The upset: Mateusz Surma 3p (L) vs. Habu Koichiro 5d (R)
For the second year in a row, Mateusz Surma 3p faced a decisive fifth-round match in the Confucius Cup. Last year he stumbled, losing the final game to Kim Seongjin 8d, to share second place with Lu Xinqun.
This year, following an upset loss to Habu Koichiro 5d in the second round, Mateusz drew an undefeated Lukas Podpera 7d for his final game. Victory for either player would mean winning the tournament overall, and taking home the top prize of €1,000. Belying his reputation as a territorial player, a confident Lukas adopted a fighting style and a fascinating battle developed, but when the dust settled, Mateusz was the victor, taking his first Confucius Cup title.
In the Rapid tournament, Larion Syrotkin 4k found the time controls no obstacle and took the title with four straight wins. Despite an overnight promotion, he continued his rampage in the Open tournament with three more wins on Saturday. It took the combined might of Ran Yiming 1d and John Courtney 1d to put a stop to his run on Sunday. There can be little doubt that he will very soon be joining them in the dan ranks.