On the evening of January 14th, 2026, Chinese Go master Nie Weiping, honorary president of the Chinese Weiqi Association, former head coach of the Chinese national Go team and a 9-dan professional, passed away in Beijing at the age of 74 after failing to respond to medical treatment.

In November 2013, Nie was diagnosed with advanced rectal cancer. Despite doctors recommending conservative treatment, he insisted on "giving it a try" and underwent surgery, followed by nine rounds of chemotherapy. After recovering, he quickly returned to the professional competition. In March last year, he suffered a sudden cerebral infarction and fell into a coma for 12 days. After regaining consciousness, he continued his rehabilitation with remarkable resilience.

As a key figure in revitalizing Go game in China, the highlight of Nie Weiping's career was his legendary performance in the China-Japan Super Match. Across four editions of the match, he achieved an unprecedented 11 consecutive victories, leading the Chinese team to win the first three championships and ending Japan's long-standing dominance in the Go game. In the inaugural China-Japan Super Match in 1985, as the anchor player, he defeated Kobayashi Koichi, Kato Masao and Fujisawa Shuko in succession, helping China secure its first title. His victory over Kobayashi Koichi marked the first time a Chinese player defeated a top-tier Japanese opponent. In the second Super Match in 1986, he single-handedly defeated five Japanese players to engineer a dramatic comeback. In the third Super Match in 1987, he once again defeated Kato Masao in the decisive anchor match to seal the victory. The so-called "Nie Whirlwind" swept through the Go world and sparked a nationwide Go craze. In the 1980s, he and the Chinese women's volleyball team became two major spiritual symbols of Chinese sports, greatly boosting national morale.

Nie Weiping was granted the ninth-dan rank in 1982 and was awarded the title of "Go Master" in 1988. He won China's National Go Individual Championship six times and achieved five consecutive titles in the Xin Tiyu Cup.

After retiring from professional competition, Nie never left the world of Go, dedicating himself to youth training and the promotion of the game. As head coach of the national Go team, he nurtured a generation of world champions, including Chang Hao and Gu Li, helping build a strong talent pool for Chinese Go. He traveled across the country to promote the game and spearheaded multiple youth tournaments, with a particular focus on the promotion of Go in schools. He once stated that "the traditional arts of qin (the guqin), qi (the game of Go), shu (calligraphy), and hua (painting) are incomplete without Go, and Go should become an effective tool in well-rounded education", injecting new vitality into the game through concrete actions.

Following the news of Nie Weiping's passing, members of the Chinese Go community expressed deep mourning for the legendary Go master. Cao Dayuan, a 9-dan player who had been friends with Nie for half a century, said in grief, "I barely slept all night, with memories constantly flashing through my mind". Ke Jie, also a 9-dan player, posted a tribute on social media, writing, "Rest in peace, Elder Nie". Yu Zhiying, an 8-dan player who once studied under Nie, remarked, "Elder Nie was like a lamp, illuminating the path of development for Chinese Go." She added that this light will continue to guide younger generations as they move forward with determination on the path of Go.

Source:PEARL

中国围棋界人士悼念“棋圣”聂卫平

中国围棋协会名誉主席、国家围棋队原总教练、围棋职业九段、“棋圣”聂卫平，因病医治无效于2026年1月14日晚在北京逝世，享年74岁。

2013年11月，聂卫平确诊直肠癌晚期，医生建议保守治疗，他坚持“拼一把”接受手术，术后完成9次化疗，康复后迅速回归围棋赛场。去年3月，他突发脑梗昏迷12天，苏醒后仍以坚韧姿态积极康复。

作为中国围棋振兴的标志性人物，聂卫平职业生涯的高光时刻，当数中日围棋擂台赛上的传奇表现。在4届赛事中，他创下前无古人的擂台赛11连胜壮举，率领中国队夺得前3届冠军，终结日本围棋多年垄断。1985年首届擂台赛，他作为主将连克小林光一、加藤正夫、藤泽秀行，助中国队首夺冠军，其中战胜小林光一，是中国棋手第一次击败日本超一流棋手；1986年第二届擂台赛，他一人连斩日方五将实现绝地逆转；1987年第三届擂台赛，他在主将对决中再胜加藤正夫锁定胜局，“聂旋风”席卷棋坛，更在全国掀起围棋热潮。在上世纪80年代，他与中国女排一同成为中国体育两大精神符号，极大振奋民族士气。

聂卫平1982年获围棋九段段位，1988年被授予“棋圣”称号。他曾6次摘得全国围棋个人赛冠军、实现新体育杯五连冠。

退役后，聂卫平从未离开围棋，深耕青少年培养与项目普及。他曾任国家围棋队总教练，培养出常昊、古力等一批世界冠军，为中国围棋储备中坚力量；他走遍全国推广围棋，牵头举办多届青少年赛事，尤其关注校园围棋普及，直言“琴棋书画缺围棋不行，要让围棋成素质教育好手段”，用行动为围棋运动注入新生机。

聂卫平离世的消息传来，中国围棋界纷纷对这位传奇“棋圣”表达了悼念之情。与聂卫平相交半世纪的曹大元九段悲痛难忍，直言“一晚上几乎没睡，脑海全是相关场景”；柯洁九段在社交媒体上发文悼念，称“聂老，一路走好”；曾师从聂卫平的於之莹八段感慨，“聂老就像一盏灯，照亮了中国围棋的发展之路。”於之莹说，这份光芒将永远指引着后辈，在围棋之路上坚定前行。

文｜记者 赵亮晨
翻译｜曾敏
英文审校｜林佳岱