From: Reijer Grimbergen ETL GO JP> Date: 30 oct 1998 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 761, October 28th 1998) This week two title match games: the first game of the Ryu-O match and the final game of the Oza match. Tanigawa lost both of them, extending his number of consecutive losses to eight. This must be one of the worst slumps in his career... Here are the games with comments: Black: Tanigawa, Ryu-O White: Fujii, Challenger 11th Ryu-O-sen, Game 1, October 15th and 16th 1998 1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0 The first game of the Ryu-O match is always a special occasion, since it is played outside of Japan. This year the game was played in New York. Because of the 13 hour time difference between New York and Japan (in Japan it is 13 hours later), it must have been very hard for the players. For Fujii there was the added handicap of playing his first title match game. After the furigoma also gave the title holder black, it was expected that Tanigawa would have a considerable advantage in this game. 2.P3c-3d 0/0 3/3 3.P2g-2f 2/2 0/3 4.P4c-4d 0/2 6/9 5.S3i-4h 2/4 0/9 6.R8b-4b 0/4 3/12 7.K5i-6h 2/6 0/12 8.S7a-7b 0/6 3/15 9.K6h-7h 3/9 0/15 10.P9c-9d 0/9 1/16 11.P5g-5f 11/20 0/16 12.S3a-3b 0/20 11/27 13.B8h-7g 30/50 0/27 14.S3b-4c 0/50 4/31 15.G4i-5h 60/110 0/31 16.P6c-6d 0/110 68/99 17.P6g-6f 16/126 0/99 18.P7c-7d 0/126 29/128 19.G5h-6g 2/128 0/128 20.N8a-7c 0/128 5/133 21.P2f-2e 20/148 0/133 22.B2b-3c 0/148 5/138 23.S4h-5g 0/148 0/138 24.P9d-9e 0/148 42/180 Before the match Fujii said that he did not know what Tanigawa would play against him, but that he intended to play from his own strength. No surprise that the first game brings the "Fujii system". This opening is designed to make it hard for the Ibisha side to play Anaguma. 25.P5f-5e!? 48/196 0/180 Tanigawa's prepared move. The idea is to make a strong attack against the anaguma impossible by closing the bishop diagonal to the black king. After this attack is no longer dangerous, black wants to play the anaguma after all. It looks like black might lose the pawn on 5e quickly, but things are not that easy. 26.P4d-4e 0/196 13/193 27.S5g-5f 11/207 0/193 28.S4c-4d 0/207 1/194 29.K7h-8h 4/211 0/194 30.G4a-5b 0/211 46/240 After 30.Sx5e Sx5e Bx5e P2d black is better. 31.G6i-7h 12/223 0/240 32.K5a-6b 0/223 8/248 33.B7g-6h 7/230 0/248 34.R4b-2b 0/230 1/249 35.P4g-4f 7/237 0/249 36.P4ex4f 0/237 11/260 37.B6hx4f 0/237 0/260 38.P*4e 0/237 0/260 39.B4f-6h 0/237 0/260 40.K6b-7a 0/237 0/260 41.P8g-8f 49/286 0/260 42.P8c-8d 0/286 30/290 43.L9i-9h 15/301 0/290 With the bishop and rook no longer threatening, black switches to the anaguma. White now has a very important choice: allow black to finish the anaguma or play a quick attack after all. 44.P8d-8e 0/301 47/337 Fujii judges that black has the better play after 44.S8c K9i G7b S8h K8b and decides to attack. This looks like an overplay, but it is true to Fujii's style and to the system that bears his name. 45.P8fx8e 1/302 0/337 46.P6d-6e 0/302 26/363 47.P6fx6e 31/333 0/363 48.S4dx5e 0/333 1/364 49.S5fx5e 4/337 0/364 50.B3cx5e 0/337 1/365 51.B6h-7g 0/337 0/365 52.B5ex7g+ 0/337 0/365 53.G6gx7g 0/337 0/365 54.B*3c 0/337 0/365 55.P*5e! 6/343 0/365 It looked like white had some serious threats on the long diagonal, but this "defend against major pieces by drawing them closer"-tesuji reverses the initiative. 56.B3cx5e 0/343 0/365 57.S*6f 18/361 0/365 58.B5e-4d 0/361 20/385 59.P8e-8d 6/367 0/385 This is a painful pawn so close to the white king. Tanigawa has the advantage here. 60.P*8f 0/367 26/411 61.P*5e 2/369 0/411 62.S*8g 0/369 0/411 63.G7hx8g 13/382 0/411 64.P8fx8g+ 0/382 0/411 65.K8hx8g 0/382 0/411 66.G*8e 0/382 1/412 Tries to attack and defend. 67.P7f-7e! 16/398 0/412 Another good move that keeps the advantage with black. 