Shogi Game 16 (amateur - professional, annotation by professional). On 30-th December 1986, at the end of the 3-rd International Groningen tournament (Netherlands) Murooka Katsuhiko (5-dan professional) gave a handicap simultaneous against European Top players. Murooka: " At the end of the middlegame I felt I would lose 3 games out of 11: against Mr. Yamamoto, Mr. Sandeman and Mr. van Oosten. In my mind I almost gave up these games, but fortunately I lost only one. Here are my comments [on the game against Yamamoto Katsura/PS]. ". Pieter Stouten 29-th June 1990. Cosmetic correction 20-th August 1990. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Black: Yamamoto Katsura (2-dan ama); White: Murooka Katsuhiko (5-dan pro). Rook handicap. 1.--- P3d 2.P7f P4d 3.S4h S4b 4.P4f G3b 5.S4g S4c 6.S5f P5d 7.R4h N3c 8.P3f K6b 9.P6f(A) K5b(B) 10.P6e S6b 11.G6i-5h S5c 12.G4g G7b 13.R6h P1d 14.K4h P1e 15.K3h P2d 16.S7h P2e 17.S7h-6g G2c 18.G4i-4h G2d 19.P9f P3e 20.Px3e Gx3e 21.P'3f G3d 22.S6f B1c 23.S7e(C) S6b 24.P6d Px6d 25.Rx6d(D) P'6c 26.R6h B2d 27.N3g K4b 28.S6e P'3e(E) 29.Px3e Gx3e 30.P'3f Gx4f 31.Gx4f Bx4f 32.G4g(F) B1c(F) 33.G'2c B3a 34.P3e(G) P'3d 35.G2d K5b 36.Px3d N4e 37.Nx4e Px4e 38.P'4d N'5e 39.Px4c+ Kx4c 40.S5f K5b 41.N'4d K6a 42.S'5b K7a 43.Sx4e Nx4g+ 44.Kx4g G'5e 45.Bx5e Px5e 46.N'5d K8b 47.Nx6b+ Gx6b 48.Sx6c+ B'2i 49.K3f Gx6c 50.Rx6c+ G'7a 51.G'6b S'7b 52.Gx7b Gx7b 53.+R6a N'4c 54.S5d Bx7e 55.+Rx7b Resigns. (A) 9.P6f The 6-th file vanguard pawn opening. This is one of the most famous opening systems of the Rook handicap. (B) 9 ....K5b What do you think about this move? It looks very strange and it seems white loses two tempi. But no, 9 ... K5b is one of the best plans for white. It is important to keep thinking during the opening. In the position after the key move P6f black will press on the 6th and 8th file so your king should not be there. So what is the best way for you to play? (C) 23.S7e! Mr. Yamamoto opens the bishops diagonal and still keeps a positional advantage because I haven't got any king side attack. (D) 25.Rx6d?! Usually one should take with the silver. Taking with the rook can sometimes be dangerous because of 25. ... P7d. (E) 28. ... P'3e? I should have played the patient waiting move K5b. There is no better alternative thanks to Mr. Yamamoto's good positional play. (F) 32.G4g? B1c? 32.S5f would have been a safer move. After 32.G4g 32. ... Bx3g+ is white's only chance to win. (G) 34.P3e! The game is over. I like to say some things about this opening system. This opening system is very solid and it is easy to keep a positional adventage. It seems very good. I do not recommended to play this system every rook handicap game, however, because if you want to become stronger (3-dan, 4-dan or even stronger) you should play the right side 4-th file rook opening as well. It is very important to study attacking systems from the start to the mate. I think there is "shogi-secret" and "shogi-heart" in both opening systems. So study rook handicap seriously! Murooka Katsuhiko.