Reprinted from WeChat official account: Xinzhou Go
The Founder of AI of God: Father Shin Sang-yong's Sixth Sense
——Special Interview with Shin Jin-seok’s Father of Nine Duan②
South Korea's “Monthly Go” Zheng Yongzhen
(Continued with the above)
Sighs in the quarterfinals
When Shin Zhenxiu chose to deal with Ding Haobai 2 conservatively in the quarterfinals, the “AI of God” who is known for his sharpness is completely different. Xu Jiayang's ninth dan scored sharply: “The high pressure of the competition is changing his style of chess, and his former spiritual energy is eroded by the mentality of seeking stability.” This transformation reflects deeper anxiety – when “the whole country is in trouble once it is defeated” becomes the norm, and risk becomes an unbearable weight.
The lone throne
When the 2024 Samsung Cup quarterfinals ended, the dilemma of Korean Go was revealed: in the stadium of Samsung’s global campus in Gaoyang, Shin Jin-seo was unable to support Ding Hao’s “human sea tactics” in the face of Ding Hao. When he stood up and looked at the chessboard with his hands behind his back, he was not only the winner, but also the weight of an era.
▲ The Korean chess soul who is alone in fighting “thousands of troops” writes a tragic legend in the end bell.
Note: The coordinates of the chess score have been professionally converted, and some chess details have been simplified. “Spit” is a classic “Jingde Chuan Lantern Record”, which is a metaphor for the tacit understanding between master and apprentice. The timeline in the article is adjusted according to the professional chess calendar, and the character dialogue is artistically processed.
Birds tied up: When “AI of God” is no longer free
[场景2] Deformed chess pattern
The 2024 Samsung Cup quarterfinals entered the mid-season. In the nearly half-eye victory and defeat, the chess game trend has already turned to Shin Jin-seo. When Ding Hao, the nine-dan black 159 tests the connection between Bai Dalong, Shin Jin-seok's white 160's safe response caused an uproar in the chess world.
▲ [场景2] 2024 Samsung Cup quarterfinals
●Ding Hao's Nine-Dan ○Shen Zhen-Cheng-Dan 9-Dan
Undercurrents in the central battlefield: Black A's first-hand advantage lays the groundwork,[参考图2]Revealing the fatal murderous intent of the cut-off of the upper left of the black. “AI of God”, known for its sharpness, now chooses to avoid the usual “jump” and respond hard.
▲ [场景2后续实战] Black 161 leads to White 162's compromise is puzzling
Xu Jiayang's Ninth Duan exclaimed in the research room: “Is this a small official in the final stage?” – The young swordsman who once frequently appeared in flying swords and hidden weapons was now like an old-fashioned chess player who had lost his sharpness.
The collapsed domino
Black 163 and 165's first pressure is like a scalpel, and Black 171 quietly sets up a net of heaven and earth. When Black 179 fell, the White Dragon's vitality was cut off. The Chinese chess players in the laboratory looked at each other: “This is not the Shin Jin-se we know.”
Awakening prophecy
Xu Jiayang's comments hurt Korean chess fans: “The high pressure of the competition is distorting his chess path.” Ding Hao made up for a sharper observation: “He is losing his aura to maintain the winning rate.” This defeat confirmed Li Xuanhao's previous warning – when the chess player bears the expectations of the entire country, the chessboard becomes a execution ground.
The dialectics of the father and the son
Silent accomplices
Faced with the sharp question of “Is Shin Jin-se left in South Korea?”, his father Shin Shangyong showed the realist's soberness:
“Of course I know that asking him to 'removing his burden and enjoying Go' is nonsense! Just as Xu Zhangying said: The basketball court is a battlefield where giants fight each other, how can they enjoy it?”
Cruel arithmetic problems
The godfather of Go took out his mobile phone to calculate: “Suppose you are as strong as 10 Chinese top chess players, and win 1 championship in 10 World Championships throughout the year is the best result. Being able to win 3-4 championships means you have crushed your strength – but the reality is…” His fingers stopped at the 2024 Yingshi Cup record: Shin Zhen-ho lost to Wang Xinghao in an upset dream, and his dream of defending the title was shattered.
