**Women's Go, the Chase and the Pursuit**

Choi Jeong-jeong, Kim Eun-ji, and Sumi-re. These are the three female knights who are currently attracting the most attention in the world of Go. Whenever they make a move, they attract extraordinary attention from overseas.

Choi Jeong (28), a 9th dan, has been the top ranked player for a whopping 124 months and reigns as the "Empress. As of the end of March, she was ranked 21st in the overall men's and women's rankings. She has won five world women's individual titles, including the two biggest individual titles, Wu Qingyuanba and Senkoba.

Her form this year hasn't been bad either. After losing her first match of the year, she has won four in a row. Gone are the signs of fatigue from the murderous number of events each year. Choi said, "This is the first time I've had such a relaxed schedule since joining the team. We'll use it as a good opportunity to recharge," Choi said.

However, it is the fate of a soloist to not be able to rest. Her competitors are chasing her with all their might. The closest challenger is 17-year-old 9th Dan Kim Eun-ji. She has been in the organization for less than four years and has been growing vertically to the point of becoming an Ipsin.

It was in July last year that Kim Eun-ji overtook the likes of Oh Yoo-jin and Kim Chae-young to become the No. 2 female player. At the time,[ 안전놀이터 추천](https://www.cmriindia.org/esports-betting-site/) her overall ranking gap with Choi Jung was 61 places. The gap is expected to narrow to about 30 spots in the upcoming April rankings. "With the current trend, it's possible that they could change the women's No. 1 spot by the end of the year," said an official from the Korea Origin Rankings.

The two have met four times in the finals, with Choi winning the last one (December 2023) for the first time since Kim won three consecutive titles. Overall, Choi leads the head-to-head with 13 wins and four losses, but since July of last year, the series has been split 5-4.

Like Choi, Kim Eun-ji has played fewer matches this year. She is 10-2 after 12 games. "I'm not playing as much, but I'm still studying, so I'm improving little by little," she said. She is confident that she will show her skills when the opportunity arises.

Sumire Nakamura's (15) performance in the month since anchoring in Korea has exceeded expectations. After two losses, they have won eight straight matches, including a sweep of the junior Lee Bung Bae qualifiers. She also picked up a point in the top-level league, the Sofal Kosanol.

Sumire's goal is to beat Kim Eun-ji. Since their debut, the two have been considered the top talents to carry the women's game in Korea and Japan. Sumire has a strong rivalry with Kim Eun-ji, who is two years older than her, but so far she hasn't been able to overcome her. They have played five games, including two unofficial matches, without a win.

"I'm aiming for second place," Sumire said upon arriving in Korea, a statement aimed squarely at Kim. It's clear that she's prioritizing her "gifted rival" Kim Eun-ji over Choi Choi, who is still a bit of a mystery.

The Korean Kogi rankings are kept by aggregating the scores of foreign players in international tournaments, go leagues, etc. Sumire started the month of March with 8541 points, the 21st highest ranked female in Korea, and added 134 points. In April, she is expected to be ranked 15th or 16th with 8675 points. That's a scary pace.

There are a total of 85 female professional players in Korea. At the moment, it is expected that Choi Jung, who is protecting the pinnacle, Kim Eun-ji, who is chasing him down to the bottom, and Sumire, who is aiming at Kim Eun-ji, will lead the trend. The chase between the three female go newsmakers has begun in earnest.