Chapter 3 Kaku-Kawari (Bishop Exchange Opening)

Section 1 Haya-guri Gin
(A) Shima-Habu Game
(Jan 16, 1991, Zen-Nippon Pro tournament)

White: Habu, B in hand
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG wK  *  * wN wL |a
| * wR wS  *  *  * wG  *  * |b
|wP  * wP wP wP wP wS wP wP |c
| *  *  *  *  *  * wP  *  * |d
| * wP  *  *  *  *  * bP  * |e
| *  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP bS bP bP bP bP  * bP |g
| *  * bG  *  *  * bS bR  * |h
|bL bN  *  * bK bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black: Shima, B in hand
Diagram 1. Up to S-7b.
Moves after Diagram 1

P-1f P-7d P-3f P-9d P-9f P-1d S-3g
S-7c S-4f S-6d P-3e Px3e Sx3e S-5e --->(Diagram 2)

White: Habu, B P in hand
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG wK  *  * wN wL |a
| * wR  *  *  *  * wG  *  * |b
| *  *  * wP wP wP wS wP  * |c
|wP  * wP  *  *  *  *  * wP |d
| * wP  *  * wS  * bS bP  * |e
|bP  * bP  *  *  *  *  * bP |f
| * bP bS bP bP bP  *  *  * |g
| *  * bG  *  *  *  * bR  * |h
|bL bN  *  * bK bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black: Shima, B P in hand 
Diagram 2. Up to  S-5e.
Both players made quite a standard series of moves so far, except for the Pawns on 9f and 1d. Stop here and think how you would play if you were Black. P-3d? You would be met by: S3c-4d, P-2d, Sx3e, P-2c+, P*2g, Rx2g, S*2f. You wouldn't like the position. It should be noted, however, that if White's King is on 4b, you can ignore the Silver drop on 2f and play +Px3b, with mate. White will be in bigger trouble in this case. Therefore, when White's King sits on 4b, White cannot play S-5e. This was another reason why they stopped playing K-4b.

There followed:
P-2d, Sx2d, Sx2d, Px2d

The next move after (b)Px2d is joseki. If you play Rx2d, a commonplace move, White will play P*2c. If you then pull your R back to 2h, your opponent will play S-4d. His idea for the next move is B*6d. So, a better move is called for.

These moves follow:

P-5f! Sx5f B*4f B*6d P*5d

P-5f is really something, isn't it? The last move, P*5d, was considered to be good at first, but later a better move was discovered: Bx6d. Then there would follow Px6d, B*6c, which is supposed to be more favorable for Black. I should sound more decisive, but either way leads to a very difficult position for any player. Anyway, Shima himself told later that after P-5f was played, he could not find a way to improve the position.

Moves afterwards:

Sx4g+ Bx6d Px6d Px5c+ B*4f R-2f B-5g+ G-6h
+B-3e R-5f P*5b

Habu played Sx4g+, a good judgement on his part. Shima managed to promote his Pawn onto 5c, which is usually quite a menacing move, but in this case, he had to pay the price of letting Habu's Bishop become very powerful. At the last move, P*5b, the position was definitely in Habu's favor.

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