This article gives an overview of well-known professional and amateur players of the board game 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 every player's name. For a complete list of player articles, see :Category:Go players.

The important dates that this separation is based on are: The establishment of the Four go houses at the start of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The demise of the houses in the Meiji Period (end 19th century) followed by their replacement by the Nihon Kiin in 1924. The start of international tournament Go in 1989

A Japanese census on Go players performed in 2002 estimates that over 24 million people worldwide play Go, most of whom live in Asia. Most of the players listed on this article are professionals, though some top level amateurs have been included. Players famous for achievements outside Go are listed in their own section.

Prior to 17th century Wei Qi was recorded throughout the history of China. The first record of Wei Qi player was by Mencius.

China Origin Name DOB–DOD Peak rank Notes Yi Qiu (弈秋) circa 350 BCE Guoshou First recorded Wei Qi player. He was commonly known as Qiu (秋) the Wei Qi player (Yi 弈, which is the original name of Wei Qi). He was a native of the state Qi 齊 and mentioned by Mencius (372 BC – 289 BC) in 《孟子·告子章句上》: 今夫弈之为数，小数也。不专心致志，则不得也。弈秋，通国之善弈者也。使弈秋诲二人弈，其一人专心致志，惟弈秋之为听；一人虽听之，一心以为有鸿鹄将至，思援弓缴而射之，虽与俱学，弗若之矣！ He was called "通国之善弈者", literally "the finest Yi player of the whole state", i.e. Guoshou. Yan Wu (嚴武) circa 200 CE – 250 CE Qishen, 1 pin/品 Scholar name Zi Qin子卿 Son of Wu Minister Yan Jun 嚴畯. Mentioned in The Record of Wu 《吴录》：“严武字子卿，卫尉畯再从子也，围棋莫与为辈。” Ma Lang (馬朗) 200 CE – 250 CE Qishen, 1 pin/品 Scholar name Su Ming 綏明, same time as Yan Wu. Wang Kang (王抗) circa 424 CE – 483 CE Guoshou, 1 pin/品 Member of the famous Wang clan of Lan Xie County, recorded in History of the Southern Dynasties 《南史·萧思话传》. Fan Ning'er (范宁儿) circa 424 CE – 483 CE Guoshou, 1 pin/品 Member of the delegates of Northern Wei to Southern Qi, he played a Wei Qi match against Wang Kang under the order of Southern Qi's Wu Emperor Xiao Ze(齊武帝蕭賾, reign 482 CE – 493 CE), and won the match (recorded in <<北史·魏书·蒋少游传>>. Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝萧衍) 464 CE – 549 CE Guoshou, yi pin/逸品 (super strong 1 pin) Emperor Wu of Southern Liang dynasty, personal name Xiao Yan, was a member of the Xiao clan of Lang Ning and founder of the Southern Liang dynasty. His reign was 502 CE – 549 CE), famous for his Wei Qi skill, he was recorded in his bibliography as yi pin (strong 1 pin) by later historian in 《梁书·武帝纪》.

17th through 19th centuries In the 17th, 18th and 19th century, Go was popular in both Japan (Edo period) and China (period of the Qing dynasty). In Korea, a Go variant called Sunjang baduk was played.

Japan At the start of the Tokugawa Shogunate, four Go academies were established. This table lists all heads of these houses, as well as some that were appointed heir but died before they became head of the house. Tokugawa also established the post of Godokoro (minister of Go), which was awarded to the strongest player of a generation. Such players were dubbed Meijin (brilliant man), which was considered equal to a 9 dan professional grade. Over the 300-year period covered here, only ten players received the title of Meijin. Several other players (16 total) received the title of Jun-Meijin (half-Meijin), which is considered to equal an 8 dan professional grade and listed as such below. In some houses it was the custom that the head of the house was always named the same according to the iemoto system (家元). All heads of the house Inoue (井上) were named Inseki (因碩), heads of the house Yasui (安井 ) were named Senkaku (仙角) from the 4th head onward, and heads of the house Hayashi (林) were named Monnyu (門入) from the second head onward. To distinguish between these players, the names listed below are the names they had before becoming head of their house, or after their retirement. The house Honinbo (本因坊) had no such tradition, although heads would often take one character from the name of their predecessor into their own name, notably the character Shu (秀) from the 14th head onward.

