<The First Round Pairings: Drawing Lots>

The Professional Pair Go Championship 2010, an all-star tournament with 36 top professionals participating in 18 male-female pairs, made a brilliant start this year.

event, long anticipated by Go fans, is now in its 16th year. First of all, the drawing of lots for the pairings was held at the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Iidabashi, Tokyo, on 13 October. The first of the participating professionals to make a dashing appearance at the venue every year is Rin Kono 9-dan. Compared to his debut four years ago, he seemed full of confidence and even seemed to have a distinctive air.

Next, Chiaki Mukai 3-dan and Aya Okuda 2-dan came in together. Akino Izawa 4-dan and Kimio Yamada 9-dan from the Osaka headquarters of the Nihon Ki-in arrived, and at one stroke the venue became lively.

Acting as the MC was Ms. Miyoko Goto. ‘Thank you for coming today. Each time this tournament is held, the number of fans increases, and it has become firmly established in the Go world as a spectacular yearend festival. We are now holding the 16th tournament, and soon the curtain will open on the fierce competition of the Professional Pair Go Championship.’

Before the start of play, Shinji Yazaki gave an address on behalf of the sponsoring body, the Japan Pair Go Association, of which he is Vice President.

Yazaki: ‘I would like to say a few words on behalf of the sponsors. This year, too, the Professional Pair Go Championship has received a lot of support. We would like to express our profound gratitude to all the professional Go players for their understanding and to all the organizers for their great efforts in making it possible to stage the tournament.
‘The International Amateur Pair Go Championship was held in November for the 20th time and is becoming more and more successful. A new international development was the inclusion of Pair Go as an official event at the 1st World Mind Sports Games in Beijing last year. In March next year, a world championship is scheduled to be held in Hangzhou in China. The Japan Pair Go Association became a member of the International Go Federation, and we will continue to do our best to promote the development of Pair Go. We would like to request your continued support and cooperation. In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to the Nihon Ki-in (Japan Go Association) and the Kansai Ki-in and also to the Yomiuri Newspaper for its support.’

Next, on behalf of the sponsoring corporations, Mr.Toji Hayase, a director of the Japan Freight Rail Company, came up on to the stage to propose a toast.

Hayase: ‘Our company, the Japan Rail Freight Corporation, includes among its employees the top amateur player Satoshi Hiraoka. His wife is also a strong player, and last year they won an amateur Pair Go tournament and took part in the World Mind Sports Games.’

Mr. Hayase drew laughter from the audience when he spoke of some humorous episodes from his career ­ he is also quite a strong player. He then raised his glass high in the toast.

‘We are all looking forward to a magnificent tournament. Wishing the players the best of luck and praying for a successful Pair Go tournament ­ Kanpai!’