Kim Jiseok | Player Profile | PlayGo.gg

2014 Samsung Cup champion

Biography

Kim Jiseok (born 1989) turned professional in 2003 and spent most of the 2010s among Korea's top five players. He is known for a fierce, attacking style and for his long service in the Korean Baduk League.

His career peak was the 19th Samsung Cup in 2014, where he swept Tang Weixing 2-0 in the final to win his only world title, having beaten Shi Yue 2-0 in the semifinal.

He remains a regular in international main draws and reached the quarterfinal of the 2025 Samsung Cup, beating Wang Xinghao and Lian Xiao on the way.

vs. Tang Weixing, 19th Samsung Cup, Final Game 2

December 10, 2014

Leading 1-0 after the opening game, Kim Jiseok took Black and forced Tang Weixing's resignation to complete a 2-0 sweep. It was his first and only world title, and the last Samsung Cup won by a Korean until Shin Jinseo in 2020.

Tang Weixing was ahead for most of the second game, and Kim was at 26% when he played R13 on move 87. White's P5 on move 88, answering elsewhere, swung the game: Kim's winrate rose to 60%, and he never let it slip. The plain P6 was correct, a move about 28% of 9-dan players choose.