From: Reijer Grimbergen ETL GO JP> Date: 17 feb 2000 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 827, February 16th 2000) Another win in the endgame for Habu to close out the Osho match. He wins his fifth consecutive Osho title with a total score of 20 wins and only two losses. Furthermore, he wins his seventh consecutive title match encounter with Sato, beating him for the tenth game in a row. There is no doubt that Sato is very strong, but Habu seems to know exactly how to beat him. Here is the final Osho match game with comments: Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Osho White: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger 49th Osho-sen, Game 4, February 8th and 9th 2000 1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0 2.P8c-8d 0/0 3/3 3.P2g-2f 3/3 0/3 4.P8d-8e 0/3 10/13 5.B8h-7g 2/5 0/13 6.P3c-3d 0/5 0/13 7.S7i-8h 1/6 0/13 8.G4a-3b 0/6 3/16 9.G6i-7h 3/9 0/16 10.S3a-4b 0/9 4/20 11.B7gx2b+ 3/12 0/20 12.G3bx2b 0/12 0/20 13.S8h-7g 0/12 0/20 14.G2b-3b 0/12 2/22 Four different openings in four different games. After Yokofudori, Aigakari and Shikenbisha, this time the Kakugawari. Sato has had some tough practice with this opening against Tanigawa in two consecutive Meijin matches, losing all of his white games against this opening. 15.S3i-3h 4/16 0/22 16.S7a-7b 0/16 0/22 17.P9g-9f 8/24 0/22 18.P9c-9d 0/24 3/25 19.P4g-4f 2/26 0/25 20.P6c-6d 0/26 4/29 21.S3h-4g 2/28 0/29 22.S7b-6c 0/28 1/30 23.K5i-6h 10/38 0/30 24.S6c-5d 0/38 4/34 25.P1g-1f 10/48 0/34 26.P1c-1d 0/48 4/38 27.S4g-5f 1/49 0/38 28.G6a-5b 0/49 13/51 29.K6h-7i 34/83 0/51 30.K5a-4a 0/83 5/56 31.P6g-6f 24/107 0/56 32.P4c-4d 0/107 30/86 33.G4i-5h 8/115 0/86 34.P3d-3e!? 0/115 2/88 32.P4d followed by 34.P3e is a new, positive idea. Black opening moves have successfully avoided the P6e position, but gave white time for this plan. 35.P2f-2e 65/180 0/88 36.S4b-3c 0/180 0/88 37.S5f-4g! 4/184 0/88 Pulling back the silver is not a move one likes to play, but black has to act quickly. If he gives white the time for S3d (for example by playing 37.K8h), his position will get very bad. 38.P4d-4e 0/184 25/113 Unfortunately for white, S3d is not possible because of the position of the king on 4a: 38.S3d P2d Px2d Rx2d G2c Rx3d Gx3d B*2c. 39.P4fx4e 5/189 0/113 40.S5dx4e 0/189 0/113 41.P*4f 0/189 0/113 42.S4e-3d 0/189 6/119 43.P3g-3f 11/200 0/119 44.P3ex3f 0/200 25/144 45.S4gx3f 0/200 0/144 46.K4a-3a 0/200 51/195 47.P*3e 64/264 0/195 48.S3d-4c 0/264 1/196 49.N2i-3g 0/264 0/196 50.P7c-7d 0/264 15/211 51.G5h-4g 12/276 0/211 52.R8b-6b 0/276 28/239 53.S3f-4e 12/288 0/239 54.P9d-9e 0/288 168/407 55.P9fx9e 21/309 0/407 56.P6d-6e 0/309 0/407 57.P6fx6e 5/314 0/407 58.P*9g 0/314 0/407 59.P3e-3d 70/384 0/407 It looks like Habu has won the opening with a nice attacking base on 3d supported by the silver on 4e. However, the situation is still very difficult. Habu did not like 59.Lx9g P*9h K8h N7c Kx9h B*6i, so he attacks strongly. 60.S4cx3d 0/384 5/412 61.P2e-2d 0/384 0/412 Better than the simple 61.Sx3d Sx3d B*5e, which is too slow. 62.P2cx2d 0/384 1/413 63.P*2b 0/384 0/413 64.G3bx2b 0/384 2/415 65.S4ex3d 1/385 0/415 66.S3cx3d 0/385 0/415 67.N3g-4e 0/385 0/415 68.P8e-8f! 0/385 26/441 This move shows that the position is still far from clear. Habu has a very tough decision now: attack or defend. 69.B*4d 58/443 0/441 After 58 minutes, he chooses to attack. No way to tell which is better. 70.S3dx4e 0/443 2/443 71.P*2c 0/443 0/443 72.G2bx2c 0/443 0/443 73.B4dx1a+ 0/443 0/443 74.B*3c 0/443 10/453 75.+B1a-1b 14/457 0/453 76.S4e-3d 0/457 0/453 77.L*3i 0/457 0/453 78.G5b-4c 0/457 0/453 79.+B1bx2c 0/457 0/453 80.S3dx2c 0/457 0/453 81.L3ix3c+ 0/457 0/453 82.G4cx3c 0/457 2/455 83.P8gx8f 4/461 0/455 84.P*4a! 0/461 7/462 Strong move. Playing a defence only move at this stage is very brave. Sato anticipates that he has to give up the rook at some point and defends against a future rook drop in advance. 85.B*6d! 3/464 0/462 Even braver reply by Habu. Despite Sato's P*4a, he still wants the rook. Moreover, he gives up sente in the process. 86.R6bx6d 0/464 3/465 87.P6ex6d 0/464 0/465 88.L*6e 0/464 2/467 89.P6d-6c+! 8/472 0/467 Probably the only way to have a chance to win this game. Still, the following white attack looks very frightening... 90.B*6i 0/472 4/471 91.R*8b 1/473 0/471 92.P*6b 0/473 2/473 93.R8bx6b+ 1/474 0/473 94.P*3b 0/474 0/473 95.S*1a 1/475 0/473 96.S*2b 0/475 0/473 97.G*4b! 0/475 0/473 If this would lead to a forced win, this move would deserve two exclamation marks. Habu is giving up both a gold and a promoted rook for an attack that looks dubious. He felt that he had no other option here. 98.P4ax4b 0/475 0/473 99.+R6b-6a 0/475 0/473 100.N*4a 0/475 4/477 101.+R6ax4a 0/475 0/477 102.K3ax4a 0/475 0/477 103.S1ax2b= 0/475 0/477 104.B6ix7h+? 