Promoting Go in the UK and beyond
Frequently Asked Questions about Go
- How many Go players are there in the world?
- How many Go players are there in the UK?
- How do Go grades work?
- How do these Go grades compare with chess ratings?
- Who is the world Go champion?
- Who is the UK Go champion?
- How can I find a Go Club?
- What Go events take place in Britain?
- Are computers good at Go?
How many Go players are there in the world?
About 40,000,000. Most of these are in Korea, China and Japan.
How many Go players are there in the UK?
We think that there are about 10,000 active Go players in Britain, and many more who have some recognition of the game. Some 15000 people have been taught to play in the last three years. The British Go Association has about 600 registered members.
How do Go grades work?
Most graded players have “kyu” ratings, from 30 kyu for a beginner up to 1 kyu. Stronger amateur players have “dan” ratings, with a 1 dan being slightly better than a 1 kyu, up to the strongest amateurs who are rated 6 dan. China, Japan and Korea also assign professional ratings. A 1-dan professional is about the same as a 6-dan amateur, and the world’s best players are 9 dan. The intervals between professional grades are about three times as close together as those between amateur kyu and dan grades.
How do these Go grades compare with Chess ratings?
This table is approximate.
| Chess | Go | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Description | ELO | Grade | Euro rating | Description |
| Complete beginner | 500 | 30 kyu | Complete beginner | |
| Beginner | 1000 | 20 kyu | 100 | Beginner |
| Club player | 1300 | 15 kyu | 500 | Club player |
| Club player | 1500 | 10 kyu | 1050 | Club player |
| Average club player | 1700 | 5 kyu | 1550 | Average club player |
| Strong club player | 1900 | 2 dan amateur | 2150 | Strong club player |
| Strong club player | 2000 | 3 dan amateur | 2250 | Strong club player |
| Master | 2300 | 6-dan amateur | 2600 | Top amateur |
| Master | 2300 | 1-dan pro | 2600 | Newly-qualified pro |
| I.M. | 2400 | 4-dan pro | 2800 | Mid-ranking pro |
| G.M. | 2500 | 8-dan pro | 2900 | Top pro |
Who is the world Go champion?
There is no established “World Go Championship”. Japan, Korea and China each have a number of Go titles, which are competed for each year, reported in their news media and are well funded. The winner of the Kisei (the most prestigious Japanese tournament) wins 42,000,000 yen (worth about £250,000).
Some people think Yi Ch'ang-ho is the world’s strongest player. He has held simultaneously six of the eleven Korean titles. However another young Korean, Yi Se-tol, has won the top Korean title, and the Fujitsu Cup, which can be regarded as the top “international title”.
Who is the UK Go champion?
The current Britsh Go Champion can be found from our history of British Champions.
How can I find a Go Club?
There are over fifty Go clubs in Britain. The British Go Association web site has a list of these, saying when and where they meet.
What Go events take place in Britain?
About thirty Go tournaments are held in Britain each year. The British Go Association web site has a list of these. Most are one-day events held at weekends, with the first prize going to the strongest player to win all his or her games, and other prizes to players who do well playing against other players of similar strength. Some longer tournaments, and some teaching days, are also held. We also hold online tournaments over the Internet.
Are computers good at Go?
Computer programs are surprisingly bad at playing Go.
An average club player can easily beat the best programs. There is some information about Computer Go at http://www.computer-go.info/.