Chapter 585
All Four Finalists are Chinese
He could only rummage through his hair, sigh, and shake hands with Lin Ruo in front of all the media present as a signal to end the match. Then he sat down and began to review the game as he had to.
The match is over.
Shin Jinseo was very disappointed that none of the four South Korean players made it to the semifinals, but more than that, he hoped to find out the reason for his frustration.
Why did this game experience such a dramatic comeback?
"Was I destined to lose from the moment I followed you to the right?"
Shin Jinseo thought for a moment and asked the most meaningful question: perhaps if they had gone to the left side back then, they would have won, or at least the result would not have been like this.
Lin Ruo's answer was straightforward: "You have a better chance of winning on the left side, but the right side doesn't necessarily mean you'll lose. It just means you didn't place your bet well on the right side."
"For example, we shouldn't press down here, and we shouldn't overeat here."
Shin Jinseo, who was listening, adjusted his glasses and suddenly realized that he had indeed made a mistake in terms of mindset.
The choice itself isn't the problem; the real problem is the hesitation after making a choice, constantly wondering if going to the left would have been better.
After gaining a significant advantage in the earlier stages, Shin Jinseo's mindset began to shift as his opponent made a few good moves on the right side.
After realizing that moving to the right was not the best option, his subsequent moves became somewhat rigid, and he remained fixated on playing it safe.
This steadiness, without proactive interception, allowed White to gain an advantage in the first few moves. Later, when White tried to attack, it greedily captured three local stones, resulting in the opponent sacrificing stones and causing a major setback.
Once Shin Jinseo figured it out, he felt an urge to slap himself, and things went awry afterwards.
To be so thoroughly defeated today, despite having a win rate of over 90%, is undoubtedly a disgrace.
Shin Jinseo has never experienced anything like this in his professional career. He has never been able to turn the tide when he had the game in his grasp, only to be overwhelmed by a relentless attack from his opponent.
And it's over now.
The distressed Shin Jin-seo had nothing to say.
However, the South Korean commentators off the field had something to say.
After such an incredible comeback, the commentators in the Korean live stream were completely devastated. More importantly, they had to try their best to calmly announce the final result.
"The match is over. It's a pity that Shin Jinseo was unable to advance to the semifinals. Lin Ruo made a strong comeback in the second half of the game, which is the most incredible comeback in recent years. He has thus secured his ticket to the Samsung Cup semifinals. Congratulations to Lin Ruo."
The Korean commentator said, "At the same time, there is also a very regrettable thing. With all three Korean players eliminated today, there will be no Korean players in the semifinals of this Samsung Cup. The Chinese Go community has already secured the final championship."
Yes.
The Chinese team has already secured the Samsung Cup title two rounds in advance.
South Korean netizens thought the Samsung Cup would be a quick affair, but they never expected it to end so cleanly in just a few days.
Well, the Chinese athletes haven't finished yet.
However, the Korean Go scene has already come to a complete end, and they will not be involved in any of the upcoming matches.
The only difference is that the organizer is still from South Korea.
It hurts.
This seems even more painful than the League of Legends finals a month ago where no Koreans were involved, and it seems like the same person has been inflicting this pain on them all along.
Korean netizens had no choice but to keep pushing the trending topics to the top of the headlines.
The match had barely ended when the hottest topic on Korean online forums immediately emerged.
[Let's cancel the Samsung Cup!]
Yes, considering that the Samsung Cup has only caused frustration for Korean viewers over the past five or six years, the biggest wish among Korean netizens after the tournament ended is that the Samsung Cup should not be held next year.
If this continues, the Korean Go world will be doomed.
Ah, so we don't need to drive trucks to the players' homes anymore. This time, we'll drive them to the Samsung sponsor's office? That seems to be true.
[Please don't hold it next year, really! Just don't hold it. Changing the name is fine, changing sponsors is also acceptable, just don't let me see the name "Samsung Cup" again, damn it.]
Although I really like Samsung, I really hope the Samsung Cup tournament will stop.
[Although losing the game should logically be the players' fault, over the years, Chinese players have consistently had phenomenal performances in the Samsung Cup, while Korean players have suffered numerous upsets. I suggest we really shouldn't hold it anymore.]
