Diana Koszegi

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Diana Koszegi

Full name	Kőszegi Diána
Date of birth	August 14, 1983 (1983-08-14) (age 24)
Place of birth	Budapest, Hungary
Residence	Budapest, Hungary and Korea
Turned pro	13 June
Rank	1 prodan
Affiliation	Hanguk Kiwon

Diána Kőszegi (born 1983 in Hungary) is the first Hungarian professional Go player.

1 Biography
2 Promotion Record
3 Gallery
4 Links

[edit] Biography

Kőszegi Diána promoted to pro in 2008.

Kőszegi Diána was born in 1983 August in Budapest. She began playing Go when she was 9. Initially she was taught by her father, Kőszegi Sándor (who teaches Go to elementary schools students). When she turned 11, Pocsai Tibor, who was the winner of the European Go Championship in 1988 continued teaching her. She not only learned how to play Go, but also how to teach. She teaches Go on KGS Go Server.

In 1996 she got to know the 9 dan professional Yasutoshi Yasuda, with whom she kept in contact thanks to Shigeno Yuki. Yasuda was a great influence on her. Diána always wanted to be Yasuda's pupil, but it could never happen because of financial and personal problems. Yasuda was also very busy at that time. Diána thinks of Yuki as her own sister. Both Yasuda and Yuki were a big influence on her.

When she was 14 in 1997 she placed 4th at the 1st World Woman Amateur Baduk Championship in Seoul, then in the autumn she placed 2nd at the 2nd European Woman Amateur Go Championship.

After she placed 9th at the World Amateur Go Championship in 1998, she was invited to Japan and Korea to study as an insei. Considering her young age her family did not let her go.

In 2000 March she won the European Youth Championship that was held in Sinaia. She placed 2nd in the previous two years, and again in 2001. In the same year, even though she placed only joint 8th at the Hungarian Go Championship, winning the play offs between the top 6, she became the Hungarian Go Champion. She was the first Hungarian invited to professional competitions to China, while still an amateur. Representing Europe she entered these competitions in 2000 (Shanghai), 2001 (Guiyang), 2002 (Hong Kong).

Since 2001 she has continued studying Go without a tutor. In 2001 she stayed in Japan for 1.5 months thanks to Kobayashi Chizu and Satoru. In 2003 she went up to the Hungarian university, ELTE (she was studying at the programming mathematician department), but she didn't complete her course, because of an invitation the the KimWon Baduk Academy, thanks to Mr Eo Jong Soo (7 dan Korean). She got to know him at the World Championship held in Korea in 2003.

She went to Korea in 2004 for 3 months but then returned because she couldn't extend her visa. Until she was promoted to professional, from 2005 as an insei she was competing at the league in Seoul. In 2005 she is studying at the Korean Myongji University and is teaching Go online. As the fourth European professional she was promoted to professional by the Korean Go Association on 2008 January 4.