From the left: Dmytro Bogatskyi, Pal Balogh, Chan Nai San, Wang Chen, Lee Jaesung, Albert Yen, Wu Qi You, Kawaguchi Tsubasa

Both the Chinese and Korean representatives won their remaining games on the last day of games in the 40th WAGC, and thus the Chinese Wang Chen won the championship with a clean 8–0 score, with the Korean Lee Jaesung taking the second place, only having lost to Wang. This was Wang’s third time participating in the WAGC and his first tournament victory.

Places 3–7 went to players with six wins in the following order (by SOS). Eight place went to the player with five wins who had the highest SOS.

3. Chan Nai San, Chinese Hong Kong
4. Albert Yen, USA
5. Pal Balogh, Hungary
6. Wu Qi You, Canada
7. Dmytro Bogatskyi, Ukraine
8. Kawaguchi Tsubasa, Japan

Group photo with the players and main tournament officials

The full results list can be found on the Japan Go Association’s webpage.

In addition to the first eight places, a special Asada Fighting Spirit special prize was awarded to the player who best showed good manners and sportsmanlike conduct. This prize went to the Singaporean Kwa Jie Hui who was on place nine; the clock mishap in Kwa’s game with Kawaguchi, with Kwa insisting on continuing the game, may have been decisive in his receiving the prize.

In the closing ceremony, Mr Ōbuchi Morito from the Japan Go Association remarked how go is an important cultural element which connects people through national borders. Chief referee Takemiya Masaki echoed this, saying that he had been happy to see a large number tournament participants conversing and playing together in the evenings after the tournament games.