From: Takako Noda <mxc06231 <at> JA2 <dot> SO-NET <dot> OR <dot> JP>
Date: 14 feb 1997
Subject: "QUEST" Tsukata Special (3)

Tsukata Special (3)

   9    8    7    6    5    4    3    2    1
+--------------------------------------------+       White in hand:
| wL | wN |    | wG | wK |    | wS | wN | wL |  a   +------------------+
+--------------------------------------------+      | 2Ps              |
|    |    |    |    |    |    | wG | wB |    |  b   |                  |
+--------------------------------------------+      +------------------+
| wP |    | wP | wS | wP | wP | wP |    |    |  c
+--------------------------------------------
|    |    |    | wP |    |    |    | bR | WP |  d
+--------------------------------------------+
|    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |    |  e
+--------------------------------------------+
|    | wR | bP |    |    |    |    |    | bP |  f
+--------------------------------------------+
| bP |    |    | bP | bP | bP | bP |    |    |  g
+--------------------------------------------+      Black in hand:
|    | bB | bG |    |    |    | bS |    |    |  h   +------------------+
+--------------------------------------------+      | 2Ps              |
| bL | bN | bS |    | bK | bG |    | bN | bL |  i   |                  |
+--------------------------------------------+      +------------------+
Diagram 3.  Tsukata(b) vs Tosa(w),   S-6c

The diagram 3 shows an aspect from the NHK tournament game played by
Tsukata(b) and Tosa(w) on June 30, 1986, which happens to be a variation of
the aforementioned game, where White chose S-6c instead of R-8b.
Moves from the diagram: (from black)
P-1e, P*2c;      R-2e, Px1e;      P*1d, R-8b;      Rx1e, P-3d;
P*8g, P*1b;      R-1f,

The first file attack worked, which set the game in Black's favor.
The Tsukata Special thus made its grand entrance, which influenced not
only ibisha players but also furi-bisha players. It also became a target,
to which many players devised their own counter-attacks. Tsukata himself did
n't consider it good enough to become a regular strategy, and vaguely antici
pated some countermeasure would come up after a time.

The points under scrutiny then were:
1) Which is better, S-6b or S-6c?
2) When is the optimum timing for pushing up the far-wing Pawn?
3) Should K-4b be made before P-6d?  etc.
Tsukata, however, turned out to be a tough opponent to those would-be assass
ins. He gradually improved his system by making adjustment  each
time he was challenged.  At the same time, other players began to try
the  system for themselves. When Akira Shima used it with black, Tsukata
had to play against his own system.

The most exciting  of all those challenges to Tsukata would be that of Habu,
 a super rookie, who did not even have a year's experience after his debut i
n the professional world.
(TO BE CONTINUED)