Stomping Grounds

Hello reader! Hey, yeah, you... just so you know, before you start reading this article is going to be split up into 3 posts. If you enjoyed this, please click the heart at the bottom. It helps me know when I am doing a good job and motivates me to keep doing what I am doing. Thanks so much for reading!

Did you know that only nine female Go players have ever achieved the rank of 9 dan? Well, I didn't until I stumbled upon a post on Reddit, thanks to this user here.

For those who know me, you’ll know that I’m passionate about Go history. Names like Kim Eunji, Choi Jeong, and how can anyone not know Rui Naiwei? These names are familiar to almost everyone in the Go community, but who are the other six remarkable women who reached 9 dan?

In this article, I want to talk about these nine female players from top to bottom who reached 9 dan.

Please keep in mind that while some might see reaching 9 dan as a relatively common achievement among male professionals, it's still a rare and extraordinary accomplishment for female professionals. And, let's be honest, reaching 9 dan is a monumental feat for anyone, male or female.

So let's take a moment to appreciate the incredible dedication, skill, and perseverance these nine female players showed to reach the pinnacle of the game we all love.

Number 1 - Rui Naiwei

Rui Naiwei became a professional Go player in China in 1985 and steadily climbed through the ranks, winning several Chinese individual events between 1986 and 1989. In 1988, she achieved a historic milestone by being promoted to 9 dan, making her the first female 9 dan professional in the world.

However, her journey wasn't without challenges, and she went through some trouble which may be seen as a blessing in disguise later on in her career. Rui Naiwei got banned from local tournaments in China due to a dispute with the Chinese Go Association involving a male player. This led her to move to Japan in 1990, where she lived until 1996. Despite her determination to continue her career as a professional go player, Japan was a difficult environment for Go professionals who were considered outsiders to the system, Japan saw Rui Naiwei as a problem and told her she was allowed to teach and earn the same wages as other professional 9 dan's, but that she wasn't allowed to actually play in tournaments as Japanese female professionals felt that Rui Naiwei beating them would cost them money and if she beat any male players it would make Japanese female players look worse. During this time, Rui Naiwei made the best of her situation and studied under Go Seigen without any professional games. Soon she would find happiness by marrying a fellow 9 dan professional by the name of Jiang Zhujiu.

In 1996, Rui Naiwei and Jiang Zhujiu moved to North America, where they established the American Professional Go Association. But even with her already impressive accomplishments as a female player, Rui Naiwei wasn’t ready to settle down. In 1999, she and Jiang Zhujiu made the move to South Korea, a decision that would redefine her legacy beyond just being the first 9 dan female professional.

In South Korea, Rui Naiwei was welcomed as a guest professional and allowed to compete at a high level once again. She dominated women’s tournaments both locally and internationally, but what truly set her apart was her success in traditionally male-dominated events. Rui Naiwei really took the Go world by surprise when she won events like the Kuksu and Maxim Cup tournaments, which were events typically dominated by male Korean professionals.

I like to think that Rui Naiwei's success paved the way for future female Go players and challenged the existing perceptions of gender in the Go community at that time. Her achievements undoubtedly inspired countless women around the world and continue to influence the Go community today.

You can find Rui Naiwei's player card here.

Number 2 - Feng Yun

Feng Yun began her professional Go career in 1979 in China, just six years before Rui Naiwei. While Feng Yun's achievements are remarkable in their own right, her career has often been viewed in the shadow of Rui Naiwei. Despite this, Feng Yun's contributions to the world of Go are undeniable, and she stands as a significant figure in the game's history.

Feng Yun's rise through the ranks was steady rather than quick. She was promoted to 9 dan in 1997, following her participation in four Bohae Cup tournaments. The Bohae Cup was the first women's world Go championship, ran for five terms in Korea before being replaced by its successor tournament. Feng Yun went head-to-head with Rui Naiwei in this event and was the runner-up in three out of the four tournaments they both competed in. However, in 1995, Feng Yun secured first place by defeating Huang Yan, Aoki Kikuyo, and finally Lee Yongshin in the finals.

Following her success, Feng Yun decided to transition away from professional play and moved to North America in 2002. In her new home, she established a Go school that has produced many strong players, playing a big role in the North American Go scene.

Rivalries in Go can be incredibly motivating, and I believe that Feng Yun played a significant role in Rui Naiwei's rise to prominence. Despite often being in Rui's shadow, Feng Yun still achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the second female player in history to reach 9 dan.

Unfortunately, there seems to be a lack of detailed information available about Feng Yun's career, and I was unable to find a player card for her. I will go ahead and post her go school here which has a little bit of information for tournaments she partook in and how she climbed through the ranks. If anyone has more information or knows where to find additional resources, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share them in the comments.

Number 3 - Park Ji-eun

Park Ji-eun is the first female South Korean 9 dan professional and is the start of the South Korean female 9 dan dominance on our list, with Rui Naiwei and Feng Yun being Chinese professionals.

She started playing professionally in 1997 at the age of 14. Park Ji-eun wasn't known for being a flashy player and always seemed to fall short when it came to winning local competitions. Instead, Park Ji-eun was known for being really strong in international competitions, and her notable achievements are all in international events. She had a whopping 87.5% winning record in international events and was considered to be someone to watch out for when it came to international events.

The most notable tournament she participates in is a tournament called the Jeonggwanjang Cup that was held between 2002 and 2011. The first two years of the tournament were singles tournaments held in South Korea, and Park Ji-eun was the champion between 2003 and 2004.

After the Jeonggwanjang Cup held their first two events it became a team tournament, where Park Ji-eun found most of her joy being known as South Korea's last guardian for the Korean team. Despite Park Ji-eun's overall record against Rui Naiwei at the time being 10 wins and 14 losses overall, her international record against Rui Naiwei was 6 wins and 1 loss. Park Ji-eun being South Korea's last guardian was to be taken seriously.

In 2008 Park Ji-eun played in the tournament that would allow her to propel herself into being the first Korean female 9 dan professional. The tournament was called Sino-Ocean Cup and it was a Chinese international women's tournament that only got held once. Park Ji-eun would go on to defeat Rui Naiwei in an international performance, and under the Korean Baduk Association's rules she was promoted to 9 dan.

You can find Park Ji-eun's player card here.

With this, I conclude part one of this multi-part article. I really hope you find go history as interesting as I do and that maybe you learned something new about players you knew only a little about. If you enjoyed the read, please let me know by clicking the heart at the bottom, sharing it, and leaving a comment. I would really appreciate it.