■Ricoh Cup First and Second Rounds

The Oldest Pair Aiming at Championship

Under the new rule adopted this year, pairs may advance to the quarterfinals with only one win if the combined age of the two players is higher. This makes veteran players feel at ease.

	The pair of 8-dan Ms. Kazuko Sugiuchi and 9-dan Masao Kato looked completely relaxed before the first round started since it was certain that they could advance to the quarterfinals with only one win.

According to Mr. Kato, however, "Veteran players are not good at quickly playing Go." After all, they won the two games to show their real ability as the veterans although they may have easily played because of their advantage.

In particular, they defeated the pair of Ms. Mika Yoshida and Mr. Hiroaki Tono who were said to be the only top favorite in the first round. In both games, the pair of Ms. Sugiuchi and Mr. Kato succeeded in getting ahead little by little rather than engaging in fierce battles. Their steady play was more impressive.

The dynamic pair of Izumi and Chikun and the static pair of Ms. Sugiuchi and Mr. Kato. I think that these two pairs will continue attracting the attention of the spectators through the quarterfinals onward.