1. Overview
Kim Ji-seok (김지석Gim Ji-seokKorean, born June 13, 1989) is a prominent South Korean professional Go player. Affiliated with the Korea Baduk Association, he achieved the highest rank of 9-dan. Known for his aggressive and decisive playing style, Kim Ji-seok has secured numerous significant titles throughout his career, including the international Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Masters and the TV Go Asia Championship, alongside multiple major domestic championships such as the GS Caltex Cup and the OllehKT Cup. His consistent high-level performance has established him as one of the leading figures in contemporary Go.
2. Life and Career
Kim Ji-seok's journey in professional Go began in the early 2000s, leading to a distinguished career marked by rapid advancement and significant victories.
2.1. Early Life and Background
Kim Ji-seok was born on June 13, 1989, in South Korea. He is a professional Go player affiliated with the Korea Baduk Association. He trained under the tutelage of Kwon Kap-yong, an 8-dan professional Go player, who served as his mentor.
2.2. Professional Career Progression
Kim Ji-seok officially entered the professional Go world in 2003 through the 97th amateur entrance tournament, earning his 1-dan rank in the same year. His advancement through the dan ranks was swift: he was promoted to 2-dan in 2005, 3-dan in 2006, and 4-dan in 2008. In 2009, he achieved both 5-dan and 6-dan. He reached 7-dan in 2010 and 8-dan in 2012. His ascent to the highest rank of 9-dan occurred in 2013, a promotion earned after securing his second major title, the GS Caltex Cup.
Early in his career, Kim Ji-seok quickly established himself as a formidable player. In 2009, he won his first major title, the Prices Information Cup, by defeating the legendary Lee Chang-ho 2-0. The same year, he achieved a remarkable "four-crown" by recording the most wins, highest winning percentage, most games played, and most consecutive wins (17 consecutive wins) in the professional circuit. In 2013, he showcased his dominance by defeating Lee Se-dol 3-0 to claim the GS Caltex Cup, and subsequently defeated Mok Jin-seok 3-0 to win the OllehKT Cup, securing two major domestic titles within the year.
2.3. Playing Style
Kim Ji-seok is widely recognized for his distinctive and aggressive playing style. Commentators, including An Younggil, have frequently noted his preference for direct and powerful attacks, often leading to complex and dynamic games. His style involves a willingness to engage in fierce fighting, aiming to gain significant advantages through bold moves and precise calculations.
3. Major Achievements
Kim Ji-seok has accumulated an impressive array of titles and notable results in both domestic and international Go competitions, as well as in team and league play.
3.1. Domestic Tournaments
Kim Ji-seok has been a consistent top performer in South Korean domestic Go competitions, securing multiple championship titles and numerous runner-up finishes.
3.1.1. Titles
- Prices Information Cup: 2009
- GS Caltex Cup: 2013, 2014
- OllehKT Cup: 2013
- JTBC Challenge Match: 2018 (3rd edition)
- Ryusei: 2018
- Maxim Coffee Cup: 2021
- SG Cup Pair Go Strongest Tournament: 2018 (paired with Oh Yu-jin)
3.1.2. Runners-up
- Chunwon: 2009
- Go Masters God of War: 2007 (lost to Park Jeong-hwan 1-2)
- Bacchus Cup Cheonwon: 2009
- Prices Information Cup: 2012
- GS Caltex Cup: 2017, 2019, 2020
- KBS Cup Baduk King: 2018
- President's Cup National Go Tournament: 2021
- SG Cup Pair Go Strongest Tournament: 2016 (paired with Oh Yu-jin)
- SoPalCoSaNor Top Player Deciding Match: 3rd place in 2020, 6th place in 2021
- Ox Knee Bong Claw Korean Baduk Association Championship: 5th place in 2022
- Electronic Land Rival Match: 2021 (defeated Shin Jin-seo 2-0, defeated Won Seong-jin 2-0)
3.2. International Tournaments
Kim Ji-seok has achieved significant success on the world stage, winning prestigious international titles and consistently reaching the latter stages of major global tournaments.
