From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 22 jun 2001 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 896, June 20th 2001) This week in Shukan Shogi the 6th game of the Meijin match between Maruyama and Tanigawa. For Meijin Maruyama this was a survival game, as losing it would mean the loss of his Meijin title. However, if there was any pressure, he didn't show it as he played a perfect game to even the match at 3-3. Here is the game with comments: Black: Maruyama Tadahisa, Meijin White: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger 59th Meijin-sen Game 6 June 11th and 12th 2001 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:01:00 4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:02:00 6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:02:00 7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:02:00 8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:02:00 9.P2e-2d 00:02:00 00:02:00 10.P2cx2d 00:02:00 00:02:00 11.R2hx2d 00:02:00 00:02:00 12.P8e-8f 00:02:00 00:03:00 13.P8gx8f 00:03:00 00:03:00 14.R8bx8f 00:03:00 00:03:00 15.R2dx3d 00:05:00 00:03:00 16.B2b-3c 00:05:00 00:06:00 For the first time in this match, Tanigawa tries the Yokofudori. Losing all games with white in this match so far made it a little hard for him to play the Shikenbisha again. The Chuza-style Yokofudori has given white an extremely high winning percentage since its introduction three years ago. Lately, some good attacking plans for black have been discovered, but still white is winning the majority of games in this opening. Tanigawa needs to win only one more game to regain the Meijin title, so the Chuza Yokofudori can be considered his best shot at winning a game with white, finishing the match in six games. 17.R3d-3f 00:34:00 00:06:00 18.S3a-2b 00:34:00 00:09:00 19.K5i-5h 00:36:00 00:09:00 20.K5a-4a 00:36:00 00:20:00 21.G4i-3h 00:38:00 00:20:00 22.S7a-6b 00:38:00 00:53:00 23.B8hx3c+ 00:52:00 00:53:00 24.N2ax3c 00:52:00 00:56:00 25.S7i-8h 00:53:00 00:56:00 Exchanging the bishops followed by S8h is known as the Yamazaki style. The idea is to keep the possibility of using a pawn on the 8th file and there is also the threat of P*2c followed by B*7g. 26.R8f-8d 00:53:00 01:47:00 The more positive of the two options. White can also move the rook back to 8b, but on 8d it can also switch to the other side of the board. 27.S3i-4h 01:16:00 01:47:00 28.G6a-5a 01:16:00 02:08:00 29.P1g-1f!? 01:44:00 02:08:00 This is Maruyama's new idea. He wants to develop both knights and have a combined attack on the left and the right side of the board. This pawn push gives black the chance to play the attack N1g-N2e. 30.P9c-9d 01:44:00 02:30:00 31.B*6f 02:09:00 02:30:00 32.R8d-2d 02:09:00 02:35:00 33.P*2f 02:09:00 02:35:00 34.S6b-7a 02:09:00 03:07:00 35.N8i-7g 02:22:00 03:07:00 36.P6c-6d 02:22:00 03:51:00 37.N2i-1g 02:36:00 03:51:00 38.B*7b 02:36:00 04:01:00 With the knight on 1g, the 3rd file is weakened. This bishop aims at an attack on 3f. Both players have now dropped the bishop in their own camp, so most tactical complications have now gone. What remains is a very difficult strategic middle game battle. 39.R3f-4f 03:18:00 04:01:00 40.G5a-4b 03:18:00 04:10:00 41.P7f-7e! 03:18:00 04:10:00 42.K4a-3a 03:18:00 04:27:00 43.P7e-7d 03:36:00 04:27:00 44.P7cx7d 03:36:00 04:41:00 45.P9g-9f! 03:36:00 04:41:00 Tanigawa seems to have a reasonable position and decided to use this quiet phase of the game to improve his king position. Maruyama has more aggressive ideas. Knowing that he can play the attack on the right side of the board with N2e at any time, he plans to attack on the left side first. This edge attack looks very slow, but Maruyama has judged it to perfection. 