From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 9 nov 2001 Subject: These weeks in Shukan Shogi (no. 914-916, October 24th, A business trip had me struggling to get my normal work done for about three weeks, so no time for Shukan Shogi reports. During this time, the Ryu-O match is already turning into a special treat, so time for an update on what is going on. Here are the first two games of this match with comments and the most important results of other tournaments in the past three weeks: Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger White: Fujii Takeshi, Ryu-O 14th Ryu-O Sen, Game 1, October 16th and 17th 2001 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 Last year, Fujii managed to defend his Ryu-O title in the final game against Habu. However, a year later Habu is back to try again. How much has he learned from playing Fujii last year and in his two matches with Kubo, the other leading Shikenbisha specialist? 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:05:00 3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:05:00 4.P4c-4d 00:02:00 00:07:00 5.S3i-4h 00:04:00 00:07:00 6.S3a-3b 00:04:00 00:10:00 7.P5g-5f 00:07:00 00:10:00 8.R8b-4b 00:07:00 00:12:00 9.K5i-6h 00:09:00 00:12:00 10.P9c-9d 00:09:00 00:14:00 11.K6h-7h 00:11:00 00:14:00 12.S3b-4c 00:11:00 00:17:00 13.P9g-9f 00:14:00 00:17:00 14.S7a-7b 00:14:00 00:22:00 15.G4i-5h 00:17:00 00:22:00 16.K5a-6b 00:17:00 00:28:00 17.S4h-5g 00:25:00 00:28:00 18.P6c-6d 00:25:00 01:00:00 19.P2f-2e 00:53:00 01:00:00 20.B2b-3c 00:53:00 01:02:00 21.B8h-5e 00:53:00 01:02:00 This is seen quite often lately. Black forces white to play the silver to 6c, which is not the ideal position for this piece. After this, black will quietly build a mino castle and pull back the bishop to the right side of the board, where it is putting some pressure on the white king. 22.S7b-6c 00:53:00 01:19:00 23.P3g-3f 00:54:00 01:19:00 24.K6b-7a 00:54:00 01:30:00 25.P6g-6f 01:21:00 01:30:00 26.G4a-5b 01:21:00 02:00:00 27.K7h-8h 01:44:00 02:00:00 28.R4b-3b 01:44:00 02:11:00 29.S7i-7h 02:09:00 02:11:00 30.B3c-4b 02:09:00 04:07:00 31.B5e-4f 02:38:00 04:07:00 32.S4c-5d 02:38:00 04:12:00 33.R2h-3h 03:28:00 04:12:00 This move ended the first day. The position reached has never appeared in an official professional tournament game before, but commentator Shima (8-dan) had some interesting information. He declared the game a win for white, as this position had appeared in a recent training game between Moriuchi and Fujii. Analysis after that game showed that there was no way for black to avoid a bad position from here. Fujii must have felt very comfortable at this point. 34.P4d-4e 03:28:00 04:16:00 35.B4f-3g 03:30:00 04:16:00 36.P3d-3e 03:30:00 04:17:00 37.B3g-2f 03:37:00 04:17:00 38.P3ex3f 03:37:00 04:20:00 39.B2f-4d 03:38:00 04:20:00 40.N2a-3c 03:38:00 04:32:00 41.R3hx3f 04:21:00 04:32:00 42.S5d-4c 04:21:00 04:33:00 So far the game follows the training game between Moriuchi and Fujii. Moriuchi played the obvious 42.B5e (42.B2f Nx2e is almost the same), which is very good for white after 43.P5d B3g Nx2e B2f K7b and black now must exchange the rooks with Rx3b+ Sx3b. This is good for white as R*3e S4c Rx2e fails to S3d and white wins. Playing this type of training games gives a different dimension to professional shogi. It is not unlikely that a number of games are already decided in these training sessions before being played in actually tournament games. 