Ben Mantle-From Hikaru no Go Inspiration to Global Go Educator
Ben Mantle (also known as BenKyo or BenKyo Baduk) is a Canadian 5-dan Go player, full-time Go teacher, and content creator. Since June 2021, he has dedicated himself entirely to Go education, teaching through multiple platforms and building an international Go learning community. He teaches on YouTube under the name BenKyo Baduk, streams on Twitch as BenKyoBaduk, and runs the BenKyo League, an online environment where players of all levels can learn, train, and grow. He also serves as Head Instructor at the Toronto Go Club, is the former President of the University of Toronto Go Club, and has been part of the Go tables team in the Gaming section at Anime North, helping introduce Go to new audiences through convention culture.
A Journey Sparked by a Story
Like many modern Go players, BenKyo first encountered the game through the anime Hikaru no Go in 2006. What began as curiosity became passion, leading him to study intensively, explore Go theory deeply, and eventually travel to Korea to strengthen his understanding at the source.
For years, he balanced Go with his career as a software engineer—until making a pivotal decision in 2021 to pursue Go full-time. That choice marked a turning point not only in his own life but in the experiences of the many students and players he now teaches and mentors.
Building Spaces for Go to Grow
Outside East Asia, many Go players struggle without structure, opponents, instruction, or a motivating community. To address this gap, BenKyo created the BenKyo League (BKL)—a system with tiered divisions, flexible match scheduling, guided improvement, study groups, reviews, and a welcoming sense of belonging. From beginners learning fundamentals to aspiring dan-level players refining their game, BKL offers a clear path for growth.
Students describe BenKyo as patient, analytical, encouraging, and approachable. Many have progressed from single-digit kyu to dan level through his emphasis on shape intuition, reading depth, decision-making, emotional steadiness, and purposeful reviewing. His teaching philosophy focuses on how players think, not just the moves they select.
Beyond BKL, he has built a digital classroom through his YouTube channel, where he shares live reviews, joseki explanations, tsumego guidance, AI analysis, and commentary suitable for all levels. His Twitch streams add real-time interaction, blending entertainment with instruction, helping players worldwide improve—especially those without local Go clubs.
In his GoMagic interview, he introduced two complementary approaches to tsumego study: Tsumego Exposure Training, involving quick instinct-based attempts and high-volume pattern recognition, and Deep Reading Training, involving full solution calculation supported by AI review and strong sparring partners. He emphasized reviewing wins as well as losses, valuing deep analysis over quantity, recognizing that rank barriers often stem from subtle inefficiencies, and understanding that a single move can decide a game. This reflects a modern, structured, and mentally aware approach to Go training.
Through the BenKyo League, YouTube, Twitch, his teaching roles, and outreach at conventions, BenKyo has made Go more accessible and connected. His journey shows that Go extends beyond the board—becoming a discipline, a way of thinking, and a cultural bridge built through shared curiosity and black-and-white stones.
