With the aim of promoting Go among women world-wide the International Amateur Pair Go Championship (IAPGC) was 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 (the Araki Cup) 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 and by 2007 65 countries world wide.
The event came of age in 2009 with its 20th edition. As well as a demonstration pro Pair Go game, there were awards for the biggest contributions to the promoting of Pair Go and an essay competition won by Manja and Micha Marz from Germany with Pair Go May Change Your Life.
Japan had won most often (six times), having the home advantage of having several teams taking part, but Korea has now won seven times. China have won four times, North Korea twice and Taiwan once. The most famous winner is Umezawa Yukari, who is now 5 dan pro, who won in 1994.
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!
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A new tee shirt has been produced in 2007 to celebrate the IAPGC. It has the IAPGC logo on the front and appropriate calligraphy by top artist Takagi Seiu on the back. Translated into English it says: "In Pair Go, when you win the pleasure is doubled, when you lose the chagrin is halved." There is also an annual IAPGC towel. 
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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.
Hungary have competed twice for Europe and have has two 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. Natalia Kovaleva and Dmitry Surin from Russia won 4 games to come 6th in 2007.
In 2008 the 19th IAPGC was part of the World Mind Sports Games in Beijing. The top amateur team received the title. It was open to pairs from any country and the top 6 European countries from the previous 9 IAPGCs received official support (Russia, Hungary, Germany, Czechia, France and UK).
Yuki Shigeno's report on IAPGC 2005
In order to encourage promotion of Pair Go around the world, the IAPGC players are afterwards encouraged to sign up as Pair Go Promotion Partners. They are given the red PGPP passport book to remind them of what the aims of Pair Go are. They are then expected to enthuse about Pair Go back in their own country, hence promoting the game.
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PGPP members: |
As well as Pair Go in Europe, 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.
In March 2010 the first Pair Go World Cup will be held in China with 8 pro pairs from the Orient and 8 pairs from the rest of the world. Pair Go is also part of the Asian Games from 2010 and was featured in the first Chinese Mindsports Games.
A booklet, The Path of Pair Go, was published in 2009 tracing the history of Pair Go.
Of course the IAPGC is the senior Pair Go event of the year. You can read reports about some of the editions by following the results links above.
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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. |
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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. There is also a similar tournament in China. In 2010 the event was changed to select two pairs to take part in the new Pair Go World Cup, being launched to celebrate 20 years of Pair Go. |
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