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Special Cooperation / East Japan Railway, HITACHI, Japan Airlines
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| Convention Scenery |
November 10th (Saturday) 1st game
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| « Opening Ceremony » |
This year, too, the International Pair Go Championship was held, for the 18th time, with participating pairs assembling from around the world. On Saturday and Sunday, November 10 and 11, a total of 64 players in 32 pairs, made up of pairs representing 21 overseas countries and territories and the top place-getters in regional qualifying tournaments held in eight venues around Japan, competed for the championship at the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Tokyo.
The competition is a five-round tournament held over two days. It combines an international championship and an all-Japan championship. The overall winner becomes the International Amateur Pair Go champions and the top Japanese pair becomes the All Japan champions. |
Hotel entrance, sign board
Welcome board
Hall scenery
Hall scenery
A hall signboard
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| « Round One » |
After drawing lots to decide the pairings in the first round, the teams take their seats and exchange friendly greetings with their opponents. This may be a tournament, but the atmosphere is more like an international social gathering. All the teams, whether they are aiming at the championship or focused more on enjoying the opportunity for exchange, tense up before the first round. The special feature of Pair Go is that this tension is relaxed as the players introduce themselves to each other and chat before the game.
In Pair Go, it's important to act in concert with each other. Can the players support each other's strategy and give a direction to the game? This has a big influence on the content of the games and on the results. Even though one is aware of this, one is liable to forget it as one becomes absorbed in the game. After a simple speech by Hiroko Taki, a director of the Japan Pair Go Association, encouraging the participants to ‘enjoy Pair Go for two days’, the players summon up their concentration and the tournament starts. |
1st game, combination lottery
Emcees, Ms.Yoshimi Rin and Mr. James Davis
Ms. Hiroko Taki, a director of the Japan Pair Go Association
Start call
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| On the first day, the first round of the main tournament and a goodwill match are held. Because pairings are decided by lot, strong teams are drawn against each other in the first round, and there are many games between Japanese teams. The pairings are important to the teams that are aiming at winning the tournament. |
The first round of the main tournament
The team of China
The team of Chinese-Taipei
The team of The Korea
The team of Malaysia
The team of Singapore
The team of Thailand
The team of Philippines
The team of Austria
The team of Czech
The team of Finland |
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