9-year-old Go prodigy dies in suspected suicide after alleged abuse by father

Police have launched an investigation into the death of a 9-year-old Go player in Hangzhou, neighboring Zhejiang Province, following online allegations that the child died by suicide after enduring long-term physical abuse from his father, Nanjing Broadcasting System reported.

The child, surnamed Zhu, was an amateur 6-dan Go player who had reportedly achieved multiple national youth titles, with wins as recently as 2024 and 2025.

Several instructors at Hangzhou Qiyuan, a Go training institute, confirmed that Zhu had been enrolled there. One teacher acknowledged that the boy died following a fall but declined to share further details, according to the report.

Online posts widely circulated this week claim that Zhu jumped to his death on Monday, May 19, after suffering repeated beatings from his father – allegedly triggered by his performance in Go matches. These accounts have sparked intense discussion on Chinese social media.

Hangzhou police confirmed on Wednesday that the case is under investigation.