From: Reijer Grimbergen ETL GO JP> Date: 23 jun 1999 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 793, June 16th 1999) Just back from a conference in Germany and from the Kokusai Shogi Forum last weekend. Things should return to normal for at least a month from now on, so time to get back on track with the "This week in Shukan Shogi" postings. First, the Shukan Shogi from last week with the very exciting 6th game of the Meijin match between Sato and Tanigawa. As most of you know, Sato has in the meantime successfully defended his Meijin title by winning the decisive seventh game. I will give the seventh game with comments later this week. First, game 6: Black: Sato Yasumitsu, Meijin White: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger 57th Meijin-sen, Game 6, June 7th and 8th 1999 1.P7g-7f 2/2 0/0 2.P3c-3d 0/2 2/2 3.P2g-2f 2/4 0/2 4.P4c-4d 0/4 3/5 5.P2f-2e 2/6 0/5 6.B2b-3c 0/6 0/5 7.S3i-4h 0/6 0/5 8.R8b-4b 0/6 5/10 9.P5g-5f 2/8 0/10 10.S7a-7b 0/8 6/16 11.K5i-6h 2/10 0/16 12.P9c-9d 0/10 4/20 13.K6h-7h 5/15 0/20 14.S3a-3b 0/15 4/24 15.G4i-5h 5/20 0/24 16.P9d-9e 0/20 8/32 17.S4h-5g 6/26 0/32 18.S3b-4c 0/26 7/39 19.P3g-3f 15/41 0/39 20.K5a-6b 0/41 6/45 21.B8h-7g 2/43 0/45 22.K6b-7a 0/43 8/53 23.K7h-8h 3/46 0/53 24.K7a-8b 0/46 9/62 25.L9i-9h 20/66 0/62 To keep his Meijin title, Sato needs to win this game. With that much at stake, he turns back to his specialism, the Ibisha Anaguma against Tanigawa's 4th File Rook. In game 4 he tried to surprise Tanigawa by playing the S5g Quick Attack, but that turned out to be a mistake. 26.R4b-3b 0/66 68/130 This is a well-known variation. White aims for a quick attack after 27.K9i P3e Px3e P4e. However, Sato has something prepared for this. 27.S5g-6f! 24/90 0/130 This, followed by B6h next, takes away all the danger of the quick attack. 28.B3c-4b 0/90 15/145 29.B7g-6h 24/114 0/145 30.G4a-5b 0/114 2/147 31.K8h-9i 1/115 0/147 32.P5c-5d 0/115 20/167 33.S7i-8h 7/122 0/167 34.P4d-4e 0/122 33/200 35.N2i-3g 43/165 0/200 36.S4c-4d 0/165 67/267 37.R2h-3h 7/172 0/267 38.P6c-6d 0/172 52/319 Admitting the strategic defeat. By slowing down the pace of the game, Tanigawa admits that there is no way to continue his attack. He could have tried the attack 38.P3e Px3e B1e, but after R3i B2f P2d Px2d R2i or even the simple G7i B2f Nx4e Sx4e P4f, black has a big advantage. After 38.P6d, black gets the time to complete his Anaguma and all white can do is see how it happens. Black is already much better here. 39.G6i-7i 12/184 0/319 40.G5b-6c 0/184 1/320 41.G5h-5i 13/197 0/320 42.P7c-7d 0/197 3/323 43.G5i-6i 0/197 0/323 44.N8a-7c 0/197 4/327 45.G6i-7h?! 4/201 0/327 Not the best move. Better would have been 45.P2d Px2d P4f Px4f R4h, and after the only white attack P6e S6f-7g B5c, black can just play Bx4f. Aono, 9-dan, thinks that black does not have to hurry G6i-7h. He can play it later when the time is right. 