Lee Sedol

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Records

Lee Sedol's achievements in Go are nothing short of extraordinary. He won 18 international titles, a feat surpassed only by Lee Chang-ho. His aggressive, creative style revolutionized the game, and he held the world No. 1 ranking for roughly a decade. But his legacy extends beyond trophies. His match against AlphaGo in 2016 made him a global symbol of human resilience in the face of AI. His game-four victory, with the now-famous "Move 78," is celebrated as a triumph of human intuition over machine calculation. As a professor and public speaker, he continues to inspire discussions about the future of humanity and technology.

AwardsLee Sedol's primary accolades come from his Go career, where he won 18 international titles, placing him second all-time. His most significant recognition came from his historic match against AlphaGo, which brought him global fame. In 2026, he was honored as a specially appointed professor at UNIST, reflecting his transition from player to academic and public intellectual.

Honours & Distinctions

Specially Appointed Professor

UNIST·2024

Appointed as a specially appointed professor at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology.

Rankings & Lists

#Top 10

Top 10 Greatest Go Players of All Time

Reddit r/baduk·2026

Records & Feats

Second-most international Go titles (18)

Career Milestone·2016

Lee Sedol won 18 international Go titles, second only to Lee Chang-ho's 21.

First human to defeat AlphaGo in a match

Historic First·2016

Lee Sedol won game four of the 2016 AlphaGo match, becoming the only human to defeat the AI in that series.