Promoting Go in the UK and beyond

With the aim of promoting Go among women world-wide the International Amateur Pair Go Championships (IAPGC) were started in Japan in 1990. Now representatives of 22 countries and all regions of Japan come together annually for this world championship, held each November in Tokyo. In addition there are separate handicap groups held along side that get in excess of 300 Japanese players.

In 1990 only Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan took part. In 1991 there were 12 countries as France, Germany, Netherlands, Russia, UK, USA, Canada and Hong Kong joined. In 1992 two more European countries were added on rotation (Czechia and Poland in 1992). For subsequent years 8 or 9 European countries took part, with the four of the big five taking part on rotation and others selected to take part with priority given to new countries and ones that had not played recently. From 2004 a points system was introduced based on the country Go playing population size and the results in the European Pair Go Championships (again with priority given to new countries). By 2006 some 35 European countries had taken part.

Japan has won most often, having the home advantage of having several teams taking part. China have now won four times. The most famous winner was Yukari Umezawa, who is now 5 dan pro, who won in 1994.

Best Dressed

A feature of the IAPGC is always the best dressed couple prize, which helps encourage a smart turn out from the competitors. In addition on the first day of the event the international competitors are encouraged to wear national dress. This leads to some very bright and colourful costumes being seen, though of course some of the countries struggle to work out what their national dress might be!

International Friendship Match

Also on the first day an international friendship match is played, with partners drawn at random. As well as the IAPGC competitors, various professionals and important Japanese players (such as Go journalists, trainers and sponsors) take part. So you can find yourself playing against a 9p such as Mike Redmond or partnering a lady in a beautiful Japanese kimono. This always is a pleasant and interesting time.

The selection of UK representatives is based on a points system. Players earn a point for each game won in the British Pair Go Championships towards earning the right to represent UK at the IAPGC. The best Pair are selected using the combined points from each Pair and their points are reset to zero when they take part.

Hungary have competed twice for Europe and have had two European places in the top 7: seventh in 1997 and an excellant fourth in 2003, when father and daughter Tibor and Rita Pocsai won 4 games out of 5. Germany were eighth in 2005. Natalia Kovaleva and Dmitry Surin from Russia won 4 games to come 6th in 2007.

One of the biggest Pair Go championships outside Japan is played in America. In the Pair Go at the annual US Go Congress, up to 100 players take part. The US is now starting other local Pair Go events, such is the popularity of Pair Go. Many other countries also run Pair Go events and championships.

Of course the IAPGC is the top event of the year. You can read reports about some of the editions by following the results links above.

The World Pair Go Association was set up during 2007 and founded on 29th May 2008, to enable Pair Go to be promoted as a serious event and for it to be part of the World Mind Sports Games in Beijing in October 2008.

Every year the best Japanese women professional players are allocated a top male professional partner for Pair Go competition in the RICOH Cup. The first such event was in 1994. Qualifying stages are nowadays played early in December, followed by a final early in the new year.

• 1994 Konishi Kazuko (4 dan) and Hashimoto Shoji (9 dan)
• 1995 Kobayashi Izumi (1 dan) and Kobayashi Koichi (9 dan)
• 1996 Chinen Kaori (2 dan) and Yuki Satoshi (8 dan)
• 1998 Aoki Kikuyo (7 dan) and Honda Kunihisa (9 dan)
• 1999 Aoki Kikuyo (7 dan) and Honda Kunihisa (9 dan)
• 2000 Yoshida Mika (6 dan) and Tono Hiroaki (9 dan)
• 2001 Kusunoki Teruko (7 dan) and Yoda Norimoto (9 dan)
• 2002 Inori Yoko (5 dan) and Cho Chikun (9 dan)
• 2003 Inori Yoko (5 dan) and Cho Chikun (9 dan)
• 2004 Kobayashi Izumi (5 dan) and Yamashita Keigo (9 dan)
• 2005 Aoki Kikuyo (8 dan) and Mimura Tomoyasu (9 dan)
• 2006 Suzuki Ayumi (3 dan) and Cho U (9 dan)
• 2007 Okada Yumiko (6 dan) and Yamada Kimio (9 dan)
• 2008 Osawa Narumi (3 dan) and Cho Chikun (9 dan)