1. Overview
Byun Sang-il (변상일Byeon SangilKorean; born January 14, 1997) is a South Korean professional Go player. He achieved the rank of 9 dan in 2018. Byun is known for his significant achievements in both domestic and international Go competitions, including victories in major tournaments such as the Chunlan Cup and the Guksu Mountains International Baduk Championship. His career has seen him rise to one of the top-ranked players in Korea, although his 2025 LG Cup victory was marked by controversy.
2. Early Life and Career Beginnings
Byun Sang-il's early life was marked by a deep immersion in Go, leading him to become a professional player at a young age.
2.1. Birth and Childhood
Byun Sang-il was born on January 14, 1997, in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea.
2.2. Go Training and Education
Byun Sang-il began his Go studies in his hometown of Jinju, where he was mentored by local 9-dan professional Moon Myeong-geun. In 2007, at the age of 10, he moved to Seoul to further his Go education. There, he first trained at Lee Sedol's baduk dojang, becoming a disciple of the renowned 9-dan player. He later continued his training at the Golden Bell Baduk Dojang. He also received mentorship from 9-dan professional Baek Hong-seok and 7-dan professional On So-jin. In 2008, he achieved a notable early success by finishing as the runner-up in the Daehan Life Cup.
2.3. Professional Debut
Byun Sang-il officially entered the professional Go circuit in January 2012, earning his professional 1 dan rank at the age of 15. This marked the beginning of his professional career, which quickly saw him advance through the ranks. In the same year, he reached the third round of the Olleh Cup and competed in the 64-player main draw of the Bailing Cup. He was also promoted to 2 dan.
3. Professional Career and Achievements
Byun Sang-il has established himself as a formidable presence in the Go world, securing numerous titles and achieving high rankings in both South Korean and international tournaments.
3.1. Domestic Career
Byun Sang-il has consistently performed well in South Korean Go leagues and major domestic tournaments, contributing to team victories and securing individual championships.
3.1.1. Korean Baduk League
Byun Sang-il has been a prominent player in the Korean Baduk League. In 2012, he played for the Shinan Cheonil Salt team, achieving a record of 6 wins and 2 losses. He then played for SK Energy in 2013 (5-7 record) and Hwaseong City Cory in 2014 (3-10 record). From 2015 to 2021, he was a key member of the Posco Chemtech (later Posco Chemical) team. During this period, he recorded 8 wins and 7 losses in 2015, 9 wins and 5 losses in 2016, and 10 wins and 4 losses in 2017. In 2018, he led Posco Chemtech to win the league championship, finishing the regular season with a strong record of 10 wins and 4 losses, and adding 2 wins in the postseason. For his outstanding performance, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP). He continued to perform strongly, recording 12 wins and 3 losses in 2019, 11 wins and 3 losses in the 2020-21 season, and 12 wins and 4 losses in the 2021-22 season for Posco Chemical. In the 2022-23 season, playing for Jeonggwanjang Cheonrok, he achieved a record of 15 wins and 7 losses.
3.1.2. Chinese Weiqi League
Byun Sang-il has also been an active participant in the Chinese Weiqi League (Go A League). In 2013, he played for Shandong Jingzhi Jiuye, achieving a record of 4 wins and 6 losses. He then played in the B League for Hongda Holdings Group Co., Ltd. in 2014 (5-2 record), Chengdu Qicheng in 2015 (4-3 record), and Liaoning Xincheng in 2016 (7-1 record). In 2017, he played for Zhejiang Kunlun Go Club in the B League, recording 4 wins and 4 losses. He returned to the A League with Jiangxi Site Wine in 2018 (7-5 record) and 2019 (7-2 record), and continued with Jiangxi Jindalai Environmental in 2020 (8-2 record), Minsheng Credit Card Beijing in 2021 (10-2 record), and Longyuan Mingcheng Hangzhou in 2022 (9-2 record).
3.1.3. Major Domestic Tournaments
Byun Sang-il has won several significant domestic titles and achieved notable runner-up finishes. He secured his first major domestic title by winning the Dong-A Pharmtech Cup Rookie King in 2013, defeating Lee Dong-hoon. He successfully defended his title in 2014, winning the 1st Mezion Cup Rookie King by defeating Min Sang-yeon 2-1. In 2015, he won the LG Cup 20th Anniversary New Player Challenger Cup. He also won the 2nd JTBC Challenge Match in 2017 and the 5th JTBC Challenge Match in 2018, defeating Shin Min-jun in the latter. In 2021, he was the runner-up in the 26th GS Caltex Cup, losing 2-3 to Shin Jinseo. In the same year, he also finished as runner-up in the 44th SG Cup Meijin tournament, losing 1-2 to Shin Jinseo. He won the 5th Crown Haitai Cup in 2022, a tournament for players under 25, by defeating Han Seung-joo 2-1. In 2023, he won the GS Caltex Cup for the first time, after being the runner-up in the previous two years. In 2024, he won the Andong City Baekam Cup Pro-Am Open, defeating Kang Dong-yoon 1-0. In 2021, he placed 10th in the Oseulbongjok Korean Baduk Association Championship.
3.2. International Career
Byun Sang-il has made a significant impact on the international Go scene, participating in and winning several prestigious global tournaments.
3.2.1. Major International Tournament Wins
Byun Sang-il has secured victories in two major international Go championships. In 2021, he won the 7th Guksu Mountains International Baduk Championship World Professional Strongest Tournament, defeating Shin Jinseo in the final. His second major international title came in July 2023, when he won the 24th Chunlan Cup with a dominant 2-0 victory over Chinese player Li Xuanhao in the finals. In January 2025, he was declared the winner of the 29th LG Cup World Baduk Championship final, though the circumstances of this victory were controversial, as detailed in a later section.
