

Why did you stay in the same room with Choi Wongyoung, 5-dan in the hotel?
I think, it's better to stay with someone, instead of staying alone. Also it's possible to study Go together and prepare for your games.

You will play the final match with Lee Sedol, 9-dan. What do you think about your chances?
I am currently 0-2 behind in the GS Galtex match against Lee. He is a very hard opponent and I know, that my chances are smaller. Any way, I will try to make my best.

Translated from korean by Alexander Dinerchtein

An interview with Chen Seuyen, 7-dan (Taiwan)

Chen Seuyen, 7-dan, who became a professional in Korea, is currently one of the strongest Taiwanese players. He is the first board of the Taiwanese team during the Korea-Japan-China-Taiwan match for young professionals. We decided to meet him during this tournament and ask for an interview.

How is your life in Taiwan?
Taiwan is my native country and I feel myself fine. Also I won several big tournaments recently, and they make me happy.

Which pro titles do you currently keep in Taiwan?
Kuksu, Tengen and CMC TV cup.

Who is the strongest master in Taiwan?
Zhou Junxun, 9-dan is still strongest. I won a match against him not long time ago, but only because his shape was not good. Xiao Zhenghao, 5-dan is also showing good results recently.

How do you think, who are the 4 strongest players in the world?
Lee Sedol is first one. Lee Changho, Gu Li and Cho U are numbers 2, 3 and 4.

What is the goal of Taiwanese team in Korea-Japan-China-Taiwan match?
Personally I will feel myself happy, if I win 2 games. Last year our team won 5 games and this time we will try to improve this performance. I understand, that our team is still weak for fighting for first places.

What are your future plans?
I will stay in Taiwan for at least 2 years. After that I may return back to Korea. Everything will depend on the situation in Taiwanese Go.

What are the main Go problems in Taiwan?
I would like to have more chances for playing Chinese, Korean and Japanese players. Right now we don’t have any international tournaments or matches. Also, there is not much strong players in Taiwan and it’s hard for me to find good opponents.

Yesterday you won the game against Korean first board Lee Youngkyu. What can you tell us about that game?
The game was favorable for me from the very beginning, because of his mistake in the opening. Later I made some mistakes too and the situation became dangerous. I was lucky finally.

Do you play Go by internet?
Not so often, but it's my only chance of meeting strong players from other countries.

Do you think that your Go improved a lot after you return back to Taiwan?
I don't think so, but now my life is easier, so I can spend more time for studying Go.

Translated from korean by Alexander Dinerchtein