46.P6d-6e 0/201 29/356 47.S6f-7g 11/212 0/356 48.P5d-5e 0/212 4/360 49.P5fx5e 66/278 0/360 50.S4dx5e 0/278 0/360 51.P2e-2d 30/308 0/360 52.P2cx2d 0/308 2/362 53.R3h-2h 0/308 0/362 54.R3b-2b 0/308 37/399 55.P*2e 4/312 0/399 56.B4b-5c! 0/312 0/399 A good defence that Sato might have underestimated. Black now finds it hard to continue and the game is now about whether or not black can keep his attack going. Black's king position is much stronger, but he is out of pawns soon, so it is far from easy. 57.P2ex2d 1/313 0/399 58.P*2f 0/313 0/399 59.P3f-3e 39/352 0/399 60.P*5g 0/352 30/429 61.B6hx5g 16/368 0/429 62.P4e-4f 0/368 0/429 63.P4gx4f 37/405 0/429 64.B5cx3e 0/405 3/432 65.N3g-4e 0/405 0/432 66.R2bx2d 0/405 7/439 67.R2h-3h 4/409 0/439 68.B3e-7a 0/409 28/467 69.P*2e 4/413 0/467 70.R2d-1d 0/413 0/467 71.P*5d 12/425 0/467 72.P2f-2g+ 0/425 1/468 73.P5d-5c+ 2/427 0/468 74.+P2gx3h 0/427 1/469 75.+P5cx6c 0/427 0/469 76.S7bx6c 0/427 0/469 77.P*5d 3/430 0/469 78.P*5b 0/430 13/482 79.P1g-1f 4/434 0/482 80.P3d-3e 0/434 2/484 81.G*2d 0/434 0/484 82.R*2g 0/434 2/486 83.B5g-6h 6/440 0/486 84.R1dx2d 0/440 0/486 85.P2ex2d 0/440 0/486 86.R2gx2d+ 0/440 0/486 87.P7f-7e 6/446 0/486 88.P7dx7e 0/446 0/486 89.S7g-8f 0/446 0/486 90.P7e-7f 0/446 8/494 91.S8f-7e 2/448 0/494 92.G6a-7b 0/448 5/499 93.R*6a 12/460 0/499 94.S6cx5d 0/460 2/501 95.S7e-7d 7/467 0/501 96.G*6b? 0/467 11/512 A bad move that gives black the clear advantage again. It is vital that white removes the silver on 7d, which is the stronghold for black's attack. Therefore, 96.G*6c Sx6c+ Sx6c was necessary, answering B8f next with S*6d. Now white's pieces are working well and black will find it hard to find any holes in the defence. 96.G*6b blocks the white bishop, which can now only look on helplessly. 97.R6a-4a+ 10/477 0/512 98.P*4d? 0/477 9/521 Could have been the losing move. Shukan Shogi does not give an alternative here though. 99.N4e-3c=?! 11/488 0/521 Keeps it complicated. After 99.B8f instead, white would be quickly lost after 100.Px4e B4b+ +R4d Px4e +Rx4e P*4c. Still, after 99.N3c=, black also keeps his advantage. 100.N2ax3c 0/488 0/521 101.+R4ax1a 0/488 0/521 102.P*2a 0/488 1/522 103.+R1a-1b 0/488 0/522 104.+R2d-2i 0/488 7/529 105.+R1b-4b 7/495 0/529 106.N*7g 0/495 2/531 107.L*8f! 4/499 0/531 Keeps up the pressure. Black is still winning. 108.N7gx8i+ 0/499 2/533 109.G7ix8i 1/500 0/533 110.N*7g 0/500 0/533 111.S8hx7g 13/513 0/533 112.P7fx7g+ 0/513 0/533 113.B6hx7g? 2/515 0/533 A bad move that makes the game suddenly very close. Tanigawa said after the game that he had already given up hope here. Rightly so, if Sato would have taken with the gold here. After 113.Gx7g P*7f N*7e S*9d Gx7f white has no more moves. Also, with the gold in this high position, white's king can not escape like in the game. However, objectively black still can win after 113.Bx7g. 114.P*7f 0/515 0/533 This nasty pawn make life very hard for black. 115.N*7e 9/524 0/533 116.S*9d 0/524 0/533 117.B7g-6h 1/525 0/533 118.S5e-6d 0/525 0/533 119.N7ex8c+ 4/529 0/533 120.S9dx8c 0/529 0/533 121.S7dx8c+ 0/529 0/533 122.G7bx8c 0/529 0/533 123.N*7d 0/529 0/533 124.K8b-9c 0/529 0/533 125.L8fx8c+ 0/529 0/533 126.K9cx8c 0/529 0/533 127.N7dx6b+ 0/529 0/533 128.N*7g 0/529 1/534 129.S*7b 3/532 0/534 130.K8c-7d 0/532 1/535 131.G8i-7i 0/532 0/535 132.+R2ix7i 0/532 3/538 133.G7hx7i 0/532 0/538 134.G*8i 0/532 0/538 135.G7ix8i 0/532 0/538 136.N7gx8i+ 0/532 0/538 137.K9ix8i 0/532 0/538 138.P*8h 0/532 0/538 139.K8i-7i 0/532 0/538 140.L*7g 0/532 0/538 141.P*7h 2/534 0/538 142.L7gx7h+ 0/534 0/538 143.K7ix7h 0/534 0/538 144.S*7g 0/534 0/538 145.B6hx7g 0/534 0/538 146.P7fx7g+ 0/534 0/538 147.K7hx7g 0/534 0/538 148.P*7f 0/534 0/538 149.K7gx8h?! 4/538 0/538 Much safer would have been either 149.K6h or 149.K7h. 150.P6e-6f 0/538 0/538 151.S*6c? 1/539 0/538 A blunder that could have cost Sato his Meijin title. Black loses his cool here and decides to play for a mate that is not there. 