Origin Name DOB–DOD Peak rank* Notes Honinbo Sansa (本因坊算砂) 1559–1623 Meijin, 9 dan Founder and first head of the house Honinbo. Nakamura Doseki (中村道碩) 1582–1630 Meijin, 9 dan Retrospectively seen as founder of the house Inoue. Hayashi Monnyusai (林門入斎) 1583–1667 7 or 8 dan Founder and first head of the house Hayashi. Yasui Santetsu (安井算哲) 1589–1652 8 dan Founder and first head of the house Yasui. Inoue Genkaku (井上玄覚) 1605–1673 7 dan First head of the Inoue house on the unrevised numbering (not counting Nakamura Doseki). Honinbo Sanetsu (本因坊算悦) 1611–1658 8 dan Second head of the house Honinbo, Jun-Meijin. Yasui Sanchi (安井算知) 1617–1703 Meijin, 9 dan Second head of the house Yasui. Honinbo Doetsu (本因坊道悦) 1636–1727 7 dan Third head of the house Honinbo. Honinbo Dosaku (本因坊道策) 1645–1702 Meijin, 9 dan Fourth head of the house Honinbo. One of the greatest players of all time, and the first Kisei (go saint); an important influence on go theory. Honinbo Doteki (本因坊道的) 1669–1690 7 dan Heir to the house Honinbo. Was considered an extremely talented Go prodigy. Hayashi Monnyu (林門入) 1678–1719 6 dan Second head of the Hayashi house. Honinbo Dochi (本因坊道知) 1690–1727 Meijin, 9 dan Fifth head of the house Honinbo. Honinbo Chihaku (本因坊知伯) 1710–1733 6 dan Sixth Honinbo. Honinbo Shuhaku (本因坊秀伯) 1716–1741 6 dan Seventh head of the house Honinbo. Honinbo Satsugen (本因坊察元) 1733–1788 Meijin, 9 dan Ninth head of the house Honinbo. Honinbo Genjo (本因坊元丈) 1775–1832 8 dan Eleventh head of the house Honinbo. Honinbo Jowa (本因坊丈和) 1787–1847 8 dan Was dubbed Kisei (go sage), played the famous "Blood Vomiting Game" with Akaboshi Intetsu. Ota Yuzo (太田雄蔵) 1807–1856 7 dan was a close friend of Honinbo Shusaku and once played a famous sanjubango (30 game match) with him. Intetsu Akaboshi (赤星因徹) 1810–1835 7 dan Honinbo Shusaku (本因坊秀策) 1829–1862 7 dan One of the greatest players ever, he died young. He was posthumously awarded the title of Kisei (go sage). Honinbo Shuho (本因坊秀甫) 1838–1886 8 dan Was the founder of Hoensha and the man who taught Go to Oskar Korschelt. Honinbo Shuei (本因坊秀栄) 1854–1907 9 dan was the 17th and again 19th head of the Honinbo house. Very active and innovative in the 1890s. Honinbo Shusai (本因坊秀哉) 1874–1940 9 dan was the last and 21st head of "Honinbo" House, and founder of the Nihon Ki-in. *All ranks are professional dan grades unless otherwise noted.

China Origin Name DOB–DOD Peak rank Notes Guo Wen-nian (過文年) 1610s–1670s Guoshou, Qishen, 1 pin/品 Better known by his scholar name Guo Bai-Nian 過百齡 or Guo Bo-Nian過伯齡. Ancestor of Guo Ti-sheng 過惕生(1907–1989), teacher of Nie Hui-Ping. Author of Wei Qi classic 《官子譜》,《三子譜》 and 《四子譜》. Huang Longshi (黃龍士) 1650s–1690s Guoshou, Qishen, 1 pin/品 Was considered by Go Seigen to have been at least the level of Honinbo Dosaku. He reached Guoshou* at the age of 16.梁魏今 Liang Wei-Jin (梁魏今) 1680s–1760s Guoshou, Qishen, 1 pin/品 Pen name Hui Jing 會京. Native of Huaian in northern Jiangsu. Taught both Fan Xiping and Shi Shao-An. Cheng Lan-Ru (程蘭如) 1690–1765 Guoshou, Qishen, 1 pin/品 Native of She County 歙縣 in southern Anhui. Also known for strong Xiangqi. Fan Xiping (范西屏) 1709–1769 Guoshou, Qishen, 1 pin/品 Native of Haining, Zhejiang Province. Played 13 games with Shi Xiping in which 10 games survived in records, with score 5–5. Author of 《桃花泉弈譜》,《二子譜》and《四子譜》. Shi Shaoan (施紹暗) 1710–1769 Guoshou, Qishen, 1 pin/品 Better known by his scholar name Shi Xiangxia 施襄夏 and pen name Shi Ding-En 施定庵. Also Native of Haining, Zhejiang Province. *Players could achieve the level of Guoshou (literally National Hand), which is best in the nation and ranked 1 pin 品. This title is a derivation of Mencius description of Yi Qiu (弈秋), Qiu the Yi player in 《孟子·告子章句上》: 今夫弈之为数，小数也。不专心致志，则不得也。弈秋，通国之善弈者也。使弈秋诲二人弈，其一人专心致志，惟弈秋之为听；一人虽听之，一心以为有鸿鹄将至，思援弓缴而射之，虽与俱学，弗若之矣！as being "通国之善弈者", literally the finest Yi player of the whole nation. It is considered to be equal to the Japanese title of Meijin. The term Qi Sheng (棋圣) was first mentioned by Ge Hong (葛洪) in 《抱朴子》：“棋之无敌者，则谓之棋圣。” The literal meaning is the Invincible Qi player is called the Saint of Qi (Qi Sheng). Note that both Guoshou and Qisheng were not tournament winner titles; instead they were honorific titles used by Wei Qi players and historians respectively to refer to the best players who were invincible in highest graded tournaments. Guoshou was the normal term used to refer to the promo player while he was alive, whereas Qisheng was used more as posthumous fame. The ranking of players began in West Han dynasty (2nd century BCE) and formally recognized by the Governments during the North and South Dynasties Period (3rd to 6th century CE). There were 9 ranks called pin 品 in the system, the same as the ranking system for government officials. The lowest rank was 9 pin, then 8 pin, etc. up to 1 pin. The difference of the lower 5 pin was about 1 zi (子, piece or stone), and the difference between the top 4 pin was half zi.

20th century

Japan