3.2.2. Other International Performances
Beyond his major wins, Byun Sang-il has consistently performed well in various international tournaments.
In the LG Cup World Baduk Championship, he reached the round of 16 in 2014, 2019, and 2022, the quarterfinals in 2021, and the semifinals in 2020. He was also a runner-up in the 28th LG Cup in 2024, losing 0-2 to Shin Jinseo.
In the Samsung Cup World Go Masters, he reached the quarterfinals in 2015, the round of 16 in 2016 and 2020, and the semifinals in 2022. He also participated in the 2017, 2023, and 2024 editions.
He reached the quarterfinals of the Bailing Cup World Go Open in 2018, and participated in the 2012 and 2016 editions.
In the Chunlan Cup, he reached the quarterfinals in 2021 and the semifinals in 2024.
In the Glovis Cup World Go U-20, he was the runner-up in 2017, losing to Shin Jinseo, and placed third in 2016. He reached the semifinals of the Limin Cup World Go Star Rookie Tournament in 2017.
He competed in the Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup World Baduk Championship, playing one game each in 2014 (loss to Ichiriki Ryo), 2021 (loss to Iyama Yuta), 2022, and 2023.
He reached the round of 28 in the Ing's Cup in 2019 and 2024.
In the Myeongin Cup (Mengbaihe Cup), he reached the round of 32 in 2015, 2017, and 2023, and the round of 16 in 2019.
He reached the round of 32 in the Xin'ao Cup in 2016.
He participated in the Tianfu Cup in 2018.
He reached the quarterfinals of the Lanke Cup in 2023 and 2024, and the Nanyang Cup in 2024.
He also participated in the TV Baduk Asia Championship in various years. In 2022, he was the runner-up in the Guksu Mountains International Baduk Championship World Professional Strongest Tournament.
3.2.3. Team Competitions
Byun Sang-il has also contributed to South Korea's success in international team events. At the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Incheon in 2013, he earned a silver medal in the men's individual event and a gold medal in the men's team event. He also participated in the China-Korea Go Team Competition, achieving a 1-1 record in 2014 (a win against Gu Li and a loss against Chen Yaoye) and again in 2018 (a win against Yu Zhiying and a loss against Mi Yuting). At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, he won a gold medal as part of the men's team.
4. 2025 LG Cup Controversy
The final of the 29th LG Cup World Baduk Championship in January 2025, in which Byun Sang-il was declared the winner, was marred by significant controversy, becoming the first instance in the history of Go world championships where a title was claimed without an actual on-board game victory, with the outcome decided entirely by referee rulings.
The controversy centered on a rule introduced by the Korea Baduk Association in November 2024, well after the LG Cup had already commenced in May. This rule required players to place captured stones on the bowl lid to aid in score counting. Critics argued that changing rules midway through a tournament violates standard sports conventions, making the penalties in the final questionable. This rule is not present in Chinese Go, where players typically set captured stones aside anywhere near the board or return them to their opponent's bowl, leading to adaptation difficulties for Chinese players.
During the second game of the best-of-three final, Byun's opponent, Chinese player Ke Jie, violated this rule twice. The first violation resulted in a two-point penalty and a warning. Later in the game, Ke Jie again failed to place a captured stone on the bowl lid, prompting an objection from Byun Sang-il. According to the rules, this second violation resulted in an immediate loss for Ke Jie, marking the first time in a Go World Championship final that a game was terminated due to a player's rule violation. Some players expressed shock and anger at Byun's decision to report his opponent for what they considered a trivial matter, stating that his actions "tarnished the image upheld by the predecessors of Go."
In the third game the following day, Ke Jie again failed to immediately place two captured stones on the bowl lid after capturing them. Ke Jie and the Chinese delegation objected to the referee's handling of the situation. They argued that the referee paused the game after several moves had already been played and during Byun's turn, which effectively gave Byun additional thinking time. Ke Jie stated that referees had repeatedly paused games during Byun's turns throughout the final. While Ke Jie did not oppose the penalty itself, he requested that the game resume immediately and be paused only after Byun had made his move. However, the referee dismissed this request. From Ke Jie's perspective, this made it seem as if the referee was intentionally extending the pause time to benefit Byun, thereby influencing the game's outcome. Chinese Go rules on suspending games and sealing moves, and the adjournment rule, stipulate that a player who has made their move must immediately leave the playing area, and the player whose turn it is must record their planned move on paper, which is then sealed and given to the referee. The game resumes when the referee opens the sealed paper and makes the move. The new Korean Go rules do not provide detailed regulations on this matter.
Considering the ruling unfair, Ke Jie refused to accept it and demanded a replay. After two hours of unresolved dispute, Ke Jie left the venue, resulting in a loss by default. This marked the first time in the history of the Go World Championship final that a game was terminated due to a player's resignation. The Chinese Weiqi Association subsequently released a statement declaring that they did not accept the outcome of the third game.
During the LG Cup award ceremony, Byun Sang-il commented on the situation, stating, "The game ended in an unpleasant manner, which made me feel very uncomfortable. I completely understand Ke Jie's position." He also informed reporters that he was unaware of the rule regarding captured stones until the referee announced Ke Jie's violation. Byun further expressed his personal belief that the rule is unnecessary, as it does not affect the actual outcome of the game.
5. Ranking and Recognition
Byun Sang-il has consistently been ranked among the top Go players in South Korea. His highest ranking in the Korea Baduk Association's official rankings of Korean players was number two, a position he first achieved in 2022. He has shown a steady progression in his ranking throughout his career: he was ranked 21st in 2013, 12th in 2016, and 4th in 2018. He is currently ranked number three among Korean players. His achievements, including leading his team to a Korean Baduk League victory and earning the league's MVP award, further solidify his recognition within the Go community.