The 18 times world champion and a highly skilled Go player, Lee Sedol is a figure not unknown to us. Till this day, he has 400 victories to his name. A man from South Korea, Lee became the fifth-youngest person in the world to turn into a successful professional Go player.
To know more about this incredible personality, to get a glimpse into his lifestyle, career and net worth, let’s check out this article.
About Lee Sedol
Lee Sedol entered the profession of a Go player at the tender age of 12. In a very short period, he made a name for himself. In 2016, Lee became the second-best international Go player of the world and earned a title for himself.
A wonderful series against AlphaGo in 2016 made him popular in the world. He soon came to be known as ‘The Strong Stone’.
Early Life And Family
The 9 dan rank holder Go player, Lee took birth in the Sinan County of South Korea in 1983. He was educated in the Korea Baduk Association. Lee is known to have an elder brother, Lee Sang-hoon, who too is a Go player.
In 2006, Lee was married to Kim Hyun-jin. The couple has a daughter named Lee Hye-rim.
Career And Major Milestones
The major turning point of his career is recorded in his extraordinary performances in two significant matches, the Broken Ladder Game and the Match against AlphaGo.
In the 2003 KAT cup, Lee made a record for himself by using the Broken Ladder method in the match against Hong Chang-Sik. Using Broken ladder formation is full of challenges. However, using this formation, Lee succeeded in capturing a major amount of Hong’s stone, ultimately coming victorious in the match.
The match against AlphaGo in 2016 was one of the most challenging games for Lee. After a continuous defeat in three matches, Lee finally won the fourth match playing white.
However, the fifth match again proved unfortunate. Lee decided to play black which involved a lot of risks, and he lost the match to AlphaGo in a series of 1-4.
Even though Lee lost the match, he was awarded prize money of $150 thousand for participating in the series and another $20 thousand for winning the fourth match in the series.
A Few Things You Didn’t Know About Lee Sedol
There are a few things that you might find interesting about this legendary player. Sources reveal that though an outstanding Go player, Lee was never satisfied with the opening of his career and rather looked to it as a ‘weak’ beginning.
Although he lost the 2016 match against AlphaGo, it is known to have attracted the attention of the world. The match is often compared with the unforgettable chess match of 1997 in which the historic chess player, Deep Blue competed with another legendary chess player, Garry Kasparov.
Net Worth
The 37 years old Go player who announced his retirement in 2019, is known to have a net worth of $1 to $5 million in 2024.
Although Lee Sedol announced his retirement from the field of Go saying that AI is undefeatable, he has never failed to create a space for himself in the hearts of all Go players.
