From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 15 aug 2002 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 955, August 14th 2002) This week in Shukan Shogi the third game of the Oi match between Habu and Tanigawa. Tanigawa really seems to be in top form after clearing the psychological hurdle of a 1000 wins as a professional. Habu had some chances in this game, but Tanigawa needed only one mistake to steamroll Habu's position. Here is the game with comments: Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi White: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger 43rd Oi-sen, Game 3, August 6th and 7th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:06:00 3.S7i-6h 00:02:00 00:06:00 4.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:07:00 5.S6h-7g 00:03:00 00:07:00 6.S7a-6b 00:03:00 00:16:00 7.P5g-5f 00:08:00 00:16:00 8.P5c-5d 00:08:00 00:21:00 9.S3i-4h 00:11:00 00:21:00 10.G6a-5b 00:11:00 00:44:00 11.G4i-5h 00:51:00 00:44:00 12.S3a-3b 00:51:00 00:55:00 Starting the Yagura opening from a Mino formation is an idea by Sato Yasumitsu and he has had quite a lot of success with it. Recently, other professionals have been using it as well and Tanigawa said that he had decided before the game that he would play like this if the opening would be Yagura. 13.P6g-6f 00:53:00 00:55:00 14.P4c-4d 00:53:00 01:03:00 15.B8h-7i 00:58:00 01:03:00 16.B2b-3a 00:58:00 01:11:00 17.G5h-6g 00:59:00 01:11:00 18.G5b-4c 00:59:00 01:21:00 19.P3g-3f 02:03:00 01:21:00 20.P7c-7d 02:03:00 01:32:00 21.K5i-6h 02:20:00 01:32:00 22.P7d-7e 02:20:00 02:07:00 One of the points of this opening. If black tries to win a move by playing the early king castle (i.e. taking the high route K5i-6h-7h-8h instead of K5i-6i-7i-8h), white can play this exchange on the 7th file as soon as black plays K6h. Without the king on 6h, black can counter P7e with B4f. 23.P7fx7e 02:21:00 02:07:00 24.B3ax7e 02:21:00 02:12:00 25.P6f-6e 02:22:00 02:12:00 This is considered the best plan for black. This vanguard pawn will now become the theme of the game. If black can keep the position with the pawn on 6e, he will get the advantage. White has to attack this vanguard pawn and if this attack succeeds, it will be white with the better position. 26.K5a-4b 02:22:00 02:22:00 27.K6h-7h 02:32:00 02:22:00 28.K4b-3a 02:32:00 02:33:00 29.B7i-4f 02:35:00 02:33:00 30.R8b-9b 02:35:00 02:34:00 31.S4h-5g 02:35:00 02:34:00 32.B7e-4b 02:35:00 02:47:00 33.S5g-6f 02:47:00 02:47:00 34.S6b-7c 02:47:00 03:01:00 35.K7h-8h 03:06:00 03:01:00 36.K3a-2b 03:06:00 03:12:00 37.G6i-7h 03:14:00 03:12:00 38.P9c-9d 03:14:00 03:13:00 39.P2g-2f 04:25:00 03:13:00 The sealed move. Habu took a long time for this (71 minutes). Black wants to play 39.P*7e, but then the white counterattack 40.P*6d is strong. By putting pressure on the head of the king, Habu creates the right timing for P*7e as we will see. 40.P9d-9e 04:25:00 03:23:00 41.P1g-1f 04:26:00 03:23:00 42.P1c-1d 04:26:00 04:11:00 43.P2f-2e 04:54:00 04:11:00 44.S3b-3c 04:54:00 04:17:00 45.P*7e 04:54:00 04:17:00 The point of 39.P2f and 43.P2e. With the hanging gold on 4a, it is hard for white to start the fight with 46.P6d here. 46.G4a-3b 04:54:00 04:23:00 47.S7g-7f 04:54:00 04:23:00 48.P4d-4e 04:54:00 04:30:00 49.B4f-3g 