From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 18 nov 2001 Subject: Ryu-O match game 2 It has been brought to my attention that I forgot to include the second game of the Ryu-O match between Fujii and Habu in my Shukan Shogi report of two weeks ago. My apologies and here is the game for those who didn't take it from my website: Black: Fujii Takeshi, Ryu-O White: Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger 14th Ryu-O sen, Game 2, October 31st and November 1st 2001 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P6g-6f 00:03:00 00:01:00 4.P8c-8d 00:03:00 00:05:00 5.R2h-6h 00:05:00 00:05:00 An important game for Fujii. He must win to avoid going 2-0 down with Habu having black in the next game. The sound that the rook made when played to Fujii's favorite position seemed to be a little louder than usual. 6.S7a-6b 00:05:00 00:07:00 7.P1g-1f 00:06:00 00:07:00 8.K5a-4b 00:06:00 00:11:00 9.P1f-1e 00:11:00 00:11:00 Pushing the edge pawn before moving the king in the castle is one of the main points in the Fujii system. In this game this turns out to be especially important. 10.K4b-3b 00:11:00 00:13:00 11.S7i-7h 00:21:00 00:13:00 12.P5c-5d 00:21:00 00:25:00 13.S7h-6g 00:31:00 00:25:00 14.S6b-5c 00:31:00 00:33:00 15.S3i-3h 01:09:00 00:33:00 16.P7c-7d 01:09:00 00:55:00 17.K5i-4h 01:14:00 00:55:00 18.B2b-3c 01:14:00 01:20:00 19.K4h-3i 02:03:00 01:20:00 20.K3b-2b 02:03:00 01:37:00 21.P4g-4f 02:04:00 01:37:00 22.P8d-8e 02:04:00 02:48:00 23.B8h-7g 02:04:00 02:48:00 24.G6a-5b 02:04:00 02:48:00 25.K3i-2h 02:40:00 02:48:00 26.P4c-4d 02:40:00 03:11:00 27.R6h-7h 02:45:00 03:11:00 28.B3c-2d 02:45:00 03:33:00 Like in the first game, Habu first stab at Fujii's position is with a bishop. In game 1 he played at to 5e, here to 2d. Both time the mino pawn on 4f (6d) is the target. If black would try and defend this pawn with 29.R4h, the previous 27.R7h will be a waste of a full move. Fujii decides to sacrifice a pawn for the development of his rook. 29.B7g-6h 02:54:00 03:33:00 30.B2dx4f 02:54:00 03:38:00 31.P7f-7e 02:55:00 03:38:00 32.P7dx7e 02:55:00 03:49:00 33.R7hx7e 02:55:00 03:49:00 34.S5c-6b?! 02:55:00 03:50:00 Professionals don't like to drop pieces until its absolutely necessary, but here 34.P*7c might have been a good alternative. After 35.P6e S3b G6i-5h B2d N7g P8f Px8f Rx8f P*4g P1d white can attack the edge pawn on 1e and seems to have a good position. 35.P6f-6e!? 03:48:00 03:50:00 The sealed move and a complete surprise to all the commentators. Its main aim is to take away square 6d from the white bishop. 36.S3a-3b 03:48:00 04:28:00 37.G6i-5h 03:57:00 04:28:00 38.B4f-2d 03:57:00 04:30:00 39.B6h-7g 04:27:00 04:30:00 Black has managed to get his pieces on almost ideal squares. Fujii has more than enough compensation for the lost pawn. 40.B2d-4b 04:27:00 04:53:00 41.R7e-7d 05:31:00 04:53:00 42.P*7c 05:31:00 05:01:00 43.R7dx5d 05:34:00 05:01:00 44.S6b-5c 05:34:00 05:01:00 45.R5d-5f 05:34:00 05:01:00 46.G5b-4c 05:34:00 05:01:00 47.R5f-7f 05:37:00 05:01:00 48.S5c-5d 05:37:00 05:09:00 49.S6g-6f 05:53:00 05:09:00 50.P8e-8f 05:53:00 05:58:00 Habu probably wanted to play the quiet 50.S3c followed by G3b here, but it seems that in this case he will be completely overrun by 51.P*7d Px7d S5e. 51.P8gx8f 05:54:00 05:58:00 52.P*8h 05:54:00 05:59:00 53.P*7d 06:35:00 05:59:00 54.P7cx7d 06:35:00 06:15:00 55.S6f-5e 06:35:00 06:15:00 56.S5dx6e 06:35:00 06:39:00 57.R7f-4f 06:39:00 06:39:00 58.P8hx8i+ 06:39:00 06:40:00 59.S5ex4d 06:41:00 06:40:00 60.G4cx4d 06:41:00 06:40:00 61.B7gx4d 06:41:00 06:40:00 62.S*3c 06:41:00 06:40:00 63.B4d-7a+ 06:47:00 06:40:00 64.R8bx8f? 06:47:00 06:42:00 A mistake that give Fujii an important advantage. Fujii feared 64.B6d and after the wild 65.