0/475 1/478 Close to byoyomi, Sato crumbles under Habu's pressure. Black is only threatening mate on 5b, so the position is definitely not a hisshi. However, it is surprisingly hard to defend. The obvious 104.B*3d, which both attacks and defends, fails to 105.N*4e, while 104.R*9b loses after 105.P*6b. Sato's only way out was 104.G*6a N*6d B*3d S*4e B4c N7b+ and the position is still unclear. Instead, Sato's goes for a mate that isn't there. 105.R2hx7h 0/475 0/478 106.R*6i 0/475 0/478 107.K7i-8h 0/475 0/478 108.G*9h 0/475 1/479 109.L9ix9h 0/475 0/479 110.P9gx9h+ 0/475 0/479 111.K8hx9h 0/475 0/479 112.L*9f 0/475 0/479 113.S*9g 2/477 0/479 Now there is no mate and no defence. Sato tries for a little longer, but in vain. 114.L9fx9g+ 0/477 0/479 115.K9hx9g 0/477 0/479 116.P*9f 0/477 0/479 117.K9gx9f 0/477 0/479 118.S*8g 0/477 0/479 119.K9fx8g 0/477 0/479 120.R6ix8i+ 0/477 0/479 121.G*8h 0/477 0/479 Resigns 0/477 0/479 Time: 07:57:00 07:59:00 So the Osho title match between the holder of four crowns and the Meijin ends in a surprising sweep for Habu. In all games the pattern was the same, with Sato losing close games by making vital mistakes in the endgame. Habu's legendary endgame skills prevailed again. In other shogi news: ==================== * In B1 Inoue had a very good chance to secure his return to the top class after his unlucky relegation last year. In the top spot, he was one win ahead of Aono, Kiriyama and Senzaki. A win against Nakamura or a loss by Senzaki would mean promotion, since Aono was playing Kiriyama. Unfortunately, both results went the wrong way for Inoue. Senzaki quickly disposed of Mori and he lost himself against Nakamura. He will now have to beat Fukuzaki in the final round to secure promotion. Not easy, since Fukuzaki is fighting to avoid relegation to B2. After his game was finished, Senzaki was eagerly following the game between Aono and Kiriyama. A win by Kiriyama would mean that Senzaki would have his promotion chances in his own hands as he would play Kiriyama in the final round. His prayers were in vain, since Aono won the game and now has a very good chance to make a surprising come-back to the A class. His last game is against Naito, who is already relegated to B2 after a loss to Fukuzaki. Naito continues to bounce between B1 and B2 after relegation from B1 two years ago and promotion from B2 last year. I would be very surprised if he would manage to climb back to B1 again. * In B2, Waki lost in the first round, but seven consecutive wins after that gave him a golden opportunity to snatch a promotion spot away before title match experienced Fujii, Miura and Fukaura. The last hurdle seemed to be Abe, who was in the promotion race for a long time himself before he lost consecutive games to Fujii and Fukaura. Abe was having the best of the game early on, but a dangerous defence gave Waki the chance to win. However, he stumbled a couple of moves later and lost. Very painful for Waki, as the strong rival trio all won. He now no longer has his chance in his own hands and a mistake by the gifted Fujii, Miura and Fukaura is not to be expected. Fujii and Miura can be promoted by winning their games, while Fukaura can only hope for a mistake. I do not think there will be a surprise in the final round and expect Fujii and Miura in B1 next year. * As expected, the C1 Junisen is the first class where the promotion race is decided. Suzuki Daisuke and Kubo Toshiaki needed only one win to promote to B2. However, things did not completely go to plan. Suzuki did not make a mistake against Nakata Isao, despite the latter shaving his head to show his determination to avoid a relegation marker. However, Kubo surprisingly lost to 58-year old veteran Sakurai, who played a very good game that Kubo might have taken a little too lightly. For a while Kubo had to fear that he had to wait until the final game to secure promotion, but his last remaining rival Sato Shuji lost against Okazaki. So Kubo and Suzuki jump out of the piranha pool and will again be strong promotion contenders next season in B2. * The Oi leagues started with the game in the Red group between Tanigawa and Maruyama. Both are expected to be in the race for challenging Habu until the very end, so it is a little disappointing that they meet so early. A big game, but it did not turn out that way. Maruyama had an off-day and messed up the R8e Yokofudori in which he is a specialist. He got a good chance to get back in the game in the late endgame after Tanigawa played an uncharacteristically bad endgame. Maruyama did not seem interested, missed his chance and lost quickly after that. Next week the first game of the Kio match between Habu and Moriuchi and the 10th round in the C2 Junisen class. 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)298-61-3316 Fax: +81-(0)298-61-5918