List of top title holders in Go - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

A list of the top 10 professional Go

Go (board game)

Go , is an ancient board game for two players that originated in China more than 2,000 years ago...

Go players

This page gives an overview of well-known players of the game of Go throughout the ages. The page has been divided into sections based on the era in which the Go players played and the country in which they played. As this was not necessarily their country of birth, a flag of that country precedes...

who have won the most titles domestically and internationally. Both male and female players are included in these lists.

Lists updated on 12 June 2011.

International

Place	Player	Affiliation	Total
1st	Lee Chang-ho Lee Chang-ho Lee Chang-ho is a South Korean professional Go player of 9-dan rank. He is regarded by many as one of the strongest modern Go players. He was a student of Cho Hunhyun 9-dan. He is the only player to have won all eight international competitions at least once.-Biography:He turned professional in...	Hanguk Kiwon	18
2nd	Lee Sedol Lee Sedol Lee Sedol is a South Korean professional Go player of 9-dan rank.-Biography:Many regard Lee Sedol as one of the strongest players of all time. Lee was born in Korea in 1983 and studied at the Hanguk Kiwon. He ranks third in career titles with 37, behind Cho Hunhyun and Lee Chang-ho...	Hanguk Kiwon	13
3rd	Cho Hunhyun Cho Hunhyun Cho Hunhyun is a Korean 9-dan professional Go player. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Cho reached professional level in Korea in 1962. Since then, Cho has amassed 150 professional titles, more than any player in the world. He once held all nine Korea titles simultaneously in 1980...	Hanguk Kiwon	9
4th	Gu Li Gu Li Gu Li is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Gu Li is currently the #1 ranked Chinese player by the Zhongguo Qiyuan. He became a pro in 1994 when he was only 12. In 2006, he won the 10th LG Cup and became the youngest Chinese player to ever win a major international title; as a result,...	Zhongguo Qiyuan Zhongguo Qiyuan Zhongguo Qiyuan is an official agency responsible for board games and card games such as go, bridge, chess and Chinese chess affairs under the All-China Sports Federation of the People's Republic of China...	7
5th-t	Rui Naiwei Rui Naiwei Rui Naiwei is a Chinese professional Go player, now active in South Korea...	Hanguk Kiwon	6
5th-t	Yoo Changhyuk Yoo Changhyuk Yoo Changhyuk is a professional Go player in South Korea.- Biography :Yoo Changhyuk was one of Korea's best Go players. Growing up without a teacher, Yoo became a professional in 1984 and was promoted to 9 dan in 1996...	Hanguk Kiwon	6
7th-t	Chang Hao Chang Hao Chang Hao is a professional Go player. He is a 9 dan Go player from China. He is China's best player of the 1990s and one of the best in the world. Growing up he was a prodigy in China. He has won many titles, two of them international titles. He is best friends with Lee Chang-ho, whom he most...	Zhongguo Qiyuan Zhongguo Qiyuan Zhongguo Qiyuan is an official agency responsible for board games and card games such as go, bridge, chess and Chinese chess affairs under the All-China Sports Federation of the People's Republic of China...	3
7th-t	Kong Jie Kong Jie Kong Jie is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Kong Jie turned professional in 1994 at the age of 12. He was promoted to 7-dan after 8-years in 2001. In 2004 he was sent into the Teda Cup as China's representative against Lee Chang-ho and Yoda Norimoto...	Zhongguo Qiyuan Zhongguo Qiyuan Zhongguo Qiyuan is an official agency responsible for board games and card games such as go, bridge, chess and Chinese chess affairs under the All-China Sports Federation of the People's Republic of China...	3
7th-t	Pak Yeong-hun	Hanguk Kiwon	3
10th	6 players tied at 2

China

Place	Player	Total	International
1st	Gu Li Gu Li Gu Li is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Gu Li is currently the #1 ranked Chinese player by the Zhongguo Qiyuan. He became a pro in 1994 when he was only 12. In 2006, he won the 10th LG Cup and became the youngest Chinese player to ever win a major international title; as a result,...	46	7
2nd	Ma Xiaochun Ma Xiaochun Ma Xiaochun is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Ma was born in Zhejiang, China. He began playing Go at the age of nine and was awarded 7 dan rank in 1982. In 1983, Ma was promoted to 9 dan. He visited Japan in 1982 and later won the World Amateur Go Championship in 1983...	40	2
3rd	Chang Hao Chang Hao Chang Hao is a professional Go player. He is a 9 dan Go player from China. He is China's best player of the 1990s and one of the best in the world. Growing up he was a prodigy in China. He has won many titles, two of them international titles. He is best friends with Lee Chang-ho, whom he most...	28	3
4th	Nie Weiping Nie Weiping Nie Weiping in Shen, Hebei, China) is a professional Go player.- Biography :Nie began learning Go at the age of nine and won the inaugural World Amateur Go Championship in 1979. Nie was given 9 dan rank in 1982. He became famous in the Go world after leading China to victory in the China-Japan...	20	0
5th	Kong Jie Kong Jie Kong Jie is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Kong Jie turned professional in 1994 at the age of 12. He was promoted to 7-dan after 8-years in 2001. In 2004 he was sent into the Teda Cup as China's representative against Lee Chang-ho and Yoda Norimoto...	18	3
6th	Zhou Heyang Zhou Heyang Zhou Heyang is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Zhou Heyang was born in Luoyang, Henan, China. He is a Chinese professional Go player. He turned professional in 1988, and advanced to 9 dan in 2001. He started learning how to play Go at the age of 8...	12	0
7th-t	Yu Bin Yu Bin Yu Bin is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Yu Bin is one of China's best Go players. He became 9 dan in 1991 at the age of 24.- Titles & Runner Up's :...	10	1
7th-t	Qiu Jun Qiu Jun Qiu Jun is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Jun started learning Go at the age of 6. He became a professional in 1994. Over the next 3 years, he gained 3 consecutive promotions. He was promoted to 7 dan in 2005 and then reached 8 dan in 2006...	10	0
9th-t	Liu Xiaoguang Liu Xiaoguang Liu Xiaoguang is a professional Go player.-Biography:He started playing Go at the age of 13 and became a 6 dan professional in 1982. In 1988, he was awarded 9 dan by the Zhongguo Qiyuan. Liu defeated four Japanese professionals in the 3rd China-Japan Supermatches.- Titles and runners-up :Ranks...	8	0
9th-t	Yang Hui	8	0