+Bx8b Bx8b Rx4a+ N*3f K1h Sx4a R*7b R*4b Rx8b+ Rx8b Px3f +Px9i N*2e B*5e it seems like white is dictating the game. 65.R4fx8f 07:12:00 06:42:00 66.B4bx8f 07:12:00 06:42:00 67.+B7ax8a 07:12:00 06:42:00 68.N*4f 07:12:00 06:52:00 69.+B8ax6c 07:12:00 06:52:00 70.R*8h 07:12:00 07:02:00 71.P*7h 07:13:00 07:02:00 72.R8hx7h+ 07:13:00 07:29:00 73.P*6h 07:15:00 07:29:00 74.N4fx5h+ 07:15:00 07:31:00 75.G4ix5h 07:15:00 07:31:00 76.B8fx6h+ 07:15:00 07:31:00 77.G5hx6h 07:16:00 07:31:00 78.+R7hx6h 07:16:00 07:31:00 79.G*3i 07:16:00 07:31:00 80.G*4g 07:16:00 07:35:00 81.P*6i 07:28:00 07:35:00 82.+R6h-5h 07:28:00 07:37:00 83.R*6h 07:31:00 07:37:00 84.+R5hx6h 07:31:00 07:45:00 85.P6ix6h 07:31:00 07:45:00 86.R*5h 07:31:00 07:45:00 87.+B6cx4a 07:32:00 07:45:00 88.S3bx4a 07:32:00 07:45:00 89.G*4i 07:32:00 07:45:00 90.R5hx5g+ 07:32:00 07:52:00 91.R*6b? 07:35:00 07:52:00 A mistake that makes things very difficult again. Fujii should have played Sx4g first and then R*6b in which case he keeps his advantage. It seems like Fujii thought that Habu could only play B*3b here to defend against the check and the capture of the silver on 6e. 92.G*5b! 07:35:00 07:57:00 Now Fujii realized his mistake. After 93.Rx6e+, white can give his attack decisive strength with 94.P*4h. Still, the ranging rook side keeps a slight edge in this endgame. 93.R6b-6a+ 07:35:00 07:57:00 94.G5b-5a 07:35:00 07:57:00 95.+R6ax5a 07:38:00 07:57:00 96.G4gx3h 07:38:00 07:57:00 97.G4ix3h 07:38:00 07:57:00 98.+R5gx5a 07:38:00 07:57:00 99.B*3a 07:38:00 07:57:00 100.K2bx3a 07:38:00 07:57:00 101.N*4c 07:38:00 07:57:00 102.K3a-2b 07:38:00 07:57:00 103.N4cx5a+ 07:38:00 07:57:00 104.S4a-3b 07:38:00 07:57:00 105.N*4e 07:40:00 07:57:00 106.B*6f 07:40:00 07:57:00 107.N4ex3c+ 07:44:00 07:57:00 108.B6fx3c 07:44:00 07:57:00 109.+N5a-5b 07:44:00 07:57:00 110.B*7e 07:44:00 07:59:00 111.R*6b 07:46:00 07:59:00 112.N*4f 07:46:00 07:59:00 113.G*4b 07:47:00 07:59:00 114.N4fx3h+ 07:47:00 07:59:00 115.G3ix3h 07:47:00 07:59:00 116.S*3i 07:47:00 07:59:00 117.G3hx3i 07:53:00 07:59:00 118.B7ex3i+ 07:53:00 07:59:00 119.K2hx3i 07:53:00 07:59:00 120.B3c-6f 07:53:00 07:59:00 121.K3i-2h 07:53:00 07:59:00 122.R*5h 07:53:00 07:59:00 123.P*4h! 07:54:00 07:59:00 Black has kept his advantage, but needs to be very careful. This is where the time difference between the players might have made the difference. Habu is already in byoyomi, while Fujii still had seven minutes left. Interposing the pawn is vital. After 123.K1g B3i+ K1f G*2e Kx2e R5e+ white wins. 124.R5hx4h+ 07:54:00 07:59:00 125.K2h-1g 07:54:00 07:59:00 126.G*2e 07:54:00 07:59:00 127.G4bx3b 07:56:00 07:59:00 128.K2b-1b 07:56:00 07:59:00 129.N*2h! 07:57:00 07:59:00 Another move for which Fujii had a little time to decide if it was the best. 129.G*2b looks tempting, but after 130.Bx2b Gx2b Kx2b +N4a P*4b B*5e K1h things are not easy. 130.B6f-4d? 07:57:00 07:59:00 Habu's best chance would have been 130.+Px9i here. Then 129.G*2b is still not good enough. Fujii had planned 130.S*2f and after 131.Gx2f Px2f the exchange of a silver against a gold means that black threatens mate. 131.K1g-1h 07:57:00 07:59:00 132.G*3h 07:57:00 07:59:00 133.S*3i!! 07:57:00 07:59:00 A brilliant finish. White can't take this silver with the promoted rook, as this rook needs to keep defending 4b (134.+Rx3i G*2b leads to mate). 134.G3hx3i 07:57:00 07:59:00 135.+N5b-5c 07:58:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:58:00 07:59:00 No mate for white and no defense either. In this game Fujii showed why he has been the Ryu-O for three consecutive years. When the pressure was really on, he came through with a fine performance. In the end, pushing the edge pawn early made all the difference. If the pawns would have been on 1d and 1f, most likely white would have won this game. The Fujii system prevailed. -- 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