Go Game Ranking System

By Xah Lee. Date: .

Go Game Ranking System

Skill in the traditional board game Go is measured by a number of different national, regional and online ranking and rating systems. Traditionally, go rankings have been measured using a system of dan and kyu ranks. Especially in amateur play, these ranks facilitate the handicapping system, with a difference of one rank roughly corresponding to one free move at the beginning of the game. With the ready availability of calculators and computers, rating systems have been introduced. In such systems, a rating is rigorously calculated on the basis of game results.

[2016-03-13 Wikipedia Go ranks and ratings]

Go ranking system is idiotic. Here's the titles, from low to high:

These titles are not scientific. It came from a historical honorary system. If 2 persons are both the same dan, there might be a huge gap in their skills, such as one always beats the other.

If a person is 9 dan pro, all you could say is that the guy is expert at the game. (if you spend 5 hours a day for 5 years, you might become a 9 dan pro.)

AlphaGo