Apart from the special rules of Pair Go, in principle the Japanese Rules of Go (adopted April 10, 1989) are applied.

1. Pair Go®

In principle, the game is played between male-female pairs. the two players in each pair are called partners.

2. Seating

the two partners sit beside each other, facing the opposing pair across the Go board. the male player sits facing the male player and the female player facing the female player.

3. Order of moves

・the pairs play in the following order:

…→●Black female player→○White female player→●Black male player→○White male player→…

this cycle is called the normal rotation. the players must always play in the normal rotation.

・the player who makes the first move of the game is as follows:

In non-handicap games, the Black female player makes the first move. (the next move is made by the White female player.)
In games with a handicap of two stones or more, the White female player makes the first move. (the next move is made by the Black male player.)

4. Prohibition on exchanging information

During the game, partners must not communicate, give advice, or exchange other information by speech, gestures, mannerisms, or any other means except playing moves. Speaking is permitted, however, to confirm whose turn it is to play or to confer about resigning. Conferring about resigning is limited to the following case: the player to move may ask for his or her partner's consent to resign; the partner may agree or not agree to resign.

5. Resignation

Resignation is announced by the player whose turn it is to move. the player's partner cannot retract the resignation.

6. Violations

If the wrong partner plays, causing a departure from normal rotation, this is called a rotation error. Rotation errors are handled as follows:

• (1) A rotation error can be claimed only when the move just played was out of rotation.
• (2) If the claimed rotation error was intentional, the game is forfeited immediately.
• (3) If the claimed rotation error was unintentional, the next step is to verify which partner played the preceding move.
• (4) If the preceding move was played in normal rotation, the game continues with a three-point penalty for the claimed rotation error.
• (5) If the preceding move was not played in normal rotation, the game continues without any penalty for the claimed rotation error.
• (6) In either case, no moves are taken back and replayed. the last move played is regarded as having been played by the correct player. the next move must be played in normal rotation with the last move played.
• (7) Whenever a rotation error is detected, the next player must return to normal rotation. Failure to do so is regarded as a new rotation error.

Example of rotation error and return to normal rotation

• :
  ↓
• ●Black male player Normal : rotation
• ↓
• ○White male player Normal : rotation
• ↓
• ●Black female player Normal : rotation
• ↓
• ○White female player Normal : rotation
• ↓
• ●Black female player : Rotation error. the error is claimed and a three-point penalty is applied.
• ↓
• ○White female player : Return to normal rotation (the White female player normally plays after the Black female player).
  If the White male player played at this point , that would be a new rotation error.
• ↓
• ●Black male player : Normal rotation
• ↓
• ○White male player : Normal rotation
• ↓
• ●Black female player : Normal rotation
• ↓
• ○White female player : Normal rotation
• ↓
  :

Illegal exchange of information
If an illegal exchange of information between partners is observed to take place, the offending pair forfeits the game.

7. Other matters

• (1) the game stops when there are two consecutive passes.
• (2) the word "agreement" in the Japanese Rules of Go means agreement among all four players.

1. Handicap setting

Players who have held amateur titles receive 9 handicap points. Players who have represented their prefectures in amateur title tournaments receive 8 handicap points. Other players receive handicap points as follows:

7D→7、 6D→6、 5D→5、 4D→4、 3D→3、 2D→2、 shodan→1、 1kyu→0、 2kyu→-1、 3kyu→-2、 4kyu→-3、 5kyu→-4、 6kyu→-5

the handicap points of a pair are the total of the two partners' handicap points divided by two.

※A and B are the partners in a pair.

・Examples of handicap-point calculations for pairs
A's points	6	4	5	2	-3
B's points	2	1	-1	-4	-4
Pair's points	4	2.5	2	-1	-3.5

2. Handicaps

・The handicap in a game is determined by the difference in handicap points between the pairs as follows:

Point difference	Handicap stones	Komi
0.0	0	6
0.5	0	0
1.0	0	-6
1.5	2	0
2.0	2	-6
2.5	3	0
3.0	3	-6
3.5	4	0
4.0	4	-6
4.5	5	0
5.0	5	-6
5.5	6	0
6.0	6	-6
6.5	7	0
7.0	7	-6
7.5	8	0
8.0	8	-6
8.5	9	0
9.0	9	-6

・Jigo is won by White.

・Komi 6 : In games on even Black gives 6 points as komi.
   Komi -6 : White gives 6 points as komi (reverse komi).

• ● Pair Go is an intellectual contest between ladies and gentlemen. Please avoid unmannerly speech, conduct, attitudes, or dress.
• ● Be careful to avoid behavior or gestures that might give or seem to give your partner a hint concerning the next move.
• ● Male players must wear suits or jackets and ties at official Pair Go tournaments.
• ● Female players are required to wear non-casual clothing at official Pair Go tournaments.
  (Jeans and sneakers are not allowed.)
• ● Partners must not leave their seats at the same time during a game at official Pair Go tournaments.
• ●Smoking is not permitted during play at official Pair Go tournaments. During games, actions such as acupuncture and moxibustion are forbidden.
• ●If any problems arise during a game at official Pair Go tournaments, you must call a referee. Please comply with the decisions of the referees.