For Korea's victory, Lee Changho 9p has to defeat 3 players.

He is going to Shanghai in China on March 8th to participate in the 11th Nongshim Cup 3rd round as the last Korean player.

Nongshim Cup is a team tournament with five participants from each participating country (Korea, China, and Japan). Each player who wins continues to play opponents from the other two teams, alternating between them, until there are no more opponents left. Korean team and Japanese team have only one player left, Lee Changho 9p and Hane Naoki 9p. However, Chinese team still has three players left, Lui Xing 7p, Chang Hao 9p, and Gu Li 9p.

¡U¡U Korean's Hope

The best scenario Korean want is like this. First, at the 1st game of 3rd round, Hane Naoki 9p from Japan wins Chinese player Lui Xing 7p (It is regarded as fact, but unsure who will be the next player). Three consecutive victories would be enough for saving Japanese face.

On Mar. 10th Lee Changho 9p defeats Hane Naoki 9p and wins Chang Hao 9p (or Gu Li 9p) on Mar 11th. Then on the last day of the tournament, Mar. 12th, he defeats Gu Li 9p gloriously.

Will this dream come true? Kim Seongryong 9p one year older than Lee Changho 9p said it is possible. Of course it may not be, but he meant that Lee Changho 9p has the more than 50 percentage of victory on three consecutive wins.

¡U¡U Anticipation of Han Sanghoon

All the left players are so strong. 

There is none of players stronger than Lee Changho 9p by Baduk skills. Has the rising generation mastered a strategy of winning championships? May be that is why Lee Changho 9p used to ended up in 2nd place recently. To win this cup, he needs to defeat three consecutive games; it does not look easy. All the left players are the bests of the world. Be that as it may, I do not think Lee Changho 9p would lose against the first opponent, Hane Naoki 9p of Japan or Lui Xing 7p of China, 

If Lee Changho 9p defeats the winner of the 11th game (Mar 9th), Chang Hao 9p or Gu Li 9p will be next representative of China. Both are not easy. However, if Lee Changho 9p wins one of them, I am sure that he will make the three consecutive victories. Ah, it is not easy. The left players are so powerful

Lee Changho 9p is going to leave for Shanghai in China on Mar. 8th. All the game of the 11th Nongshim Cup held in Korea Culture Service Shanghai will be live broadcasting on Cyberoro(with a running commentary), Paranbaduk, and YahooBaduk.

¡Þ The schedule of the 11th Nongshim Cup World Baduk Championship 3rd round

The game 11: Mar. 9th 12:00 – Commentator, Kim Seongryong 9p

The game 12: Mar. 10th 12:00 – Commentator, Hong Sungji 7p

The game 13: Mar. 11th 12:00 – Commentator, Han Sanghoon 4p

The game 14: Mar. 12th 12:00 – Commentator, Undecided
 

- Byungjun Choi, Cyberoro.com