From: Reijer Grimbergen ETL GO JP> Date: 16 mar 1999 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 780, March 17th 1999) Since I am off to the computer shogi tournament tomorrow and will not be back on Tuesday, this is earlier than usual. In Shukan Shogi this week the main news is the third game of the Kio title match. It was a very exciting game which was decided by some Habu magic. Here it is with some comments: Black: Habu, Kio White: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger 24th Kio-sen, Game 3, March 8th 1999 1.P2g-2f 0/0 0/0 2.P8c-8d 0/0 0/0 3.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0 4.P8d-8e 0/1 3/3 5.B8h-7g 1/2 0/3 6.P3c-3d 0/2 0/3 7.S7i-8h 1/3 0/3 8.G4a-3b 0/3 1/4 9.G6i-7h 1/4 0/4 10.B2bx7g+ 0/4 1/5 11.S8hx7g 0/4 0/5 12.S3a-4b 0/4 0/5 13.S3i-3h 3/7 0/5 14.S7a-7b 0/7 0/5 15.P9g-9f 3/10 0/5 16.P9c-9d 0/10 4/9 17.P1g-1f 3/13 0/9 18.P1c-1d 0/13 4/13 19.P4g-4f 4/17 0/13 20.P6c-6d 0/17 7/20 21.S3h-4g 15/32 0/20 22.S7b-6c 0/32 4/24 23.G4i-5h 5/37 0/24 24.S6c-5d 0/37 2/26 25.K5i-6h 6/43 0/26 26.S4b-3c 0/43 19/45 27.P3g-3f 6/49 0/45 28.K5a-4b 0/49 0/45 29.N2i-3g 4/53 0/45 30.G6a-5b 0/53 2/47 31.K6h-7i 1/54 0/47 32.K4b-3a 0/54 2/49 33.S4g-5f 3/57 0/49 34.P6d-6e 0/57 1/50 35.K7i-8h 20/77 0/50 36.P7c-7d 0/77 6/56 37.G5h-4g 6/83 0/56 38.P4c-4d 0/83 7/63 39.L1i-1g 18/101 0/63 40.B*6d 0/101 8/71 41.R2h-1h 1/102 0/71 42.S3c-2d 0/102 1/72 43.P2f-2e 28/130 0/72 44.S2d-3c 0/130 2/74 45.P4f-4e 0/130 0/74 46.N8a-7c 0/130 34/108 Very unusual move in this type of position. In almost all Bishop Exchange games the pawn on 4e is taken before the counterattack is started. Sato felt that he had to be quicker than that, since he did not like 46.Px4e Nx4e S4d P*4f. Habu agreed that he also felt that black would have an advantage then. Sato's N7c leads to an all-out fighting game. 47.P4ex4d 24/154 0/108 48.S3cx4d 0/154 1/109 49.P1f-1e 0/154 0/109 50.P1dx1e 0/154 4/113 51.P2e-2d 0/154 0/113 52.P2cx2d 0/154 3/116 53.P*2e 0/154 0/116 54.P*4f 0/154 31/147 55.G4g-4h 0/154 0/147 56.S4d-3c 0/154 0/147 57.P3f-3e 8/162 0/147 58.P8e-8f 0/162 17/164 59.S7gx8f 8/170 0/164 60.P3dx3e 0/170 1/165 61.N3g-4e 16/186 0/165 62.S5dx4e 0/186 8/173 63.S5fx4e 0/186 0/173 64.N*8d! 0/186 2/175 It looked like Habu had a very good attack, but this knight drop is a nasty counter. 65.P*3d 3/189 0/175 Normally the silver on 3c now has to move... 66.N8dx7f! 0/189 19/194 ...but not in this game. This position is an example where taking a silver with a pawn is actually bad. If white moves the silver to 4b, a future knight drop on 4d will be devastating. Furthermore, if black takes the silver on 3c, then after Nx3c the knight attacks the silver on 4e, so there is no gain for black there. The silver on 3c and the pawn on 3d will stay like this for 25 moves! 67.K8h-7i 2/191 0/194 68.P*8h 0/191 1/195 69.N8i-9g! 3/194 0/195 Great move by Habu. Moving the knight to 7g looks like a much better move, but now black threatens S7g followed by Sx7f, so white has to rush his attack. There is actual a second reason why N9g is better than N7g, as will become clear later. 70.P8h-8i+ 0/194 38/233 71.K7ix8i 0/194 0/233 72.B6dx8f? 0/194 0/233 Sato feels that he needs to hurry, but this is forcing the position too much. The correct move was 72.P9e. Then, for example, 73.S7g Px9f Sx7f P9g+ PX3c+ Nx3c S3d B*5e K7i N*6d (diagram). In this position S*2c is a mating threat, but with G5b-4b white also brings the rook on 8b into play as a defender and black can not continue his attack. On the other hand, Nx7f is very quick, since it would threaten mate with S*6h Gx6h +P8h K6i Nx6h+ Kx6h B7g+ etc. 73.P8gx8f 7/201 0/233 74.R8bx8f 0/201 0/233 75.P*8g 7/208 0/233 76.P*8h 0/208 0/233 77.K8i-7i 3/211 0/233 78.S*6h 0/211 0/233 79.G7hx6h 0/211 0/233 80.P8h-8i+ 0/211 0/233 81.K7i-6i 0/211 0/233 82.N7fx6h+ 0/211 0/233 Here white of course wants to play 82.Rx8g+. However, if white plays that here, then 83.G7h is alright. This is the second reason why the black knight needs to be on 9g, since with the knight on 7g 83.G7h +Rx7h would lead to mate. 83.K6ix6h 0/211 0/233 84.R8fx8g+ 0/211 0/233 85.B*5e! 2/213 0/233 A very nice point to drop the bishop. This strong bishop works in attack and defence and will stay at the central square until the end of the game. 86.+P8i-7i 0/213 0/233 87.K6h-5i 5/218 0/233 88.