46.K3a-2a 03:36:00 05:18:00 47.P9f-9e 04:41:00 05:18:00 48.P7d-7e 04:41:00 05:44:00 Suddenly it becomes clear that Maruyama has been right and Tanigawa has been wrong in strategic judgement. If white plays 48.Px9e here, then after N8e S8b P*9b Lx9b P*9c Lx9c N2e black has the strong threat Nx9c+ followed by Nx3c+ and L*2e. In this position white has to fight for survival, which is not really Tanigawa's style. On the other hand, if white doesn't defend on the edge, black has the slow but winning plan Px9d-P9c+-P*9b-Px9a+. The question is therefore whether Tanigawa can use these four moves to get any substantial attack going. In any case, white has to force the position here which is not a good sign. 49.B6fx7e 05:42:00 05:44:00 50.B7b-5d 05:42:00 05:47:00 51.P*7f! 05:52:00 05:47:00 Good move. Black doesn't want to play this drop as the option of switching the rook to the 8th file is usually very important in this type of position. However, Maruyama has judged that this stops white's attack and that his winning edge attack will be good enough. 52.N8a-7c 05:52:00 05:52:00 53.P9ex9d 06:10:00 05:52:00 54.P*3f 06:10:00 06:17:00 55.P3gx3f 06:25:00 06:17:00 56.R2dx2f 06:25:00 06:21:00 57.P*2g 06:25:00 06:21:00 58.R2fx1f 06:25:00 06:21:00 59.P9d-9c+ 06:30:00 06:21:00 60.N3c-2e 06:30:00 06:47:00 61.P*1b 07:11:00 06:47:00 62.L1ax1b 07:11:00 06:49:00 63.P*1h 07:11:00 06:49:00 64.P*3g 07:11:00 06:51:00 65.G3h-2h 07:14:00 06:51:00 66.N2ex1g+ 07:14:00 06:53:00 In the press room 66.Rx3f was expected, but after Rx3f Bx3f the simple R*6a S3a Rx7a+ Nx1g+ Gx3g leaves white without any reasonable moves. 67.P1hx1g 07:14:00 06:53:00 68.R1f-1d 07:14:00 06:53:00 69.P*9b 07:15:00 06:53:00 Black has defended against white's desperate attack and has found the time to play his edge attack. The professionals following the game didn't see any plan for white and expected a quick resignation... 70.P*9h! 07:15:00 07:27:00 The best attacker in the world finds a last straw to hold on to. It's not enough if black plays it perfectly, but at least white keeps some hope. 71.L9ix9h 07:16:00 07:27:00 72.P*9g 07:16:00 07:27:00 73.L9hx9g 07:18:00 07:27:00 74.P*9f 07:18:00 07:27:00 75.L9gx9f 07:19:00 07:27:00 76.B5d-6c! 07:19:00 07:27:00 The point. White pulls back the bishop with attack on the lance, making space for a double knight attack aimed at the black king and the rook, which doesn't have much room to manoeuvre. 77.L9f-9d 07:39:00 07:27:00 78.N7c-6e 07:39:00 07:34:00 79.P9bx9a+ 07:47:00 07:34:00 80.N*5d 07:47:00 07:35:00 81.R4f-5f 07:47:00 07:35:00 82.N6ex7g+ 07:47:00 07:35:00 83.S8hx7g 07:47:00 07:35:00 84.N*4d 07:47:00 07:35:00 85.R5f-5e 08:06:00 07:35:00 Maruyama realizes that he must be careful and takes 19 minutes to find the winning plan. This move followed by chasing away the rook and the standard attack P*3c is the right way to proceed. 