“I don’t think I’d lose even against the God of Go.” So declared Go legend Cho Hoon-hyun after defeating China’s Nie Weiping at the 1989 Ing Cup—widely regarded as the “Olympics of Go.” Riding high on the victory, Cho earned a reputation as an unbeatable force in the game. Having made his professional debut at the age of nine, he reached his peak in his mid-30s—until the arrival of Lee Chang-ho. Lee, who lived in Cho’s home as a live-in disciple, was fed, clothed, and trained by the very man he would one day surpass. By the age of 15, the young prodigy began stripping Cho of his titles one by one. His precise and unshakable playstyle earned him a nickname among fans as a master strategist. Once seen as untouchable, Cho suddenly found himself without a single title. He fell—only to rise again.
“The Match” (director Kim Hyung-joo), opening Mar. 26, transforms the 19-line Go board into a battlefield, where a mentor and his protégé—22 years apart in age—engage in a relentless struggle of skill and pride. When the master advances, the student closes in. When the student builds territory, the master strikes to reclaim it. Cho (played by Lee Byung-hun) was fast and flamboyant, favoring bold, aggressive play. Lee (Yoo Ah-in), his disciple, played with thickness and weight—a style grounded in patience and control. “Fight, bite, strike—go at it,” the master tells his pupil. “That’s your style, not mine,” the student replies. In his 2015 autobiography, Cho reflected: “Chang-ho was a rising sun. I could feel myself being pushed back by that burning heat.” In his young disciple, Cho recognized a mirror. “I realized I was someone who could lose at any time.” And it was through that recognition that he found renewal.
The film’s journey to release was itself a prolonged contest. Production wrapped in April 2021, but the pandemic delayed its rollout. A 2023 Netflix premiere was scrapped after Yoo Ah-in became embroiled in a drug scandal. The film’s original distributor exited the business, leaving the project in limbo—until By4M Studio stepped in, the same company that revived The Firefighter last winter following actor Kwak Do-won’s DUI incident.
Even without the controversy, The Match would still be defined by Lee Byung-hun’s performance. He conveys Cho’s unraveling with subtle control—each twitch of the eye, each tear held back—capturing the tension of a man grappling with failure, humiliation, and the weight of irretrievable loss.
Yoo Ah-in, by contrast, brings a quiet intensity to Lee Chang-ho. His stillness commands the screen. When he finally defeats his mentor—on what should be the proudest day of his life—he breaks down in tears and whispers, “I’m sorry.” In that moment, he is no longer a prodigy but a teenage boy overwhelmed by the moment’s enormity.
Jo Woo-jin, in a supporting role as 9-dan Go player Nam Ki-chul—a rival and advisor to Cho—leaves a strong impression despite limited screen time. Known for his gritty role in Inside Men (2015), where he clashed violently with Lee’s character, Jo now plays the man who helps the former pupil rise again. Nam is the first to recognize Lee’s potential, boldly telling him, “The student is better than the teacher,” and challenging him: “Stop trying to learn. Think about how to win.”
Director Kim and the screenwriters take care to keep even Go novices engaged. Moments of tension—such as “If Cho starts shaking his leg, he’s about to take the game”—are woven into the narrative. Costume designer Jo Sang-kyung, drawing from Cho’s real-life interest in fashion, dressed the character in over 50 outfits, each reflecting his refined, meticulous nature.
One misstep lies in the portrayal of the young Lee Chang-ho, played by Kim Kang-hoon. The cheerful and expressive depiction contrasts sharply with the real-life Lee’s famously reserved demeanor—he was known to go days without speaking. The disconnect between the exuberant child and the stoic adult creates a noticeable inconsistency in the character arc.
“Again, it’s you. I’ve got no choice. This is the match,” Cho says, once more facing his former protégé across the board. The line is not one of resignation but quiet determination—even if it means accepting another loss. Cho would continue to play Lee again and again—sometimes losing, always returning. “It meant something—that I didn’t go down without a fight,” he later wrote. Because in Go, as in life, overcoming loss is just as important as the final result.
Early in the film, Cho murmurs, “A second-rate life is just too bitter to bear.” And yet he returns to the game because there is no alternative. This is life. This is the match.
