With top amateur players from over 60 countries converging in British Columbia for the 45th
World Amateur Go Championship beginning this weekend, the global talent pool is as deep as ever. Here are three more players to keep an eye on as the competition gets underway:
Ioan-Elian Grigoriu 6D (Romania)
Ioan-Elian (bottom right) began playing Go at age 10 in Galați, Romania, under the guidance of Codrin Vasiloanca 1d. He quickly rose through the national ranks, becoming both National Youth Champion and National Champion. A three-time medalist at the European Youth Championship, he has also represented Romania on the world stage. His growth as a player was shaped by top mentors, including Kim Youngsam 8d (Jena International Go School) and professional instructors from the Ge Yuhong Academy in China, where he studied for two years through the CEGO program.
Daniel Makiya Higa 3D (Peru)
With over two decades of Go experience, Daniel (left) is a pillar of the Peruvian Go community. Fluent in Japanese, he has studied the game deeply using books and videos from Japan. His achievements include multiple podium finishes at the Japanese Embassy Go Tournament Cup, Peru’s most prestigious Go event, including one championship title and two runner-up finishes.
Dmytro Bogatskyy 6D (Ukraine)
Dmytro (top right) started Go at age 7 and later studied in Japan as an insei under pro player Kobayashi Chizu 6P. A seven-time Ukrainian Champion, Dmytro also boasts an international résumé: 3rd place at the World Youth Go Championship (1996), 2nd place at the European Go Congress (2002), and 4th at the inaugural Incheon World Amateur Baduk Championship (2004). From 2011 to 2025, he represented Ukraine in the Pandanet Go European Team Championship, contributing to multiple top-four finishes.
This is the second in a series of spotlights on key players at the 2025 World Amateur Go Championship.
👉 Check out all the player bios here.
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