From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 9 aug 2001 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 903, August 8th 2001) This week in Shukan Shogi the second game of the Oi-sen between Habu and Yashiki. So far, Yashiki is not having much fun in his first appearance in a two-day title match. In the first game he was completely blown away and in the second game he didn't do much better. An easy title defense for Habu? Here is the second game with comments. Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi White: Yashiki Nobuyuki, Challenger 42nd Oi-sen, Game 2, July 31st and August 1st 2001 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:04:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:04:00 4.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:05:00 5.P2f-2e 00:04:00 00:05:00 6.P8d-8e 00:04:00 00:05:00 7.G6i-7h 00:07:00 00:05:00 8.G4a-3b 00:07:00 00:05:00 9.P2e-2d 00:12:00 00:05:00 10.P2cx2d 00:12:00 00:05:00 11.R2hx2d 00:12:00 00:05:00 12.P8e-8f 00:12:00 00:13:00 13.P8gx8f 00:12:00 00:13:00 14.R8bx8f 00:12:00 00:13:00 15.R2dx3d 00:19:00 00:13:00 16.B2b-3c 00:19:00 00:17:00 17.R3d-3f 00:27:00 00:17:00 18.S3a-2b 00:27:00 00:27:00 19.G4i-3h 00:40:00 00:27:00 20.K5a-4a 00:40:00 01:12:00 21.K5i-5h 00:51:00 01:12:00 22.S7a-6b 00:51:00 01:26:00 23.B8hx3c+ 01:30:00 01:26:00 24.N2ax3c 01:30:00 01:26:00 25.S7i-8h 01:30:00 01:26:00 26.R8f-8b?! 01:30:00 01:54:00 The R8e Yokofudori is a dangerous opening, but that also means that one must play it positively. A small mistake can be deadly, but not playing it as sharp as possible can be just as bad. If possible, white doesn't want to pull back the rook to 8b, but having it work sideways by moving it to 8d. Yashiki thought this was dangerous because of 26.R8d P*2c Gx2c P*8b Rx8b P*8c R9b (Rx8c B*5f) P7e followed by R8f. This may have been true, but having to pull back the rook to 8b also is an indication that there is something wrong with white's position. 27.S3i-4h 01:51:00 01:54:00 28.G6a-5a 01:51:00 02:08:00 29.P1g-1f 02:18:00 02:08:00 30.P9c-9d?! 02:18:00 02:59:00 An important error of judgment. Both players move their edge pawns up, but black gets a lot more out of this than white. Furthermore, in doing so, white misses the opportunity to play P7d, which is a vital move in this Yokofudori variation. If white can not develop the knight on 8a, it is very hard to get a good attack going. 31.P*8g 02:35:00 02:59:00 32.P9d-9e 02:35:00 03:16:00 33.P1f-1e 02:53:00 03:16:00 34.R8b-8e 02:53:00 03:53:00 Now white can no longer play P7d, because of the edge attack P1d Px1d P*1b Lx1b B*5f or because of the risk of having a bishop fork on 5e. Black has won the opening. Most time during the post-mortem analysis was spent on 34.R2d here, but after 35.B*8c P*2h Gx2h P*2g G3h B*2h Gx2h Px2h+ B*3e R3d Bx6b+ Gx6b S*5c Gx5c Rx5c+ G*5b *R5e white has the move +P3h, but black's attack after B6a+ next seems stronger. 35.R3f-2f 03:51:00 03:53:00 36.P5c-5d 03:51:00 04:25:00 A desperate try to get some attack, but this actually only helps black. 37.S8h-7g 05:17:00 04:25:00 38.P5d-5e 05:17:00 05:21:00 39.S7g-6f 05:25:00 05:21:00 40.P5e-5f 05:25:00 05:35:00 41.R2fx5f 05:25:00 05:35:00 42.R8e-2e 05:25:00 05:42:00 43.P*2f 05:27:00 05:42:00 44.R2e-8e 05:27:00 05:46:00 45.P3g-3f 05:40:00 05:46:00 46.P9e-9f 05:40:00 06:08:00 White has no choice. If he tries to be patient and finally play 46.P7d, then black gets a strong attack after 47.N7g R8d P3e. 47.P9gx9f 05:41:00 06:08:00 48.P*9g 05:41:00 06:15:00 49.N8i-7g! 05:51:00 06:15:00 A mistake would have been 49.Lx9g B*9h N7g R8b G8h Bx8g+ P*8c Rx8c P*8d Rx8d P*8e +Bx8h Px8d +Bx9g P8c+ L*5b and white's attack has succeeded. After R4f G*4e white wins the rook. 50.R8e-8b 05:51:00 06:19:00 51.P3f-3e 06:00:00 06:19:00 52.P*8f 06:00:00 06:30:00 53.P8gx8f 06:05:00 06:30:00 54.R8bx8f 06:05:00 06:32:00 55.P*8g 06:17:00 06:32:00 56.R8fx9f 06:17:00 06:32:00 57.P3e-3d! 06:17:00 06:32:00 Another great move by Habu. The normal way to play here would have been 57.N3g to bring the knight into the attack, but this gives white time for P9h+ followed by +Px9i and R9h+, which is dangerous for black. 