Editing Go (game) (section)

=== Top players and professional Go ===
{{See also|List of top title holders in Go|Go players|Female Go players|Go professional|List of professional Go tournaments}}

A Go professional is a professional player of the game of Go. There are six areas with professional go associations, these are: China ([[Chinese Weiqi Association]]), Japan ([[Nihon Ki-in]], [[Kansai Ki-in]]), South Korea ([[Korea Baduk Association]]), Taiwan ([[Taiwan Chi Yuan Culture Foundation]]), the United States ([[American Go Association#Professional players|AGA Professional System]]) and Europe ([[European Go Federation|European Professional System]]).

Although the game was developed in China, the establishment of the [[Four Go houses]] by [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] at the start of the 17th century shifted the focus of the Go world to Japan. State sponsorship, allowing players to dedicate themselves full-time to study of the game, and fierce competition between individual houses resulted in a significant increase in the level of play. During this period, the best player of his generation was given the prestigious title [[Meijin (go)|Meijin]] (master) and the post of [[Godokoro]] (minister of Go). Of special note are the players who were dubbed [[Kisei (go)|Kisei]] (Go Sage). The only three players to receive this honor were [[Hon'inbō Dōsaku|Dōsaku]], [[Hon'inbō Jōwa|Jōwa]] and [[Hon'inbō Shūsaku|Shūsaku]], all of the house [[Hon'inbō]].<ref name=jowa.html/>

[[File:GovsShusai.jpg|thumb|left| [[Hon'inbō Shūsai]] (left), last head of house Hon'inbō, plays against then-up-and-coming [[Go Seigen]] in the [[The game of the century (Go)|game of the century]]. ]]

After the end of the [[Tokugawa shogunate]] and the [[Meiji Restoration]] period, the Go houses slowly disappeared, and in 1924, the [[Nihon Ki-in]] (Japanese Go Association) was formed. Top players from this period often played newspaper-sponsored matches of 2–10 games.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/orient/go/history/newspaper.html | title = History of Newspaper Go | last = Fairbairn | first = John | access-date = 2018-01-06 | url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110608021318/http://www.msoworld.com/mindzine/news/orient/go/history/newspaper.html | archive-date= 2011-06-08}}</ref> Of special note are the (Chinese-born) player [[Go Seigen]] (Chinese: Wu Qingyuan), who scored 80% in these matches and beat down most of his opponents to inferior handicaps,<ref>{{Citation | publisher = GoBase.org | url = http://gobase.org/games/china/misc/disks/matches.html | title = Go Seigen: Match Player | access-date = 2007-06-14}}</ref> and [[Minoru Kitani]], who dominated matches in the early 1930s.<ref>{{Citation | last = Fairbairn | first = John | url = http://senseis.xmp.net/?KitaniMinoru | title = Kitani's Streak | access-date = 2007-06-14}}</ref> These two players are also recognized for their groundbreaking work on new [[Go opening theory|opening theory]] ([[Shinfuseki]]).<ref name=ShinFuseki>{{Citation | url = http://gobase.org/information/players/?pp=Kubomatsu+Katsukiyo | first = John | last = Fairbairn | title = Kubomatsu's central thesis | access-date = 2008-01-17}}</ref>

