Pair Go World Festival 2026

September 24 (Thu.) – September 27 (Sun.), 2026
Nagoya Castle Hommaru Palace / The Nihon Ki-in ( Chubu Office ) / Nagoya Tokyu Hotel

Approximately 100 pairs (200 players) from around 20 countries and regions, including Japan (planned)

Pair Go World Festival 2026 will be held in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, for four days from September 24 (Thu.) to 27 (Sun.), 2026. This international Pair Go festival will bring together leading professional Go players active on the world stage, as well as amateur players from around the world who enjoy Go and Pair Go. Through Pair Go, the festival will create opportunities for people from countries and regions around the world to interact in the spirit of peace, while sharing the appeal of Go and Pair Go in Japan and abroad. Events will include the World Pair Go Championship 2026, held for the first time in seven years; the 35th International Amateur Pair Go Championship; The Matsuda Cup - 10th World Students Pair Go Championship; and the Araki Cup Handicap Tournament. International Friendship Pair Go Matches will also be held, promoting friendship through Pair Go and fostering interaction across national borders and generations. In addition, as a new initiative, a Neo Human (NH) Pair Go Exhibition Match will be held under the theme of “Co-Creation, Collaboration, and Harmony between Humans and AI.” In Neo Human (NH) Pair Go, a human and AI form a pair as a single entity and play Pair Go together. This special match, available only at this festival, will feature the winning pair of the Pandanet Cup Neo Human (NH) Pair Go Tournament, whose qualifying events are currently underway, against the winning pair of the World Pair Go Championship 2026.

＜Events＞

World Pair Go Championship 2026
September 25–27 / Venue: Nagoya Castle Hommaru Palace
Eight pairs (16 players) of leading professional Go players from Japan, China, Korea, and Chinese Taipei will compete for the title of world’s strongest Pair Go pair. The eight pairs will be divided into two leagues of four pairs each for the preliminary stage. The four pairs advancing from the preliminary stage will then compete in a two-round knockout tournament to determine the champions.

Players:
＜Japan＞
Ueno Risa 4-dan / Sada Atsushi 7-dan (Winners of the Professional Pair Go Championship 2025)
Fujisawa Rina 7-dan / Ichiriki Ryo-9 dan
Ueno Asami 6-dan / Iyama Yuta 9-dan
＜China＞
Zhou Hongyu 7-dan / Ding Hao 9-dan
Yu Zhiying 8-dan / Wang Xinghao 9-dan
＜Korea＞
Kim Eunji 9-dan / Shin Min Jun 9-dan
Choi Jeong 9-dan / Byeon Sangil 9-dan
＜Chinese Taipei＞
Yang Tzu-Hsuan 6-dan / Hsu Hao-Hung 9-dan

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The 35th International Amateur Pair Go Championship
September 26 / Venue: The Nihon Ki-in ( Chubu Office )
September 27 / Venue: Nagoya Tokyu Hotel
A total of 32 pairs (64 players)—17 pairs (34 players) from overseas and 15 pairs (30 players) from Japan—will compete in a five-round Swiss-system tournament. The International Championship and the All-Japan Championship will be held together in a single section. The overall winning pair will receive the International Amateur Pair Go Championship (IAPG Cup), while the highest-ranking Japanese pair will receive the All-Japan Amateur Pair Go Championship (JAPG Cup).
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The Matsuda Cup - 10th World Students Pair Go Championship
September 26 / Venue: The Nihon Ki-in ( Chubu Office )
An international tournament for eight pairs (16 players) of university and graduate students from around the world will determine the world’s top student Pair Go pair of the year. Three rounds will be played, and the winning pair will be awarded the World Students Pair Go Championship (WSPG Cup).
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Araki Cup Handicap Tournament
September 27 / Venue: Nagoya Tokyu Hotel
On the final day, September 27, an open-entry tournament will be held for the general public. Pairs will be divided into several sections according to their playing strength (Pair Points), and three rounds will be played using the Swiss system. The winning pair in Section A will receive the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Encouragement Award. Pairs participating in The Matsuda Cup - 10th World Students Pair Go Championship are also scheduled to take part.

International Friendship Pair Go Matches
September 27 / Venue: Nagoya Tokyu Hotel
Leading male and female professional Go players from Japan, China, Korea, and Chinese Taipei who competed in the World Pair Go Championship, players from approximately 15 countries and regions who participated in the International Amateur Pair Go Championship and The Matsuda Cup, as well as Japanese professional players, officials, related participants, and players in the Araki Cup Handicap Tournament will enjoy friendly games, some wearing traditional national dress. Through Pair Go, participants will interact internationally beyond differences in nationality and language.

Neo Human (NH) Pair Go Exhibition Match
September 27 / Venue: Nagoya Tokyu Hotel
To commemorate the launch of the “AI Research Group Using Pair Go as a Platform,” a special match organized by the Japan Pair Go Association will be held between the winning pair of the Pandanet Cup Neo Human (NH) Pair Go Tournament and the winning pair of the World Pair Go Championship 2026. This groundbreaking initiative explores the theme of “Co-Creation, Collaboration, and Harmony between Humans and AI.” Please enjoy this unique encounter between a traditional game with a history of thousands of years and the latest technology.
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Best Dresser Award
The judging panel will be chaired by internationally renowned designer Junko Koshino. Pairs dressed up especially for the occasion will add even more color to the venue. Awards will be presented in categories including traditional national dress and Japanese attire.

Public Commentary Sessions
Public commentary sessions will be held for games in the World Pair Go Championship 2026 and the Neo Human (NH) Pair Go Exhibition Match. Go fans in the Tokai area and surrounding regions will have the opportunity to enjoy expert commentary on high-level games played by leading professional pairs from around the world and by a Neo Human (NH) pair.

Japan Pair Go Association / Pair Go World Festival 2026 Executive Committee

Japan Go Federation

World Pair Go Association / International Go Federation