58.P9g-9h+ 06:17:00 06:44:00 59.P3dx3c+ 06:20:00 06:44:00 60.S2bx3c 06:20:00 06:44:00 61.P*3d 06:32:00 06:44:00 62.S3cx3d 06:32:00 06:56:00 63.N*5d 06:40:00 06:56:00 64.S6b-5c 06:40:00 07:03:00 65.P*3c 06:52:00 07:03:00 66.G3bx3c 06:52:00 07:04:00 67.N7g-6e 06:52:00 07:04:00 68.S5c-4d 06:52:00 07:18:00 69.B*8e 06:55:00 07:18:00 70.R9f-9g+ 06:55:00 07:29:00 71.B8ex6c+ 06:55:00 07:29:00 72.K4a-3b 06:55:00 07:29:00 73.N5d-6b+! 07:00:00 07:29:00 Most players would prefer 73.N4b+ Gx4b R5a+ as it saves the rook. However, Habu doesn't care about the rook. He has judged perfectly that 6b is the perfect square for the promoted bishop to attack the white king from the front and the back. 74.G5ax6b 07:00:00 07:31:00 75.+B6cx6b 07:00:00 07:31:00 76.P*5e 07:00:00 07:31:00 77.S6fx5e 07:00:00 07:31:00 78.S4d-4e 07:00:00 07:31:00 79.P*3e 07:02:00 07:31:00 Game over. Black gives up the rook to make his attack unstoppable. 80.S4ex5f 07:02:00 07:32:00 81.P3ex3d 07:02:00 07:32:00 82.G3cx3d 07:02:00 07:32:00 83.P5gx5f 07:02:00 07:32:00 84.P*5g 07:02:00 07:35:00 85.S4hx5g 07:04:00 07:35:00 86.N*4e 07:04:00 07:36:00 87.+B6b-5a 07:12:00 07:36:00 88.N4ex5g+ 07:12:00 07:42:00 89.K5hx5g 07:12:00 07:42:00 90.R*5i 07:12:00 07:42:00 91.K5g-4h 07:12:00 07:42:00 92.R5ix2i+ 07:12:00 07:42:00 93.S*4a 07:12:00 07:42:00 Resigns 07:12:00 07:42:00 Mate after 94.K2c S*3b K1b G*2c or 94.K2b S*3a Kx3a (K1b G*2b) G*3b. In the first two games Habu has made Yashiki look quite helpless. If Yashiki doesn't find some way to get his own game going, this match will be over in no-time. In other shogi news: ==================== * In the A class of the Junisen the second round game between Moriuchi and Kato was played. Moriuchi had won his first game and Kato has lost his one, but Kato started the game very positively with a Yagura Nakabisha opening. However, Moriuchi defended coolly and managed to take the sting out of Kato's attack. He got a better position and was expected to win from there, but a mistake in the endgame almost let Kato back in. Kato missed the opportunity and he didn't get a second chance. A perfect start for Moriuchi, but he'll be a little worried about that endgame mistake. On the other hand, Kato is already in serious trouble. He is lowly ranked, started with two losses and doesn't seem to be in great form. However, the Junisen season is long and Kato has been in trouble before, so it is far too early to condemn him to B1 already. * In the Challenger tournament of the Kio title, Morishita was the first player to reach the quarterfinals with a victory over Tanaka Torahiko. Morishita seems to like the Kio tournament as he was challenger twice before. Still quite a long way to go before he can have another go at Habu. * It is hard to think of Fukaura as a newcomer after more than 10 years in the professional ranks, but he is still eligible to play in the Shinjin-O tournament for players under 30. It's his last chance to win this tournament which he has never won before and it seems that he wants to make the most of it. He reached the semifinals with a good victory over Tamaru. Fukaura looks like a man on a mission this year with a 24-5 score for the season (83%), only second to Kimura's amazing 21-3 (88%!). He is the strong favorite to win the Shinjin-O tournament, even though both Kimura and Kubo are also still in this one. More next week, Reijer -- Reijer Grimbergen Department of Information Science Saga University 1 Honjo-machi, Saga-shi, 840-8502 Japan E-mail: grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp URL: http://www.fu.is.saga-u.ac.jp/~grimberg/ Tel: +81-(0)952-28-8821 Fax: +81-(0)952-28-8650