43.P2e-2d!! 04:22:00 04:33:00 Habu beats the preparation. This move must have been a shock for Fujii. 44.P2cx2d 04:22:00 04:34:00 45.B4d-2f 04:22:00 04:34:00 The difference with the Moriuchi-Fujii game now becomes clear. If white plays 46.N2e, black can play 47.P*3e and avoid the exchange of rooks. This was not possible in the variation above, as white could play B2d followed by S4d there, which takes down this stronghold on 3e. 46.P*3d 04:22:00 05:57:00 After long thought, Fujii decides to settle for an extra pawn. Habu might not have known it, but he suddenly got a big psychological advantage here. A game Fujii thought he would win from the study room has suddenly become a real fight with Habu in the driving seat. 47.P*2c! 05:13:00 05:57:00 Another good Habu move. White's pieces have trouble getting to good squares. 48.K7a-8b 05:13:00 06:01:00 49.P4g-4f 05:17:00 06:01:00 50.S6c-7b 05:17:00 06:13:00 51.B2f-5i! 05:57:00 06:13:00 52.P5c-5d 05:57:00 06:50:00 53.B5i-7g! 06:51:00 06:50:00 Positive play. Habu activates his bishop. Still, Fujii was not unhappy that he was given the time to free his own bishop as well. 54.B4b-5c 06:51:00 07:03:00 55.P6f-6e 06:58:00 07:03:00 56.P3d-3e 06:58:00 07:03:00 57.R3f-1f 07:00:00 07:03:00 58.B5c-4d 07:00:00 07:06:00 59.B7gx4d 07:10:00 07:06:00 60.S4cx4d 07:10:00 07:06:00 61.P6ex6d 07:10:00 07:06:00 62.P4ex4f 07:10:00 07:10:00 63.S5gx4f 07:12:00 07:10:00 64.B*3h 07:12:00 07:27:00 65.B*2a 07:22:00 07:27:00 66.R3b-1b 07:22:00 07:38:00 67.B2ax5d+ 07:25:00 07:38:00 68.G5b-5c 07:25:00 07:38:00 69.+B5d-1h?! 07:27:00 07:38:00 A small mistake. Better was 69.+B2a followed by P*3d. 70.B3hx5f+ 07:27:00 07:39:00 71.P*4e 07:34:00 07:39:00 72.S4d-5e 07:34:00 07:51:00 73.G5h-5g 07:36:00 07:51:00 74.P*6h?! 07:36:00 07:57:00 Fujii realizes that he is in trouble. This move was intended to be an attempt to turn the tables, but after the game Fujii criticized it as being too much. 75.G5gx5f 07:47:00 07:57:00 76.S5ex5f 07:47:00 07:57:00 77.G6i-7i 07:47:00 07:57:00 78.G*2e 07:47:00 07:59:00 "A move that makes you cry". Gives up the initiative and a gold just too attack a rook that wasn't doing much anyway. Still, white needs this rook to get some attack. 79.B*3a 07:48:00 07:59:00 80.R1b-5b 07:48:00 07:59:00 81.P*5d? 07:48:00 07:59:00 Better was 81.P4d first. Then black threatens 83.P*5d or S5e and white has no good defense. Things now get quite complicated. 82.G5cx5d 07:48:00 07:59:00 83.P4e-4d 07:48:00 07:59:00 84.P*4b 07:48:00 07:59:00 85.P4d-4c+ 07:55:00 07:59:00 86.P4bx4c 07:55:00 07:59:00 87.S4f-5e 07:55:00 07:59:00 88.P3e-3f 07:55:00 07:59:00 89.P*5c 07:57:00 07:59:00 90.G5dx5c? 07:57:00 07:59:00 This is not good enough. Fujii's best chance was 90.Rx5c. 91.+B1hx3f 07:57:00 07:59:00 92.G2ex1f 07:57:00 07:59:00 93.P*5d 07:57:00 07:59:00 94.R*3i 07:57:00 07:59:00 95.P5dx5c+ 07:58:00 07:59:00 96.R5b-3b 07:58:00 07:59:00 97.+B3f-5d 07:58:00 07:59:00 98.S5f-4e 07:58:00 07:59:00 99.+B5dx7b 07:58:00 07:59:00 100.G6ax7b 07:58:00 07:59:00 101.P6d-6c+ 07:58:00 07:59:00 102.R3bx3a 07:58:00 07:59:00 103.