Chinese Go master Nie Weiping died at the age of 73 in Beijing on Wednesday night, the Chinese Weiqi (Go) Association announced on Thursday.

Born on August 17, 1952, Nie rose to fame in the Go world after leading China to victories at the China-Japan Go Challenge Series in the 1980s, beating several top Japanese players.

In 1988, he was honoured as "Go Master" by then-State Physical Culture and Sports Commission of China, the predecessor organisation of China's State General Administration of Sport.

He was also the honorary president of the Chinese Weiqi Association.

"My father's passing is a tremendous loss to the Chinese chess world, and an irreparable wound in the hearts of our family," an obituary release by his daughter Yunfei on social media.

"His voice and appearance remain vivid in our memories; his noble character endures. We will always remember him." (Additional reporting by Xinhua)