Japan

Place	Player	Total	International
1st	Cho Chikun Cho Chikun Cho Chihun 25th Honinbo Honorary Meijin is a professional Go player. His total title tally of 71 titles is the most in the history of the Japanese Nihon Ki-in. Cho is the only player to hold the top three titles—Kisei, Meijin, and Honinbo—simultaneously which he did for 3 years in a row...	71	2
2nd	Sakata Eio (deceased)	64	0
3rd	Kobayashi Koichi	57	1
4th	Kato Masao (deceased)	46	0
5th	Otake Hideo	38	1
6th	Cho U Cho U Cho U Kisei, Oza is a professional Go player. He currently ranks 6th in the most titles won by a Japanese professional; his NEC Cup win in 2011 put him past his teacher Rin Kaiho and Norimoto Yoda. Cho is the only player in history to have held five of the top seven major titles...	35	1
7th-t	Yoda Norimoto	34	2
7th-t	Rin Kaiho Rin Kaiho Rin Kaiho is a professional Go player.-Biography:Rin Kaiho was born in Shanghai, China. He was a student of Go Seigen when Go brought him to Japan in 1952. He was a promising player who won his first title at the age of 23, the Meijin. He is also part of the 1200 win group...	34	1
9th	Takemiya Masaki	22	2
10th	O Rissei O Rissei Ō Rissei is a professional Go player in Japan.- Biography :Rissei was born in Taiwan and moved to Japan when he was 13 years old; he would become professional the following year. His instructor is Kano Yoshinori.- Titles and runners-up :Ranks #10-t in total amount of titles in Japan.-External...	21	2

South Korea

Place	Player	Total	International
1st	Cho Hunhyun Cho Hunhyun Cho Hunhyun is a Korean 9-dan professional Go player. Considered one of the greatest players of all-time, Cho reached professional level in Korea in 1962. Since then, Cho has amassed 150 professional titles, more than any player in the world. He once held all nine Korea titles simultaneously in 1980...	150	9
2nd	Lee Chang-ho Lee Chang-ho Lee Chang-ho is a South Korean professional Go player of 9-dan rank. He is regarded by many as one of the strongest modern Go players. He was a student of Cho Hunhyun 9-dan. He is the only player to have won all eight international competitions at least once.-Biography:He turned professional in...	140	18
3rd	Lee Sedol Lee Sedol Lee Sedol is a South Korean professional Go player of 9-dan rank.-Biography:Many regard Lee Sedol as one of the strongest players of all time. Lee was born in Korea in 1983 and studied at the Hanguk Kiwon. He ranks third in career titles with 37, behind Cho Hunhyun and Lee Chang-ho...	38	12
4th	Rui Naiwei Rui Naiwei Rui Naiwei is a Chinese professional Go player, now active in South Korea...	32	6
5th	Kim In Kim In Kim In is a professional Go player.- Biography :Kim In became a professional in 1958 when he was 15. He was a student at the legendary Minoru Kitani school in 1962 and left to return home a year later. He was promoted to 9 dan in 1983, and was the third ever 9 dan in Korea. He was famous for his...	26	0
6th	Yoo Changhyuk Yoo Changhyuk Yoo Changhyuk is a professional Go player in South Korea.- Biography :Yoo Changhyuk was one of Korea's best Go players. Growing up without a teacher, Yoo became a professional in 1984 and was promoted to 9 dan in 1996...	24	6
7th	Cho Namchul (deceased)	22	0
8th	Seo Bongsoo Seo Bongsoo Seo Bongsoo is a professional Go player.- Biography :Seo Bongsoo turned professional in 1970. By 1986 he became the 4th ever Korean 9 dan. He was Cho Hunhyun's biggest rival in the 1980s. He would constantly challenge Cho in major title events. During their career, Seo and Cho played against each...	21	2
9th	Pak Yeong-hun	16	3
10th	Choi Cheol-han Choi Cheol-han - Career record :2006: 58 wins, 29 losses2007: 45 wins, 25 losses2008: 50 wins, 18 losses2009: 56 wins, 18 losses2010: 63 wins, 22 losses2011: 18 wins, 9 losses- Titles and runners-up :...	10	2

Key
Bold indicates an active player

International

China

Japan

South Korea

See also