Li Jie (Go player)

(Li Jie) Go is very hard. That's why I'd rather stay instead.

(Interviewer) *silence*

(Li Jie) Go-stay, go-stay... get it? *laugh*

(Interviewer) *facepalm*

Jie was born in Nanjing, China. He started to play Go at the age of 10, and increased up to 1 dan strength just a year later. He became famous in 2001 at the North American Toyota-Denso Oza, in which he beat four professional Go players: Zhujiu Jiang 9P, Jimmy Cha, Mingjiu Jiang 7P, and Huiren Yang 1P. As a child, Jie won the Nanjing City Go tournament when he was 12, and came in fifth place at the China Youth Championship when he was 10. He moved to the U.S. in 1998, and won the US Open a year later at the age of 17. He has said he hopes to gain US citizenship in 2008 so he could become the first American player to win the World Amateur Go Championship. Currently, Jie is the highest ranked player at the American Go Association, with the rank of 7 dan amateur, which is loosely equivalent to a mid-level professional in major go-playing countries.

On November 28, 2004, Jie Li defeated Suzuki Ayumi 3p in the 5th Tokyo Seimitsu Cup finals, breaking the U.S. losing streak. Suzuki, the then current titleholder of "Strongest Woman" in Japan, was forced to resign in the game with Jie Li, who took black. After the game, a Japanese pro commented that black was "very strong".

In the 2005 U.S. Go Congress, Korean player Kim MyungWan 7p, challenged Jie Li in a friendship match. Jie won the match, played receiving a handicap advantage of no komi.

In early 2006, Jie Li took second place in the World Student Oza in Japan, a feat unheard of in Western countries.

During the 2006 go congress, Jie Li had a series of very disappointing performances. He participated in both the US Open and the Ing. He lost to Zhaonian (Michael) Chen in the Ing while losing to Zhi Yuan (Andy) Liu, Burzo Gheorghe Cornel, and Mingjiu Jiang in the open. He lost more games in the congress than the number of games he has lost in the past five years. His fans were worrying about his current form.

He started to pick up his form later on in 2006. He won the 2006 North American Masters Tournament, defeating Yilun Yang 7p, Mingjiu Jiang 7p, Xuefun Lin 1p, Huiren Yang 1p, Zhaonian (Michael) Chen (North America Ing Cup Titleholder-2006) in League stage and defeating Feng Yun 9P in the Final, 2 games to 1.