[Yes, do you know Tang Weixing? His skill level in the Chinese Go world is only average, but he's participated in so many Samsung Cups, and he's basically crushed our Korean players every time, including our great Lee Sedol.]
[Yes, as a veteran Go fan, Tang Weixing has always been a poor performer in the Chinese Go League and his performance in international tournaments is also mediocre. He only managed to stand out once in the Ing Cup, and almost all his other victories were in the Samsung Cup. This time was no exception; he easily crushed our Korean players.]
...
The more South Korean netizens discussed it, the more they felt that there was no need to continue holding the Samsung Cup. Wasn't this just handing the championship to Chinese players?
In particular, looking at the data, since 2013, there have been six editions in the past 18 years, and South Korean athletes have only won the championship once, in 14.
The next five times were all won by Chinese players, so is there really any need to hold them anymore?
I don't know, but I do know that the second most searched term on Korean websites was Lin Ruo's name.
A large portion of Korean netizens are also discussing what kind of madwoman Lin Ruo really is...
Lin Ruo has eliminated our two top players from South Korea twice in a row, in the Mengbaihe Cup and now the Samsung Cup. Yes, it seems that even our strongest player from South Korea is no match for him...
[This guy's a madman! He's a nightmare for Korea right now. He's crushing everyone in League of Legends and Go. How does he manage to be so dominant on both fronts?]
I don't know, I just hope he never appears in South Korea again, or maybe we should ban him from traveling there in the future...
Don't be fooled by the fact that today's match was a complete comeback, so the gap between the two sides seemed small. But when the Korean audience saw Lin Ruo turn the tide even under such an extreme disadvantage, they realized what the most terrifying aspect was.
So please don't come, okay?
After the match, South Korean media reported on the matter in a straightforward manner. The news that no South Korean players would be in the Samsung Cup semifinals quickly spread throughout South Korea. The South Korean media, which are known for their sharp criticism, immediately described the incident as a disgrace, a super disgrace. But in China, it was a major event.
"Lin Ruo won! We've swept all four semifinal spots in this year's Samsung Cup! Awesome! Holy crap, Lin Ruo!!"
Zhang Xuebin also started howling like a banshee in the live broadcast room. He now finally understands why so many netizens call Lin Ruo "God Lin".
He managed to turn the tide in this situation; if he didn't call Lin Shen a god, he wouldn't be human.
Look at the live stream, it's packed with people.
Lin Shen is awesome, and the news has been trending from beginning to end.
Even Yu Meimei looked on with admiration: "Teacher Lin Ruo is so amazing, I can't believe how she translated it."
Now netizens aren't jealous anymore. It's not just you, a girl, who admires her; all of us boys are probably going crazy with admiration.
[Lin is too amazing. Regardless of whether he wins the championship this time, he will always be the best player in my heart.]
[Holy crap, you little hater! Lin Shen even beat Park Jung-hwan and Shin Jin-seo, and you're saying he can't win? You're insulting our Lin Shen, you know? Our Lin Shen never even makes it to the semifinals or second place.]
[Stop talking nonsense. Whenever Lin Shen comes to Chengdu in the future, I will definitely do my best to take good care of her and let her experience the local customs and culture.]
The word "she" is used very well; the theme is expressed very simply and clearly, directly stating what I mean. I understand you, brother.
[Ahem, so Lin Shen definitely won't be coming back. Even if an LPL team has a home stadium in Chengdu in the future, he'd probably chop off his own hand rather than come and play any matches, since it would hurt too much.]
Well, regardless of anything else, seeing four Chinese players currently in the center of the competition, this is undoubtedly a golden age for Chinese Go.
Therefore, the news that Chinese chess players swept the top four spots has already dominated the Chinese internet.
Ke Jie, who didn't want to say anything after being eliminated, watched the entire live broadcast today.
Overwhelmed with emotion, he, a man known as the "God of Weibo," habitually posted on Weibo.
There's not much to say, just one sentence that leaves much to the imagination:
"You're too strong! I can't keep up, I need to work even harder!"
Those who just saw this might not know who this person is, but if you think about it, who else could it be but Lin Ruo? Yes, it must be him.
