If you are an aggressive static-Rook player, the Sakata-ryu is something to remember, since it could be switched to an offensive-oriented Kaku-kawari formation depending on the opponent's response. Contrary to contemporary opinion, this opening was first played by Black.
Moves from the very beginning: 1.P-7f 2.P-3d 3.G-7h 4.P-8d 5.Bx2b+ 6.Sx2b 7.G-7g 8.P-8e 9.R-8h (Diagram 1) White in hand: B 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS wG wK wG * wN wL |a | * wR * * * * * wS * |b |wP * wP wP wP wP * wP wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * wP * * * * * * * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP bG bP bP bP bP bP bP |g | * bR * * * * * * * |h |bL bN bS * bK bG bS bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black in hand: B Diagram 1. Up to 9.R-8h.Disregarding the advantage of playing Black, you lose a tempo and push the left Gold up to 7g. This line of moves is found in an old book "Kanechika Koma-gumi Shu(collection of openings by Kanechika)." There is another old game-record in the same vein that was written by Tohshiro Kobayashi, who was practically Sakata's master. Now we will look into a game in which White played the Mukaibisha: Ichitaro Doi(b) vs Sankichi Sakata(w), on May 11 through 17, 1919. The beginning ten moves may strike you as odd.
1.P-2f 2.P-3d 3.P-7f 4.G-3b 5.P-2e 6.B-3c 7.Bx3c+ 8.Gx3c 9.S-8h 10.R-2b (Diagram 2) White: Sankichi Sakata White in hand: B 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS wG wK * wS wN wL |a | * * * * * * * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP wG wP wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * * * * * * * bP * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * bS * * * * * bR * |h |bL bN * bG bK bG bS bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Ichitaro Doi Black in hand: B Diagram 2. Up to 10.R-2b.
The 8th move, Gx3c sets White off on this opening. In order to get to the position above, both sides must have mutual consent including a Bishop-exchange. Diagram 2 suggests the game will soon become fast and furious, but actually it turned out to be a slow game.
Moves from Diagram 2: 11.S-7g 12.S-4b 13.K-6h 14.K-6b 15.K-7h 16.K-7b 17.S-3h 18.P-5d 19.P-3f 20.S-6b 21.P-4f 22.P-4d 23.S-4g 24.G-3b (Diagram 3) White: Sankichi Sakata White in hand: B 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * wG * * * wN wL |a | * * wK wS * wS wG wR * |b |wP wP wP wP * * * wP wP |c | * * * * wP wP wP * * |d | * * * * * * * bP * |e | * * bP * * bP bP * * |f |bP bP bS bP bP bS * * bP |g | * * bK * * * * bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Ichitaro Doi Black in hand: B Diagram 3. Up to 24.G-3b.
The game went on and on after this. Today we seldom see this opening played in official games. Strangely enough, Black doesn't seem to need any brilliant ideas, but just following an ordinary path of thought after this opening seems to be enough to gear the game in Black's favor. Naturally, White rarely takes up the Sakata-ryu opening now.
Unlike its name, the Sakata-ryu mukai-bisha was not developed by Sankichi Sakata. The game cited above was the only one of its kind officially played by Sakata.
In 1950, Yoshio Kimura and Yasuharu Ohyama played the opening in the meijin-sen match. The following is from Game 3, in which they played exactly as above until Diagram 2.
After Diagram 2: Black: Yoshio Kimura White: Yasuharu Ohyama 11.S-3h 12.K-6b 13.K-6h 14.K-7b 15.K-7h 16.S-4b 17.P-3f 18.P-4d 19.P-4f 20.P-4e 21.S-3g 22.Px4f 23.G6i-5h 24.B*6d 25.B*8f 26.Bx8f 27.Px8f 28.B*6d 29.B*7e 30.Bx7e 31.Px7e 32.B*6d (Diagram 4) White: Yasuharu Ohyama White in hand: P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS wG * * * wN wL |a | * * wK * * wS * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP * wG wP wP |c | * * * wB * * wP * * |d | * * bP * * * * bP * |e | * bP * * * wP bP * * |f |bP * * bP bP * bS * bP |g | * bS bK * bG * * bR * |h |bL bN * * * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Yoshio Kimura Black in hand: B Diagram 4. Up to 32.B*6d.
In this game, Ohyama, White, played the Mukai-bisha. Ohyama's idea was to punish Kimura's P-4f, so he wasted no time in playing P-4e which led to a series of Bishop-drops by both players. They got into an unorthodox wild game, in which Ohyama won in the end.
