RGG FAQ Part 4 Section 3

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4.3: What rank am I?

Beginners and relatively new players often ask this question.

There is no 'correct' answer. There is no set of tests which say 'If you can do this, then you are x Kyu/Dan'. The entire ranking system is relative, so you need to relate yourself to players around you, or on the go servers.

If you are the member of a club, you will also normally have a rank. This rank can be updated every time you play in a tournament, but also in between if you notice an improvement/regression. In most countries, you can enter tournaments with a rank defined by yourself. I.e. if you think you are a 2 Dan, you can enter a tournament as 2 Dan. (However, you may loose your games if you are wrong...) In some countries, once you are above a certain rank (2/3 Dan), this is no longer true, and you will have a sort of official certificate of your Go strength. (Or it will be written on your membership card).

In the beginning, before you have an established rank, playing against other players in the club with an established rank will give you an indication. It is also worth noting that your rank will vary wildly in the beginning, often depending on your adversaries' styles of play.

You can also play on the internet Go servers (See faq section 3.1) to find a level. However, it should be noted that the Go server ranking mechanisms are not always very reliable for highKyu players.

In general, if you ask yourself this question, you are probably somewhere between 20 and 30 Kyu.

The only way to be really sure of your rank is to play in (many) tournaments.

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