Imagup General Magazine 2024
Introduction
If you’re a Go game lover, you might have listened to Lee Sedol. Yes, he’s the highest skilled Go player who uses the toughest strategies to win the game. He won world championships 18 times and has over 400 victories to his name. Lee Sedol, a South Korean guy, is the fifth youngest person to become a successful Go player.
About Lee Sedol
At a very tender age of 12, Lee Sedol started playing Go. Within a short span, he stood as a remarkable Go player in history. He soon became the second-best international Go player in 2016 and earned a prestigious title. He is popularly known as “The Strong Stone.” The AlphaGo in 2016, one of the stunning series, made him popular worldwide.
Early Life And Family
He was born in 1983 in the Sinan Country in South Korea. He is the nine dan rank holder Go player. Lee’s elder brother, Lee Sang-hoon, is also a Go player. Lee completed his studies in the Korea Baduk Association. In 2006, Lee was happily married to Kim Hyun Jin. Now, she’s a successful father of his daughter, Lee Hye-rim.
His Career And Major Milestones
Broken Ladder Game and Match against AlphaGo are the two biggest turning points of the Lee Sedol. He amazed everyone with his whooping performance. Lee gave an outstanding performance in the 2003 KAT cup by using the Broken Ladder method against Hong Chang-Sik. Usually, this method includes a lot of challenges. Yet, Lee succeeds in it and capture most of Hong’s stones. Finally, he won the match leaving his opponent in shock.
AlphaGo in 2016 was another most challenging game for Lee that made him a star. He lost the initial three matches consecutively and triumphed in the fourth match playing white. However, in the fifth match, he lost. Despite losing the game, Lee mesmerized everyone with his performance. Finally, he received $150,000 prize money for playing the AlphaGo series and an additional $20000 for winning the fourth match in the series.
A Few Things That You Didn’t Know About Lee Sedol
Here are a few less-known facts about the legendary Go player Lee Sedol that you might be interested in. So, read-on!
- Lee was never happy with his initial career as a Go player. He always looked at it as a weak beginning.
- In 2016, Lee lost the AlphaGo match. Yet. It’s one of the famous match series that grabbed everyone’s attention across the globe. This match is usually compared with the remarkable and unforgettable chess match in 1997 where Deep Blue competed with another stunning chess player, Garry Kasparov.
Net Worth
Lee recently announced his retirement in 2019. In 2024, his net worth is estimated to be around $1 to $5 million. Although Lee retired as a Go player, he’s still a remarkable Go player in the hearts of people.
