Number one professionals in history

This is an organized list of the professional players who were considered the number one player in their respective sex, in their respective country, and by year.

Historically, the number one player was designated by one or two of the following three main criteria.

1. By social and historical consensus, in periods before community, government, or tournament titles may have been officially bestowed. Most common in ancient and pre-classical go periods.
2. By official titles bestowed by their peers or government. Most common in classical go periods and countries where governments had officially recognized go as playing an important social role in the society. Examples include: Meijin or Godokoro in Japan, and Guoshou in China.
3. By possessing the majority of the domestic tournament titles in their country. Often evaluation is limited/weighted towards the distribution of the big titles (in each respective country). If the majority of titles flipped back-and-forth over a year, then whoever held the majority for the longest period by the end of the year was that year's number one. Most common in modern and contemporary go.

In addition to the above main criteria are the following two minor criteria.

1. By possession of minor titles?.
2. By observance of year-end rating charts.

Please consult and weigh the appropriate criterion or criteria when researching potential players to add or revise.

Table of contents Male China Japan Korea Taiwan Female China Japan Korea Taiwan Notes

Male

China

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Female

China

Japan

Korea

Taiwan

Notes

• This page is only intended to list country's number one by sex and year, not the World's number one.

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