Player Profiles: Kings Baduk Academy Students

Other than the IBA there is another Baduk school which caters to foreigners. That is the Kings Baduk Academy. The two schools are quite different as far as their approach goes. Kings Baduk has a rigorous training schedule with little or no time to d other things than study. Due to the location, some mountain village, even if there was time there would be little to do. This sort of place would be perfect for me, and I regret that I did not know about it when I came to Korea.

The IBA is in Seoul, the metropolitan center of Korea, no one will force you to study, and there are plenty of distractions. These are not bad things just style preference.

The students of the Kings Baduk Academy often visit us in Seoul. We like to go drinking and singing, and of course we like to play baduk. There are several really interesting people that I have met from Kings Baduk. It is generally very fun when they visit, as it should be, when people from all over the world gather in one place to practice something they love.

Here are some of the students I met from th KBA. These are just my opnions and should not be taken as fact.

Gabriel Benmergui

Age: 23
Country: Argentina
KGS ID: Danigabi
Strength: 5D
Who are you? : "If I don't have a good move I tenuki....also I am better the Ofer."

Gabriel seems very intelligent. I have been able to talk to him about most things so far, and he has some answers for everything. He is very opinionated, and very persuasive. Although I seem to believe everything he says, it strikes me as odd that a 23 year old knows so much, I suppose I should not take everything as fact.

Ofer Zivony

Age:25
Country: Israel
KGS ID
Strength: 3D
Who are you? : "I am Ofer, Asians call me Ope"
Ofer worked with birthright groups (google it) as a guard in Israel. He is rather talented at portrait sketches. He seems very modest, but never ceases to make jokes.

Francesco Marigo

Age: 27
Country: Italy
KGS ID
Strength: 4D
Who are you?: "I'm.....unsolved problem"
I have not spoken much to Francesco, he seems to be quite kindhearted. He also was National Champion in Italy for several years. Recently he lost the "title" to Davide Minieri.

Sebastian Rieche

Age:20
Country: Germany
KGS ID
Strength:3d
Who are you? "I am me, I am really pragmatic, it comes from studying Philosophy"

Sebastian is an interesting guy. He wants nothing more than to continue his baduk studies in Korea. He is an avid eater of chocolate, and has practiced martial arts for years. He started out in Wing Tsun, and more recently has switched to Shotokan Karate. He is also a writer, and is working on a fantasy novel. He keeps a blog about his baduk studies... http://beginningpath.blogspot.com/

Klara Zaloudkova

Age: 24
Country: Czech Republic
KGS ID
Strength: 3d

Who are you? : " I am a friendly girl."

Clara was a philosophy major back at home. Her classmates say that she is stronger than she claims. She is also a big fan of partying.

Tungalag

Age: 22
Country: Mongolia
KGS ID
Strength: 3d
Who are you? " I am a person kkk..." (kkk is the Asian sound for laughing, same as LOL, not to be confused with the white supremacist group KKK)

I have not had a chance to really speak to her. She has a very attractive energy however. Her classmates said that in the 3 weeks she has been in Korea she has already improved a lot.

Leonardo Alberto Dal Zovo

Age: 29
Country: Italy
KGS ID
Strength: ~3k
Who are you? : " I am Ciovo"

Somehow out of the KBA students I felt I could relate to Ciovo the most. Again our meetings have only been few but the magic of baduk makes us all close. He recently toured Korea with Pedro for one week. I am extremely envious, at the time I did not have the capital to join him. He works as a Computer Scientist back home. He told me that while he has Slate and Shell stones, as well as high quality bowls, he only has a cheap homemade goban. This is funny if you are a go player, if it is not, then I am sorry. He also has a website about his stay in Korea, it has many pictures and interesting stories, check it out: www.stopciovo.com

Pedro Carmona

Age: 24
Country: Portugal
KGS ID
Strength: 2K
Who are you?: " I am a Brazilian."
I don't know much about him, but he has a very fun energy. And is always smiling. Also he is from Panama. Or Brazil. Maybe Mexico.

Svilen Pavlov

Age: 25
Country: Bulgaria
KGS ID
Strength: 3kyu
Who Are you? : TO BE DETERMINED

Svilen is rather quite compared to the other KBC students, however I have reason to believe that when intoxicated and metal is present he turns into a headbanger. He uses a lot of time when he plays. At home he was working as a stage designer for a theatre, but he wants to be a Computer Scientist. He was offered a good job, but it would require him to move to Czech republic, so he could not really move at the time. Lastly, if anyone needs a Computer Scientist in Bulgaria, contact me I will forward it to him.