Pros

Kim Jiseok, Professional 9 dan

Korean Baduk Association
  

He became a professional Go player at the age of 14 in 2003 and achieved 9D in 2013. In 2014, he won the Samsung World Championship, one of the most prestigious Go tournaments in the world. He also was the runner-up at the LG Cup in 2015, another major international competition. In 2018, he won the TV Asian Championship, which is a highly competitive world blitz competition. He also served as the captain of the Korean national Go team from 2014 to 2022.

Aside from Go, he enjoys playing golf and badminton.

Myungwan Kim, Professional 9 dan

He became a professional in 1994 and 9 dan in 2010. He was a semi-quarter finalist in the Samsung Cup in 2005, the runner up three times at BC Card cup in 1999, 2000 and 2002. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked as an International Go Instructor appointed by the KBA from 2008 - 2017. He has taught many American Go players, had many workshops and lectures, and helped the AGA to start the Professional System in North America. He was undefeated in the US Go Open three times in a row, from 2008 - 2010.

Back in Korea, he reinvented Go for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and taught more than 100 of them. He also trained 29 professional Go players to teach Go to people with ASD.

He currently lives in Honolulu, Hawaii and works as an accountant. He also teaches Go in two local schools, one Go club, and online.

Yilun Yang, Professional 7 dan

Born in Shanghai in 1951, he became a professional Go player in 1966. He joined the Chinese National Go Team in 1973 and later coached the Shanghai professional Go team. Since moving to the United States in 1986, he has become a popular Go teacher. His many books include Fundamental Principles of Go, Whole Board Thinking in Joseki, and Ingenious Life and Death Puzzles. He has taught hundreds of students worldwide via the internet and teaches workshops across the country.

MingJiu Jiang, Professional 7 dan

Mingjiu Jiang was born in July, 1957. He moved to the United States in 2000. He has been a representative of North America to play the World Championship many times. In 2004, he reached the top 16 in the 9th LG World Cup. In 2007, he was the champion of the First North America Ing Masters Championship.

He teaches Go (Weiqi) on/off line. ZhuJiu Jiang, 9p (jujo) is his younger brother.

Cho Zuiketsu, Professional 6 dan

Nihon-Kiin, Tokyo, Japan

Born in 1999 in Taiwan, he became 1p in 2014 at the Nihon Ki-in (Tokyo). His teacher is Takabayashi Takuji, 7p.

In 2019, he attended the European Go Congress 2019 in Belgium. In 2020, he was promoted to 5p, and soon after to 6p.

He creates frequent videos for the Nihon Ki-in YouTube channel. His nickname is Ray.

Hai Li, Professional 5 dan

Hai Li, is a 5-dan pro player originally from China. He has focused on teaching Go for almost 40 years. His students include the world Champion Yue Shi (9 dan) and dozens of pros.  He served as the Henan Province and Tianjin Weiqi team coach from 1986. In 2005, he founded the Jin Hai Weiqi Academy in Tianjin, China. 

In 2018, he moved to Orange County, CA, USA. He founded the Hai Li Go School to offer Go lessons and organize Go tournaments in the local area. Since then, he has been actively teaching Go and his students have spread to many US states.

Ryan Li, Professional 4 dan

Ryan is a Canadian professional Go player. He achieved professional 1 dan in 2014 and 3 dan in 2021. Ryan won several games representing North America in world professional tournaments including the IMSA Elite Mind Games, Samsung Cup, MLILY Go Open, Ing Cup, and Chunlan Cup. He defeated world champion Chen Yaoye 9P and advanced to the world top 16 in 2017. Ryan runs the Random Opening Challenge series on the NYIG Go YouTube channel.
 
Outside Go, Ryan has a PhD from Yale University and several publications in scientific journals. Ryan and his wife, Stephanie Yin 1P, run the New York Institute of Go focused on Go teaching and outreach on the East Coast.

Mateusz Surma, Professional 3 dan - Poland

 

Mateusz has been a professional Go player since 2015.  He is the founder and CEO of www.polgote.com (a platform which connects students with freelance Go teachers).

 

He was the first European to win four games in a row in the Chinese C League. Throughout his career, he has authored nine Go books. You can view all his offerings on his home page.

Married since 2018, he's the father of two kids.

 

Eric Lui, Professional 2 dan

 

Born in Maryland, he started playing Go at age 5 and became shodan in less than a year. In 2010, he finished 2nd in the North American Ing Masters. Since becoming an AGA pro in 2016, he has played in over twenty major international tournaments, including the Samsung Cup, MLILY Cup, Ing Cup, Chunlan Cup, Tianfu Cup, Sankei Cup, World Student Go Oza, Pair Go World Cup, and the World Youth Go Championship. He twice represented the United States in the World Amateur Go Championship and Korea Prime Minister Cup International Baduk Championship, achieving the best-ever U.S. finish in both tournaments.

Hane Shigeko, Professional 1 dan

 

Born in 1973 and became professional 1p in 1998. Shigeko loves to teach Go at all levels, from beginner to dan level. She teaches Go at preschools, elementary schools, universities, and also at her home. At the university, she gives lectures on Go's effect on social welfare and community building.

