Pro's levels are counted as dan (like in judo)

A new pro is call 1 dan (or shodan) and you can go up dan (levels) by playing oteai (special games) At this rate, they can achieve 1 to 2 dan per year. The best pros can go up to 9 "dan", the maximum level they can achieve. Only one player can go past the maximum level and it is the Jûdan' title holder (10 dan).

If the number of dan gives you a good indication on how good the player is (a 9 dan is bound to be good) but that doesn't mean that a 7 dan is better than a 5 dan (just look at Kurata who is consider one of the best Japanese player and only have a 7 dan at the end of the series.)

In the manga, we were given the chance to meet with prestigious title: Kisei, Jûdan, Tengen, Gosei, Meijin, Honinbo, who are given at the end to the winner of the same name tournament.

At the end of preliminary rounds, the best players join the league or the round, a little group of players that will battle it out to become the challenger and go to the final.

The preliminary rounds that determine the challenger (the one that will defy the title holder) can last up to 2 years.

The oldest is the Honinbo. Kisei is the one that brings back the most money. In reality they are more titles than what the manga shows us.

In the amateurs, they are also levels. The highest level is 7 dan (an amateur 7 dan is underneath a pro shodan). Always in the amateurs, less high than the dan are the kyu. There, the attributions of levels are reversed. A player starts with a 30 kyu level (newbie) and can progress all the way to a 1 kyu.

Some amateurs are almost at the pro level. You can sign up to pass the pro exams up to 30 years old.