Baduk is a “three-kingdom competition” involving South Korea, China, and Japan across various dimensions such as skill level, grassroots appeal, and tournament systems. Nevertheless, the number of professional players in Europe and the United States who pursue baduk as a career is gradually rising. They are developing top-tier baduk players via their own professional certification processes and promotional exams.
Andriy Kravec, a 3-dan player from Ukraine, is referred to as the “Lee Chang-ho of Europe.” On July 2, he secured victory in the “European Baduk Championship,” the most esteemed baduk competition in Europe. The event brought together 32 top players from Europe, and Kravec achieved his third win of the year following back-to-back victories in 2023. As the European champion, he took part in the “Samsung Fire Insurance Cup,” an international baduk tournament held in South Korea in 2023, where he advanced to the main stage. Kravec, who began playing baduk at the age of 8, is commended for his keen ability to assess game situations and his steadfast playing style, which echoes that of Lee Chang-ho 9-dan.
There are currently 10 professional Go players in Europe, among them Kravec. The European Go Federation (EGF) started the process of selecting professionals in 2014. Last year, Bénjamin Dréan-Genazia from France obtained his professional status following a tough selection procedure. They have their own promotion system, yet Korean players are typically seen as stronger at the same dan level. Nevertheless, they are more than capable of defeating amateur players, and with the increasing use of AI (artificial intelligence) for training, the skills of European players are improving quickly.
Another Western player has achieved the “divine” 9th dan. Michael Redmond, a 9-dan professional affiliated with the Japanese Go Association, became a pro in 1981 and attained 9-dan in 2000. He attracted notice in 2016 for providing commentary on the Google YouTube channel during the match between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo.
Numerous aspiring professionals travel to South Korea for “baduk study abroad.” BIBA (BIBA), an international baduk academy founded in 2011, has trained more than 250 international students from 32 different nations. Diana Koszegi, a Hungarian with the Korean Baduk Association holding the rank of 2-dan, oversees the academy’s general management. Alex, a 20-year-old from Russia who came to South Korea for baduk study abroad, stated, “I am enhancing my abilities with the aim of becoming a professional player in South Korea.”
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