68.P*8f 0/398 3/415 69.K8g-7h 1/399 0/415 70.G8ex8d 0/399 15/430 71.P7ex7d 3/402 0/430 72.G8dx7d 0/402 0/430 73.P*7e 0/402 0/430 74.G7d-8d 0/402 1/431 75.S*7f? 0/402 0/431 Improving the thickness around the king and supporting the pawns on 7e and 6e. It looks like a good move, but this gives white the move he needs to get counterplay. Better is 75.P*8e Nx8e (Gx8e P7d) Gx8f and with the weak knight on 8e and a silver and bishop still in hand, black is clearly better. 76.P*6d 0/402 1/432 77.P*8e 7/409 0/432 78.G8d-8c 0/409 0/432 79.P7e-7d 20/429 0/432 80.N7cx6e 0/429 7/439 81.G7gx8f 0/429 0/439 82.G8cx7d 0/429 0/439 83.S7i-6h 6/435 0/439 84.B4d-3e 0/435 9/448 85.P*7e 1/436 0/448 86.G7d-7c 0/436 0/448 87.P3g-3f 0/436 0/448 88.B3e-4f 0/436 0/448 89.R2h-1h 0/436 0/448 90.R2b-4b 0/436 0/448 91.P5e-5d 1/437 0/448 92.P5cx5d 0/437 1/449 93.K7h-8g 5/442 0/449 94.P1c-1d 0/442 2/451 95.B*2f? 2/444 0/451 Tries to force something but there is nothing. If black would have played 95.P9f B1c Px9e P4f P*4c things would still have been very difficult for both sides. The bishop on 2f becomes a white target. 96.K7a-8a 0/444 3/454 97.P9g-9f 3/447 0/454 98.P2c-2d! 0/447 1/455 Now black is in big trouble. This pawn is going all the way to pick up the rook on 1h, a rook that white can use very effectively against the black king. 99.P7e-7d 10/457 0/455 100.G7cx7d 0/457 0/455 101.P9fx9e 1/458 0/455 102.P2dx2e 0/458 0/455 103.B2f-5i 0/458 0/455 104.P2e-2f 0/458 0/455 105.P*4g 0/458 0/455 106.P2f-2g+ 0/458 0/455 107.P4gx4f 0/458 0/455 108.+P2gx1h 0/458 0/455 109.P9e-9d 0/458 0/455 110.P*9b 0/458 0/455 111.S6f-7e 0/458 0/455 112.P*7c 0/458 3/458 113.S7ex7d 1/459 0/458 114.P7cx7d 0/459 0/458 115.B*6f 1/460 0/458 116.R4b-4c 0/460 1/459 117.P*5c 1/461 0/459 118.R4cx5c 0/461 0/459 119.N2i-3g 0/461 0/459 120.S*5e 0/461 2/461 121.B6f-8d 1/462 0/461 122.R*4g 0/462 3/464 123.N8i-7g 1/463 0/464 124.P*8b! 0/463 5/469 It looked like black had some real attack himself, but this move kills all quick attacking possibilities. Thereby the rook on 5c is freed of defense duties and can now join in the attack. 125.L1ix1h 0/463 0/469 126.R5c-2c 0/463 3/472 127.P*5c 2/465 0/472 128.G5b-6c 0/465 0/472 129.G*5b 2/467 0/472 130.N6ex7g+ 0/467 2/474 131.S6hx7g 0/467 0/474 132.R2c-2i+ 0/467 1/475 133.G5bx6a 4/471 0/475 134.S7bx6a 0/471 0/475 135.N*3i 0/471 0/475 Although it may be clear for top professionals that white is winning, the difference is only a single move. For example, white also wins after 135.N*7c Gx7c Bx7c+. This is only because black does not have a single pawn (otherwise G*7a would lead to mate). 136.R4g-4i+ 0/471 1/476 137.B5i-6h 0/471 0/476 138.N*7c 0/471 1/477 139.N3gx4e 2/473 0/477 140.+R2ix1h 0/473 0/477 141.K8g-9f 0/473 0/477 142.+R4i-9i 0/473 0/477 143.S7f-8g 0/473 0/477 144.L*8c 0/473 0/477 145.B8dx7c+ 0/473 0/477 146.G6cx7c 0/473 0/477 147.P*6b 0/473 0/477 148.S6a-7b 0/473 0/477 149.P5c-5b+ 0/473 0/477 150.P9b-9c 0/473 0/477 151.P9dx9c+ 2/475 0/477 152.L9ax9c 0/475 0/477 153.P*9e 0/475 0/477 154.B*6i 0/475 0/477 Resigns 0/475 0/477 Time: 07:55:00 07:57:00 White is threatening mate after +Rx9h, but there is no good defense. After the best defense 155.G*9g, white can for example win by 156.Lx8e Gx8e G*8d. A dream start for Fujii in his first title match appearance. Can Tanigawa make his vast experience count and bounce back in game 2? ============================================================================= Black: Tanigawa, Challenger White: Habu, Oza 46th Oza-sen, Game 5, October 23rd 1998 1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0 2.P8c-8d 0/1 2/2 3.R2h-6h 3/4 0/2 A big surprise. Just like in the seventh game of the Meijin match, Tanigawa decides not to play his favourite Kakugawari opening. Has the loss against Fujii earlier in the week in the first game of the Ryu-O match