LG Cup Controversy: Chinese Go Champion's Protest and Retirement
Chinese Go champion Ke Jie retired from the third game of the LG Cup final against South Korea’s Park Junghwan after disputing penalty decisions, leading to Park’s controversial -1 win championship victory.

The Go community was shaken by an unprecedented controversy at the third game of the LG Cup final between China’s Ke Jie and South Korea’s Park Junghwan. The incident has sparked intense debate about competition rules and officiating in professional Go.
In the first game, Ke Jie secured a victory playing black with a 2.5-point advantage. The second game saw controversy when Ke was penalized twice for not placing captured stones in the bowl properly. The situation escalated dramatically in the third game when Korean officials announced a two-point penalty against Ke for the same infraction.
The turning point came at move 52, when Ke Jie played a large-scale attack that captured two white stones. The dispute centered around stone placement procedures - according to new Korean rules implemented in November, players must place captured stones back in the bowl before pressing the clock. After discussions with officials about the penalty, Ke Jie proposed a rematch but ultimately chose to retire from the game when his appeal was rejected.
The incident raises serious questions about rule implementation and enforcement. Many experts have criticized the timing of the rule changes, arguing that applying November rules to a tournament that began in May is fundamentally unfair. Others point out that such technical regulations can severely disrupt players' concentration in a game that demands intense mental focus.
The outcome has left a bitter taste, with Park Junghwan claiming the championship despite not winning a single game outright (0 wins, 1 loss). The Chinese Go Association has issued a statement refusing to recognize the result of the third game.
This controversy may have far-reaching implications for international Go competitions. With Ke Jie being one of the most influential modern Go players at just 27 years old, his protest highlights growing tensions between traditional Asian Go powerhouses and calls for standardized international rules.
The incident also showcases the evolution of Go in the digital age. With artificial intelligence now capable of tracking every move and calculating win probabilities in real-time, many question whether such technical rules about physical stone placement serve any meaningful purpose in modern professional competition.