+R8g-7h 0/218 0/233 89.K5i-4i 1/219 0/233 90.P4f-4g+ 0/219 3/236 91.P3dx3c+ 3/222 0/236 Finally the deadlock of silver and pawn is broken. Habu goes in for the kill. 92.N2ax3c 0/222 0/236 93.N*4d 2/224 0/236 94.G*4b 0/224 3/239 95.B*3d! 8/232 0/239 Habu magic. It still seems very close, but this bishop drop decides the game. This is not a mating threat, but a hisshi threat, since there is no defence after Bx5b+ (Gx5b Nx3b+ Kx3b S*2c leads to mate). If white would be able to make a strong mating threat, he would still win, but there is nothing that white can do. 96.P*4f looks strong, but is not a mating threat. Furthermore, 96.Nx4e Gx4g! +Rx1h Nx3b+ Gx3b G*2a K4a Bx5b+ Kx5b S*6c Kx6c S*6d K5b S*6c K4b P*4c is mate. The difference in strength between Habu and Sato is well illustrated by this variation, where the outcome of the game depends on a single pawn in hand. 96.G5b-4c 0/232 0/239 A desperate last attempt. If white can get a bishop in hand, then B*2g K3i +Rx4h is mate. 97.N4dx3b+ 8/240 0/239 98.G4bx3b 0/240 0/239 99.B3dx4c+! 0/240 0/239 The final blow. White can not take this bishop, since 99.Gx4c S*2b Kx2b G*2c Kx2c S*3d Gx3d Sx3d Kx3d G*4d Kx2e S*3d K2f G*3g is again magically mate. 100.+R7h-6i 0/240 0/239 101.G*5i 0/240 0/239 This drop means that black no longer has mate, but unfortunately the same is true for white. 102.G3bx4c 0/240 0/239 103.S*2c 1/241 0/239 104.+P4gx4h 0/241 0/239 105.R1hx4h 1/242 0/239 106.G*3i 0/242 0/239 107.K4ix3i 0/242 0/239 108.+R6ix5i 0/242 0/239 109.S*4i 0/242 0/239 110.+R5ix4h 0/242 0/239 111.S4ix4h 0/242 0/239 Resigns 0/242 0/239 Time: 03:58:00 03:59:00 White has no mate and no defence. This game took a lot out of both players. Usually the players are very talkative during the post mortem analysis, but in this case there were long lapses of silence and contemplation. Sato felt that he gave it all he had in every game and still ended up with a 3-0 title match loss. For Habu this meant his ninth consecutive Kio title. Still some work to do to break the record for consecutive title victories, which is held by Oyama who won thirteen consecutive Meijin titles. In other Shogi news: ==================== The final decisions in the Junisen with the last rounds in B1 and C2. In B1 there were no decisions about promotion and relegation yet, which is quite unusual in this class. All six games still could have repercussions for promotion and relegation, so it was expected that it would be a long day. Strangely enough, everything was already decided at around 9:30 in the evening, which is very early for a Junisen round. The first decision was about relegation. Kobayashi had a convincing win over Tamaru, which meant that Tamaru has to try and fight back from B2 next year. It was still around 8:30 when Tamaru resigned. Only an hour later, Fukuzaki cashed in his big advantage against Minami. Minami's loss meant automatic promotion for Tanaka, who will make his comeback to the A class next season. It is custom that this result is not told to the players during the game, so Tanaka has to suffer very long, since he was losing against Kamiya. His relief and gratitude to Fukuzaki was obvious after he finally had to resign and for a moment had to fear that his two losses in the final two games might cost him promotion. The second promotion spot went to Kisei Goda, which was not unexpected. He did not have too much trouble disposing of Takahashi after a big mistake in the middle game. The win by Goda also meant that Aono did not promote, even though he won against Kiriyama and finished with an identical record as Tanaka. Tanaka's higher ranking in the class decides. In C2 there was only one remaining promotion spot. Katsumata had his chances in his own hands and managed to promote to C1 by beating Oshima. After the game he was sweating profusely and his hair was a mess, showing how much pain and trouble the game had cost him. Sugimoto will have to wait at least another year, even though he won rather easily against Ito. His two consecutive losses against promoted Namekata and Kimura were decisive, but might also be called an unlucky draw. In C2 there are relegation markers for Ueyama (his second), Ono (first), Matsuura (first), Saeki (first), Kawaguchi (second) and Sato Yoshinori (second). Ito Hirobumi, Miyazaka and Numa received their third relegation marker and will be part of the Free Class next year. Let's look at the Junisen promotions and relegations of this season: A class: ======== Meijin Challenger: Tanigawa Relegation: Inoue B1 class: ========= Promotion: Goda, Tanaka Torahiko Relegation: Tamaru B2 class: ========= Promotion: Naito, Sensaki Relegation marker: Awaji, Urano Relegation: Tanaka Kaishuu, Ouchi C1 class: ========= Promotion: Miura, Fukaura Relegation marker: Kobayashi, Okazaki Relegated: Sekine, Ito Hatasu C2 class: ========= Promotion: Namekata, Katsumata, Kimura Relegation marker: Ueyama, Ono Yaichio, Matsuura, Saeki, Kawaguchi, Sato Yoshinori Relegation: Ito Hirobumi, Miyazaka, Numa 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