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Move 37: AlphaGo’s famous decision

Did you know that a go shot played by a machine became famous all over the world? In March two thousand and sixteen, AlphaGo faced Lee Sedol.

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Move 37: AlphaGo’s famous decision
Contextual photography; does not represent protocol or match — LG Electronics · Original · CC BY 2.0 WebP conversion and resizing, whole image preserved. The change in size does not create any historical detail.

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Did you know that a go shot played by a machine became famous all over the world? In March two thousand and sixteen, AlphaGo faced Lee Sedol. In their second part, the thirty-seventh shot surprises with his unusual choice on set. Go is not about capturing a king. Players alternately place black and white stones to control territories. AlphaGo combines neural networks and stroke research, to evaluate possible sequels instead of copying only humans.

The final result of the match is clear: AlphaGo wins four games, Lee Sedol wins one. This human victory comes at the fourth meeting. The story therefore includes a response from the champion, not five identical defeats or an impossible machine to beat.

The portrait and the board illustrate the context; they are not the images of the match or the exact position of the famous shot. The breakthrough was about a specific game. An excellent artificial player is not, however, an intelligence capable of doing everything.

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What we know

AlphaGo wins the game four games to one; Lee Sedol wins the fourth game. The illustrated tray does not reproduce the historical position of the shot 37.

To go to the source

References consulted on October 12, 2026.

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