Kong Jie | Today's AI Wiki

1. Overview

Kong Jie (孔杰_{Kǒng Jié}^Chinese; born 25 November 1982) is a prominent Chinese professional Go player. He achieved significant recognition for his exceptional skill, particularly his expertise in life and death problems, earning him the nickname "King of Tsumego." Kong Jie turned professional in 1994 at the age of 12 and rose through the ranks to become a 9-dan professional in 2009. He is celebrated for his numerous victories in major international and domestic tournaments, notably winning the Samsung Fire Cup, LG Cup, and Fujitsu Cup within a short span in 2009 and 2010. He was considered one of the world's strongest players during his peak, alongside contemporaries like Gu Li and Lee Sedol.

2. Early Life and Professional Beginnings

Kong Jie's journey into the world of professional Go began in his early childhood, quickly leading to his professional debut and a steady ascent through the dan ranks.

2.1. Childhood and Early Professional Years

Kong Jie was born on 25 November 1982, in Beijing, China. He began learning Go at the age of six. In 1994, at just 12 years old, he officially turned professional. In the same year, he joined the Beijing Go team, where he was mentored by Liu Xiaoguang 9-dan, and also entered the National Go Concentration Team, signaling his early commitment to the sport at a national level.
q=Beijing|position=right

2.2. Dan Rank Promotions

After turning professional in 1994 as a 1-dan, Kong Jie progressed steadily through the dan ranks based on his performance in Chinese professional promotion tournaments. His promotion timeline is as follows:

1-dan: 1994 (for performance in the Chinese professional qualification tournament)
2-dan: 1995 (for performance in the Chinese professional promotion tournament)
3-dan: 1996 (for performance in the Chinese professional promotion tournament)
4-dan: 1997 (for performance in the Chinese professional promotion tournament)
5-dan: 1999 (for performance in the Chinese professional promotion tournament)
6-dan: 2001 (for performance in the Chinese professional promotion tournament)
7-dan: 2002 (for performance in the Chinese professional promotion tournament)
8-dan: Skipped in 2009, due to the Chinese Weiqi Association's promotion rules, which allow for direct promotion to 9-dan based on significant achievements.
9-dan: 2009, following his advancement to the final of the 13th Samsung Fire Cup and the 21st Asian TV Cup. His promotion was also confirmed after winning his first international title at the Asian TV Cup in 2009.

3. Playing Style

Kong Jie is widely recognized for his distinctive playing style, particularly his mastery of life and death problems in Go. This specialization has led to him being known as an expert in this area. In China, he earned the popular nickname "King of Tsumego" (詰碁の王_{Tsumego no Ō}^Japanese), sometimes shortened to "King Kong," reflecting his formidable reputation for solving complex Go puzzles and intricate board situations.

4. Major Achievements and Career Performance

Kong Jie's professional career is marked by a series of significant successes in both international and domestic Go tournaments, firmly establishing him as one of the elite players of his generation. His performance peaked in the late 2000s and early 2010s, during which he secured multiple major titles.

4.1. International Titles and Runner-up Finishes

Kong Jie has achieved notable success in various international Go competitions:

