The LG Cup final was decided and was held online on February 7, 9 and 10. In december 2021, Yang Dingxin ranked fourth in the Chinese Go rankings. Shin Jin-chan has been at the top of South Korea's Go ranking for 25 months. China is fourth vs South Korea is the first, after the two have played 12 times, Yang Dingxin has a slight advantage 7-5.
So can Yang Dingxin defeat Shen Zhenchen to win the championship? Shen Zhenchen once said that among Chinese chess players, the most difficult person (for him) is Yang Dingxin. I don't think Shin is lying or being polite, because he didn't know (including himself) who could make it to the LG Cup finals when he said it.
Shen Zhenchen is a chess player who participates in the Weijia competition, in the Weijia competition they have exchanged hands, Yang Dingxin won Shen Zhenchen, I believe Yang Dingxin left him with some awkward feelings, making him very uncomfortable. Indeed, Yang Dingxin's chess is relatively tough, and there is no lack of elegance in the toughness, and it is common to play unexpected clever hands, which is difficult to deal with. Perhaps, Yang Dingxin is not so outstanding in the official stage.
In today's ai boom, Go has indeed changed a lot, both good and bad. Some people have reached the peak because of AI, and Shen Zhenchen is a typical example. Some people do not adapt and go downhill, Ke Jie is an example. Since AI can be used by Shen Zhenchen, and it can be used well, and it can make progress for himself, there is no reason for Shen Zhenchen not to use it. Just rely on this to win the chess piece no one has anything to say.
The concentration and high degree of self-discipline of Korean professional chess players on Go are generally lacking among Chinese chess players, which is why there is no shortage of very dominant king-level chess players in South Korea. In the past three decades, when there have been endless king-level chess players such as Cho Hwan-hyun, Liu Chang-hyuk, Seo Fung-so, Lee Chang-ho, Lee Se-seok, Park Young-hwan, shin Jin-jin, etc., they feel that the height of Korean Go has become a kind of normalization and inertia of the times.
South Korea's research on AI is already ahead of ours, especially Shin Jin-chan. If our young chess players do not work hard, it is estimated that the next ten years will be the era of Shen Zhenchen's independence. Some people may say: Go is round, not too pessimistic, everything is possible. But don't forget, Go is round and flat, and all wins and losses depend on strength.
According to the winning rate of the most recent year, Shen Zhenchen undoubtedly has a greater chance of winning. However, Go is particular about chess style, and Shen Zhenchen has also expressed his jealousy of Yang Dingxin's style of chess. Shen Zhenchen is a genius, but don't forget that Yang Dingxin is also a genius. I think the two sides open 55 depends on who is in good shape in the final, who can seize the fleeting opportunity and hit a fatal blow.