+P6cx7b 07:58:00 07:59:00 104.K8bx7b 07:58:00 07:59:00 105.N8i-7g!! 07:58:00 07:59:00 Brilliant. White has 106.N2e next, which is actually a mating threat (Rx7i+ Kx7i R3i+). Black's attack looks strong enough to play one extra attacking move before defending, but Habu judges that as too risky. Instead, he has seen a way to completely kill the white attack. 106.N3c-2e 07:58:00 07:59:00 107.G*8i! 07:58:00 07:59:00 The double punch. 105.N7g was only meant to make this drop possible. That the knight can help in attack is just a bonus. 108.R3a-3h+ 07:58:00 07:59:00 109.S5e-6d 07:58:00 07:59:00 110.K7b-8b 07:58:00 07:59:00 111.+P5c-6c 07:58:00 07:59:00 112.+R3hx2i 07:58:00 07:59:00 113.K8h-9h! 07:58:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:58:00 07:59:00 Ends all of white's hope. 113.Rx7i+ Gx7i Rx7i+ fails to R*7b and mate. White has no other move to get to the black king and black threatens N8e after which there is no defense. A fine win by Habu and the first loss by Fujii in the opening game of a Ryu-O match. Habu couldn't wish for a better start, but Fujii is tough as nails, so every game promises to be a big struggle. In other shogi news: ==================== * A Junisen: A major upset in the final game of the fourth round, as Kato beat Tanigawa. Moriuchi is now clear from the rest of the field at 4-0, followed by Tanigawa and Sato who have 3-1. One of these three will most likely be challenging Maruyama next spring. * B1 Junisen: After 7 rounds Shima has 7 straight wins after a win over promotion rival Abe and seems almost certain of returning to the top class. Goda has the best chance to follow him with 6-1, a full game clear of Kubo and Abe, who both have 5-2. * B2 Junisen: After round 5 Fukaura and Nakagawa lead with 5 wins, followed only by Tosa and Namekata at 4-1. This means that Nakagawa and Fukaura can afford one loss in their remaining five games. As Nakagawa still faces both Namekata and Fukaura in the final two rounds, there is still a lot possible in this class. * C1 Junisen: After 6 rounds in this class with an uneven number of players, Kimura is the only player without a loss at 5-0. He is followed by Sugimoto, Hatakeyama, Sanada, Kitajima, Ogura and Nakata Isao, all at 4-1. A small chance to get in through the back door for Nishimura and Yashiki who have 4-2. * C2 Junisen: After round 5 Toyokawa, Tamaru, Takano, Matsuo and Ito No lead with 5-0 followed by Naganuma, Fujiwara, Yamamoto, Yamasaki, Nakao and rookie Sasaki with 4-1. * Kio challenger tournament semifinal: Kubo-Sato 0-1. Sato will now play Moriuchi in the final of the winners section. Kubo still has a chance to challenge Habu by winning the second chance round (where he first meets Goda) and two consecutive wins against the winner of the game between Moriuchi and Sato. A difficult path, but not impossible. * Osho league: Yonenaga-Moriuchi 1-0(!), Moriuchi-Kubo 0-1, Kubo-Nakahara 1-0, Goda-Sato 0-1, Moriuchi-Goda 0-1 and Yonenaga-Tanigawa 1-0 (!). Two big upsets by Yonenaga have this former Osho title holder in with a chance to challenge Habu for the title. At 2-1, he is still behind Kubo and Sato, who both have 2-0 and seem to be the more likely candidates to become challenger. * Ladies Oi: Shimizu wins game 3 and game 4 against challenger Nakai to even the match at 2-2. The final game has to decide the winner here. -- 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