Top 10 Go Players in the Past 30 Years: China and South Korea Evenly Matched, No. 1 Difficult to Decide

In the past 30 years, the top 10 go players have been evenly matched between China and South Korea, with the number one position being difficult to determine.

Park Jung-woo (朴廷桓)

With 5 world championships under his belt, Park Jung-woo was once ranked as the world's number one player during his peak. Known for his stable strength and style, he has no obvious weaknesses. He has also won multiple gold medals for South Korea at the Asian Games and the Nongshim Cup team competition, maintaining a long-term dominance in both South Korea and the world rankings during his peak period.
Kong Jie (孔杰)

At the age of 16, Kong Jie reached the semi-finals of the Chunlan Cup and finished third, gaining fame at a young age. In 2009, he began his legendary run at the Asian Cup Blitz Chess Championship, consecutively defeating three major Korean players: Kang Dong-yun, Lee Chang-ho, and Lee Se-dol to win the title. He then went on to win three more world championship titles. Although his peak may have only lasted a year, achieving three titles in that time is rare. The reason why "Jade-faced Chess King" faded from public view after a year of glory remains a mystery.
Ma Xiaochun (马晓春)

Ma Xiaochun's playing style is light and flexible, with deep calculations and extremely meticulous thinking, making him the leader of Chinese go in the 1990s. He has an exceptional talent, with the ability to remember things at a glance. His understanding of go is profound, and he is known for his unique personal style, considered technically comprehensive and adept at changes. 1995 was his peak year, when he twice won world championships, demonstrating a strength that could rival the then-world number one, Lee Chang-ho. As the first male Chinese individual world champion, his achievements are historically significant. His abilities were recognized, having set a record of winning the Chinese Celebrity title thirteen times in a row. Indeed, a genius is a genius, but when faced with the peak of Lee Chang-ho, he was unable to achieve further honors.
Cho Hunhyun (曹薰铉)

Known as the "Immortal Go King," Cho Hunhyun single-handedly prevented three generations of Chinese leaders from reaching the pinnacle of world championships. He won the first Ying Shi Cup championship, which was also the first world championship title, laying a solid foundation for the golden age of Korean go. As the last disciple of Sekiyama Kenzo and junior brother of Wu Qingyuan, he also cultivated Lee Chang-ho, the number one go player, all of whom are figures of epoch-making significance in the history of go.
Gu Li (古力)

Gu Li is the first Chinese player to win eight world championships. During his peak, he was the only one who could compete with the prodigy Lee Se-dol. Nie Weiping believes that Gu Li's style is full of domineering power, and if he had a bit more gentleness, it would be even better. Some believe that his overall strategy and balance are slightly inferior to Chang Hao, and he has weaknesses in the endgame, which is why he did not achieve higher accomplishments.
Li Xuanhao (李轩豪)

Li Xuanhao is one of the most successful Chinese players in studying AI, earning the nickname "Xuan Gong Intelligence." However, he is very modest, believing that there is still a gap between himself and the world number one, Shin Jin-woo. He is always working hard in a low-key manner and then surprising everyone with his achievements. With both diligence and talent, as well as humility, he responded to doubts with practical results, winning a world championship and showing potential for more.
Shin Jin-woo (申真谞)

Shin Jin-woo has the potential to win over ten world championships. As a prodigy, he faced Chinese players in the arena and achieved success after many failures, marking the beginning of his era. After the advent of artificial intelligence, as the best representative among young players, Shin's research into AI is the most in-depth and effective. Starting with breaking through his nemesis Ke Jie, his win rate reached an astonishing 80% or more, and he even remained undefeated against Chinese players for more than 20 consecutive games. His annual win rate once reached the level of Lee Chang-ho in his prime, which is remarkable given today's intense competition. This achievement is closely related to other players' insufficient research into AI and the reduction in the number of games due to the impact of the pandemic on Chinese players, but it also reflects the historical strength of Shin.
Lee Chang-ho (李昌镐)

Lee Chang-ho is like the sweeping monk in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," with unfathomable strength. He appears ordinary, but by the end of the match, opponents unknowingly lose by just a little, revealing a hierarchical difference in strength. Now, many people also lose by just a little when playing against AI. With 17 world championships, no one has come close to his record.
Lee Se-dol (李世石)

Known as the undefeated youth of Feiqindao, Lee Se-dol is the most talented go player in history. Regardless of how far behind he is at the start, he can reverse the situation with his incredible middle game skills. No matter how unfavorable the situation, he can turn it around with his unique "zombie flow." He made the "divine dig" move, becoming the only player to defeat AlphaGo.
Ke Jie (柯洁)

"If there were a hundred percent chances of winning, then he indeed has fifty percent." "AlphaGo can defeat Lee Se-dol, but it cannot defeat me." After AlphaGo defeated Lee Se-dol, it was thought to lack persuasiveness because the strongest player at the time was Ke Jie, not Lee Se-dol. Originally a prodigy with the potential to surpass Gu Li and even Lee Se-dol's number of championships, unfortunately, after the advent of artificial intelligence, he suffered a setback. Coupled with the impact of the epidemic, he was quickly surpassed by Korean players. His original go philosophy was overturned, and he engaged in various activities such as attending university and participating in various programs, completely lacking the youthful vigor of playing thousands of online games with a single-minded focus on defeating all opponents. If Ke Jie continued to work as hard as before and seriously studied AI, how terrifying would his current strength be? Back then, he was the nemesis of the current world number one, Shin Jin-woo, almost always defeating him in matches, remaining undefeated against foreign players in series games, and only losing to Chen Yaoye among domestic players.