From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 12 aug 2002 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 954, August 7th 2002) Here is the final Shukan Shogi report that I was still behind. The main news in this issue is the victory of Sato Yasumitsu in the final game of the Kisei match against Goda. This game reflected the complete match as Sato had to struggle to come from behind to win. If anything, credit should go to his fighting spirit which turned out to be just too much for Goda to handle (others may say that it was only luck that divided the two players, though). Here is the game with comments: Black: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger White: Goda Masataka, Kisei 73rd Kisei-sen, Game 5, August 1st 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 The final game of the Kisei match started with a surprisingly confident looking Goda. He was thought to have quite a big psychological disadvantage as he allowed Sato to come back from 2-0 down. Maybe the venue of the game was in Goda's favour, as this game was played at the same location where Goda took the Kisei title from Habu last year. 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00 4.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:00:00 5.B8h-7g 00:01:00 00:00:00 6.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:00:00 7.S7i-8h 00:01:00 00:00:00 8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:01:00 9.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:01:00 10.B2bx7g+ 00:01:00 00:02:00 11.S8hx7g 00:01:00 00:02:00 12.S3a-4b 00:01:00 00:02:00 13.S3i-3h 00:01:00 00:02:00 14.S7a-7b 00:01:00 00:02:00 15.P9g-9f 00:01:00 00:02:00 16.P9c-9d 00:01:00 00:02:00 17.P1g-1f 00:02:00 00:02:00 18.P1c-1d 00:02:00 00:02:00 19.P4g-4f 00:02:00 00:02:00 20.P6c-6d 00:02:00 00:02:00 21.S3h-4g 00:02:00 00:02:00 22.S7b-6c 00:02:00 00:04:00 23.K5i-6h 00:02:00 00:04:00 24.G6a-5b 00:02:00 00:07:00 25.K6h-7i 00:04:00 00:07:00 26.K5a-4a 00:04:00 00:10:00 27.S4g-5f 00:08:00 00:10:00 28.S6c-5d 00:08:00 00:10:00 29.P3g-3f 00:11:00 00:10:00 30.K4a-3a 00:11:00 00:14:00 31.N2i-3g 00:16:00 00:14:00 32.P7c-7d 00:16:00 00:14:00 33.G4i-5h 00:23:00 00:14:00 34.P4c-4d 00:23:00 00:22:00 35.P6g-6f 00:29:00 00:22:00 36.S4b-3c 00:29:00 00:26:00 The furigoma has given Kisei challenger Sato Yasumitsu black and he chooses the reclining silver variation of the Kakugawari. He is a high winning percentage with this opening, so this will not have surprised Goda. He prepared something very interesting that starts with moving up this silver early. Usually, white delays this move until black plays P2e, because it is generally thought that the attack with N2e followed by P4e is good if white has the silver on 3c. This game might change that opinion. 37.R2h-4h 00:35:00 00:26:00 38.G5b-4b 00:35:00 00:28:00 39.K7i-8h 00:36:00 00:28:00 40.K3a-2b 00:36:00 00:29:00 41.N3g-2e 01:31:00 00:29:00 42.S3c-2d 01:31:00 00:54:00 43.B*2h 01:31:00 00:54:00 And white is in trouble as there seems to be no good way to defend against the attack P4e, or so everyone thought. 