The next position we will look into is from a quick-attack Sakata-ryu played by White. The idea is to make a breakthrough on the very file the Black's Rook is placed. Radically ingenious.
The game was played by Michio Ariyoshi and Kenji Kobayashi on March 1, 1977, in an Oh-i-sen preliminary, which triggered a Sakata-ryu fad.
Moves from the beginning: 1.P-2f 2.P-3d 3.P-7f 4.G-3b 5.P-2e 6.B-3c 7.Bx3c+ 8.Gx3c 9.S-3h 10.R-2b 11.K-6h 12.S-4b 13.K-7h 14.G-5b (Diagram 5) White: Kobayashi White in hand: B 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS * wK * * wN wL |a | * * * * wG wS * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP wG wP wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * * * * * * * bP * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * * bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN bS bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Ariyoshi Black in hand: B Diagram 5. Up to (w)G-5b.
White's G-5b, the last move, marks Kobayashi's touch in this opening. K-5b is another possibility, which I will refer to later.
Moves from Diagram 5: 15.S-8h 16.P-2d 17.Px2d 18.Gx2d 19.B*5f 20.S-3c 21.Bx8c+ 22.G-2e (Diagram 6) White: Kobayashi White in hand: B P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS * wK * * wN wL |a | * * * * wG * * wR * |b |wP bB+wP wP wP wP wS * wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * * * * * * * wG * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * bS bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Ariyoshi Black in hand: P2 Diagram 6. Up to (w)G-2e. Moves from Diagram 6: 23.+B-5f 24.P*2f 25.S-7g 26.G-3e 27.P-4f 28.B*5d (Diagram 7) White: Kobayashi White in hand: nothing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS * wK * * wN wL |a | * * * * wG * * wR * |b |wP * wP wP wP wP wS * wP |c | * * * * wB * wP * * |d | * * * * * * wG * * |e | * * bP * bB+bP * wP * |f |bP bP bS bP bP * bP * bP |g | * * bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Ariyoshi Black in hand: P2 Diagram 7. Up to (w)B*5d.
The 19th move, B*5f , is a joseki in this position. It aims at Bx8c+ or Bx3d, seemingly a devastating blow for the opponent. Then Kobayashi responded with G-2e allowing Black's Bishop to promote onto 8c, a brilliant scheme on White's part focusing on the 2nd file, which practically wrapped up the game.
Black's P-4f was a bad move. Diagram 6 shows Black already in trouble: his 2nd file is sure to be broken through. After this, Kobayashi overpowered his opponent till the end.
Surprisingly, though, this quick attack scheme was beaten rather easily. Eleven years later, in the Nakahara-Shima game, the same position as in Diagram 6 appeared.
Moves from Diagram 6: 23.P*2g 24.B*5d 25.P-4f 26.G-3e 27.S-7g 28.K-4b 29.+B-6a 30.S-6b 31.+B-7b 32.P*2f 33.Px2f 34.Gx2f 35.+Bx8a (Diagram 8) White: Shima White in hand: P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL bB+ * * * * * wN wL |a | * * * wS wG wK * wR * |b |wP * wP wP wP wP wS * wP |c | * * * * wB * wP * * |d | * * * * * * * * * |e | * * bP * * bP * wG * |f |bP bP bS bP bP * bP * bP |g | * * bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Nakahara Black in hand: N P2 Diagram 8. Up to (b)+Bx8a.
Right after Diagram 6, Black's P*2g was a good move even if it may not seem so. White's next move, G-3e, turned out to be a losing move. Shima should have played P*2f, Px2f, Gx2f, which would have led to: Rx2f, Rx2f, P*2g, Bx2g+,Sx2g, Rx2g+, G*6a, K-4b, Gx7a, a position in favor of Black. Instead, Shima played S-7g hoping to strengthen his defence, but Nakahara's next move, Bx8a, taking a Knight, left Shima with a position too materially weak to compete.
Back at Diagram 5, instead of playing G-5b, Kobayashi played K-5b in another game.
Diagram 9 is from the Ishida-Kobayashi game, played on July 3, 1980, as a preliminary for the Osho-title.
White (Kobayashi) in hand: B 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS wG * * * wN wL |a | * * * * wK wS * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP wG wP wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * * * * * * * bP * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * * bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN bS bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black (Ishida) in hand: B Diagram 9 Up to (w)K-5b Moves from Diagram 8: S-8h P-2d Px2d Gx2d B*5f S-3c Bx8c+ G-2e P-4f P*2f S-4g G-7b +B-6e P-2g+ Rx2g G-2f R-2h G-2g (Diagram 10) White in hand: B 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS * * * * wN wL |a | * * wG * wK * * wR * |b |wP * wP wP wP wP wS * wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * * * bB+ * * * * * |e | * * bP * * bP * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bS bP wG bP |g | * bS bK * * * * bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black in hand: P3 Diagram 10. Up to (w)G-2g.
