Amateurs versus Professionals
This page gives an incomplete list of instances in which amateur players played against professionals and won.
It should be noted that in several cases (the European or US tournaments) the professional opponent was away from active tournament play with other professionals.
4th Xinren Wang 1997
1997-02-25: Liu Jun wins the 4th Xinren Wang Cup against Wang Hui.
By winning the tournament Liu Jun is the only amateur to win a professional tournament in China. On the way to the final he defeated Ding Bo 5p, Chang Hao 7p and Qiu Jun 2p as well.
1st Toyota Denso Cup World Go Oza
2002-03-19: Fernando Aguilar beat Hasegawa Sunao 9p in the 1st round
2002-09-02: Fernando Aguilar defeats Yo Kagen 9p in the 2nd round thus reaching the quarterfinals, where he lost by resign against Lee Changho (2002-09-04).
Fujitsu Cup 2003
2003-01-19: John Lee defeats Jimmy Cha 4p, North American Preliminary of the 16th Fujitsu Cup. Earlier in the preliminary he defeated Huiren Yang 1p.
2003-04-12: John Lee defeats Catalin Taranu 5p, 16th Fujitsu Cup
International representative against 5th Women's Saikyo 2004-11-28: Jie Li taking black defeats Women's Saikyo (and thereby winner of the 5th Tokyo Seimitsu Cup) Suzuki Ayumi 3p by resign in a no komi match
1st Pandanet Open Internet World Rapid Championship (IGS)
2005-03-12: Victor Chow defeats Yahata Koichi 6p
2005-03-19: Victor Chow defeats Sasaki Tsuyoshi 5p
Victor Chow was the only amateur to reach the 6th round, where he lost to Kono Rin 9p.
Other professional players, including Wang Haijun 7p, Imamura Yoshiaki 8p, Yamada Kimio 8p, Han Zenki 7p, Nishimura Keiji 7p, lost to unidentified - supposedly amateur - players in earlier rounds.
2005 US Congress
2005-08-11: Jie Li defeats Kim Myeong-Hwan, demonstration at the 2005 US Congress. Announced as a no-komi event, but game records list komi.
US Masters Tournament 2005
2005-06-09: Thomas Hsiang defeats Feng Yun 9p
2005-06-13: Jie Li defeats Feng Yun 9p
2005-10-07: Jie Li defeats Huiren Yang 1p
US Masters Tournament 2006
2006-10-08: Jie Li defeats Mingjiu Jiang 7p
2006-10-15: Jie Li defeats Yilun Yang 7p
2006-10-18: Jie Li defeats Lin Xuefen 1p
2006-12-18 and 2006-12-19: Jie Li defeats Feng Yun 9p in the final of the 2006 US Masters Tournament with a score of 2-1.
LG Cup Preliminaries 2007
2007-04-24: Kim Jonghae? 6d defeats Lee Minjin 5p
2007-04-26: Kim Jonghae defeats Yoo Jaeho? 2p
2007-04-27: Kim Jonghae defeats Lee Daehyeoi 3p (but loses the final against Lee Heesung 7p thus not qualifying for main tournament)
Samsung Cup Preliminaries 2007
2007-07-20: Kong Haan? 6d defeats Yun Ki-hyeon 9p (but loses in the next round against Mochizuki Kenichi 6p from Japan)
2007-07-27: Kang Changbae 6d defeats Ko Geuntae 6p
2007-07-31: Kang Changbae 6d defeats O Joosung 2p (but loses in the semifinals against So Yokoku 8p)
BCcard Cup World Baduk Championship 2009
2009-02-23/24/25: The 20 (Korean) amateurs chosen by several preliminaries played in the mixed preliminaries with 236 professional players. With 0,9 (18/20) wins per player, 54,5% (18/33) winning rate and 25% (5/20) qualification rate they played (slightly) better than the professional players on average.
The last remaining amateur player in the main tournament was Lee Jihyun?, he defeated Shi Yue 4p in the first round, but lost to Piao Wenyao in the second.
Professionals residing in Europe or the United States
Several Professionals residing outside Asia participate regularly in go events there. Therefore they play against amateur players more often and sometimes lose to the strongest of them. (See also here and here)
Comments
- The Agon Cup allows both amateur and professional entrants, and sometimes the amateurs win their games. A few game records are available
at Go4Go.
- Jimmy Cha also lost to Ted Ning and Thomas Ko in Fujitsu competitions. It is interesting to note that Michael Redmond only lost to fellow pros when he participated in the N.A. Fujitsu Qualifier - several times to Jimmy Cha, and once to James Kerwin.