The All-Time Top Blunders
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November 5, 2026
Go Game Series' Blunders Compilation
This article is an extension to another outstanding video from Go Game Series:
It's worth noting that neither I nor Go Game Series (GGS) would like to shame anyone — I have probably done worse after all! Cataloging these blunders is just a way for us to treat ourselves less harshly whenever we are the ones on the sad end of the story, by realizing even legendary players have also experienced these tragic moments.
If there's anything to say about these pro examples more directly, I would definitely emphasize that those pros' willpower to move on and persist is admirable and commendable. All the more when considering how East Asians are so harsh on themselves and one another, and how shame takes a much bigger part in their culture than in the West.
Additionally, personally, somehow I feel like I'm able to turn their pain into learning of my own, making it less likely I end up playing the same mistakes.
If you feel like blunders are killing your joy, remember that pros from all sports need to learn how to forgive themselves. That post is from my now-inactive column on Go Magic, "psygo's Corner".
These are the blunders covered in GGS's video:
- 00:00 Heo's Blindspot Capture, Heo Seohyun 1p vs Yu Changhyuk 9p, in 2020.
- 00:32 Byun Sangil's Self-Slaps, Byun Sangil 9p vs Choi Jeong 9p, for the 2022 Samsung Cup.
- 00:48 "The Shortest Professional Game", between Ono Nobuyuki 6p and Kudo Norio 9p in 1996.
- 07:45 "Bro filled the wrong hole", a game between Ahn Kukhyun 9p and Kim Myeonghun 9p in 2024.
- 09:26 "Ke Jie's Famous Slap", a game between Ke Jie 9p and Park Junghwan 9p, in 2019.
- 13:08 "Lee Sedol's Revenge Failed", a game between Lee Sedol 9p and Ke Jie 9p, in 2016.
- 22:48 "Most Traumatizing Event", Park Jieun 9p vs Kim Chaeyoung 1p, for the 2014 Female Kuksu title.
A list of highly unfortunate events indeed, to say the least. However, some of the most spectacular weren't included in that video...
More Blunders
Nakano Yasuhiro's Self-Atari
One of them is in the last section of ALOUTOULOU's very funny meme compilation, "Everyone is HERE (Game of Go Edition)":
Nakano's (Black) self-atari. Black was winning, and there were mostly only dames left.
That blunder comes from a game between Ishida Yoshio 9p and Nakano Yasuhiro 9p for the 2006, 53rd NHK Cup.
In an interview, 14 years later, Nakano said he was worried he would be stripped of his professional title at the time, due to the self-atari mistake.
Fujisawa Shuko's Connection
On Sensei's Library, the Blunder page offers yet another example, from Game 7 of the 1983 Kisei Title Match:
- Fujisawa Shuko 9p
- Cho Chikun 9p
Fujisawa's connection blunder.
Instead of connecting in Dia. ?, Fujisawa could have captured a white stone, which would then lead both players to a half-point game:
- Fujisawa Shuko 9p
- Cho Chikun 9p
How the game should have continued.
That game broke Fujisawa Shuko 9p's 6-year streak as the reigning Kisei, the most prestigious title in Japan.
Cho Hunhyun's Suicide
Sensei's Library documents another blunder example on its suicide page, in a game between two other legends of the game, Cho Hunhyun 9p and Choi Cheolhan 5p, in 2003. In it, Cho played an illegal move, a suicide.
- Cho Hunhyun 9p
- Choi Cheolhan 5p
Cho Hunhyun 9p plays an illegal suicide. Instead, he probably intended to go for the ko at A.
It's a pity suicides are illegal. The deficit of gifting your opponent a stone while also passing your turn is painful enough, no?
And the game was actually in Cho's favor, according to AI, Black was estimated to be winning by 6 points.
In a previous article — — , I discussed how suicides could change some board positions' outcomes, enriching the game.
Outro
So, what do you think? Too sad? Any other spectacular blunders I didn't mention? Leave them in the comments!
Another aspect of this theme is tackling why people still make these giant mistakes, what triggers these situations and how to prevent them. Overall, from my experience, it's usually a mix of:
- Lapses in focus
- Time pressure
Imagine how the pressure from everyone watching you during televised matches could muddle your focus! As you struggle to regain your focus, there goes your thinking time!
Many players and teachers do have their systems and set of recommendations for dealing with this problem, but I quite frankly think we're sorely lacking a more established, scientific solution here. Especially when considering we've been playing this game for at least 2,500 years already. Are there no other sports with thoroughly tested frameworks?
If you're making too many blunders, Inseong Hwang 8d EGF recommends playing a high volume of quick games, since that usually means you're out of practice.
The bare minimum to call this done would demand players be able to consistently realize in real-time when they are susceptible to committing such mistakes, I would say.
On my end, I did manage to improve my blunder rate by practicing more tsumegos and playing more, as I believe, in large part, that these types of huge mistakes can be offloaded to our monkey, instinctual brain — or are we actually fixing our monkey brains instead?
But I do also try to be more aware of likely trivial problems I might need to fix beforehand, especially under time pressure. If you're feeling idle during a game, maybe a way of maintaining focus while also lowering risks could be just going through those trivial sentes you and your opponent have — you might even find out some of those are actually not sente!
Solving tsumegos before a playing sessions also helps a lot with spending your daily blunder quota!
Lastly, in case you're overwhelmed by others potentially shaming you, I suggest psychologically reframing the issue: take joy from how others will feel once they lose to a supposed idiot.
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