In the first three rounds of the second Quzhou Lanke Cup World Go Open, Chinese players suffered a tragic setback, accounting for only three places in the quarterfinals, while South Korea had as many as four players and Japan also had one.
The quarterfinals and semi-finals of this year's Ranco Cup are about to be held, can the three national players Ding Hao Jiuduan, Yang Dingxin Jiuduan, and Gu Zihao Jiuduan reverse the decline?
Next, the author will conduct a detailed analysis and judgment from the promotion process, historical records, recent status and other aspects.
In the first game, Yang Dingxin Jiuduan VS Shen Zhenzhen Jiuduan - Shen Zhenzhen has a high probability of winning.
Yang Dingxin broke into the quarterfinals after crossing Xu Jiayang's ninth section and Yuan Shengqin's ninth section, and Shen Zhenzhen defeated Zhao Chenyu in the ninth section and Zhang Tao's eighth section.
Yang Dingxin defeated Yuan Shengqin
In terms of historical records, Yang Dingxin and Shen Zhenzhen fought 18 rounds, and the result was 8 wins and 10 losses. It seems to be relatively close, and Yang Dingxin even had a wave of five consecutive wins in the early days. However, since December 2020, Yang Dingxin's record against Shengong Intelligence has been very bad, with only 2 wins and 8 losses in 10 games, including a five-game losing streak, and he is recently in a three-game losing streak.
Looking at this year's performance, although Yang Dingxin's rating is stable in the top five in China, he has no outstanding record. Shin Jin-jung, the world's No. 1 person in the world, has long been ranked No. 1 in South Korea, and in the 28th LG Cup final in early February, he was crowned a six-time champion and surpassed Park Jeong-hwan to rank seventh in the world championship rankings.
Judging from many aspects, this game of chess Shengong Intelligence is more likely to win, and Yang Dingxin must have a super-level performance if he wants to win, or pick up the opponent's spoon.
In the second game, Gu Zihao 9th Duan VS Park Tinghuan 9th Duan - Park Tinghuan's hope of breaking through is slightly greater.
Gu Zihao won the quarterfinals after defeating Gu Lingyi 7th dan and Ueno Aisakimi 5th dan, and Park Tinghuan eliminated Li Xuanhao 9th dan and Xie Ke 9th dan in turn.
Historical battle data, Gu Zihao has 15 games, 5 wins, 9 losses and 1 draw, which is slightly inferior to the opponent.
Defending champion Koo Zihao has been in average form this year, and the top five in the rating for many years has come to an end, and the latest real-time ranking is ninth. The 31-year-old Park appears to be in his second spring, surviving all four World Championships that opened this year and remaining second in South Korea.
Group photo of the quarterfinals
Although the chances of passing this game are slightly higher than those of Park Tinghuan, it is not surprising that Gu Zihao will win if he attacks with a mournful posture and bursts out with amazing combat effectiveness.
In the third game, Ding Hao 9 Duan VS Jiang Dongrun 9 Duan - optimistic that Ding Hao will continue to make great progress.
Ding Hao previously defeated Shen Minjun 9th Duan and Lai Junfu 8th Duan in a row, and Jiang Dongrun successively defeated Huang Xin 6th Duan, Li Weiqing 9th Duan, and Ke Jie 9th Duan.
The two have only had three encounters before, with Jiang Dongrun winning one in 2017 and Ding Hao winning two in a row after 2022.
Ding Hao has been in good form this year, winning six consecutive victories in the Weijia League and winning the quarterfinals of three World Series. The 35-year-old veteran Jiang Dongrun is still tepid, he seems to have a lot of experience in fighting Shen Zhenzhen and Ke Jie, and has no outstanding achievements against other masters.
There are three Sino-Korean confrontations in the quarterfinals, which is a relatively sure victory for the national players, but Ding Hao must not be careless, but must deal with it carefully, because the opponent has made Shin Zhenzhen swallow the bitter fruit four times in the past two years.
In the fourth game, Iyama Yuta 9th dan VS Bian Xiangyi 9th dan - Bian Xiangyi seems to have a slight advantage.
The former Japanese overlord reached the quarterfinals after defeating Xu Haohong 9th Duan and Yang Dong 4th Duan, and Bian Xiangyi defeated Qi Yuting 9th Duan, Jiang Qirun 8th Duan, and Fan Tingyu 9th Duan in turn.
Jiang Dongrun defeated Ke Jie
The two have only played each other twice in the past, and the battle ended in a draw with 1 win and 1 loss, which is of little reference value.
Bian Xiangyi was a little sluggish after losing to Shin Zhenzhen in the LG Cup final this year, and even suffered four consecutive defeats in this year's China Weijia League, but Iyama Yuta is 35 years old and his demeanor is far worse than that year, so Bian Xiangyi's hope of entering the next round is slightly greater.
The quarterfinals and semi-finals of this year's Lanke Cup will be held on June 27-29, will the three Chinese players perform well or are they still in decline? The answer will soon be revealed.