The current position is shown in the attached image. The opening was put by Zoltán, and Hao Tianyi chose white. The time control is 135 days. The remaining time each player has is shown on the left.
We see that the mighty Chinese is positionally outplaying the Hungarian, dominating and outpowering him. It seems obvious who is stronger, and it should not take too many moves before Zoltán gets pinned if he is not demoralised to continue at all. The last move made in this game was made more than a month ago.
You can always check the current position position at renju.in
In this championship, Zoltán and Hao Tianyi are also playing a second game between them in parallel, in which the opening was put by the Chinese. In that game, the position is less obvious than in the above described game, but visually it seems that the Chinese is again positionally outplaying the Hungarian. Here is the link to the game.
Correspondence gomoku is a battle of strategists. What decides in this sport is strategic planning, the ability to focus on important branches, systematic thinking, skills of computer analysis, and deep understanding of the game. Correspondence gomoku is devoid of tactical blunders, so you cannot trick your opponent by setting a simple tactical trap as you do in live tournaments. It is a sport for those who have a great passion for analysis and appreciate the deep beauty of the game.
It seems that in this sport, the winner of the world gomoku championship is no match for the skilful Orient master. And it is no surprise to me. After all, gomoku is an oriental game.
By Sandra Jones