Zhaoshang Cup

(招商地产杯中韩围棋团体对抗赛) The Zhaoshang Cup or Merchants Property Cup was a team competition between China and Korea held from 2011 to 2014 in China.

It's perhaps mainly known in the West for being the situation of the 39th game between Lee Sedol and Gu Li, in the second round of the 4th (2014) edition. That game was featured in the book Relentless as part of the backdrop to their jubango (which was ongoing at the time).

Format

Each country fielded a team of six players, including a substitute, meaning that play would be made over five boards. Each edition consisted of two rounds, bringing the total number of winnable points to ten. In its fourth edition, the format was expanded to seven players and one substitute each. In case of a tie, the match result between the captains decides.

Results

1st, 2011: China 6-4 Korea
2nd, 2012: China 7-3 Korea
3rd, 2013: Korea 5-5 China
4th, 2014: Korea 7-7 China

1st edition

Wikipedia has a dedicated article on the 1st edition, based on data from an Igo Kisen page that no longer exists.

The Chinese team in that event was Kong Jie, Gu Li, Xie He, Liu Xing and Zhou Ruiyang, with Jiang Weijie as substitute. The Korean team was Choi Cheolhan, Park Yeonghun, Kang Dongyun, Park Junghwan and Heo Youngho, with Yun Junsang as substitute.

In the first round, the Chinese fielded Gu on the first board, and then Kong, Jiang, Xie and Zhou in descending order. The Koreans began with Heo on the top board, then Yeonghun, Junghwan, Kang and Choi. Korea won 3-2.

In the second round, the Chinese switched Jiang for Liu on the third board. The Korean team was completely reshuffled: Choi was placed first; Heo, Yeonghun and Junghwan were all moved down one board; Kang was removed and Yun was given the bottom board. This decision paid off very poorly, since China smashed Korea 4-1. Only Choi won his game.