Shogi Game 12 (professional, full annotation by professional). Games 3, 9 and 11 were annotated by Murooka Katsuhiko (professional 5-dan). Here follows another one of his valuable pieces of work. The game below was played on 12-th November 1986 between Murooka and one of his friends Horiguchi Koji. It is a game for the C1-class (5-dan level) competition. Pieter Stouten Archived 15-th June 1990. Cosmetic correction 1-st May 1991. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Horiguchi Koji (5-dan pro); White: Murooka Katsuhiko (5-dan pro). 1.P7f P3d 2.P2f P4d 3.S4h S3b 4.P5f R4b This opening is no surprise for the two of us. The 4-th file Rook is my favourite system. We played more than 100 training games against each other with even score, but in our official mutual games I lead by 5-0. 5.K6h K6b 6.K7h S7b 7.G4i-5h K7a 8.P9f P9d 9.S5g G4a-5b 10.S7i-6h K8b 11.P5e A slight surprise. I expected a King's head vanguard pawn opening, but he also has the 5-th file vanguard pawn opening on his repertoire. 11. ... S4c 12 P2e B3c 13.S5f P6d 14.S5g This is a small concession: 14.P6f G6c 15.P6e would have been a strong continuation. But Horiguchi knew, that this line, followed by 15. ... R6b 16.S7g Px6e 17.Sx6e P4e 18.S6f P5d is my speciality. Indeed, I have very much experience with this variation. 14. ... G6c 15.G6i-6h P7d 16.P3f N7c 17.P1f P1d 18.S4f R3b 19.P6f This position is probably equal, because both players played safely in the opening. 19. ... P8d 20.G5h-6g S8c 21.N7g G7b 22.P6e Nx6e 23.Nx6e Px6e 24.Sx6e P'6d 25.S5f Black's plan to exchange the King's side Knight is normal in this opening. It has two advantages for him: 1) he opens his Bishop diagonal and 2) he can drop a Pawn on square 6i (Gold anchored Pawn) anytime. This position is still equal. 25. ... P8e 26.S5g R5b 27.S6f P5d 28.P'6e !? 28.Px5d Sx5d 29.P'5e S4c is still a quiet game, but Horiguchi wanted to fight. 28. ... Px6e 29.S5fx6e P'6d 30.Sx5d Sx5d 31.Px5d Rx5d 32.N'5e 28. ... Px6e is the only move for white to keep the control over the key square 6d. 28. ... Px5e 29.S6fx5e Px6e is bad for white, because of 30.N'6d. White has to avoid 29.Px6d Gx6d 30.P'6e, otherwise black has a big positional advantage. 32. ... G6c-7c 33.P'6c P4e 34.R5h P4f 35.Px4f N'6e 36.S'6b G8d 37.N3g 37.N3g is a very calm move. 37.S6a+ (aiming at 38.P6b+) is too heavy, because of 37. ... K9c 38.P6b+ G8b. 37. ... P8f ? 38.Px8f P'8e 39.Px8e Gx8e 40.P'8f Gx8f 41.P'8g P'5g 42.R2h G8e I should have played 37. ... P7e instead of 37. ... P8f. But I had not foreseen Horiguchi's reply (specifically, his 51-st and 52-nd move). 40.P'8f is "tesuji" [a standard move or sequence of moves in a specific situation, not necessarily combinational / PS]: 40.P'8g is too passive and it loses a tempo. It will meet 40. ... P'5g and 41. ... P7e, whereafter white has the better game. After 42.R2h I had no better move than 42. ... G8e. 43.N4e B4d 44.S5c+ ! Bx5c 45.Sx6e Px6e 46.Nx5c+ Rx5c 47.B'6d A nice combination by my opponent. I had no possibility to avoid 47.B'6d, but after this move I was not yet pessimistic. 47. ... K9b 48.Bx5c+ 47. ... S'7c is not solid, because of 48.Bx5c+ N'6f 49.Gx6f Px6f 50.N'6e. I thought that my position was not bad. I had 3 Silvers and a Knight in hand, and my Gold on square 8e was both attacking and defending. Also, I reckoned that my King was in no immediate danger. But that was wrong thinking ! I overlooked Horiguchi's 52-nd move. 48. ... N'6f 49.Gx6f Px6f 50.Bx6f P7e 51.R'2b P'6g In this position I still overlooked my opponent's next move. I thought he had to play a defensive move. 52. +Bx7e !! A sacrifice. Amazing ! This situation is hopeless for me. 52. ... Px6h+ 53.Rx6h Gx7e 54.Bx7e B'5f 55.N'6g Every variation leads to a lost position for me: 1) 55. ... G'8b 56.G'9c Gx9c 57.Bx9c+ Kx9c 58.N'8e K9b 59.Rx7b+ and I will be mated soon. 2) 55. ... S'8b 56.G'9c Sx9c 57.Bx9c+ Kx9c 58.N'8e K8d 59.S'7e Kx8e 60.Rx7b+. I cannot mate my opponent's King, and I have no defence. 3) 55. ... S'8d 56.Bx8d Sx8d 57.Rx7b+ G'8b 58.S'8a K9c 59.N'8e Sx8e 60.G'8d and I will be mated soon. 55. ... G'8d 56.G'9c ! Kx9c 57.N'8e K9b 58.Bx8d Sx8d 59.Rx7b+ Resigns 59. ... G'8b 60.G'9c Sx9c 61.Nx9c+ Kx9c 62.S'8d Kx8d 63.+Rx8b and black has an easy mate. Murooka Katsuhiko