44.P7d-7e! 01:31:00 00:58:00 45.P7fx7e 01:38:00 00:58:00 46.R8b-8d! 01:38:00 01:26:00 A very good new idea by Goda. Moving the rook out of harm's way and defending the pawn on 6d at the same time defends against all the good attacking options black has. This includes the attack P4e, which has some serious problems with the open diagonal 5d to 8g as we will soon see. 47.P4f-4e 02:46:00 01:26:00 Sato sees the problems, but needs 68 minutes of agony to make the decision that it is the only way to avoid a passive position. Rather than waiting for the axe to fall, he chooses to fight. 48.P4dx4e 02:46:00 01:32:00 49.S5fx4e 02:48:00 01:32:00 50.S5dx4e 02:48:00 01:32:00 51.R4hx4e 02:48:00 01:32:00 52.P*7f 02:48:00 02:22:00 The problem. It is hard to take this pawn: 52.Sx7f B*5d R4h Bx7f G5h-6g B5d S*5a P8f Px8f Rx8f P*8g R8b and white seems better. If black retreats with S6h, the attacking base on 7g is very good for white. 53.B2h-5e 03:01:00 02:22:00 54.S*3c 03:01:00 02:40:00 55.N2ex3c+? 03:05:00 02:40:00 Looks like the only move, but better is 55.S*5a and after 56.Px7g+ Gx7g S*3a Sx4b+ S3ax4b Nx3c+ the defence around the white king is also weakened. 56.S2dx3c 03:05:00 02:40:00 57.S7g-6h 03:05:00 02:40:00 58.B*5d 03:05:00 02:51:00 59.R4e-4f 03:19:00 02:51:00 60.N*6c 03:19:00 03:16:00 61.P5g-5f! 03:21:00 03:16:00 Good fighting move. Sato tries to confuse Goda by giving him several moves that look good. 62.N6cx7e 03:21:00 03:27:00 62.Nx5e Px5e B6c also looks good, but Goda can't be blamed for wanting to use this knight on the head of the opponent king. 63.S*9g 03:27:00 03:27:00 64.P8e-8f? 03:27:00 03:31:00 Goda misses his best chance to keep his Kisei title here. 64.P9e! first would have made black's task extremely difficult after 65.Px9e P8f Sx8f Rx8f Px8f S*6i R*7a P*8g K9g Lx9e P*9f P*4e (shutting out the rook) R4h Sx7h= Px9e P8h+ K9f P7g+ and the white attack is unstoppable. 64.P9e is a typical move that a professional would play to open up lines with some pawn sacrifices before the actual attack, so it is strange that Goda didn't play it. 65.S9gx8f 03:29:00 03:31:00 66.R8dx8f 03:29:00 03:32:00 67.P8gx8f 03:29:00 03:32:00 68.S*6i 03:29:00 03:40:00 69.R*7a 03:31:00 03:40:00 70.S6ix5h+ 03:31:00 03:41:00 The difference is that 70.P*8g fails to 71.K9g. White no longer has any pawns in hand to shut out the rook on 4e, so the threat Rx4b+ Gx4b S*3a is very hard to defend against. If white tries to get into the variation above with 72.P9e, black has time to play 73.P8e and escape up the board after 74.Px9f K8f. 71.R7ax7e+ 03:33:00 03:41:00 With this knight out of the way, the position has become quite complicated. Black probably already has the upper hand here. 72.P*4e 03:33:00 03:45:00 73.R4f-4g 03:33:00 03:45:00 74.+S5hx6h 03:33:00 03:45:00 75.G7hx6h 03:33:00 03:45:00 76.S*4f 03:33:00 03:45:00 77.B5ex3c+?! 03:36:00 03:45:00 According to Tomioka (7-dan), simply 77.R1g would have won more quickly. For example 78.Sx5e Px5e B4c G7h B*4h P1e and the black attack is very strong. 78.G4bx3c 03:36:00 03:46:00 79.R4g-8g 03:36:00 03:46:00 80.B*5i 03:36:00 03:48:00 81.S*7i 03:37:00 03:48:00 82.B5ix2f+ 03:37:00 03:50:00 83.P*4b 03:38:00 03:50:00 84.+B2f-4d 03:38:00 03:53:00 85.S*5e 03:44:00 03:53:00 86.S4fx5e 03:44:00 03:53:00 87.P5fx5e 03:44:00 03:53:00 88.P7f-7g+ 03:44:00 03:53:00 89.R8gx7g 03:44:00 03:53:00 90.P*7d 03:44:00 03:53:00 91.+R7ex6d 03:44:00 03:53:00 92.S*6c 03:44:00 03:54:00 93.