diff --git a/exercises/sgf-parsing/example.py b/exercises/sgf-parsing/example.py
index 243dd420c3..cc21e0b6db 100644
--- a/exercises/sgf-parsing/example.py
+++ b/exercises/sgf-parsing/example.py
@@ -72,10 +72,13 @@ def peek():
         return stack[0]
 
     def pop_until(ch):
-        v = ''
-        while peek() != ch:
-            v += pop()
-        return v
+        try:
+            v = ''
+            while peek() != ch:
+                v += pop()
+            return v
+        except IndexError:
+            raise ValueError('Unable to find {}'.format(ch))
     while stack:
         assert_that(pop() == '(' and peek() == ';')
         while pop() == ';':
diff --git a/exercises/sgf-parsing/sgf_parsing_test.py b/exercises/sgf-parsing/sgf_parsing_test.py
index 0cabd08799..a802ff78dd 100644
--- a/exercises/sgf-parsing/sgf_parsing_test.py
+++ b/exercises/sgf-parsing/sgf_parsing_test.py
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 from sgf_parsing import parse, SgfTree
 
 
+# Tests adapted from `problem-specifications//canonical-data.json` @ v1.0.0
+
 class SgfParsingTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_empty_input(self):
         input_string = ''
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ def test_single_node_tree(self):
         self.assertEqual(parse(input_string), expected)
 
     def test_properties_without_delimiter(self):
-        input_string = '(;a)'
+        input_string = '(;A)'
         with self.assertRaisesWithMessage(ValueError):
             parse(input_string)