Ding Hao | Player Profile | PlayGo.gg

First post-2000s player to win a world major

Biography

Ding Hao (born June 13, 2000 in Datong, Shanxi) is a Chinese 9-dan and a three-time international major champion, one of the standout achievements of the post-2000 generation. He turned pro in 2013 at age 13 and is the current China #1 and World #2.

His three world majors came in a remarkable 21-month span: the 27th LG Cup (February 2023) was his breakthrough, defeating fellow Chinese player Yang Dingxin in the final. The 28th Samsung Cup (November 2023) followed nine months later, giving him two world titles in a single year. The 29th Samsung Cup (November 2024), where he defeated Dang Yifei 2-1 in the final, made him only the fifth player ever to win the Samsung Cup in back-to-back years (joining a list that includes Ke Jie, who last did it in 2015–16).

His Chinese domestic resume is also loaded: the 2019 CCTV Cup, the Changqi Cup (2021), Guoshou (2021, defended in 2023), and the GBA Cup Chinese Weiqi Master title in both 2021 and 2022.

In November 2025 he reached the final of the 30th Samsung Cup seeking an unprecedented Samsung three-peat, but lost 0-2 to fellow Chinese player Liao Yuanhe in an all-China final. It was Liao's first major world title.

vs. Yang Dingxin, 27th LG Cup Final

February 2023

Ding Hao's first world major. With this victory he became the first Chinese player born after 2000 to win an international major championship in the history of Go, a generational milestone for the post-AlphaGo era.

Ding Hao was a little ahead, 58%, when he played G4 on move 102. Yang Dingxin's H6 on move 103 was the move that settled it, and Ding's winrate rose to 90%. KataGo wanted Q15 instead, a move about one 9-dan player in five would consider.