The Story of Xu Guanglin – A Blind Go Player with a Big Dream

Xu Guanglin is a young Go player from China who has been blind since childhood. Despite his visual impairment, he developed a deep passion for the game of Go and trained relentlessly with the help of a tactile Go board. His ultimate dream is to become a professional Go player — a goal that is already difficult under normal circumstances, let alone for someone without sight.

In March 2024, Ben Gong came across Guanglin’s story and was deeply moved by his perseverance and love for the game. To help him gain visibility and connect with the global Go community, Ben created an Instagram account for him: @blindgoplayer.

However, Guanglin’s journey has recently become even more challenging. His father, who used to assist him during games, has fallen seriously ill. Without someone to help him place stones on the board, even playing online has become difficult, and he is currently unable to teach Go to earn income — one of his few available sources of support.

His story is a reminder of how powerful, yet fragile, passion can be — and how much impact a small act of support can make.