Special Match Between Cho Hunhyun and Lee Changho to Commemorate the Year of Visiting Sacheon 2025

Fan Signing Event on November 16
Special Match at the Aerospace Science Museum on November 17

The legendary Go masters who led the golden era of Korean Go, Cho Hunhyun (9-dan) and his prot?g? Lee Changho (9-dan), will face each other in a special match in Sichuan, transcending the passage of time.

The city of Sacheon in South Gyeongsang Province announced on November 10 that it will host a special match between Cho Hunhyun (9-dan) and Lee Changho (9-dan), two legends of Korean Go, to commemorate the Year of Visiting Sacheon 2025.

The event is organized by the Korea Baduk Association and will be broadcast on Baduk TV and the Baduk TV YouTube channel. The special match between Cho Hunhyun (9-dan) and Lee Changho (9-dan) will take place over two days, from November 16 to 17.

Legendary Clash in Sichuan, Cho Hunhyun VS Lee Changho Special Match

On the first day, November 16, at 4 p.m., a media day and fan signing event will be held at the Sacheon City Library auditorium, where the two players will interact with Go fans through interviews, Q&A sessions, autograph signings, and photo opportunities.

On November 17, the special match will be held as a single-game showdown at the Aerospace Science Museum. The match will be recorded without a public audience and is scheduled to be broadcast on Baduk TV and the YouTube channel during November. The time control for the match is 30 minutes per player, with five 40-second byoyomi periods, and will follow the rules and tournament regulations of Korean Go.

The city expects this special match, which transcends the years between master and disciple, to attract significant interest from Go fans. In particular, the event aims to introduce new cultural content that combines Go and tourism, and to widely promote the "Year of Visiting Sacheon 2025" amid nationwide attention.

Cho Hunhyun (9-dan), born in 1953 in Yeongam County, is regarded as the "national hand" of Korean Go and a legend who laid the foundation for modern Korean Go. More than just a "great player," he is a pioneer and thinker who led Korean Go to the top of the world.

As the first player in the world to achieve a career grand slam and the first 9-dan in Korea, Cho Hunhyun (9-dan) accomplished the world's first international Go grand slam, set records for the most consecutive victories, and became the first in Korea to reach 1,000 wins, dominating the Korean Go scene from the 1970s to the 1990s as an undisputed emperor.

He has won a total of 160 titles, and at the age of 49, set the record for the oldest player to win a title by capturing the Samsung Fire Cup.

Lee Changho (9-dan), born in 1975 in Jeonju, is known as the most precise and flawless competitor in Korean Go history, with machine-like perfection and cold calculation, earning him the title of "absolute monarch" as the successor to his mentor, Cho Hunhyun (9-dan).

Lee Changho (9-dan) became a professional at the age of 11 in 1986, won his first title at 14, and claimed his first world title at 16, earning the reputation as the "complete genius of Korean Go."

In particular, Lee Changho (9-dan) dominated the world Go scene from the 1990s to the early 2000s, achieving cycling hits in 16 domestic tournaments, holding the record for the most titles in Korea (13 titles), winning a world grand slam, and capturing a total of 140 titles.

Mayor Park Dongsik stated, "The match between Cho Hunhyun (9-dan) and Lee Changho (9-dan) is a symbolic event representing an era," adding, "It will be a meaningful opportunity to promote Sacheon's culture and tourism nationwide."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.