The idea remains the same. In exchange for letting the Bishop promote, White took a firm grip on the second file. Black's +B-6e was a dubious move. White's G inching on the second file shows the Sakata-ryu having made the grade.
From Diagram 10, if Black plays P*2c, Rx2c, P*2d, Rx2d, P*2e, Rx2e, S*3f, White then will play Rx6e taking a Bishop for free. This is why Black could have done better than +B-6e. What if +B-5f, you say? Yes, that would have been much better.
I'd run the search with approximately 15,000 official games for the Sakata-ryu before I began this chapter, which led me to an amazing discovery: the Sakata-ryu side scarcely won. In spite of the fact that there is no clear-cut antidote for the Sakata-ryu known so far, the opening has fared incredibly poorly.
Here are some tentative theories of mine:
1) When it gets into a slow game, the Sakata-ryu side has a bigger problem:
with his Gs and Ss loosely placed, the King's guard is far from
tight. With the King like that, one oversight could cost
the game.
2) Even in a quick game, the opponent can cope with the situation without coming up with a brilliant defensive idea. Indeed the Sakata-ryu side is likely to enjoy a material advantage, but even so, it won't be easy to win the game with the King poorly guarded.
This opening abounds in potentiality, but the poorly-guarded King is always a factor that makes it less popular. But someday, I hope someone will play this again with a new idea, like Kobayashi did. The opening with the great Sakata in its name is simply too good to be forgotten. The following is what Kobayashi-sensei answered to my questions about the Sakata-ryu.
"It was when I was 16 or 17, still in the Shoreikai 2-dan, that I began what was to become the Kobayashi-style Sakata-ryu. One of the strong amateur players in Nagoya where I was living then played the opening with G-5b. It was a quick-attack game and I really had a hard time to cope with it. And this experience gave me an inspiration. Later I came up with the K-5b."
"I don't hesitate taking up what amateurs began into my playing style. Take Tateishi-ryu, for instance. I for one believe there's a lot to learn from the way amateurs play."
"Why did I stop playing the Sakata-ryu? I just found a good way to cope with the opening while investigating. The Nakahara-Shima game proved what I found was right. Also the K-5b positioning turned out to be no good in my investigation."
"But this does not stop me from wishing the Sakata-ryu to be developed into something better. I want people to study it on their own. The opening does have an appeal to amateurs. I believe it will be revived some day."
Let me give you the latest game with the Sakata-ryu, where Toshiyuki Moriuchi played against Bungo Fukuzaki in a Jun-i-sen. Moriuchi lost, but the game shows us a lot of potential of this opening.
White: Moriuchi White in hand: B P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * * wK * * wN wL |a | * * wS * wG wS * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP * * wP |c | * * * * * * wP wG * |d | * * * * * * * * * |e | * * bP * bB * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * bS bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Fukuzaki Black in hand: P Diagram 11. Up to (w)S-7b.
Up to 19th move, B*5f, from the beginning, went exactly the same as it did in the Ariyoshi-Kobayashi game. Then, Moriuchi played S-7b (Diagram 11), which I believe was a novel move in this position. The game was played on Sept, 22, 1994, as a Jun-i-sen.
Moves from Diagram 11: Black: Fukuzaki White: Moriuchi 21.P*2c 22.Gx2c 23.Bx3d 24.P*2d 25.Bx2c+ 26.Rx2c 27.G*3d 28.R-2b 29.Gx2d 30.B*4e (Diagram 12) White: Moriuchi White in hand: B P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN * * wK * * wN wL |a | * * wS * wG wS * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP * * wP |c | * * * * * * * bG * |d | * * * * * wB * * * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * bS bK * * * bS bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Fukuzaki Black in hand: P2 Diagram 12. Up to (w)B*4e.
From Diagram 11, if (b)B-3d, then (w)S-3c, (b)B-5f, (w)P*2e. Even if White has one Pawn less than the opponent, he can play S-4d next, which will effectively restrain Black's Bishop.
So, Fukuzaki played P*2c, taking a path to a fiercer battle, which led to a very difficult position for both players. Toward the end, Moriuchi made a mistake which cost him the victory, but until then it was a very good game. Incidentally, Moriuchi was playing in the B1 division then, from which he was promoted to the A class after staying only one year. He hasn't played this opening since then, but I do have a hunch he will play it again.
