The 28th edition of the Chosun Ilbo World Chess Championships kicks off today at Gonjiam Resort in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, for the first time since COVID-19, with 24 of the world’s best swimmers, including host Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan, competing.
South Korea will be represented by 12 Taekwondo warriors who will attempt to reclaim the LG Boat title and become the most decorated nation.
South Korea will be represented by Shin Shin-seo, Park Jung-hwan, Byun Sang-il, and Ahn Kook-hyun (top seeded), Kim Myung-hoon, Ahn Sung-joon, and Han Seung-joo (top seeded), Kim Jung-hyun and Seol Hyun-joon (bottom seeded), Han Tae-hee and Park Sang-jin (top seeded), and wild card Shin Min-joon (top seeded).
China will be represented by Ding Hao 9, winner of the last 27 editions, and Yang Dingxin 9, runner-up, as well as Li Xuanhao and Mi Yuting 9 (top national seed)메이저놀이터, Qiu Ze, Guo Zhihao and Li Weiqing 9 (top qualifier), and Wang Xinghao 8.
Japan has three players, Toramaru Shibano and Shizuan Shibano 9th dan (top national seed) and Yu Hsiu-hsiung 8th dan (selection), while Chinese Taipei has 8th dan Lai Jun-fu.
Of the 24 players, four from South Korea (Shin Shin-seo, Park Jung-hwan, Byun Sang-il, Shin Min-joon), three from China (Ding Hao Yang Dingxin, Kou Ze), and one from Japan (Shibano Toramaru) will compete in the Round of 16.
South Korea and China are tied at 12-12 in terms of the number of titles won by each country, so it will be a hotly contested race to become the most decorated nation.
South Korea won its first title at the 24th edition when Shin Shin-seo defeated Park Jung-hwan, followed by Shin Min-joon at the 25th edition when Shin Min-joon defeated China’s Kerze, and then Shin Shin-seo at the 26th edition when Shin Shin-seo defeated Yang Dingxin. In the last tournament, however, both Koreans were eliminated by Chinese knights in the semifinals, and the tournament went to a heavyweight battle, with Ding Hao 9 defeating Yang Dingxin 9 to win the title.
So far, Korea has won the tournament four times, including the inaugural tournament in 1996-1997, when Lee Chang-ho won the title, Lee Sedol won twice, Shin Shin-seo won twice, and Yoo Chang-hyuk, Park Jung-hwan, Kang Dong-yoon, and Shin Min-joon won once each.
As such, it will be interesting to see where the tournament goes from here, as South Korea and China are the two most decorated nations. The 24th Nongshim Shin Ramyun World Go Championship in February, which was held for the first time this year, was won by South Korea over China.
Organized by the Chosun Ilbo and sponsored by LG Corporation, the 28th LG Boat Chosun Ilbo Go Championship is worth 300 million won for the winner and 100 million won for the runner-up. Each team has three hours and five 40-second reads.