Chapter 3 Kaku-Kawari (Bishop Exchange Opening)

SECTION 2 Kaku-kawari Bo-Gin
Tanaka-Takahashi Game

Next, we will look into another possibility: (b)K-6h at Diagram 3. Played by Torahiko Tanaka, aka an Edison in openings, it was given great attention at one time.

Diagram 9 is from the Tanaka(b)-Michio Takahashi(w) game played on 10th Dec., 1991.

White in hand: nothing
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG wK  *  * wN wL |a
| * wR  *  *  *  * wG  *  * |b
|wP  * wS wP wP  * wS wP wP |c
| *  * wP  * wB wP wP  *  * |d
| * wP  *  *  *  *  * bP bS |e
| *  * bP  *  *  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP bS bP bP bP bP  * bP |g
| *  * bG  *  *  * bB bR  * |h
|bL bN  *  * bK bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: nothing
Diagram 9. Tanaka-Takahashi
Moves from Diagram 9:
1.K-6h P-1d
2.P-2d Px2d
3.Sx2d Sx2d
4.Rx2d G-3c
5.R-2e N-1c

Tanaka played K-6h, to which Takahashi played P-1d, forcing the Silver exchange. The last move, N-1c, is joseki, leading the following moves: R-2h, P*2g, Rx2g, Bx2g+, R-2b. Looks good for White. But Tanaka had a different idea.

Further Moves:
6.R-2f P*2e
7.R-5f R-2b
8.B-2g! (Diagram 10)

White in hand: S 
  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1
+---------------------------+
|wL wN  * wG wK  *  *  * wL |a
| *  *  *  *  *  *  * wR  * |b
|wP  * wS wP wP  * wG  * wN |c
| *  * wP  * wB wP wP  * wP |d
| * wP  *  *  *  *  * wP  * |e
| *  * bP  * bR  *  *  *  * |f
|bP bP bS bP bP bP bP bB bP |g
| *  * bG bK  *  *  *  *  * |h
|bL bN  *  *  * bG  * bN bL |i
+---------------------------+
Black in hand: S P 
Diagram 10. Up to 8. B-2g.
Placing the R on 5f via R-2f was Tanaka's invention. Against White's R-2b, he played B-2g (Bishop en prise!) If White plays Bx2g, Black can play Rx5c+, and also take G on 3c, which will practically wrap up the game. So, Takahashi played G-5b instead. Then followed Rx5d, Px5d, and Bx5d, leading to a favorable position for Black.

In the Tanaka-Ishida game which was played a little later, Ishida played S-6d instead of R-2b, against which Tanaka played Rx5d followed by Px5d and P-4f.

Thus, his ingenious moves in this opening brought Tanaka many wins at the time.

Next we will have a look at another game of his, against Izumi.

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