convinced him of the power of the Fujii system? Another very interesting choice of opening by Tanigawa in a big game. 4.P3c-3d 0/4 2/4 5.P6g-6f 0/4 0/4 6.S7a-6b 0/4 1/5 7.S3i-3h 1/5 0/5 8.K5a-4b 0/5 2/7 9.P1g-1f 1/6 0/7 10.K4b-3b 0/6 4/11 11.S7i-7h 4/10 0/11 12.P5c-5d 0/10 4/15 13.G6i-5h 6/16 0/15 14.G6a-5b 0/16 9/24 15.P1f-1e 16/32 0/24 16.S6b-5c 0/32 20/44 17.B8h-7g 40/72 0/44 18.P8d-8e 0/72 18/62 19.S7h-6g 5/77 0/62 20.B2b-3c 0/77 33/95 21.P4g-4f 17/94 0/95 22.K3b-2b 0/94 6/101 23.P3g-3f 3/97 0/101 24.P4c-4d 0/97 12/113 25.N2i-3g 4/101 0/113 26.G5b-4c 0/101 13/126 27.P6f-6e 80/181 0/126 28.G4a-3b 0/181 16/142 29.S6g-5f 8/189 0/142 30.P4d-4e!? 0/189 37/179 This is an idea played earlier by Takahashi against Fujii. Opening the bishop diagonal looks like a risky move, but with the king still on its original square black can easily get in all sorts of trouble. Here both players have used about two thirds of their total allowed thinking time in a position that both already know... 31.N3gx4e 11/200 0/179 32.B3cx7g+ 0/200 2/181 33.N8ix7g 0/200 0/181 34.S5c-4d 0/200 0/181 35.R6h-8h?! 1/201 0/181 Fujii played 35.P6d and lost without much of a chance after 36.P8f. The sitting king indeed turned out to be a sitting duck in that game. Tanigawa tries it differently, but this passive move is not in the real nature of the Fujii system and definitely not in the nature of Tanigawa. After 35.R8h black does not have good chances to attack anymore. 36.P7c-7d 0/201 23/204 37.G5h-6g 4/205 0/204 38.B*7c! 0/205 49/253 This bishop drop is very hard to defend against. 39.S3h-3g 29/234 0/253 Very painful. This silver is forced to a bad position. Tanigawa has calculated correctly that sacrificing a gold for a knight is his only chance to survive. 40.S4dx4e 0/234 0/253 41.S5fx4e 0/234 0/253 42.N*5e 0/234 0/253 43.G4i-5h 0/234 0/253 44.N5ex6g+ 0/234 3/256 45.G5hx6g 0/234 0/256 46.G*5e 0/234 1/257 47.N*4i! 6/240 0/257 It looks like white can choose where to hit the black position and the professionals in the press room were all looking for white wins. Surprisingly, the position is not easy and white's advantage seems to be rather small. 48.N2a-3c 0/240 1/258 49.S4e-5f 0/240 0/258 50.G5ex4f 0/240 0/258 51.S3gx4f 2/242 0/258 52.B7cx4f 0/242 0/258 53.S*3g 0/242 0/258 54.B4f-7c 0/242 1/259 55.P*4f 0/242 0/259 56.N3c-2e 0/242 6/265 57.S3g-2f 20/262 0/265 58.B7cx4f? 0/262 5/270 This is a mistake that helps black in his attack. The correct move would have been 58.P2d. 59.P1e-1d 4/266 0/270 60.B4fx1i+ 0/266 0/270 61.P1dx1c+ 0/266 0/270 62.K2bx1c 0/266 0/270 A hard move to play, exposing the king, but 62.Lx1c P*1d is far worse. 63.S2fx2e 1/267 0/270 64.K1c-2b 0/267 0/270 65.B*7a 8/275 0/270 66.R8b-4b 0/275 7/277 67.S5f-4e? 9/284 0/277 Tanigawa-style losing move. The positive use of this silver for the attack is in character, but wrong. It leaves too many holes in the black position. The right move was 67.N*2f. Then 63.R7b P*4d Rx7a Px4c+ Gx4c Sx3d gives a very difficult position where it is uncertain if black can keep his attack going or if white can defensively survive. Tanigawa felt that his attack was a bit thin without the bishop, but the white rook is not working in defense any more and that is a big plus for black. 68.L*4d 0/284 11/288 69.S4ex4d 2/286 0/288 70.G4cx4d 0/286 0/288 71.P*4e 0/286 0/288 72.G4d-4c 0/286 0/288 73.L*4d 1/287 0/288 74.P*4h 0/287 0/288 75.L4dx4c+ 0/287 0/288 76.P4hx4i+ 0/287 0/288 77.K5i-6i 0/287 0/288 78.R4bx4c 0/287 1/289 79.S2ex3d 2/289 0/289 80.N*5e! 0/289 0/289 Habu ignores the threat and goes for his own attack. 80.N*5e is not a mating threat, but with the silver on 3d there is mate after +P5i K7i Nx6g= K8i S*7h! etc. White is now clearly one move earlier with his attack. 