* Pair Drawing Meeting *

Yet, Mr.Redmond seemed to be a little strained at his first experience. He opened the drawing meeting by saying, "This championship can be called the 'All Ster Games of the Go world'." His somewhat awkward performance as the MC softened the atmosphere of the dwawing meeting. Soon after the opening speeches by Mr.Ichiro Yoshikuni, Chairman of the Japan Pair Go Association. and Mr.Hitoshi Hamada, Representative Director and Chairman of Ricoh Co.,Ltd.,the drawing was carried out. The total number of participants in this year's championship is 32 individuals or 16 pairs. All of them are selected top pro players who hold Go titles or keep high percentage of winning. More than half of the participants attended the drawing meeting. One of the male players said,"I am present here to decide my own partner by myself because the partner is the most important factor of success in pair games." Actually, the pair drawing gives the participants lager tension than we imagine. The drawing was carried out using two sets of balls with an alphabet from A to P indicated on them. One set of 16 balls was put in the box for female players and another set in the box for male players. Each participant picked out a ball from the box and wrote down his or her own name on the board unber the alphabet he or she drew. For the participant absent from the meeting Mr.Yoshikuni and Mr.Hamada picked out balls. Ms.Izumi Kobayashi,who is the Female Kisei title holder, picked out the "H" ball while her partner was not yet decided. She returned to her seat and revealed her feeling in a low voice,"This drawing makes me feel great pressure." "Yes there would be no other drawing than this that makes us feel so great pressure," agreed 5th dan Ms.Chizu Kobayashi.

Needless to say, good partnership is essential to success in Pair Go Games. However, whether the female player can play in a relaxed mood or not is more important than expected. Every male participant is a super player of the pro Go world. Even a breathing or action of the male player makes his female partner nevous. So, the first hurdle for the female player is whether she is paired with the male partner who can tolerate any poor moves made by his female partner in the game. To our surprise, 9th dan Mr.Koichi Kobayashi picked out the "H" ball to become the partner of his daughter Izumi Kobayashi. At the moment he picked out the ball, the room was astir. "Oh my partner is father! I will reoort this news!" Ms.Izumi Kobayashi shouted and ran to a public telephone. At this lovely sight, 9th dan Hideo Otake made people laugh by saying,"Hey, she looks as if she had already became the champion. I feel as if this year's competition were over today!" The participants were paired one after another. I asked 9th dan Mr.Otake what he predicted form the results of the drawing. He answered,"Gorgeous pairs have been made. I think the top favorite is last year's champion pair (7th dan Ms.Kikuyo Aoki and 9th dan Mr.Kunihisa Honda"). The second favorite may be the pair of Kobayashi father and daughter. Also, there is a possibility that the pair 6th dan Ms.Kazuko Konishi and 9th dan Mr.Masao Kato shuoud place well as a dark horse. Anyway, the pair which will attract more attention than any other pair will be that of 8th dan Ms.Kazuko Sugiuchi and 9th dan Mr.Satoshi Yuki. If this pair stays throgh the final, the number of Go fans may increase by one million." This is the first time for 8th dan Ms.Sugiuchi to participate in this championship. Who would be paired with her was a point of the drawing. And 9th dan Mr.Yuki,who is the youngest among the participants (and the same age as 7th dan Mr.Kimio Yamada),was paired with Ms.Sugiuchi. Mr.Yuki may have been destined to be paired with Ms.Sugiuchi. The only time during the drawing meeting when applause arose was the moment this pair was born. Then each pair's opponent in the first round games was decided by another drawing and many intersting matches were made. I asked some pairs what they had in mind.

---The pair of 6th dan Ms.Kozuko Konishi and 9th dan Mr.Masao Kato---

Mr.Kato: Ms.Konishi became the champion with 9th dan Mr.Shoji Hashimoto in the first year, when I lost two seccessive games. But my results improved year by year. The Second year I won one game and lost one game. Last year, I advanced to the final. Ms.Konishi: My results have been poor except for the year when I was paired with Mr.Hashimoto. I am sorry I can't come up to your expectations, Mr.Kato. Mr.Kato: Maybe you have lost games due to your partners. This year, you will probably be O.K. because you are paired with me.

---The pair of 2nd dan Ms.Yukari Umezawa and the Tengen title holder Mr.Norio Kudo---

Ms.Umezawa: I usually have achieved good results in pair games. Last year, I advanced to the semifinal. So, I hope to advanced one more step to the final this year. I am lucky to be paired with Mr.Kudo because he seeems to tolerate my mistakes. Mr.Kudo: I have participate in this championship only once bofore, when I was paired with Ms.Kikuyo Aoki. I think that our defeat at that time was my fault because Ms.Aoki became last year's champion with another partner. I may have disappointed Ms.Umezawa since there is no possibility that I can't get the best dresser praize. So, all I have to do is my best to win the championship.

---The pair of 4th dan Ms.Yumiko Okada and 7th dan Mr.Kimio Ymada---

Mr.Yamada: This is my first time to paricipate in pair games. I will be satisfied if I can win the first game. What do you think Ms.Okada? Ms.Okada: To tell the truth, I formed a Pair Go study group and have been studying Pair Go games. But I am not sure if I can show the result of such a efforts. In the first game, we have to compete with last year's champion pair. If we can win the first game. we may be able to advance to a good place.

On December 12, the first and second round games will be played by the pairs who have various aims and tactics.

by Takeshi Yokouchi, Journalist