Photo: CCTV News

Chinese Weiqi legend Nie Weiping, one of the most influential figures in the modern history of Weiqi, or often being referred as Go, has passed away at the age of 73 on Wednesday night, his daughter Yunfei wrote in an obituary on Thursday.

"Mr. Nie Weiping, a towering figure in the Chinese Weiqi community and the revered 'Weiqi Sage,' passed away at 10:55 pm on January 14, 2026, after medical treatment proved unsuccessful. He was 73 years old." Yunfei wrote in the obituary.

"My father's life was a legend, and above all, a life defined by passion. Frank and open-minded by nature, he remained optimistic and magnanimous in both triumph and adversity," Yunfei wrote. 

Yunfei has also changed her bio captions to "Father I miss you so much."

Nie is leaving behind a legacy that reshaped the game in China and inspired generations of players around the world.

In 1973, he was selected for the national Weiqi training squad, marking the beginning of a legendary career that would profoundly shape the course of Chinese Weiqi history. 

At a time when Chinese Weiqi was striving to rise on the international stage, he achieved a stunning 11 consecutive victories in the China-Japan Weiqi Supermatches, leading the Chinese team to championship titles on three occasions.

In 1988, he was officially awarded the title of "Weiqi Sage" by the state sports authority.

Nie later served as the head coach of the national Weiqi team, mentoring world champions including top-ranked player Chang Hao.