05:09:00 04:30:00 50.S3c-4d 05:09:00 04:31:00 51.P8g-8f 05:17:00 04:31:00 52.P6c-6d 05:17:00 05:14:00 53.P6ex6d 05:18:00 05:14:00 54.S7cx6d 05:18:00 05:14:00 55.P*6e 05:18:00 05:14:00 56.S6d-7c 05:18:00 05:14:00 57.R2h-4h?! 05:45:00 05:14:00 Although things don't work out badly for black, Habu was not happy about this move. After the game he suggested 57.R5h as better. For example, 58.P*7d Px7d Sx7d P*7e S6c G6g-7g and black's position is very solid and it is difficult to find a good plan for white. 58.P*6d 05:45:00 05:50:00 Tanigawa doesn't hesitate. With the rook on 4h, black can't attack on the 2nd file and is vulnerable to bishop drops. 59.P6ex6d 05:50:00 05:50:00 60.B4bx6d 05:50:00 05:50:00 61.B3gx6d 05:56:00 05:50:00 62.S7cx6d 05:56:00 05:50:00 63.B*8c 05:56:00 05:50:00 Habu realises that he has no good attack here, so his plan is to stop white from attacking. Creating a promoted bishop is a first step. 64.R9b-8b 05:56:00 06:05:00 65.B8c-6a+ 06:00:00 06:05:00 66.P*6e 06:00:00 06:05:00 67.S6f-7g 06:00:00 06:05:00 68.N8a-9c 06:00:00 06:07:00 69.+B6a-7a 06:05:00 06:07:00 70.R8b-4b 06:05:00 06:10:00 71.P*6c 06:10:00 06:10:00 72.S6dx7e 06:10:00 06:47:00 Positive play as is Tanigawa's style. Still, most professionals in the press room preferred Habu's position here. 73.S7fx7e 06:41:00 06:47:00 74.B*3i 06:41:00 06:47:00 75.S*5g 06:41:00 06:47:00 76.B3ix4h+ 06:41:00 06:56:00 77.S5gx4h 06:41:00 06:56:00 78.R*4i 06:41:00 06:56:00 79.S4h-5g 06:52:00 06:56:00 80.R4ix2i+ 06:52:00 06:56:00 81.P6c-6b+ 06:52:00 06:56:00 82.N*6f 06:52:00 07:00:00 83.G7h-6h 07:00:00 07:00:00 84.+R2ix1i 07:00:00 07:06:00 85.B*6c? 07:01:00 07:06:00 A bad mistake and maybe even the losing move. Correct was 85.B*7d to take the pawn on 6e one move earlier than in the game after 86.G3b-3c 87.Bx6e. White can not save the knight on 6f, so it looks like his attack will be stopped completely. Habu probably worried about 86.L*7c, but then 87.+P5b Lx7d +Px4b G3bx4b Sx7d is good for black. 86.G3b-3c 07:01:00 07:18:00 87.B6c-7d+ 07:10:00 07:18:00 88.+R1i-5i! 07:10:00 07:18:00 The problem. White has used the extra move to save the knight on 6f. White's attack suddenly gets much stronger again. 89.+B7dx6e 07:21:00 07:18:00 90.N6f-5h+ 07:21:00 07:18:00 91.G6hx5h 07:32:00 07:18:00 92.+R5ix5h 07:32:00 07:18:00 93.G6g-6h 07:32:00 07:18:00 94.+R5h-5i 07:32:00 07:18:00 95.P*6d 07:32:00 07:18:00 96.P8d-8e 07:32:00 07:25:00 Aiming at the sweet spot: the head of the black king. White's attack can no longer be smothered, so black has to try and find a way to attack himself. 97.P6d-6c+ 07:34:00 07:25:00 98.P8ex8f 07:34:00 07:25:00 99.S7gx8f 07:34:00 07:25:00 100.L*8e 07:34:00 07:30:00 101.+P6b-5b 07:34:00 07:30:00 102.R4b-3b 07:34:00 07:30:00 103.+P6c-5c 07:34:00 07:30:00 104.G4cx5c! 07:34:00 07:35:00 Important move. This gives white a pawn in hand, frees the sideways movement of the white rook and also slows down the black attack. If white allows +Px4c Gx4c, then N*2d gives black chances to attack. With the gold on 3c and the rook on 3b, black can't make a mating threat. 105.+P5bx5c 07:34:00 07:35:00 106.L8ex8f 07:34:00 07:35:00 107.S7ex8f 07:35:00 07:35:00 108.P*6d! 07:35:00 07:44:00 The winning move. 109.+B6ex5d 07:42:00 07:44:00 109.