Glimmer light in dilemma
On July 3, 2024, the glass curtain wall of Yingshi Building in Shanghai reflected the dazzling sunshine, and Shin Jin-seo swallowed the most painful defeat of the year. When the reporter asked “Is it too tiring to support Korean Go alone?”, the world's first at the age of 24 showed a bitter smile that was inconsistent with its age:
“Senior Lee Chang-ho was supported by the four kings back then, and now I… (silence) This is the subject of my time.”
▲ In the dark clouds of Ying's Cup being eliminated early, the pupils of “AI of God” are still reflected in the 361-way starry sea. When the expectations of the entire country turn into shackles, only the black and white clouds on the chessboard are always loyal.
Bloody Itinerary: “AI of God” torn apart by the event
Folding timeline
Opening the calendar from October to November 2024, Shin Jin-seo returned to South Korea after finishing the 15th round of the League, and then flew to Chengdu across 3,000 kilometers. From November 2 to 6, he completed four consecutive games between the top 32 of the Nanyang Cup and the semi-finals. The suffering of a 4-hour flight between Chengdu and Incheon and the bumpy ride from the airport to the station are just the prelude to this death march.
Burning November
When the Chinese Chess Academy stuffed the newly-created Nanyang Cup between the schedule, the doubts in the Korean chess industry reached its peak: Is this a precise blow to South Korea's only seed? The nightmare of last June is still vivid in my mind – after enduring dietary discomfort in Wushi County, Xinjiang, completed the game, Shin Zhen-seo moved to the Shanghai Yingshi Cup and was eliminated. Now a similar plot is staged again.
The dream of champion in the medicine box
“From the Nanyang Cup winning streak to the competition, it takes at least one month to buffer, but reality is only one or two weeks.” Shin Jin-se's mother revealed in tears: “He asked the doctor to prescribe strong medicine and said that he must recover within three days.” When the world's number one entered the arena with a medicine bag, the glory of Korean Go was in a dangerous trade with his health.
Note: The actual route from Incheon to Chengdu is about 3,050 kilometers, and the normal flight time is 4 hours and 15 minutes. Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport is about 16 kilometers away from the city, and it can take 1 hour to drive during peak hours. The 2024 Nanyang Cup is the first event, and the issue of event density has caused controversy in many countries.
Chess game is the heart mirror
▲ The father can understand his physical and mental state by just a glance at his son's expression on the TV screen or the traces of the online chess score. [图片来源/《月刊围棋》]
Just as Son Heung-min's father could not watch his son's game with an audience mentality, Shin Shangyong was the same. “In the 2019 Premier League Burnley Battle, Sun Xiongzheng kept a close eye on his son's ball throughout the whole process, and he silently said 'Calm' when he even scored 70 meters – this is exactly my mood when watching the game.” Shen Shangyong gently stroked the tea cup and expressed his common anxiety of his father.
The second ray of death
Q: Do you often sense your son’s status through chess moves?
“It's enough to watch chess on TV or the Internet. When I saw him playing an unusual collision in the second line during the Samsung Cup…” Shen Shangyong suddenly closed his eyes, as if he saw the cold night again: “I turned off the TV directly – this kind of chess proves that he is on the verge of collapse.”
[场景分析] 2024 Samsung Cup quarterfinals
○Shim Jin-seo 9th ●Ding Hao 9th 9th 3
When Bai 1 touched the second line, the commentator fell into a subtle silence. The AI winning rate fell by 10% instantly, but Shen Shangyong had already seen through the ending here: “This is not a real chess style at all, his spiritual defense has collapsed.” Then he silently turned off the TV.
▲ [AI提示图]Artificial intelligence says that as a father, he felt that the two-way stalker “is not a chess” at first sight, it is best to change it to a white 1-bit sharp rush. Shin Zhen-seok's 9th dan may think that if the black chess fight back immediately, the white chess will have weaknesses, so it is very uncomfortable. But here Bai can simply look down on the upper left and control the situation below Bai 3. Because there is White 9's first support method on the upper left, the following will be a riotous battle from White 13, and you can make a profit.
