By Li Muzi
On the evening of Jan. 14, Nie Weiping—9-dan Go (Weiqi) master, former chief coach of the Chinese National Go Team, and widely revered as the “Go Sage”—passed away in Beijing at the age of 73.
According to a report by Chinese state media outlet The Paper, Nie’s family released an obituary on Jan. 15 confirming that the towering figure of China’s Go world died at 10:55 p.m. on Jan.14, 2026, after medical treatment proved ineffective. He was 73 years old.
Nie Weiping was born on Aug. 17, 1952, in Shenyang, Liaoning Province. In 1973, he was selected for China’s national Go training team, launching a legendary career that would profoundly shape the modern history of Chinese Go. Beyond his lifelong devotion to the game, Nie was known for his fondness for alcohol, his enthusiasm for bridge, and his love of football.
Eleven years ago, during a large public charity lecture in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, a host posed a question that drew laughter from the audience: when would Chinese football return to the World Cup? Nie paused, then replied, “That day—I probably won’t live to see it.” Few expected the remark to prove so eerily prophetic.
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An article published by Sina Sports under the byline “Brother Daijun” noted that Nie’s personal life—particularly his three marriages—was long a subject of public scrutiny. Nie once publicly described himself as having “high emotional intelligence,” a claim that stirred considerable controversy.
His first wife was Kong Xiangming, a professional 8-dan Go player. The two met through Go at the age of 13 and married in 1979. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1991, following reports of Nie’s involvement with his second wife, Wang Jing.
Nie’s second wife, Wang Jing, was a first-class vocalist with the General Political Department Song and Dance Troupe of the People’s Liberation Army. The couple married in 1991 and divorced eight years later due to incompatible personalities. Their son was awarded to Wang Jing’s custody.
Nie’s third wife, Lan Liya, was 23 years his junior. Having studied Go since childhood, she deeply admired Nie as the legendary “hero of the Go challenge matches”—a reference to his decisive victories against Japanese players in the 1980s, which restored national pride in Chinese Go. The two met in Shanghai in 2001, quickly entered a relationship, and married later that year during the Guiyang Go Festival. Their daughter, Nie Yunfei, was born in 2004. Described as gentle, reserved, and low-profile, Lan devoted herself to Nie’s care and accompanied him through more than two decades of his later life.
The Sina Sports article recalled a 2011 appearance by Nie on a Hunan Television program, during which he made a striking remark: “I don’t think being married three times means my emotional intelligence is high—it means it’s much higher.” He went on to explain that his first two marriages failed because “the later one was better—selecting the best available option.”
Nie later reinforced this view in a Weibo post, writing: “A person who has had three wives, each better than the last—how could his emotional intelligence possibly be low?” The post triggered widespread online debate. Some criticized the remarks as inappropriate, while others praised his bluntness and lack of pretense. These competing reactions formed a complex public portrait of Nie’s private life.
A close childhood friend of Xi Jinping
According to Sing Tao Headlines, Nie Weiping was a close childhood friend of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. The two frequently watched football together, and Xi is said to have sought Nie’s guidance on Go. They were classmates at Beijing No. 25 Middle School.
In an interview with South Korean media, Nie once reflected on their shared youth during the Cultural Revolution—a period of intense political upheaval in China:
“We spent our adolescence together during the Cultural Revolution. My father had been a scientist; his father was a revolutionary veteran. Both were brought down politically. Together with Liu Weiping, the son of a purged air force official, we were known as the ‘Three Ping’—because all our names contained the character ping. We were in similar circumstances, faced no academic pressure, and spent much of our time simply playing together.”
Political commentator Cai Shenkun wrote on X that Nie Weiping, as Xi Jinping’s childhood companion, received treatment far superior to that of many officials who later died under unclear circumstances. Cai noted that Nie was one year older than Xi and enjoyed considerable fame before Xi rose to supreme power. During that period, Nie frequently appeared in public forums and spoke freely, occasionally making sarcastic remarks about Xi. After Xi consolidated power as China’s paramount leader, Nie no longer dared to discuss him publicly and reportedly regretted his earlier private jokes.
Public records show that Nie Weiping was awarded the rank of 9-dan in Go in 1982 and received the honorary title of “Go Sage” from the Chinese Go Association on March 26, 1988. In August 2013, he was hospitalized with rectal cancer and underwent surgery several months later. In March 2025, he suffered a sudden cerebral infarction and remained in a coma for 12 days before regaining consciousness. On Jan. 14, 2026, Nie suffered another sudden illness while hospitalized and passed away that evening in Beijing.
