Chinese Go Association

The Chinese Go Association or Chinese Weiqi Association (中国围棋协会, Zhongguo Weiqi Xiehui) is the official, professional, go organization in China and was founded in 1962. In 1982, it initiated China's first, professional go ranking system with ten players, and prior to that it had been one of the major organizations for amateur players, organizing domestic tournaments and exchange matches with Japan. It is a branch of the Zhongguo Qiyuan (an official, government, oversight agency for board and card games).

Brief History

In 1960, Chen Yi?, China's Foreign Minister, helped establish a set of annual friendly exchange matches against a mix of five Japanese amateur and professional players and China's top amateurs. They proved popular and so by 1962 the Chinese government, who had already recognized go as a national sport, established the Chinese Go Association. In the first exchange, the Japanese team dominated with a record of 32-wins and 3-losses. Over the next several years Chinese players showed slow improvement, which spurred on the popularity of go in China and increased younger participants in the exchanges. From 1967 to 1972 the exchange was interrupted during the Cultural Revolution. In 1973, the current Chinese Go Association was reformed and the exchanges resumed.

Throughout the next decade China made great strides in the exchange matches and began to initiate several domestic tournaments for amateurs. In 1979, top amateur player Nie Weiping won the first World Amateur Go Championship, gaining great media attention to the Chinese go world. In the fall of 1981, the Chinese Go Association announced the institution of its first, professional go player system and the rankings came into effect in 1982. The first ten professionals were chosen from the top amateurs and the first Chinese Promotion Tournament occurred in March 1982, with the goal of promoting additional amateurs to professional status. Several more promotion tournaments were held and by mid 1983 the Chinese Go Association had promoted about 130-140 amateurs to professionals. In 1982, China beat the Japanese team by a wide margin (43-win to 13-losses), and so in 1983 Japan composed its team of several title match players and won with 31-wins and 25-losses. During the next several years China and Japan began playing each other evenly and promoted additional China-Japan events. In 1992, the Chinese Go Association began giving out amateur dan diplomas.

Chairmen

• 1962-1988: Li Menghua?
• 1988-2006: Chen Zude
• 2006-2017: Wang Runan
• 2017-present: Lin Jianchao?

First Ten Professionals

• 9d: Chen Zude, Nie Weiping and Wu Songsheng
• 8d: Hua Yigang and Wang Runan
• 7d: Chen Kuosun?, Huang Dexun and Lo Chienwen?
• 6d: Kong Xiangming
• 5d: Ho Hsaiojen?

Contact Information

Chinese Weiqi Association (中国围棋协会)
Tiantan Dong Road No. 80 (地址：北京天坛东路80号)
Chongwen district, Beijing 100061
China

Phone: +86-(0)10-8755.9124 / +86-(0)10-8755.9128
Fax: +86-(0)6711.1612
Email: weiqibu@sports.cn
Website: http://cwa.imsa.cn/ (down as of 2021-07-22)

Notes

• The Chinese Go Association has published the annual Chinese Yearbook since 1988.

See Also

• Chinese Yearbook
• List of Chinese Names
• Lists of Chinese Professionals
• Zhongguo Qiyuan