▲ [之后的实战进行]Shin Jin-seok's Ninth Stage didn't seem to have expected the power of Black 47. The next black “strike” key hurts too much, and White 48 cannot get out of the way. Until Hei49, it was clearly that Hei had the initiative.
Q: It’s hard not to continue watching the game, right?
“It was even more painful to see.” The father looked at the rain curtain outside the window: “Now he knew that he had to adjust himself, but how could the body of the body be able to overcome the schedule and squeeze? It was like knowing that the explosive lead was burning, but he was unable to stop it.”
Regarding the phenomenon that his son regained his early bad habits, the Go godfather was extremely sober: “The Chinese chess is said to be caused by pressure, but I think this is the karma fire that the throne must bear.”
The Fateful Clip: A Father's Path to Rebirth
▲ Seven-year-old Shin Jin-seok was taken to the playground by his father during the break of the Wenqing competition. This was one of the few warm moments of a strict father.[图片说明：小学一年级参赛的申真谞与父亲申尚勇]
Shen Shangyong, who was only in contact with Go at the age of 20, never thought that this belated love would give birth to the “AI of God” in the Go world in twenty years. The coincidence of fate is amazing – when this father's growth trajectory coincides with Sun Xingmin's father, Sun Xiongzheng, we finally understand the Eastern code of “a tiger father has no dog son”.
The fate of gold threads
When Sun Xiongzheng published “All Greatness comes from the Basics” in 2021, he did not expect that another father was writing a mirror-like story in the chess academy in faraway Busan. Shin Jin-se’s autobiography “Game: From the Basics to the Extreme” is like a dialogue across the air, confirming the common beliefs of the fathers of superstars. When asked whether he deliberately followed suit, Shen Shangyong waved his hands repeatedly:
“How can we compare with Son Heung-min! But…” His fingers rubbed the old chess score, “they have indeed gone through the path of tempering.”
The enlightenment of the latecomer of the rebirth of the robbery
Shen Shangyong, who had just met Go in college, was “sentiated” by his friend in the countryside of Nanhai with the news that Zhao Zhixun won the championship and entered the Go abyss. From “口 chess” to “口 slaying the dragon”, this novice who can't even write the word “口” has been repeatedly humiliated in the country chess room:
“You don't have a chess fate, give up as soon as possible!” The old chess players looked at Shen Shangyong's “Peak Horse Killing Wave”, as if they were watching a child waving a wooden sword.
It was these contempts that ignited Shen Shangyong's soul of victory or defeat. He was covered with yellowed chess books by his pillow, and the dormitory lights were always on until early morning. In two years, he was promoted from a layman to amateur level 5. This experience later turned into a nutrient to teach Shin Zhen-hye. When his son made a mistake in the Samsung Cup, he could always see through the fatigue under the appearance at a glance.
The turning point of fate
At the age of 29, Shin Shangyong, who failed the Law School, resigned from Hyundai Group, and hit a wall in the Agricultural Association Bank, founded a chess academy with his friends in Duodaipo, Busan. This decision was initially regarded as a madman: “White-collar workers in Seoul return to their hometown to open a chess institute?” relatives whispered.
The Lee Chang-ho effect of the storm eye
Hurricane Lee Chang-ho swept across South Korea in the late 1980s. Parents dragged their crying children into the chess academy, and the mothers waved the ruler and shouted, “You must learn chess!” In three years, the number of students in the chess academy soared from three to five to fifty or sixty. Shen Shangyong found a home in the wave of the times – until one autumn day, four-year-old Shin Jin-seok touched Yunzi for the first time.
▲ In the morning light of Duodai Pu Chess Institute in Busan, Shin Shangyong watched his son's first game. He knew that on that afternoon in the countryside of Nanhai twenty years ago, fate had laid the groundwork.