For much of the 20th century, Go continued to be dominated by players trained in Japan. Notable names included [[Eio Sakata]], [[Rin Kaiho]] (born in Taiwan), [[Masao Kato]], [[Koichi Kobayashi]] and [[Cho Chikun]] (born Cho Ch'i-hun, from South Korea).<ref>{{Citation | publisher = GoBase.org | url = http://gobase.org/games/jp/ | title = List of Japanese titles, prizemoney and winners | access-date = 2008-06-11}}</ref> Top Chinese and Korean talents often moved to Japan, because the level of play there was high and funding was more lavish. One of the first Korean players to do so was [[Cho Namchul]], who studied in the [[Kitani Dojo]] 1937–1944. After his return to Korea, the [[Hanguk Kiwon]] (Korea Baduk Association) was formed and caused the level of play in South Korea to rise significantly in the second half of the 20th century.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.usgo.org/news/index.php?%23_id=102 | title = KBA Founder Cho Nam Chul passes | first = Janice | last = Kim | publisher = American Go Association | access-date = 2008-06-11}}</ref> In China, the game declined during the [[Cultural Revolution]] (1966–1976) but quickly recovered in the last quarter of the 20th century, bringing Chinese players, such as [[Nie Weiping]] and [[Ma Xiaochun]], on par with their Japanese and South Korean counterparts.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/cugos/tesuji/weiqi_chinese_culture.html | title = Weiqi in Chinese Culture | last = Matthews | first = Charles | access-date = 2007-06-04 | archive-date = 2007-11-30 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071130002057/http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/cugos/tesuji/weiqi_chinese_culture.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> The [[Chinese Weiqi Association]] (today part of the China Qiyuan) was established in 1962, and professional dan grades started being issued in 1982.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.sina.com.cn/go/2016-07-22/doc-ifxuhukz0789072.shtml|title=中国围棋职业段位制的历史|author=朱宝训|publisher=[[Sina.com.cn]]|date=22 July 2016|access-date=7 January 2018|language=zh}}</ref> Western professional Go began in 2012 with the American Go Association's Professional System.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usgo.org/aga-professional-system|title=AGA Professional System|publisher=usgo.org|access-date=3 March 2015}}</ref> In 2014, the European Go Federation followed suit and started their professional system.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogofed.org/proqualification/|title=1st European Pro Qualification 2014|year=2014|access-date=11 January 2015}}</ref> [[File:Changho-Dinerchtein.jpg|thumb|South Korean player [[Lee Chang-ho]] plays against Russian player [[Alexandre Dinerchtein]], seven-time European Champion and one of the few non-East Asian players to reach [[Go professional|professional]] status.]]

With the advent of major international titles from 1989 onward, it became possible to compare the level of players from different countries more accurately. [[Cho Hunhyun]] of South Korea won the first edition of the Quadrennial [[Ing Cup]] in 1989. His disciple [[Lee Chang-ho]] was the dominant player in international Go competitions for more than a decade spanning much of 1990s and early 2000s; he is also credited with groundbreaking works on the endgame. Cho, Lee and other South Korean players such as [[Seo Bong-soo]], [[Yoo Changhyuk]] and [[Lee Sedol]] between them won the majority of international titles in this period.<ref>{{Citation | publisher = GoBase.org | url = http://gobase.org/games/nn/ | title = List of International titles, prizemoney and winners | access-date = 2008-06-11}}</ref> Several Chinese players also rose to the top in international Go from 2000s, most notably [[Ma Xiaochun]], [[Chang Hao (Go player)|Chang Hao]], [[Gu Li (Go player)|Gu Li]] and [[Ke Jie]]. {{As of|2016}}, Japan lags behind in the international Go scene.

Historically, more men than women have played Go. Special tournaments for women exist, but until recently, men and women did not compete together at the highest levels; however, the creation of new, open tournaments and the rise of strong female players, most notably [[Rui Naiwei]], have in recent years highlighted the strength and competitiveness of emerging female players.{{sfn|Shotwell|2003|p={{page needed|date=June 2020}}}}

The level in other countries has traditionally been much lower, except for some players who had preparatory professional training in East Asia.{{efn|1=[[Kaku Takagawa]] toured Europe around 1970, and reported (''Go Review'') a general standard of amateur 4 ''dan''. This is a good amateur level but no more than might be found in ordinary East Asian clubs. Published current European ratings would suggest around 100 players stronger than that, with very few European 7 ''dans''.}} Knowledge of the game has been scant elsewhere up until the 20th century. A famous player of the 1920s was [[Edward Lasker]].{{efn|1=European Go has been documented by Franco Pratesi, ''Eurogo'' (Florence 2003) in three volumes, up to 1920, 1920–1950, and 1950 and later.}} It was not until the 1950s that more than a few Western players took up the game as other than a passing interest. In 1978, [[Manfred Wimmer]] became the first Westerner to receive a professional player's certificate from an East Asian professional Go association.<ref name=wimmer>{{Citation | url = https://www.britgo.org/bgj/04112.html | title =Wimmer, Kerwin, Make Professional Shodan | publisher = British Go Association | access-date = 2008-06-11}}</ref> In 2000, American [[Michael Redmond (Go player)|Michael Redmond]] became the first Western player to achieve a 9 dan rank.