The plan to boost the strength of Korea's women players by drafting in Rui Naiwei 9-dan from China (via Japan and the USA) seemed to have been working recently, but a reality check in the form of the first China-Japan Women's Match showed there is still a long way to go.

In a four-board match over two rounds on 22 and 24 April 2000 in Beijing, China's women crushed Korea 7-1. The only win for Korea was by Pak Chi-eun 2-dan - who has been posting the best women's results lately in Korea apart from Rui - but she only beat the weakest member of the Chinese quartet.

The Koreans were all 2-dans. The Chinese fielded two 8-dans, a 7-dan and a 3-dan. They could have called on another 9-dan apart from Rui - Feng Yun - but a major squabble just before the Team Championship left Feng out in the cold, and now she's left China (see story in News In Brief).

So currently China has no residemt 9-dan females, and in the longer term it may be the Chinese who should be worrying. During the Great Leap Forward to catch up with the Japanese 9-dans, many strong women players emerged. In recent years there has been a dearth of new talent, even though on the male side Chinese go is bursting at the seams with young prodigies. The average age of the Chinese team was 33. For the Koreans, however, the average was only 18, with plenty of scope for improvement. Still, 7-1...

The Chinese 3-dan, Xu Ying, though a lowly grade, is one of the best known Chinese players because she is a popular presenter on the CCTV go programmes.

RESULTS (Chinese names first)

Round 1 (22 April)

Board 1: Yang Hui 8d 1-0 Cho Hye-yeon 2d
Board 2: Hua Xueming 7d 1-0 Yi Chi-hyeon 2d
Board 3: Zhang Xuan 8d 1-0 Kweon Hyo-chin 2d
Board 4: Xu Ying 3d 0-1 Pak Chi-eun 2d

Round 2 (24 April)

Board 1: Zhang Xuan 8d 1-0 Pak Chi-eun 2d
Board 2: Yang Hui 8d 1-0 Kweon Hyo-chin 2d
Board 3: Hua Xueming 7d 1-0 Cho Hye-yeon 2d
Board 4: Xu Ying 3d 1-0 Yi Chi-hyeon 2d

HOW DOES THE C-K WOMEN'S MATCH WORK?

The event is co-sponsored by the professional go associations of the two countries. China selected its team by allocating places to the winners and runners-up in the National Team Championships for women (two-player teams). The Koreans were selected by the Hanguk Kiweon directly.

Further details are awaited.