Let me cite another Sakata-ryu game, which is truly in a class of its own. This is also from a Jun-i-sen, on October, 15, 1991, played by Yasumitsu Sato and Katsuhiko Murooka.
White: Murooka White in hand: B P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS * wK * * wN wL |a | * * * * wG wS * wR * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP * * wP |c | * * * * * * wP wG * |d | * * * * * * * * * |e | * * bP * bB * * * * |f |bP bP bS bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * * bK * * * * bR * |h |bL bN * bG * bG bS bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Sato Black in hand: P Diagram 13. Up to (b)B*5f
Black's Silver still sitting on 3i was a new idea in this position.
Moves from Diagram 13: ..... S-3c Bx8c+ G-2e R-4h B*2g P-4f B-5d+ (Diagram 14) White: Murooka White in hand: P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS * wK * * wN wL |a | * * * * wG * * wR * |b |wP bB+wP wP wP wP wS * wP |c | * * * * wB+ * wP * * |d | * * * * * * * wG * |e | * * bP * * bP * * * |f |bP bP bS bP bP * bP * bP |g | * * bK * * bR * * * |h |bL bN * bG * bG bS bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Sato Black in hand: P2 Diagram 14. Up to (w)B-5d+.
Both sides managed to promote their Bishops; still the position remains evenly balanced. Look at the next diagram, which shows the position 65 moves(!) ahead.
White: Murooka White in hand: P 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL * wS * wK * * wN wL |a | * wB wS wP wP * * * * |b |wP * * * * * wS * wP |c | * * wP * wB+ * wP * * |d | * * wG * wG * * * * |e | * * * bP * bP * * * |f |bP bP bR+ * bG * bP * bP |g | * bK bR * * * * bP * |h |bL bN * * * * bS bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Sato Black in hand: G N P4 Diagram 15. Up to (b)+R-7g
The position does indicate a very fierce battle before they got to this position. No less than a life-and-death struggle. Towards the very end, Murooka decided he could force Sato's King into mate, which was a fatal mistake on his part. Sato came from behind and won.
Lastly, there is one player whose name comes to the top of the list when talking about the Sakata-ryu players: Kunio Naito. "Grandson" pupil to the great Sakata, Naito's style seems to fit for this opening more than anybody else's.
Diagram 16 is from the Yonenaga-Naito game played on March 5, 1991, as an A class Jun-i-sen. In this game, Naito combined the Sakata-ryu and the wrong diagonal Bishop drop.
White: Naito White in hand: nothing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS wG wK * wS wN wL |a | * wR * * * * * * * |b |wP wP wP wP wP wP wG wP wP |c | * * * * * * wP * * |d | * * * wB * * * bP * |e | * * bP * * * * * * |f |bP bP * bP bP bP bP * bP |g | * bS * * * * * bR * |h |bL bN * bG bK bG bS bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Yonenaga Black in hand: B Diagram 16. Up to (w)B*6e G4i-5h Bx7f G-7h P-4d S-7g B-4c S-4h P-3e P-4f G-3d S-4g R-2b K-6h K-6b S-6f K-7b S-5e S-4b B*7g S-3c P-3f Px3f Sx3f P*3e Sx3e Gx3e Sx4d Sx4d Bx4d R-3b Bx1a+ Gx4f P*3c Rx3c +Bx3c Nx3c R*4b S*5b P*3d B-7f L*7g B-6e P*7d Px7d S*6f B-5d S-5e P*3b Sx5d S*4a (Diagram 17) White: Naito White in hand: B P3 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 +---------------------------+ |wL wN wS wG * wS * * * |a | * * wK * wS bR wP * * |b |wP wP * wP wP * wN wP wP |c | * * wP * bS * bP * * |d | * * * * * * * bP * |e | * * * * * wG * * * |f |bP bP bL bP bP * * * bP |g | * * bG bK bG * * bR * |h |bL bN * * * * * bN bL |i +---------------------------+ Black: Yonenaga Black in hand: B Diagram 17. Up to (w)S*4a.
Wasn't it really something? What a battle! Naito won in the end. If you
have enough confidence in your endgame strength to get by with your almost
bare King, the Sakata-ryu should be certainly irresistible.
(END)
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Katsumata, K. 1995. Quest of the Lost Systems (kieta sempo no nazo), Tokyo: Mainichi Communications Books.
ISBN4-89563-645-3