Mingren literally translated, means "Brilliant Man," i.e., meijin in Japanese, and myungin in Korean. It the name of a Go competition in China

People's Republic of China

China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

, which is the Chinese equivalent of the Nihon-Kiin's Meijin

Meijin

Meijin , literally translated, means "Brilliant Man." It is the name of the second most prestigious Japanese Go Tournament. It also refers to a traditional Japanese title given to the strongest player of the day during the Edo period.- The tournament :...

.

Outline

The Mingren is sponsored by the 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...

 and Chinese People's Daily

People's Daily

The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...

. There are 64 players who compete to get into a 16 player preliminary. The preliminary is a single knockout format, and the final for the challenger is a best-of-3 while the final is best-of-5. The winner's purse in 2008 was 100,000 CY ($14,600). In 2010, the defending Champion 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,...

 failed to defend his Mingren title, after 6 consecutive triumphs. His opponent, the rapidly improving Jiang Weijie, lost the first game by brilliant moves from Gu Li, won the second with white by leading largely in territory, won the third with Black with a brilliant move to force Gu's loss of territory, lost the important fourth game by the inability to look after 2 sides, and Finally won the fifth by provoking Gu Li's aggressive style and neutralizing all blacks efforts, also playing move 174 which gained Jiang a 15 point advantage and then lead in territory with white. Jiang will now enter the 2011 "Meijin of Meijins".

Past winners and runners-up

Year	Winner	Score	Runner-up
1988	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...	3–1	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 :...
1989	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...	3–0	Liu Xiaoguang
1990	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	Yu Bin
1991	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	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...
1992	Ma Xiaochun	3–1	Zhang Wendong
1993	Ma Xiaochun	3–0	Cao Dayuan Cao Dayuan Cáo Dàyuán , born January 26, 1962) is a professional Go player.- Biography :Cao started learning Go when he was 11. He won the 4th World Amateur Go Championship in 1982 and turned professional in 1985. He was promoted to 9 dan in 1986....
1994	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	Luo Xihe Luo Xihe Luo Xihe is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Luo Xihe started learning Go at the age of six. He turned pro in 1989, and was promoted to 9 dan in 2002.- Titles & runners-up :- External links :*...
1995	Ma Xiaochun	3–0	Liu Xiaoguang
1996	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	Liu Xiaoguang
1997	Ma Xiaochun	3–1	Luo Xihe Luo Xihe Luo Xihe is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :Luo Xihe started learning Go at the age of six. He turned pro in 1989, and was promoted to 9 dan in 2002.- Titles & runners-up :- External links :*...
1998	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	Liu Xiaoguang
1999	Ma Xiaochun	3–0	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...
2000	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	Shao Weigang Shao Weigang Shao Weigang is a professional Go player.- Biography :Shao started to learn Go at the age of 8. By 1986, when he was 13, Shao turned professional. Over 12 years, he was promoted to 9 dan. He currently resides in China....
2001	Ma Xiaochun	3–2	Chang Hao
2002	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...	3–1	Ma Xiaochun
2003	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...	3–2	Zhou Heyang
2004	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,...	3–0	Qiu Jun
2005	Gu Li	3–0	Yu Bin
2006	Gu Li	3–0	Zhou Ruiyang Zhou Ruiyang Zhou Ruiyang is a Chinese professional Go player.-Biography:Zhou began playing Go at the age of 7. He won the biggest amateur tournament in China, the Wanbao Cup, both the same year before he became a professional. In 2005, he was promoted to 3p. Earlier that year, he won the U-15 section of the...
2007	Gu Li	3–0	Ding Wei Ding Wei Ding Wei is a Chinese professional Go player.- Biography :In 1992, Ding became a professional. He advanced a rank every year until 2001, where he reached 8 dan. After six years, he reached his current rank of 9 dan....
2008	Gu Li	3–2	Piao Wenyao Piao Wenyao Piao Wenyao is a Chinese professional Go player of Korean descent currently residing in Harbin, Heilongjiang.- Biography :...
2009	Gu Li	3–1	Gu Lingyi Gu Lingyi Gu Lingyi is a Chinese professional Go player.Lingyi became a professional in 2002. He won his first title, the South-West Qiwang, in 2007...
2010	Jiang Weijie Jiang Weijie -Career record:*2007: 29 wins, 15 losses*2009: 39 wins, 18 losses*2010: 32 wins, 23 losses-Titles and runners-up:-References:...	3–2	Gu Li