Samsung Fire Cup
- Winner: 2009 (14th Samsung Cup), defeating his compatriots Gu Li and Qiu Jun in the finals.
- Runner-up: 2008 (13th Samsung Cup), losing to Lee Sedol in the final.
LG Cup
- Winner: 2010 (14th LG Cup), defeating Lee Chang-ho 2-0 in the final.
- Runner-up: 2011 (15th LG Cup), losing to compatriot Piao Wenyao.
Fujitsu Cup
- Winner: 2010 (23rd Fujitsu Cup), defeating Lee Sedol in the final.
Asian TV Cup
- Winner: 2009, 2010, 2011. He achieved his first international title by defeating Korea's top three players-Lee Sedol, Lee Chang-ho, and Kang Dong-yun-in the 2009 event. He successfully defended his title in 2010 against Lee Chang-ho and Yuki Satoshi, and again in 2011.
- Runner-up: 2012, losing to Baek Hong-seok.
China-Korea New Pro Wang
- Winner: 2003, defeating Song Taek-kon 2-0.
Spring Lan Cup
- 3rd Place: 2000, defeating Cho Hunhyun and Yoda Norimoto.
- 4th Place: 2012.
Toyota & Denso Cup
- Semifinals: 2005.
World Mind Sports Games
- Silver Medal (Men's Team): 2008.
2010 Asian Games
- Silver Medal (Men's Team): 2010, Guangzhou.
SportAccord World Mind Games
- Gold Medal (Men's Team): 2011.
Nongshim Shin Ramyun Cup (Team event representative)
- 2003: 1 win, 1 loss (defeated Park Yeong-hun, lost to Kobayashi Koichi).
- 2006: 0 wins, 1 loss (lost to Yoda Norimoto).
- 2007: 1 win, 1 loss (defeated Park Yeong-hun, lost to Lee Chang-ho).
- 2011: 0 wins, 1 loss (lost to Choi Cheol-han).
CSK Cup Asia vs. Europe Go Tournament
- 2004: 3 wins, 0 losses (defeated Mimura Tomoyasu, Chang Hsu, Choi Cheol-han).
- 2005: 1 win, 2 losses (lost to Hane Naoki, Lin Haifeng, defeated Park Yeong-hun).
- 2006: 3 wins, 0 losses (defeated Wang Ming-wan, Yoda Norimoto, Ko Geun-tae).
China-Korea Team Battle (招商地産杯中韓囲棋団体対抗戦)
- 2011: 2 wins, 0 losses (defeated Park Yeong-hun, Heo Young-ho).
- 2012: 1 win, 1 loss (lost to Park Jeong-hwan, defeated Cho Han-seung).
Qian Deng Cup Cross-Strait Urban Go Tournament
- 2009: 1 win, 0 losses (defeated Lin Zhihan).
Hongjiang Ancient Commercial City World Go Peak Showdown
- 2011: Lost to Choi Cheol-han.
Zhugang Cup World Go Team Championship
- 3rd Place: 2014.

4.2. Domestic Titles and Runner-up Finishes

Kong Jie has also achieved considerable success in domestic Chinese Go tournaments:

National Sports Mass Meeting (Men's Individual)
- Winner: 2000 (with 8 wins and 1 loss, defeating players like Gu Li).
- Runner-up: 2010.
National Go Individual
- Winner: 2001, 2003.
Xinren Wang (Rookie King)
- Winner: 2003.
Ricoh Cup
- Winner: 2003, 2010.
- Runner-up: 2002.
Changqi Cup
- Winner: 2004, 2006 (according to English sources). Other sources also indicate wins in 2005 and 2007.
- Runner-up: 2005 (according to English sources).
Qiwang
- Winner: 2004, 2009.
- Runner-up: 2001 (Challenger).
Longxing
- Winner: 2005 (according to Japanese sources).
- Runner-up: 2006, 2008.
NEC Cup
- Runner-up: 2008, 2009.
CCTV Cup
- Winner: 2009 (also referred to as 招商銀行杯中国囲棋電視快棋戦).
Qi Sheng (Go Saint) Five Dan Tournament
- Winner: 2000.
Ahan Tongshan Cup China Go Fast Chess Open
- Runner-up: 2003.
Hua Shan Lun Dao Elite Go Tournament
- Runner-up: 2003.
National Intellectual Sports Games
- 3rd Place (Men's Team): 2009.
- 4th Place (Men's Team): 2011.
Ricoh Cup Mixed Doubles
- Winner: 2006 (partnered with Ye Gui).
- Runner-up: 2010 (partnered with Li Xiaoxi).
Hongtong Cup National Go Team Eliminator
- 2011: 2 wins, 1 loss (defeated Zhao Chenyu, Xie Erhao, lost to Ke Jie).
- 2012: 0 wins, 1 loss (lost to Shi Yue).
Chinese Go A League
- 2000 (Beijing Daba, 6th place): 11 wins, 1 loss.
- 2001 (Beijing Daba, 6th place): 14 wins, 8 losses.
- 2002 (Beijing Daba, 5th place): 17 wins, 4 losses (including 11 consecutive wins).
- 2003 (Beijing Daba, 5th place): 18 wins, 4 losses.
- 2004 (Beijing Daba, 5th place): 15 wins, 7 losses.
- 2005 (Beijing Daba, 6th place): 14 wins, 8 losses (most wins as main general).
- 2006 (Beijing Daba, 5th place): 13 wins, 9 losses.
- 2007 (Beijing Daba, 6th place): 15 wins, 7 losses.
- 2008 (Beijing Daba, 6th place): 11 wins, 10 losses.
- 2009 (CITIC Beijing, 2nd place): 13 wins, 9 losses.
- 2010 (CITIC Beijing, 3rd place): 11 wins, 10 losses.
- 2011 (CITIC Beijing, 5th place): 8 wins, 9 losses.
- 2012 (CITIC Beijing): 11 wins, 11 losses.
- 2013 (CITIC Beijing): 9 wins, 8 losses.
- 2014 (CITIC Beijing): 3 wins, 7 losses.
- 2015 (CITIC Beijing): Record not specified.