If you don't believe me, just look, all the trending topics on Weibo are about him.
Chinese media outlets have been exaggerating everything – from hitting rock bottom to a dramatic comeback and turning the tide of battle to defeating South Korea's top fighter and shattering his moral compass.
Moreover, the other three matches today were almost complete stomps, and there was no close game at all. Only the battle between Lin Ruo and Shin Jinseo was a full-blown contest, and it even contributed a memorable moment of a 4% win rate comeback.
Then there's no doubt about it.
In fact, Ke Jie was referring to Lin Ruo, since the two had already clashed at the hotel, and Ke Jie had witnessed it firsthand then.
After watching the quarterfinals match today, Ke Jie, deeply moved, casually posted this Weibo post, which can be seen as both a testament and an encouragement, implying that if you don't work harder, your future is in jeopardy.
Otherwise, look at Shin Jinseo, he works so hard but he's still not quite there yet.
In the reception hall of the Korea Training Institute, Shin Jin-seo, having finished his debriefing, could only slink out the door and, like Park Jung-hwan, endure a barrage of interviews from the Korean media.
"I played somewhat chaotically and hesitated in the middle game, and then Lin Ruo played her best, which led to the final comeback. This was my problem, and I need to make serious adjustments next time."
"I am very grateful for the support of all the viewers and fans. I am very disappointed that I was unable to win the championship for South Korea this time. I hope to perform better next time. Lin Ruo is a very strong player. I have benefited a lot from playing against him. I hope to play against him again next time."
As usual, after an interview, he apologized when he had to, admitted his mistakes when he had to, and praised his opponents when he had to.
Shin Jinseo's eyes were red after he finished speaking, which showed how disappointed he was by the reversal and how heartbroken he was.
Especially when I turned around and saw the four Chinese people in the venue, well, I couldn't stay here any longer.
Since there was no need for a draw this time, Lin Ruo and the other three in the venue held a press conference for the media directly under the arrangement of the staff.
There wasn't much to do; you just stood in the center of the stage, four people in a row, two against each other, shaking hands.
Lin Ruo smiled and shook hands with Yang Dingxin, his opponent in the semifinals, before answering the media's usual questions.
"Lin Ruo just experienced a major comeback, defeating Shin Jinseo, the current number one ranked player in South Korea, with an outstanding performance. Facing such a player, Yang Dingxin, do you feel a lot of pressure?"
Ok.
When asked by the media, Yang Dingxin gave a wry smile. He couldn't help but sigh that he, a top player who had consistently ranked among the top three in the Chinese chess world, was now seen as the weaker party in the eyes of the media reporters when facing Lin Ruo.
They also get asked if they feel pressured.
Sigh, Yang Dingxin couldn't refute it. He could only look at Lin Ruo, who was smiling innocently beside him, and then honestly answer, "Actually, I feel pressure when facing any contestant. Those who have made it to this stage are not weak, so I naturally feel pressure when facing Lin Ruo."
After that, the media's topic immediately turned to Lin Ruo, but the questions were more inclined to favor the strong: "Lin Ruo has defeated Park Jung-hwan and Shin Jin-seo one after another, showing such strong competitive ability in this Samsung Cup. So are you determined to win the championship this time?"
Ok, Ok.
Lin Ruo felt that the question was very professional, but considering the need to keep a low profile, he chose to ask in return: "No matter what I think, you guys must think the same way, right?"
amount.
This left the media reporters at a loss for words. If they answered that they thought so, wouldn't that offend the other contestants?
After all, if Lin Ruo is determined to win the championship, what about the other contestants?
This was also what Lin Ruo was thinking. "Brother, if we're going to talk trash, let's find a private corner to talk, okay? I'm afraid I'll get beaten up if I talk trash to the players face to face."
The reporter was clearly afraid of being attacked, so he didn't answer the question directly, but just smiled and moved on to the next one.
The so-called semi-final press conference ended in less than twenty minutes, with a simple interview and a photo of the four shaking hands becoming the headline news after the match.
Of course, in such a special period, a brand new title is definitely needed.
The top four Chinese players will face off in a fierce battle. Who will emerge victorious in this year's Samsung Cup? Let's wait and see! (End of Chapter)