Kyu and Dan Ranks
Traditionally, the level of players has been defined using kyu and dan ranks. Kyu ranks are considered student ranks. Dan ranks are considered master ranks. Beginners who have just learned the rules of the game are usually around 30th kyu. As they progress, they advance numerically downwards through the kyu grades. The best kyu grade attainable is therefore 1st kyu. If players progress beyond 1st kyu, they will receive the rank of 1st dan, and from thereon will move numerically upwards through the dan ranks. In martial arts which adopted kyu and dan rank system from Go, 1st dan is the equivalent of a black belt. The very best players may achieve a professional dan rank.
The rank system is tabulated from the lowest to highest ranks:
| Rank type | Range | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Double-digit kyu (級,级,급) (geup in Korean) | 30–20k | Beginner |
| Double-digit kyu (abbreviated: DDK) | 19–10k | Casual player |
| Single-digit kyu (abbreviated: SDK) | 9–1k | Intermediate amateur |
| Amateur dan (段,단) | 1–7d (where 8d is special title) | Advanced amateur |
| Professional dan (段,단) | 1–9p (where 10p is special title) | Professional player |
Although almost all organizations use this system, there is no universal calibration. The means of awarding each of those ranks and the corresponding levels of strength vary from country to country and among online go servers. This means that a player who is considered to be a 2nd kyu in one country may only be considered a 5th kyu in another.
Read more about this topic: Go Ranks And Ratings
Famous quotes containing the words dan and/or ranks:
“There is a potential 4-6 percentage point net gain for the President [George Bush] by replacing Dan Quayle on the ticket with someone of neutral stature.”
—Mary Matalin, U.S. Republican political advisor, author, and James Carville b. 1946, U.S. Democratic political advisor, author. All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President, p. 205, Random House (1994)
“It is among the ranks of school-age children, those six- to twelve-year-olds who once avidly filled their free moments with childhood play, that the greatest change is evident. In the place of traditional, sometimes ancient childhood games that were still popular a generation ago, in the place of fantasy and make- believe play . . . today’s children have substituted television viewing and, most recently, video games.”
—Marie Winn (20th century)