Home of BenKyo League
Live classes, a friendly league, reviews of your games.
Beginners welcome. From $10 a month.
Over 900 Go players in our community chat. Come say hi Each star in the circle around Ben stands for 25 players.
A review from Ben
Join our big global family of Go enthusiasts!
Around 16k! That’s a lot better than being perma-stuck at 22k.
BKL gave me confidence to play people :)
With help from him, I improved my rank from 3 kyu to 1 dan.
A month in the league
Beginner to 3 dan (AGA/EGF)
Learn
- Interactive classes & video library
- Weekly homework & answer videos
Belong
- Helpful & international community
- Member-run study events
Play
- Easy scheduling & no commitment
Get reviewed
- League game review videos
Study Group$10 a monthcovers steps 1 to 2
BenKyo League$25 a monthcovers steps 1 to 4
One-on-one lessonsfrom $40 a monthcovers steps 1 to 4
Light a star of your own
Level 1 of 5 · First capture
Black to play. Capture the white stone.
Top right corner of the board, columns N to T and rows 13 to 19. Black stones: P16, Q17, R16. White stones: Q16. Black to play.
Tap a point to place a black stone. White answers.
Stronger player? Tap any star to jump ahead.
Ben Mantle
Canadian, AGA & EGF 5 dan · Fox 8 dan · teaching since 2008
I stepped through the Hikaru no Go gateway in 2006, started teaching in 2008, and trained in South Korea in 2009. In 2021 I left my software career to Go full-time: teaching, streaming, building this community, and training for the North American Pro Qualifiers.
I like to understand my students on a deep level and draw on my own journey for advice that actually resonates. Believing in your own potential is the cornerstone of improvement.
“The journey is the reward.”
From clubs & schools
When the Toronto Go Club decided to start hosting beginner Go classes alongside its usual weekly meetings, Ben Mantle was instrumental in its success.
Ben is an excellent Go / Weiqi teacher; he is very patient with kids and his teaching is easy to understand.
The family, in their own words
Joining the BenKyo League has not only helped me improve my Go, but it’s given me the sense of community that I’d been missing for years. I’ve moved up about two stones on OGS in the few months I’ve been playing in the league (the longer time settings for higher stakes help improve game quality!), and getting to see others grow as well has been great. Lots of room for rivalry, growth and teaching, and it’s been fun watching the league grow and more members get involved!
About two stones stronger, on OGS
It is the heart of the BenKyo community and is populated with friendly people who watch each other play their league games with interest. Stronger players leave variations in game records, and there is often lively discussion on the BenKyo Discord Server. Actually the community is so special that it is hard to put into words. … I strongly recommend players from DDK up to 3 Dan to consider instruction from Ben Mantle.
Almost every SDK and Dan player in BKL has offered some level of insight to my games. I absolutely love it here!
This is turning into, like, THE league :D
The community lives on our Discord server. Come say hi
Three ways in, one path up
Everything stacks: the League includes the Study Group, and lessons include both.
Lessons & Coachingfrom $40 / month
BenKyo League$25 / month
Study Group$10 / month
Study Group
- Three interactive group classes a month
- Weekly homework & answer videos
- Study material: SGFs, OGS demos & more
- Members-only community chat (Discord)
BenKyo League
- Everything in Study Group
- Monthly Main League & Title Tournament
- Personal game-review videos from Ben
- Win lesson time, fun titles & more
Want lessons with Ben too? See Lessons & Coaching
Ask about this programLessons & Coaching
- $40 / mo
- $100 / mo
- $200 / mo
- Everything in BenKyo League
- One-on-one lessons with Ben
- $100+ tiers: personal ability report, 2/yr
- $100+ tiers: OGS correspondence games played with & annotated by Ben
Prices are in US dollars.
Not ready to join? Over 900 Go players hang out in our community chat for free, and my YouTube channel has free class samples.
Just want to back the channel and hang out? There’s a $3 / month Supporter tier on Patreon too.
From beginner to 3 dan (AGA/EGF)
If you mean it, you fit. No rank gate, and the programs meet you where you are.
Beginner? Don’t wait.
Real games with friendly guidance are the fastest way through the double-digit kyus, and every homework comes back as a full answer video. No question is too basic.
Start with the Study GroupStuck on a plateau?
You play plenty, but your rank won’t move. League reviews show you why, game by game.
See BenKyo LeagueStudying alone stopped working?
Classes, homework and league games give your week a shape, and friends notice when you skip.
See the Study GroupSDK or dan, going for the next stone
Reviews, private lessons, and honest reports from a teacher who knows your game.
See lessonsThree ways to start
Join a membership
The Study Group or BenKyo League, paid monthly on Patreon. From $10 a month.
Take lessons
One-on-one with Ben. Monthly plans on Patreon, or lesson packs and plans on Ko-fi.
Ask Ben first
Not sure which fits? Tell me a little about your Go and I’ll point you the right way.
Quickest reply: message me on Discord. Or email benkyobaduk@gmail.com
Not ready yet? Come say hi in our community chat first. It’s free.
Not sure where to start? Just ask.
Tell me where your Go is and where you want it to go. I read every inquiry personally.