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Dan
  Difficulty: Beginner   Keywords: Culture & History, Go term

Dan is master's rank in Japan.

Both amateurs and professionals use this term, but the strength is very different.

Amateur players are supposed to be ranked from 1st to 7th dan. Weaker players have kyu rankings. Difference in amateur dans is equivalent to a handicap that would make chances of winning even. Sometimes amateurs are awarded an honorary 8 dan rank. An example is the winner of the World Amateur Go Championship.

Professionals are considered to be stronger than 6th amateur dan. Difference in strength between professional dans is less than one stone (approximately 1/3 of a stone).


In contrast to the translation given in RGG-FAQ 1.7, 'grade', I like 'step' as a translation of 'dan' better. The image would be like: During your time in the kyu-ranks you decided whether you will stick to Go. Whether you get satisfaction from it and things like that. Reaching 'dan' you quite showed that Go is important for you - that you spent much time on it and are willing to spend even more. So when receiving a 'dan' you made (just) a step. A step towards an (unreachable) goal. -- SteffenGlueckselig

John F. But a grade is a step - Latin gradus.

I have to admit - I didn't know that ;-|. I still like the more 'philosophical' connotation of 'step' better, though. -- SteffenGlueckselig



This is a copy of the living page "Dan" at Sensei's Library.
(OC) 2003 the Authors, published under the OpenContent License V1.0.