4.3. Detailed Tournament Performance

Beyond his title wins, Kong Jie's career features a comprehensive record of participation and performance in various tournaments, reflecting his consistency and longevity at the professional level.

4.3.1. Annual Win-Loss Record

The following table summarizes Kong Jie's professional win-loss record by year:

Year	Won	Lost	Win %
1995	1	0	100%
1996	1	2	33.3%
1997	6	7	46.2%
1998	7	11	38.9%
1999	8	9	47.1%
2000	20	23	46.5%
2001	44	19	69.8%
2002	44	24	64.7%
2003	45	15	75.0%
2004	44	17	72.1%
2005	40	25	61.5%
2006	54	28	65.9%
2007	50	22	69.4%
2008	45	29	60.8%
2009	50	27	64.9%
2010	50	24	67.6%
2011	40	34	54.1%
2012	43	37	53.8%
2013	32	31	50.8%
2014	21	17	55.3%
2015	4	3	57.1%
2016	1	1	50.0%
Total	650	405	61.6%

4.3.2. Head-to-Head Records

Kong Jie has competed against many of the top Go players worldwide. Below are some of his head-to-head records against selected prominent players, with those who have won international Go titles indicated in bold:

Gu Li 18 wins : 26 losses
Hu Yaoyu 24 wins : 13 losses
Liu Xing 13 wins : 13 losses
Chang Hao 11 wins : 15 losses
Qiu Jun 21 wins : 4 losses
Lee Sedol 7 wins : 18 losses
Zhou Ruiyang 12 wins : 11 losses
Wang Xi 13 wins : 9 losses
Li Zhe 12 wins : 9 losses
Zhou Heyang 12 wins : 9 losses
Peng Quan 12 wins : 8 losses
Xie He 10 wins : 9 losses
Jiang Weijie 9 wins : 9 losses
Wang Lei 10 wins : 7 losses
Lee Chang-ho 8 wins : 8 losses
Ding Wei 10 wins : 5 losses
Niu Yutian 10 wins : 5 losses
Wang Yao 8 wins : 7 losses
Yu Bin 8 wins : 7 losses
Piao Wenyao 6 wins : 9 losses
Liu Shizhen 4 wins : 10 losses
Wang Yuhui 10 wins : 3 losses
Chen Yaoye 6 wins : 6 losses
Choi Cheol-han 5 wins : 7 losses

4.3.3. Other Noteworthy Event Participation

Kong Jie represented China in the 2004 Teda Cup, facing renowned players like Lee Chang-ho and Yoda Norimoto. In 2000, at 17 years old, he reached 3rd place in the Spring Lan Cup by defeating top players such as Cho Hunhyun and Yoda Norimoto. He also maintained a high ranking in the Chinese Go Player Ranking, consistently placing second or third behind Gu Li from 2003 and achieving the top rank in 2009.

In the 15th Samsung Fire Cup, Kong Jie defeated Lee Chang-ho in a notable match before being eliminated by Kim Ji-seok in the quarterfinals. This match involved a complex "fight to the death" between large groups on both sides, with Kong Jie eventually resigning after a miscalculation on move 150. He also participated in the 2012 SKY Cup Japan-China Go Strongest Player Match, where he defeated Yamashita Keigo.

5. Legacy and Evaluation

Kong Jie is considered a significant figure in the history of Chinese Go, often grouped with players like Gu Li and Hu Yaoyu as part of the "6 Xiaohuzu" (六小虎組_{liù xiǎo hǔ zǔ}^Chinese, "Six Young Tigers") or the "80s Xiaohu generation." His victories in multiple international titles, particularly his triple crown of the Samsung Fire Cup, LG Cup, and Fujitsu Cup within a short period, solidified his status as one of the world's strongest Go players during his peak in 2009-2010.

His 2009 Asian TV Cup win was a major breakthrough, marking the end of a period of less favorable personal international results and ushering in a dominant phase in his career. While he arguably cemented his status as the world's strongest player in 2010, the subsequent years saw the rise of a new generation of professionals born in the 1990s. This increased international competition meant that, apart from a few established veterans like Gu Li and Lee Sedol, consistently maintaining top placings in major international tournaments became more challenging. Kong Jie's career total of 18 titles and 12 runner-up finishes places him among the top title holders in China and internationally, reflecting his lasting impact on the Go world.