This illustration was created to commemorate Ke Jie’s victory at the 2020 Samsung Cup, a match that crowned him the youngest player in history to achieve eight world Go titles. In the illustration, the man dressed in black represents Ke Jie, corresponding to the black stones he used in the second game. His opponent, dressed in white, symbolizes Shin Jin-seo, who would later become the leading figure in the world of Go after Ke Jie.

As Go is a sport deeply rooted in Chinese culture, I chose to depict this piece in an ink-painting style to emphasize its traditional aesthetic. The chessboard is placed beneath their feet, expanding the visual scale and transforming the match into a grand, almost mythic confrontation. The scene unfolds in a stormy afternoon filled with thunder and lightning, symbolizing the intensity and tension of their duel.

In the composition, a black lightning bolt marks the decisive move that sealed Ke Jie’s victory, while a white lightning bolt represents Shin Jin-seo’s critical move. Ultimately, Ke Jie’s keen intuition and precision in identifying the winning move stand out clearly, securing his place in history.