Shigeko is also studying the impact that Go has on people before and after they develop dementia.

Wife of Naoki Hane, 9p – Nihon Ki-in

Sister of Hideki Matsuoka, 9p – Nihon Ki-in

Daughter in law of Yasumasa Hane, 9p – Nihon Ki-in

Mother of Ayaka Hane, 2p – Nihon Ki-in

Stephanie Yin, Professional 1 dan

 

Stephanie became a professional Go Player through the Chinese Weiqi Association in 2007. She has represented the United States in a number of international tournaments, including the Bingsheng Cup and the MLILY World Go Open. She was a main commentator in the Google Deepmind team for the Ke Jie vs. AlphaGo matches in the Future of Go Summit. Stephanie and her husband, Ryan Li 4P, run the New York Institute of Go focusing on Go teaching and outreach on the east coast.

Do Eunkyo, Professional 1 dan
Korean Baduk Association

 
Eunkyo started learning Go at the age of 10 and was considered a promising prospect for the future. However, she failed to become a professional player at the age of 16 and decided to switch to studies instead. After majoring in mathematics and working at a financial company for 4 years, with a gap of 15 years, she returned to the world of Go. She resumed studying Go and eventually made her professional debut in 2018.

Now, she is challenging her dream of becoming a prominent English Go teacher. She has opened an English YouTube channel and is taking steps towards realizing her dream.

Chujo Chihiro, Professional 1 dan
Kansai-Kiin, Osaka, Japan

Started playing Go at age 7 and became professional in 2011. Loves teaching Go to people of all ages. Has taught in elementary schools, children's classes, Go salons, and cultural centers all over Japan.

"I see Go as a form of communication which should be enjoyed over a good cup of coffee or tea. I'm currently studying English, so please speak slowly to me in simple terms." Outside of Go, she loves to travel, cook, and practice yoga.

Cathy Li, Professional 1 dan
Canadian Go Association

Born in 1974 in Shanghai, China, she started learning Go at the age of seven while studying with the famous Go instructor, Bai Rui Qiu. At the age of 11, she was the only female go player in China to be honored as a "female prodigy" of Go.

In 2008, Ms. Li coached Canada's Go team in the first World Mind Sports Games.

Michael Chen, Professional 1 dan

Michael became 1P in the 2023 NA Qualifier after playing the game for 25 years. As both the newest Pro and the oldest by qualification age, he is excited to finally share his views and approaches to the game with the Go community.

Michael played extensively as an amateur player, including against top Professionals in the 2014 Samsung Cup. You can find more of his Go adventures, such as playing on his Pro Fox account (zchenmike) and on his Twitch and Youtube channels.

Michael works as a financial advisor in New Jersey.

Alex Qi, Professional 1 dan

Alex started playing go at the age of 8. By age 14, he was certified as a professional 1 dan by the North American Go Federation.

After reaching professional rank in 2022, he has played in several major international Go tournaments, including the 1st Quzhou Lanke Cup and the 5th MLILY Cup.

Calvin Sun, Professional 1 dan

Started playing Go at the age of 6, then studied under Mingjiu Jiang 7p. Became AGA 1p in 2013.

When not playing Go, Calvin is working as an optometrist in California.

Jeong Yeonwoo, Professional 1 dan

Korean Baduk Association

Since turning professional in 2016, she played on the Korean Baduk national team in 2018, played on the ORO 2020 Women's Baduk League team, where she won the championship, placed 3rd in the 2021 Korean Women's Baduk League, and has both won and placed 2nd in the 24th Professional Baduk Women's Masters Tournament. She also reached round 16 at the Korea Women's Baduk Tournament.

Since then, she has lectured at Seoul National University in Korea where she gave talks on “AI and Baduk”. She is a popular Go commentator and host in Korea, appearing on the K-Baduk and Baduk TV channels.

Jeong Ji-woo, Amateur 7 dan

She is the top-ranked amateur player in Korea and has played in many international tournaments in Europe, USA, and Japan.

Like her sister, Jeong Yeonwoo, Ji-woo also provides commentary on K-Baduk and Baduk TV channels. Here, she interviews Korea’s #2 female pro, Kim Eun-ji.

In-seong Hwang, Amateur 8 dan

(Due to his wife expecting their second child, In-seong will only be joining the congress virtually for a few sessions this year.)

Inseong is a strong 8 dan amateur who teaches Go for a living and who's online Go School is very popular in the U.S. and Europe.

He was a Korean Yunguseng (Insei) from 1996 to 2001. He joined the Myoung-ji University Baduk Department in 2002 and also worked as a Baduk television commentator. He came to Europe in 2005 and since then, has been teaching Go for western Go players for over 15 years. While living in Europe, he was the top-ranked player for 5 years (2013-2018), and for the last ten years he has been the Official Go Instructor of the French and Swiss Go Associations. His four-lecture series has been a popular feature of recent Congresses.