+R6dx5d 03:44:00 03:54:00 94.P5cx5d 03:44:00 03:54:00 95.P4b-4a+ 03:44:00 03:54:00 96.R*2i 03:44:00 03:57:00 97.G6h-7h 03:49:00 03:57:00 98.+B4d-5c? 03:49:00 03:57:00 The losing move. After 98.+Bx5e S*4b +Bx6f Sx3c+ +Bx3c S*4b +Bx7g the outcome of the game is still unclear. 99.S*4b 03:52:00 03:57:00 This is now also an attack on the white promoted bishop, so 98.+B5c only helped black to speed up the attack. 100.+B5cx8f 03:52:00 03:58:00 101.P*8g 03:52:00 03:58:00 102.+B8fx4b 03:52:00 03:59:00 103.+P4ax4b 03:52:00 03:59:00 104.G3bx4b 03:52:00 03:59:00 105.P5ex5d 03:52:00 03:59:00 106.S*6d 03:52:00 03:59:00 107.P6f-6e 03:53:00 03:59:00 108.S6d-7e 03:53:00 03:59:00 109.P5d-5c+ 03:53:00 03:59:00 110.G4bx5c 03:53:00 03:59:00 111.S*4b 03:53:00 03:59:00 112.G*3b 03:53:00 03:59:00 113.S4bx5c+ 03:53:00 03:59:00 114.P*8f 03:53:00 03:59:00 115.+S5cx6c 03:53:00 03:59:00 116.P8fx8g+ 03:53:00 03:59:00 117.R7gx8g 03:53:00 03:59:00 118.P*6h 03:53:00 03:59:00 119.R8gx8a+ 03:54:00 03:59:00 120.P6h-6i+ 03:54:00 03:59:00 121.B*5c 03:58:00 03:59:00 122.G3c-4c 03:58:00 03:59:00 123.B*5e 03:58:00 03:59:00 124.K2b-1b 03:58:00 03:59:00 125.+R8a-4a 03:58:00 03:59:00 Resigns 03:58:00 03:59:00 White has only pawns in hand so no real defence against +Rx3b, so there is nothing else but to resign. Sato takes the Kisei title from Goda and for the first time in his career holds two major titles at the same time. Rather than being happy, he said his main feelings after the game were that he just couldn't believe it. Not surprisingly, as this seemed to be a match that would go Goda's way on several occasions. First, he took a 2-0 lead that slipped away and then he sees a good position in this final game go bad as well. This will be a tough match to recover from for Goda. In other shogi news: ================ * The four semi-finalists of the Ryu-O challenger tournament have been decided. Two upsets and two results that went according to ranking. The biggest upset was probably the victory of Nakata Hiroki over Morishita. Nakata had the lead early on, but Morishita fought himself back in the game. Just when he thought it was time to cash in, he overplayed his hand and lost. The jinx of the winner of the top qualification group never being the challenger continues for at least another year... The other upset was the loss of Sato Yasumitsu at the hands of Abe. This was a game that could have gone either way as the endgame race was too close to call until Sato made the final mistake. The Ryu-O will not be Sato's third title, but Moriuchi still has a good chance of adding the Ryu-O crown to his Meijin title. He beat former Ryu-O challenger Sanada after Sanada made a mistake in the early middle game. The final spot in the semi-finals was for Fuji, who stopped Matsuo's great run in this year's Ryu-O tournament. Matsuo did everything to get back in the game after he had overlooked a strong sacrifice of bishop for silver that gave Fujii the early lead. In the end he made one mistake that gave up his fighting chances and Fujii won comfortably from there. The semi-final match-up is Nakata-Moriuchi and Abe-Fujii. The Ryu-O is a tournament full of upsets, but it would be nice to see a challenger match between Moriuchi and Fujii. -- 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