Kadoban

A Kadoban is a game in a series or handicap match that the player in the vulnerable position must win. Losing it means losing the series or accepting a more difficult handicap in the games that remain.

Depending on the match format, a loss may end the match immediately, or it may increase the handicap for subsequent games. Kadoban identifies a high-stakes, potentially match-deciding game within a series or handicap arrangement. It is defined by the consequences of losing—not necessarily by being the final scheduled game, or by the game itself determining the overall result. The exact consequence may therefore be series loss or a larger handicap rather than immediate elimination. It is also called a critical game or must-win game.