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Outline

Name
Pair Go World Championship 2018
Date/Venue
August 20th (Mon), 21st (Tue), 2018
Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel (26-1 Sakura-gaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Participation (Number of Pairs)
4 countries and territories (9 pairs, 18 individuals)
Titleholder Pair Go World Champion
Yu Zhiying 6-dan & Ke Jie 9-dan pair (China)
Tournament Players

Japan：Kato Keiko 6-dan & Iyama Yuta 9-dan pair / Fujisawa Rina 4-dan & Ichiriki Ryo 8-dan pair / Hsieh Yi Min 6-dan & Takao Shinji 9-dan pair
China：Rui Naiwai 9-dan & Chen Yaoye 9-dan pair
Korea：Choi Jeong 9-dan & Park Jeonghwan 9-dan pair / Oh Yujin 6-dan & Shin Jinseo 9-dan pair
Chinese Taipei：Missingham Joanne Jia-Jia 7-dan & Lin Chun-Yen 7-dan pair / Yang Tzu-Hsuan 2-dan & Wang Yuan-Jyun 8-dan pair

Tournament Details

Carry out "the Challengers Tournament" and "the Pair Go World Championship 2018 Final"

A total of eight pairs, three of Japan, one of China, two of Korea, and two of Chinese Taipei, will participate in a three-round knock-out tournament. The winning pair will play the pair of Yu Zhiying 6-dan and Ke ji 9-dan of China, the Pair Go World Champions in the Final Match.

August 20 (Mon): Round 1, Semi-finals
August 21 (Tue): Final (Challengers Tournament) / Third-place Match, Final (Pair Go World Championship 2018 Final)

Playing Rules
Japanese Rules of Go. All games are played on even, with Black giving a komi of 6.5 points. The time allowance is 30 seconds per move plus ten minutes of thinking time, to be used in one-minute unites.
Prizes
If the Pair Go World Champions win, their prize will be 10,000,000 yen (including game fee).
If the Challengers Tournament winners also win the Final Match, their combined prize will be 10,000,000 yen.
Official Special Event
“PANDA SENSEI” CHALLENGE MATCH 2018
9 pairs of participating players have a showdown with the Tsumego AI “PANDA SENSEI”
August 19th (Sun)
Related Events
・Public Commentary
・Internet Live Broadcast on PANDANET
・”The king of Tsumego: PANDA SENSEI” trial corner
Organizers
Japan Pair Go Association / World Pair Go Association / Pair Go World Championship 2018 Executive Committee
Co-organizer
Nihon Ki-in
Special Sponsors
Gurunavi, Inc. / THE TOKYU GROUP / Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation / SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
Sponsors
ITO EN, LTD. / PANDANET Inc. / TOPY ENTERPRISES, LIMITED / ANA / NEC / YAMAZAKI BAKING CO.,LTD. / TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD. / PERSOL HOLDINGS CO., LTD. / FUJIFILM Imaging Systems Co., Ltd. / FUJISAWA-CORPORATION INC. / AD-GRAPHICS / DAIKO DENSHI TSUSHIN,LTD. / NKB Inc. / NKB Y's INC. / Japan Traffic Culture Association
Special Cooperation
Tokyu Corporation
Supported by
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan / Japan Sports Agency / Japan Tourism Agency / The Japan Foundation / The Yomiuri Shimbun / The Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd / Nikkei Inc. / The Mainichi Newspapers / The Asahi Shimbun Company / Kyodo News
Cooperation
Kansai Ki-in / China Qiyuan / Korea Baduk Association / International Go Federation / Chinese Taipei Professional Go Association / Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel
Administration
NKB Inc.

Officials

Tournament Chairman
Matsuda Masatake
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Japan Pair Go Association /
Senior Advisor, East Japan Railway Company
Chairman
(responsible for Japan)
Kamijo Kiyofumi
Director, Japan Pair Go Association / Exective Advisor, Tokyu Corporation
Chairman
(responsible for overseas)
Matsuura Koichiro
President, World Pair Go Association / Director, Japan Pair Go Association /
8th Director-General of UNESCO
Executive Committee
(Directors for Japan)

Taki Hisao
Advisor and Councilor, Japan Pair Go Association / Honorary Doctor, Tokyo Institute of Technology / Founder, Chairman and Representative Director, CEO, Gurunavi, Inc. / Founder and Chairman, NKB Inc.

Watanabe Isao
Director & Senior Managing Executive Officer, Tokyu Corporation

Joya Shunichiro
Executive Officer, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Kubo Seiichiro
Councilor, Japan Pair Go Association / President, Representative Director, Gurunavi, Inc.

Executive Committee
(Directors for Overseas Division)

Taki Hiroko
First Vice Chairman, Japan Pair Go Association /
Vice President, World Pair Go Association /
Director, International Go Federation / President & CEO, Pandanet Inc.

Hua Xueming
General Manager of the National Team, China Qiyuan /
7 dan, Chinese Weiqi Association

Yoo Changhyuk
Director, World Pair Go Association / Secretary General, Korea Baduk Association /
Vice President, International Go Federation / 9 dan, Korea Baduk Association

Advisors

Gotoda Masazumi
House of Representatives member

Hashimoto Seiko
Chairperson, General Assembly of Party Members of the House of Councillors

Yanagimoto Takuji
House of Councillors member

Shimizu Yoshihiko
President & CEO, SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.

Chief Referee

Otake Hideo
Honorary Gosei / Advisor, Nihon Ki-in

Deputy Chief Referees

Ogawa Tomoko
6 dan, Nihon Ki-in / Councilor, Japan Pair Go Association

Yoshida Mika
8 dan, Kansai Ki-in

Referees

Kim Soo Joon
8 dan, Nihon Ki-in

Ko Reibun
7 dan, Nihon Ki-in

Professional Commentators

Cho Chi Hun
Honorary Meijin, 25th Honinbo Chikun

Ishida Yoshio
24th Honinbo Shuho / Councilor, Japan Pair Go Association

Tournament Advisor
Koyama Kundo
Broadcast writer / Playwright

Organizers

Japan Pair Go Association / World Pair Go Association / Pair Go World Championship 2018 Executive Committee