Shin Jin-seo (right) is a professional ninth-degree baduk (Go) player. (Korea Baduk Association)

By Koh Hyunjeong

Shin Jin-seo, a professional baduk (Go) player with the game's highest rank of ninth dan (degree), is the first human to beat the artificial intelligence (AI) program KataGo.

Shin on July 19 defeated KataGo by 4.5 points after 290 moves in the second game of a tournament sponsored by the educational workbook brand Ssen Mathematics and the Korea Economic Daily at the latter's TV studio in Seoul's Jung-gu District. He is the first person in 10 years to beat an AI platform since 2016, when fellow ninth-degree player Lee Sedol overcame Google DeepMind's AlphaGo.

Shin's victory took nearly five hours and 290 moves. Losing the first game by forfeit on July 17, he tied the series at a win apiece.

Given KataGo's advantage, Shin received a two-stone handicap in the second game. Bouncing back from his Game 1 loss, he took the lead in the early stages of Game 2 to secure victory.

Game 3 on July 21 will decide the winner of the contest.

"What's most important is to keep the game going until the very end," he said after his win. "I'm confident in my ability to win the latter stages, so I'll do my best in carefully calculating my position at every moment."

hjkoh@korea.kr