Firsts in career stats

The first ranking list - the first Progor :) - appeared in 1805 when Ota Nanpo published the grades of the heads of the four schools and their pupils in his 50-volume essay collection Ichiwa Ichigen.

The first player to record 2,000 career games was Seo Pong-su of Korea, on 7 November 2003. We don't know his career record at that precise point but as of March 2004 it was 1295-716-3. We've heard that Seo can also probably claim another honour as the first pro to marry a Vietnamese lady. The first player to record 2,000 career games in Japan was Rin Kaiho (of which he won 1,247 - also a record for total wins - with 1 jigo and 2 void games). This was in March 2004.

     First awards in go

The first go player to win a national honour was Segoe Kensaku, honorary 9-dan, when he received the Japanese Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1958. This was followed by his enrolment in the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star (II) in 1966 and, posthumously, Senior Fourth Position of the same class in 1972. In British terms this made him something like Lord Segoe of Hiroshima.

The first honorary doctorate for a go player was awarded to Go Seigen by Hong Kong University in 1986.

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