151.G*5f is still winning since white has no mate. 152.S5dx6c 0/539 0/538 153.S7bx6c= 0/539 0/538 154.K7d-6e 0/539 0/538 155.P6gx6f 0/539 0/538 156.K6ex6f 0/539 0/538 157.P*6g 0/539 0/538 158.K6f-5g 0/539 1/539 159.S*6h 0/539 0/539 160.K5gx6h 0/539 0/539 161.R*7h 0/539 0/539 162.K6h-5i 0/539 0/539 163.+R4bx5b 0/539 0/539 164.P*5e 0/539 0/539 165.G*5h 0/539 0/539 166.K5i-4i 0/539 0/539 167.G*4h 0/539 0/539 168.K4i-3i 0/539 0/539 169.R7h-7i 0/539 0/539 170.G*4i 0/539 0/539 171.G4hx4i 0/539 0/539 172.+P3hx4i 0/539 0/539 White has escaped from the checks and enough material to finish off black's king. Sato must have felt really bad here. 173.R7ix7f 0/539 0/539 If resignation would not have cost him his Meijin title, Sato might have bowed his head here. He will be very glad he decided to play on for a while in this desperate situation. 174.N7c-8e 0/539 0/539 175.N*8i 0/539 0/539 176.P*7e 0/539 0/539 177.R7f-7i 0/539 0/539 178.P9e-9f 0/539 0/539 179.P9gx9f 0/539 0/539 180.S*7f? 0/539 0/539 In byoyomi Tanigawa does not find the right path to the win. 180.Lx9f Lx9f S*9g Nx9g S*7g would have been winning. 181.L*7h 0/539 0/539 182.L9ax9f 0/539 0/539 183.L7hx7f 0/539 0/539 184.S*7g?? 0/539 0/539 A blunder. 184.B*7g instead and white wins. 185.N8ix7g 0/539 0/539 186.L9fx9h+ 0/539 0/539 187.K8hx9h 0/539 0/539 188.L*9a 0/539 0/539 189.P*9f 0/539 0/539 190.L9ax9f 0/539 0/539 191.K9h-8i 0/539 0/539 192.P*8h 0/539 0/539 193.K8i-7h 0/539 0/539 194.N8ex7g+ 0/539 0/539 195.K7hx7g 0/539 0/539 196.P7ex7f 0/539 0/539 197.K7g-8f 0/539 0/539 198.L*8a 0/539 0/539 199.N*8d 0/539 0/539 200.L8ax8d 0/539 0/539 201.K8f-9e 0/539 0/539 202.N*8c 0/539 0/539 203.K9ex8d 0/539 0/539 Resigns 0/539 0/539 Time: 08:59:00 08:59:00 A game with everything that shogi has to offer. Fine opening play followed by a long fight where chances change a couple of times before the final result. This game will go down in history as one of the hardest fought battles in Meijin history, ending just before 12 o'clock. (NB: the first game of this match ended at 5:30 in the afternoon.) Even though Sato had the better chances for most of the game, he is lucky that he gets another chance. Just like last year, the Meijin match will be decided in the final game. In other Shogi news: ==================== In this Shukan Shogi a report on the play-off in the white group of the Oi tournament. Only the semi-finals, but it was still interesting to know that Yashiki outplayed Goda even though Goda was showing his will to win by playing in formal kimono which is usually reserved for title matches. In the other semi-final young Yagura beat Takahashi, 9-dan for the second time in a row. This time it was more convincing than the game played in the league earlier this month. With this fine victory Yagura scored his 100th win as a pro and this means he is now promoted to 5-dan. Later this week another Shukan Shogi report, 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