Chess soul awakening: The storm growth of a four-year-old chess boy
Turning point of fate
▲Shin Jin-seo was playing in the corner of the chess academy when she was four years old. No one expected that this kid who played chess pieces would rewrite the history of Go.[图片说明：在棋院启蒙的申真谞]
The family's last choice“There was no one to take care of him at that time, so he could only take Zhen Zi to the chess academy.” Shen Shangyong looked at the old photos of the chess academy and recalled. In March 2000, after Shin Jin-seo was born, the life of this Go family began to revolve around the chess academy at high speed. My mother worked as an assistant teacher in the chess academy, driving a shabby van to pick up and drop off students, while Xiao Zhenyu grew up with the sound of chess pieces colliding.
Due to the change of interest, my brother, who was 4 years older, changed to work as a fitness coach.
The unexpected enlightenment of geniusOne day when I was five years old, my mother casually put a basic formula for Zhenzi to deal with teaching. Unexpectedly, this child who didn't even know Korean could completely reproduce the “one-skip” in two months. When the six-year-old Shin Jin-seok won a two-year-old opponent in the Busan Mayor's Cup lower grade group, his father finally realized: “This is not the growth rate of an ordinary child.”
A cruel choice
The crossroads of professionalism“The Go market was shrinking at that time.” Shen Shangyong admitted that he was extremely worried about whether to let his son take the career path. The turning point happened at the wake-up call of an old chess director: “If the son can become a top chess player, not only your family, but the entire Go world will benefit.”
Father's intuitionThis intuition was concreted in 2009 – the nine-year-old Shin Jin-seok won the National Children's Go Competition and defeated his fourth-grade opponent in the finals appeared in local media. In the photo, the young Shin Jin-seok sat cross-legged on the ground in the gymnasium and was so focused that he had nothing to do with him.
The intuition of a god possessed“It felt like being chosen by God.” Shin Shangyong talked about his status when he discovered his son's talent, and his eyes were still shining with an incredible light. At three o'clock in the morning, he suddenly woke up his drinking habits and his unreasonable erratic emotions. These abnormal actions became more and more intense after discovering that Shin Jin-se could accurately lock in the key points of the life-and-death question. “It's like being cast a curse, you have to believe that this is the arrangement of fate.”
The sign of dragon rushThe mother Song Yunyu's dream of fetality adds a mystery to the legend – she once dreamed of flying dragons soaring into the sky, and Shin Jin-seo was born in the Millennium Year of the Dragon. This belief with great will has become a hidden line that supports the entire family through harsh training.
Devil's Course ScheduleFrom 8:00 to 11:00 p.m., the seven-year-old Shin Jin-seok must conquer the vast sea of inscriptions from “Xuanxuan Chess Classic” to “Fayang Theory” under the supervision of his father. The books are stacked nearly half a person high, and even professional chess players are afraid of the number of questions, but this boy who just learned to read swallowed them at an average of 50 questions per day.
A trembling talent“When an ordinary child is still wandering around the edge, he goes straight to the key points.” Shen Shangyong showed a yellowed exercise book, and his tender handwriting was full of breakthroughs in life-and-dead questions marked with red circles. One time, when he solved the problem late at night, Shin Zhenxi suddenly pointed to the complex chess shape and said, “I will solve it here, and there is no need for extra temptation.” This ability to point directly to the essence requires even my father to prepare lessons in advance to deal with it.
Sleepless night
The struggle with timeThe clock slid towards midnight and the practice room lights were still bright. My father endured his sleepiness and corrected his exercises, and my mother warmed up the calming tea in the kitchen. When Shin Jin-seo gets stuck due to a problem, Shin Sang-yong will suddenly stand up and pave, and unconsciously tap the chessboard with his fingers – this is the tormenting moment for the genius caster.
“Eight hours of sleep must be guaranteed.” This iron rule makes the final battle of countless nights even more tragic. Sometimes at one o'clock in the morning, the father and son still deduce the change chart on the floor until their mother reminded her with red eyes: “I will go to school tomorrow.”
(To be continued)