Ke Jie Photo: VCG

Chinese Go player Ke Jie's loss in the LG Cup ­finals in South Korea due to "rule violations" has sparked controversy on Wednesday. Ke failed to place captured stones in the designated stone container lid on two occasions during the second game of the 29th LG Cup finals in accordance to the latest Go rules in South Korea. This MK sportsmarks the first time a rule violation has led to a loss in a world-class Go tournament final. 

The match is now tied 1-1, with the decisive game scheduled to be held on Thursday.

"Due to the differences in the playing habits and rules between Chinese and South Korean players, Chinese players may be more prone to violations under the latest rules in South Korea," Tao Xin, a Chinese professional Go player, told the Global Times.

Tao stated that the Go rules in China and those in Japan and South Korea are generally compatible in most situations, with the only significant differences being the handling of captured stones (dead stones) and the method for calculating the score. In this regard, China typically uses the "stone-counting" method, while Japan and South Korea use the "territory-counting" method.

"Chinese Go rules generally do not require the retention of dead stones, or if they do, the requirement is not strictly enforced. After the game ends, players typically return the dead stones to the stone container," renowned Go commentator and former national Go champion Meng Tailing told the Global Times. 

"In contrast, South Korean and Japanese players are accustomed to first marking the empty spaces on the board, and then adding the dead stones from both players' containers to calculate the final score," he added.

In this match, Ke did not place his captured stone into his stone container lid during the 18th move. According to the Korea Baduk Association's rules, revised in November 2024, "if a player fails to place a captured stone into the stone container, a penalty of 2 points is imposed." Ke Jie was penalized 2 points.

The sport of Go is known as weiqi in China, and baduk in South Korea.

Later, at move 80, Ke made another violation when placing his captured stone. South Korean player Byun signaled the referee to point out Ke's move. 

Both players stood up and left the table. According to Korean Go rules, two cumulative violations can result in a forfeit, and Ke was subsequently declared to have lost the game. Despite an appeal from the Chinese delegation, the result remained unchanged.

Tao pointed out that in past professional competitions, there have been instances where improper handling of dead stones led to a rematch, but there has never been a case where a direct forfeit was issued.

"The rule in South Korean Go requiring captured stones to be placed on the stone container lid is reasonable," Meng said. "If captured stones are not placed properly, it could result in inaccurate territory counting, potentially affecting the outcome of the game."

"However, after over 30 years of international Go tournaments, it's very difficult for Chinese players to change their playing habits," he noted.

Looking back at the previous 28 editions of the LG Cup, South Korean players have won the title 13 times, while players from Chinese mainland have won it 12 times. If Ke were to win, he would become the 'Nine-Crown King' in China's world-class competition history, and China's total number of LG Cup titles would once again equal that of South Korea, according to a report by The Paper.

Based on their past head-to-head record, Ke leads with 6 wins and 1 loss, clearly holding the advantage, according to a report by the China Sports Daily.

"This rule was introduced after the LG Cup began and was not applied until the final, which led to this game becoming the most controversial match in the history of international Go tournaments, without exception," Meng said.