81.G6g-6h 0/289 0/289 82.L*6f 0/289 0/289 83.S3dx4c+ 1/290 0/289 84.G3bx4c 0/290 0/289 85.N*2e 3/293 0/289 86.S*2d 0/293 1/290 87.R*8b 2/295 0/290 88.P*4b 0/295 0/290 89.R8bx8a+ 0/295 0/290 90.S2dx2e 0/295 3/293 91.B7a-3e+ 2/297 0/293 92.S*5i 0/297 1/294 Resigns 0/297 0/294 Time: 04:57:00 04:54:00 Black has no mate and there is not defense against the white attack. With this win Habu ends a very tough match with his seventh Oza title. Tanigawa will probably need some time to get over this, since he was in complete control of the match and seemed to have sealed it in the fourth game. It seemed that Tanigawa had used up his ration of lucky breaks with his miraculous victory in the challenger final against Goda. ============================================================================ In other shogi news: -------------------- 1) Shimizu is the undisputed number one in women shogi again. By winning game 4 of the Oi title match against Yauchi she won back the Oi title she lost last year to again complete the set of four major women's titles. It was a match where Yauchi was punished for stubbornly playing the same, somewhat dubious, opening three times in a row. After winning game one this resulted in three consecutive losses and the loss of her title. 2) In the A-Junisen two games were played to complete round 4. Habu beat Nakahara to get his first win and he now moves away from the immediate danger zone (this year only one player is relegated to B1). On the other hand, Nakahara is now 1-3 as well and because of his lower Junisen position he has to start worrying again about relegation. One of the pre-season candidates for relegation, 58-year old former Meijin Kato Hifumi, scored a surprise victory over Morishita and now has a 3-1 score that will almost certainly secure his spot in the top class for another year. Morishita falls back to 2-2 and is out temporarily out of contention for the challengership. 3) In B1 a big game between leader Goda (5-0) and Tanaka Torahiko (4-1). After the impressive start of the season by Goda, I expected him to cruise to promotion in B1, but in Tanaka he found a hurdle that was too high. "Tiger" showed his teeth and scored a surprisingly easy victory. This means that he is the new leader in B1 and that Goda has to be careful in the remaining games, since the strong Nakamura is breathing down his neck with 4-2. The only other player with a chance to promote seems to be Aono, who also has 4-2. 4) In B2 the first half of the competition was finished with round 5. There are only two players with a perfect score. That Fujii is one of them is not a big surprise. However, that veteran Naito is the other leader is a bit unexpected. At 58 years old I did not expect him to be able to find the drive for a come-back to B1 from which he relegated last year. Just like Fujii, his good Junisen position will guarantee him promotion even if he loses one of the remaining games. 5) In C1 things have become seriously complicated after five rounds. Still three undefeated players: Suzuki (beat Ito), Kansaki (beat Sakurai) and Sato (beat Nishimura). They are followed by four players with only one loss: Yashiki, Miura, Ogura and Fukaura. All four are very capable of winning all their remaining games. Suzuki still has games against Miura and Kansaki, while Kansaki also has to play both Sato and Ogura. Anything can and probably will happen in this class. 6) In the Osho league Maruyama beat Meijin Sato to state his claim for his first title match appearance with 2-1. Sato falls back to 1-2 and will probably not be given a chance for a rematch with Habu. More next week, Reijer -- Reijer Grimbergen Complex Games Lab Electrotechnical Laboratory 1-1-4 Umezono, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305 JAPAN E-mail: grimberg etl go jp URL: http://www.etl.go.jp/etl/suiron/~grimberg/ Tel: +81-(0)298-54-3316 Fax: +81-(0)298-54-5918