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| As the 1st round started, the most popular game which was surrounded by a big crowd was, of course, Shei and Iyama pair against Tsukuda and Cho pair. Shei Women's Honinbo / Women's Meijin's "offensive" moves attracted the amateur Go fans. Also, Iyama 8dan and Cho Meijin / Tengen / Gosei has just finished playing 7 games of the Meijin title match. |
At the commentary room, Yoshio Ishida 9dan said, "Since Mr. U Cho received the Meijin title, he gained other titles one by one so he has power. For Iyama san, I think he wants revenge."
On the Go board, as fans expected the black, Shei and Iyama pair, was leading. |
The game of Tomoko Kato and Takao pair against Aoki and Yamada pair was also intense.
Ishida 9dan at the commentary room said, "Wherever they can cut, they do so. In this game, one of them will resign. This game will not last till the end." |
The game of Umezawa and Imamura pair against Yoshida and Kono pair was the 2nd most popular.
About this game, Ishida 9dan's judgement was, "the black of Umezawa and Imamura pair are playing smoothly. Mr. Kono lost a day before yesterday (the 3rd game of the Tengen title match. Kono 9dan lost 3 games against Cho Meijin / Tengen / Gosei and had to give the Tengen title to Cho.) He seems quiet." |
The game of Mannami and Yamashita pair against Izumi Kobayashi and Sakai pair was moyo against moyo.
Ishida 9dan said, "Ms. Mannami, Izumi and Sakai are not the type who make moyo. The only person who does is Mr. Yamashita. That means only Mr. Yamashita will win (audience laughed)." In the actual game, the white, Izumi and Sakai pair was leading and Ishida said, "Each move of white looks arrogant." But later, black started attacking and it started to be confusing. |
At the commentary room, the 24th Honinbo Shuho (Yoshio Ishida 9dan)'s bitter comment often made the fans lively. Also, Tomoko Ogawa 6dan is from Kiya monka (school) so to 25th Honinbo Chikun (Chikun Cho 9dan) and Koichi Kobayashi 9dan, she can say anything.
Ishida said, "This person (Koichi Kobayashi 9dan) is the type who doesn't want to give away anything. He is very greedy. Cho san could not win in Pair Go before. But recently, he started to be good with going out with women (audience laughed) so he is strong in Pair Go now."
The pair, Suzuki and Koichi, who Ishida 9dan described as "greedy" won the game against Okada and Naoto Hikosaka 9dan by resigning. |
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Last year's winner, Osawa and Chikun pair lost by resigning against Koyama and Ko pair.
Ishida 9dan said, "There are many close games, this year. It seems that there are many games winning by resigning." As he expected, Konishi and Yoda pair won against Chinen and Satoru Kobayashi pair by resigning. Keiko Kato and Hane pair also won against Yashiro and So pair by resigning.
Umezawa and Imamura pair won by resigning, leading from the beginning. Tomoko Kato and Takao pair won by resigning, through the game was confusing. Shei and Iyama pair won the losing game by 5 and a half stones. The last game to be finished was Mannami and Yamashita pair against Izumi Kobayashi and Sakai pair. The white stones kept leading and Izumi and Sakai pair won by 4 and a half stones. |
| Please take a look again the 1st round result. |
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Now, again, I went back to visit the waiting room.
Yashiro 5dan said, "In that game, I tried to be patient. I tried not to be offensive!"
So 8dan said, "Really?"
Yashiro 5dan said, "Ah, I thought we would win. So, I'm disappointed."
25th Honinbo Chikun who finished reviewing with Osawa 3dan in the other room said looking back the game they lost, "It was a little inevitable." Someone asked him, "Did you lose the 1st round?" He answered, "I still have the next game to play. So, I am not worried at all."
Tomoko Kato and Takao pair and Aoki and Yamada pair were reviewing together with calmness. But without using Go board or game result, Takao said, "You cut us but still we were suffering." Yamada said, "Close to the center was connected so it was all right." Takao said, "Ah, that's true." They did "Go vocabulary review", very typical of professionals. For 4 of them, it seemed as if they could see the Go board clearly. Even though they laughed, unfortunately, I did not understand what they were laughing about. |
I went to see more pairs who lost the 1st round.
Satoru Kobayashi 9dan said, "Let's play the next game, relaxing!"
Chinen 4dan said with a big smile, "Yes!"
Yoshida 8dan said, "I've leant a lot, today. I thought Kono san is a cool guy but today, I found out he is a nice guy."
Kono 9dan said, "Haven't finished, yet." (big laugh among professionals)
Yoshida 8dan said immediately, "Of course! I am sure I will win!"
Satoru Kobayashi said, "Umm... I cannot take this pair lightly." |
The pairs who won the 1st game seemed calm.
Keiko Kato Women's Saikyo asked Suzuki 4dan, "Is your pair perfect?" Suzuki 4dan answered with confidence, "Yes, I had the same partner last year." Next to them, Yoda 9dan said with a smile, "In my case, if I win the 1st game, I will win the 2nd game." Konishi 8dan said, "Is that so!?" |
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Now, even though the 2nd round was not started, in the waiting room, the 9×9 board meeting was started.
When Koichi Kobayashi 9dan, Ayumi Suzuki 4dan and Cho 9dan started, other professionals came to join. To Suzuki 4dan's move, Cho 9 dan screamed, "Oh~! Ayumi, your technique is different!" And to her partner, Koichi 9dan, he said, "You must be happy to be a pair with her!" Yoda 9dan who walked past said loudly, "What? I learnt the secret of playing 9×9 Go board game from Kazuko and now, all the secrets are shown here!" Then, he said to Konishi 8dan, "But we will try not to play 9×9 Go board game." He promised her to win the 2nd round and went into the tournament hall. |
In the 2nd round, the winners of the 1st round play against each other and the losers play against each other.
The pairings are as below. |
☆ Terumi Koyama 5dan, Iso Ko 7dan pair VS Kazuko Konishi 8dan, Norimoto Yoda 9dan pair
☆ Narumi Osawa 3dan, 25th Honinbo Chikun pair VS Kaori Chinen 4dan, Satoru Kobayashi 9dan pair
☆ Yukari Umezawa Women's Kisei, Toshiya Imamura 9dan pair VS
Imin Shei Women's Honinbo / Women's Meijin, Yuta Iyama 8dan( ★ ) pair
☆ Mika Yoshida 8dan, Rin Kono Tengen pair VS
Akiko Tsukuda 5dan, U Cho Meijin / Tengen / Gosei pair
☆ Keiko Kato Women's Saikyo, Naoki Hane Honinbo pair VS
Tomoko Kato 5dan, Shinji Takao Judan pair
☆ Kumiko Yashiro 5dan, Yokoku So 8dan( ★ ) pair VS Kikuyo Aoki 8dan, Kimio Yamada 9dan pair
☆ Ayumi Suzuki 4dan, Koichi Kobayashi 9dan pair VS
Izumi Kobayashi 6dan, Hideyuki Sakai 7dan pair
☆ Yumiko Okada 6dan, Naoto Hikosaka 9dan pair VS
Kana Mannami 4dan, Keigo Yamashita Kisei / Oza pair
( ★ → The first participation ) |
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