There are only a few months left in this year and the time has come again for us to hold pair Go events.

The Pro Pair Go Ricoh Cup 2004 is scheduled to start in December.

Prior to the tournament, the meeting to pair the players by drawing lots was held on October 7 at the Hotel Metropolitan Edmont in Iidabashi, Tokyo.

This is the 10th anniversary or a milestone of this event.

Last year, the pair of 5-dan Yoko Inori and the 25th Honinbo Chikun won the championship two years in a row.

Under the Ricoh Cup rules, a year's champion pair will remain as the pair and will not have to draw lots for the next year's tournament.

However, if a pair wins two successive championships, the pair is to be dissolved the following year.

Therefore, all participants (32 players or 16 pairs) drew lots this year.

The following is a report of the meeting and the results of the drawing.