86.N4dx3f 08:06:00 07:35:00 87.N*2f 08:07:00 07:35:00 88.R1d-4d 08:07:00 07:39:00 89.P*3c 08:07:00 07:39:00 90.S2bx3c 08:07:00 07:52:00 91.P*3d 08:07:00 07:52:00 92.N3fx4h+ 08:07:00 07:52:00 93.K5hx4h 08:08:00 07:52:00 94.N5d-4f! 08:08:00 07:52:00 A devilish move and Tanigawa's last try. In the press room it was thought that things had gotten complicated again, but Maruyama shows his exceptional defending skills here. 95.P4gx4f 08:12:00 07:52:00 96.B6c-3f 08:12:00 07:52:00 97.L*4g 08:14:00 07:52:00 98.P5c-5d 08:14:00 08:07:00 99.R5e-5f 08:21:00 08:07:00 100.S*3i 08:21:00 08:15:00 101.K4h-5h 08:21:00 08:15:00 102.S3ix2h= 08:21:00 08:15:00 103.P3dx3c+ 08:21:00 08:15:00 104.G4bx3c 08:21:00 08:15:00 105.P4f-4e 08:28:00 08:15:00 106.B3fx4g+ 08:28:00 08:15:00 107.K5hx4g 08:29:00 08:15:00 108.R4dx4e 08:29:00 08:15:00 109.K4g-5h 08:29:00 08:15:00 110.P3g-3h+ 08:29:00 08:15:00 111.K5h-6h 08:40:00 08:15:00 112.R4e-4h+ 08:40:00 08:16:00 113.N*5h 08:40:00 08:16:00 114.L*5e 08:40:00 08:34:00 115.R5f-4f! 08:43:00 08:34:00 The deciding move. White can't exchange the rooks and moving the rook away is followed by S8f and the black king safely escapes to the left side of the board. 116.P*7d 08:43:00 08:41:00 117.P*3d 08:47:00 08:41:00 118.+R4h-3i 08:47:00 08:41:00 119.N*6i 08:49:00 08:41:00 120.P7dx7e 08:49:00 08:44:00 121.P3dx3c+ 08:49:00 08:44:00 122.G3bx3c 08:49:00 08:44:00 123.N*2e 08:50:00 08:44:00 124.+P3h-4h 08:50:00 08:46:00 125.N2ex3c= 08:50:00 08:46:00 126.K2a-2b 08:50:00 08:51:00 127.B*1a 08:52:00 08:51:00 Resigns 08:52:00 08:51:00 After 127.K3a N4a+ white is mated and after 127.K3b S*4a K2c G*3d +Rx3d Nx3d white has no hope without the promoted rook. A very difficult game that was played extremely well by both players. Tanigawa didn't make any obvious mistakes, and it seemed that Maruyama's better strategic judgment won the game for him. For the fourth year in a row the Meijin match will be decided in the final game. With all games ending in black's favor so far, the pawn toss might be very important again. In other shogi news: ==================== * Sato Yasumitsu reached the semi-finals of the Oza challenger time for the third time in a row with a win against Inoue. A difficult game between two players who are in great form these days. For a long time it looked like Inoue was better, but Sato didn't give up and slowly managed to turn the tables. He will now play the winner of the game between Tanigawa and Kubo. The other semi-final is between Maruyama and Moriuchi. * Sato showed his great form in the first game of the A class Junisen against Habu. A small mistake in defending against the Kakugawari gave Sato the lead and even though in the endgame things got very complicated, it seemed that Habu never really had a chance to win. It's only the first game in the A class this year, but it might already be a vital one. Sato doesn't have good results against Habu so this victory is the best start he could have wanted. On the other hand, Habu has been unable to become Meijin challenger for three years in a row and it looks like this year he might have serious trouble again. * The first round in the C1 Junisen class was played and there weren't many surprises. Of the highest 14 players, 10 players won and 2 of the remaining losses were by Azuma and Arimori, who just dropped from B2. Maybe Yashiki's win in the first round can be called a surprise, as in the past couple of years he has had the bad habit of losing his first couple of games. Maybe this is finally going to be his year. Perhaps for lack of real excitement, Shukan Shogi focusses on the three new players in C1. The had a tough first round as only Nozuki won (against Katsumata). Iizuka lost in the endgame against Nakata Hiroki in a game in which he had the upper hand for most of the time. Kobayashi Hiroshi also lost. Kimura outread him in the middle game, finding some deep hidden threat that Kobayashi had overlooked. -- 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