3.2.1. Titles
- Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Masters: 2014 (defeated Tang Weixing)
- Phoenix Ancient Town World Go Summit: 2015 (defeated Tang Weixing)
- TV Go Asia Championship: 2018
3.2.2. Runners-up and Major Results
Kim Ji-seok has consistently performed well in major international tournaments, often reaching the semifinals or quarterfinals.
| Tournament | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ing Cup | - | Lost early | - | Lost early | - | Quarterfinals | - | Round of 28 | - | Lost early | ||||||||||
| Fujitsu Cup | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Quarterfinals | Round of 16 | Discontinued | - | |||||||||||
| Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance World Masters | Round of 32 | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Round of 32 | Semifinals | Quarterfinals | Lost early | Quarterfinals | Winner | Round of 16 | Lost early | Lost early | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Lost early | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Lost early | Lost early |
| LG Cup World Go Championship | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Round of 16 | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Semifinals | Lost early | Round of 32 | Runner-up | Quarterfinals | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 32 | Quarterfinals | Round of 32 | Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Lost early | Lost early |
| Chunlan Cup World Go Championship | - | Lost early | - | Lost early | - | Lost early | - | Quarterfinals | - | Semifinals | - | Quarterfinals | - | Quarterfinals | - | Round of 24 | - | Round of 16 | - | Lost early |
| Toyota Denso Cup | - | Lost early | - | Lost early | Discontinued | - | ||||||||||||||
| BC Card Cup World Go Championship | - | Lost early | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Round of 32 | Discontinued | - | |||||||||||||
| Bailing Cup | - | Lost early | - | Quarterfinals | - | Lost early | - | Round of 16 | - | Discontinued | - | |||||||||
| Mlily Cup World Go Open | - | Round of 64 | - | Round of 64 | - | Lost early | - | Round of 16 | - | - | - | Lost early | - | |||||||
| Xin'ao Cup | - | Lost early | - | Discontinued | - | |||||||||||||||
| Chenfu Cup World Professional Go Championship | - | 2nd Round | - | Discontinued | - | |||||||||||||||
| Lanke Cup World Go Open | - | Lost early | Round of 48 | |||||||||||||||||
| TV Go Asia Championship | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Winner | Semifinals | Discontinued | - | |||
| Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup World Baduk Championship | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | 3 wins, 1 loss | Lost early | 4 wins, 1 loss | 0 wins, 1 loss | 1 win, 1 loss | 1 win, 1 loss | Lost early | 0 wins, 1 loss | 2 wins, 0 losses | Lost early | 0 wins, 1 loss | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early | Lost early |
- CCTV New Year's Cup Go Tournament: Runner-up (defeated Murakawa Daisuke, lost to Tu Jiaxi)
- Guksu Mountains Cup International Go Tournament: Individual Semifinals in 2018, Quarterfinals in 2019
- Ying Changqi Cup World Professional Go Championship: Quarterfinals in 2016
- Japan-China-Korea Ryusei: 3rd place in 2019
3.3. Team Competitions
Kim Ji-seok has played a crucial role in various international team-based Go events, contributing to South Korea's success.
- World Mind Sports Games: Won men's team gold in 2008, contributing to victories against teams including Czech Republic, Japan (defeating Yamashita Keigo), and China (defeating Park Wenyao).
- SportAccord World Mind Games: Won men's team gold in 2013 and secured 3rd place in the pair competition (paired with Park Ji-eun).
- IMSA Elite Mind Games: Won men's team gold in 2016.
- Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup World Baduk Championship:
- 11th edition (2009): Achieved 3 wins and 1 loss, defeating Yamashita Keigo, Ding Wei, and Takao Shinji.
- 13th edition (2012): Achieved 4 wins and 1 loss, defeating Tan Xiao, Yamashita Keigo, Park Wenyao, and Gu Li.
- 19th edition (2018): Achieved 2 wins and 0 losses, defeating Dang Yifei and Ke Jie, which helped secure the championship for the Korean team.
- Merchants Property Cup China-Korea Go Team Competition:
- 2012: 0 wins, 1 loss.
- 2013: 2 wins, 0 losses (defeated Chen Yaoye and Fan Tingyu).
- 2014: 1 win, 1 loss (defeated Zhou Ruiyang).
- Jinrong City Cup World Go Team Championship: Won in 2015.
3.4. League Participation
Kim Ji-seok has been a prominent player in both the Korean and Chinese professional Go leagues, achieving significant individual and team successes.