+B6f is answered by 110.S*7i K7h P6e +Bx6e G*5h and white wins. 109.+Bx5d is a desperate try to create space for the king to escape up the board. 110.S*7i 07:42:00 07:46:00 111.K8h-7g 07:48:00 07:46:00 112.S7ix6h= 07:48:00 07:46:00 113.S5gx6h 07:48:00 07:46:00 114.G*6f 07:48:00 07:46:00 115.K7gx6f 07:48:00 07:46:00 116.+R5ix6h 07:48:00 07:46:00 117.K6f-7e 07:48:00 07:46:00 118.S*7c 07:48:00 07:48:00 119.N*7g 07:51:00 07:48:00 120.P*7d 07:51:00 07:49:00 121.K7e-7f 07:51:00 07:49:00 122.P*8e 07:51:00 07:50:00 The pawn that white took on his 104th move. Everything is coming together now. 123.+P5c-4c 07:57:00 07:50:00 Habu chooses to allow mate, as 123.Sx9e S*8d is also hopeless. 124.G*7e 07:57:00 07:51:00 Resigns 07:57:00 07:51:00 Mate after 125.Sx7e Px7e Kx7e P*7d K7f S*7e K8g P8f. Another fine game by Tanigawa, who is now 3-0 up with four to play. Never has someone come back from 3-0 down in a best-of-seven match, so Habu has a chance to further build his legend by being the first player to do so. However, considering the way he is playing in this match so far, he should worry more about losing in straight games, which has never happened to him before. Tanigawa is now the overwhelming favourite to stop Habu from getting his 10th Oi title in a row. In other shogi news: ==================== * Sato may have crashed out of the Ryu-O tournament, but he still has a good chance to add a third crown to his Kisei and Osho titles. He beat Fujii in the challenger final of the Oza match to set up a third encounter with Habu this year. Fujii put all he had in an attack for which it was impossible to judge if it would succeed or fail. It turned out that it failed, but it took all of Sato's defending skills to do stop it. Sato now suddenly has a good chance to take over Habu's position as the top player in the world as Habu would be left with only two titles if he loses the Oi title to Tanigawa and the Oza title to Sato. It is almost unthinkable... * In the Ryu-O challenger tournament the first semi-final was played. Meijin Moriuchi played Nakata Hiroki and was the overwhelming favourite to advance to the challenger final. Unlike Nakata, he had been there before (although this was already 9 years ago) and he also was a semi-finalist in 1996 and 1999. On the other hand, Nakata hadn't been in the challenger tournament since 1994. Finally, Moriuchi was leading their head-to-head 10 to 2. However, the Ryu-O tournament is always full of upsets and Nakata really put everything he had in this game. Moriuchi seemed to have a slight edge towards the end of the game, but the position was always complicated. Surprisingly, it was Moriuchi who made the decisive mistake and Nakata will be the one playing the winner of the game between Abe and Fujii for the right to challenge Habu. * In the Shinjin-O tournament, Kimura reached the final for the second year in a row with a good win against Kitahama (a runner-up two years ago). For Kimura this will be a chance to erase the bad memories of his 2-0 defeat against Matsuo last year. He will have a strong opponent in the final, though, as he will play the winner of the game between Suzuki Daisuke (a B1 player) and the winner of the Asahi Open tournament Horiguchi Kazushiza. 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