Kim Eunji 9-dan overcame Choi Jeong 9-dan and seized her first world tournament title.
On the 9th at the Sambangchilhahng Gwak Baek-maeng house in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China, Kim Eunji won the final game (game 3) of the best-of-three final of the 8th Bingsheng Cup World Women's Baduk Championship, defeating Choi Jeong by resignation after 223 moves with black and claimed the championship with an overall score of 2-1.
The final deciding game drew public attention as a clash between the women's ranking No. 1 and No. 2. but contrary to expectations, the balance shifted to one side in the early-to-middle game, and the match was decided in a somewhat one-sided flow.
In the heated fight on the right side, white (Choi Jeong)'s move at 84, a tight connection, turned out to be a lax mistake. eventually black (Kim Eunji) cut at 85, neutralized white's central influence, secured territory on the upper side as well, and an early winning momentum was established. thereafter Kim Eunji finished without a gap and allowed no openings to Choi Jeong.
Kim Eunji, who won the Hachanseok Guksu Cup in May and the Haesung Women's Kiseong title in November, secured her third title of the year with the Bingsheng Cup victory. she also enjoyed the joy of lifting her first world championship trophy.
Kim Eunji claimed her 10th individual career title and also broke the jinx that 'the winner of game 2 becomes the ultimate champion' in finals against Choi Jeong.
At the closing ceremony following the final match, champion Kim Eunji 9-dan received prize money of 500,000 yuan (about 100 million won), and runner-up Choi Jeong received 200,000 yuan (about 40 million won).
With this victory Kim Eunji surpassed total prize money of 300 million won for the year (310 million won), rising to No. 1 in the women's prize money rankings. this is the first year Kim Eunji's annual cumulative prize money has surpassed Choi Jeong's.
Meanwhile, Kim Eunji 9-dan and Choi Jeong 9-dan will play a best-of-three return match in the final of the 30th Harim Cup Pro Women's Guksu starting on the 16th.
[OSEN]