3.4.1. Korean Baduk League
Kim Ji-seok has had a long and distinguished career in the Korean Baduk League, contributing to multiple team championships and earning individual MVP awards.
| Season | Team | Place | Regular Season Record | Post-season Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | First Fire | - | 7-7 | - | - |
| 2007 | Daegu Yeongnam Ilbo | Champions | 10-4 | - | - |
| 2008 | Yeongnam Ilbo | Champions | 8-5 | 2-1 | Captain, MVP |
| 2009 | Yeongnam Ilbo | Champions | 10-2 | - | Most Wins, MVP |
| 2010 | Yeongnam Ilbo | 9th place | 9-7 | - | Captain |
| 2011 | Yeongnam Ilbo | - | 8-6 | - | Captain |
| 2012 | Hangame | - | 11-5 | - | MVP |
| 2013 | Hangame | - | 12-2 | - | - |
| 2014 | Kixx | - | - | - | - |
| 2016 | Kixx | - | 8-6 | - | - |
| 2017 | Kixx | - | 12-4 | 4-2 | - |
| 2018 | Kixx | - | 9-4 | - | - |
| 2019-20 | Kixx | - | 10-5 | - | - |
| 2020-21 | Go Mecca Uijeongbu | - | 10-4 | - | - |
| 2021-22 | Go Mecca Uijeongbu | - | 11-3 | - | - |
| 2022-23 | Go Mecca Uijeongbu | - | 13-8 | - | - |
3.4.2. China A League
Kim Ji-seok has also participated extensively in the China A League, demonstrating strong performance and adaptability in the competitive Chinese circuit.
| Year | Team | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Zhejiang Construction Bank | 10-0 | Including 8 wins as main player |
| 2013 | Gujinggong Liquor Zhejiang | 8-5 | - |
| 2014 | Zhejiang Rongmei Holdings | 8-5 | - |
| 2015 | Zhejiang Yunlin Qichan | 9-8 | - |
| 2016 | Zhejiang Yunlin Qichan | 13-5 | - |
| 2017 | Minsheng Bank Beijing | 9-4 | - |
| 2018 | Minsheng Bank Beijing | 8-2 | - |
| 2019 | Zhejiang Yunlin Qichan | 6-9 | - |
| 2020 | Quzhou Lanke Qiyuan | 8-7 | - |
| 2021 | Quzhou Lanke | 8-7 | - |
| 2022 | Quzhou Lanke | 3-7 | - |
| 2023 | Quzhou Lanke | 6-7 | - |
3.5. Career Records
Kim Ji-seok's career is marked by impressive statistical achievements, including high win percentages and notable winning streaks.
- 2006: 44 wins, 26 losses
- 2007: 78 wins, 31 losses
- 2008: 37 wins, 24 losses
- 2009: 71 wins, 20 losses (Achieved Most Wins, Highest Winning Percentage, Most Games Played, and Most Consecutive Wins with a 17-game winning streak)
- 2010: 47 wins, 22 losses
- 2011: 21 wins, 8 losses
3.6. Awards and Rankings
Kim Ji-seok has received significant accolades and maintained high rankings throughout his career, reflecting his standing in the Go world.
- Go Grand Prize: Awarded Best Player in 2014.
- Korean Baduk League MVP: 2008, 2009, 2012.
- Korean Go Player Ranking: Ranked 4th in 2009 and reached 2nd place in 2013-2014.
4. Media Appearances
Beyond his professional Go career, Kim Ji-seok has also made appearances in media. In 2017, he was featured on the tvN program Problematic Men, a South Korean television show.
5. Evaluation and Legacy
Kim Ji-seok is widely regarded as one of the most talented and influential South Korean Go players of his generation. His aggressive and dynamic playing style has not only brought him numerous victories but has also captivated fans and influenced younger players. His consistent presence at the top ranks of Korean Go and his significant achievements in both domestic and international tournaments, including a World Championship title, solidify his legacy as a world-class player. His contributions to South Korea's success in team competitions, particularly the Nongshim Cup, further highlight his importance to the national Go scene. Kim Ji-seok's dedication and competitive spirit continue to inspire aspiring Go players globally.