From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 13 dec 2002 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 971 and 972, December 4th and 11th 2002) This week in Shukan Shogi the third game of the Ryu-O match between Habu and Abe. A lot of pressure on Abe to win, as he would be 3-0 down in case of a loss, but nothing in the game showed that he was playing a do-or-die game. Abe needed only one small mistake by Habu to win in great style. Here is the game with comments: Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Ryu-O White: Abe Takashi, Challenger 15th Ryu-O match, Game 3, November 28th and 29th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:02:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:04:00 3.P2g-2f 00:09:00 00:04:00 4.G4a-3b 00:09:00 00:09:00 5.G6i-7h 00:14:00 00:09:00 6.P3c-3d 00:14:00 00:26:00 7.P2f-2e 00:21:00 00:26:00 8.P8d-8e 00:21:00 00:27:00 9.P2e-2d 00:24:00 00:27:00 10.P2cx2d 00:24:00 00:27:00 11.R2hx2d 00:24:00 00:27:00 12.P8e-8f 00:24:00 00:27:00 13.P8gx8f 00:24:00 00:27:00 14.R8bx8f 00:24:00 00:27:00 15.R2dx3d 00:36:00 00:27:00 16.B2b-3c 00:36:00 00:27:00 17.R3d-3f 00:42:00 00:27:00 18.K5a-4a 00:42:00 00:32:00 19.P*8g 01:25:00 00:32:00 20.R8f-8e 01:25:00 00:36:00 21.R3f-2f 01:25:00 00:36:00 22.S3a-2b 01:25:00 00:37:00 23.K5i-5h 01:30:00 00:37:00 24.P7c-7d 01:30:00 02:05:00 25.G4i-3h 02:37:00 02:05:00 26.S7a-6b 02:37:00 02:19:00 27.S3i-4h 02:40:00 02:19:00 28.G6a-5a 02:40:00 02:23:00 29.P3g-3f 02:44:00 02:23:00 30.N8a-7c 02:44:00 03:16:00 31.N2i-3g 03:00:00 03:16:00 32.P1c-1d 03:00:00 03:21:00 33.P4g-4f 03:12:00 03:21:00 34.P7d-7e 03:12:00 03:34:00 35.P4f-4e 03:17:00 03:34:00 36.P7ex7f 03:17:00 04:05:00 37.P3f-3e 03:35:00 04:05:00 The end of the first day and still in known territory. This is one of the most popular positions of the R8e Yokofudori and both players will studied this position thoroughly. 38.P*2d!? 03:35:00 04:18:00 The first surprise. Although not without precedent, 38.P*2c is by far the more common move. Dropping the pawn on 2d has the advantage that the white king has more running space and black can't attack with N2e. The disadvantage is that the pawn on 2d is vulnerable and might become a target for black. Also, the white bishop no longer has the option of moving to 2d or 1e. 39.S4h-4g 04:00:00 04:18:00 40.R8e-7e 04:00:00 04:25:00 41.R2f-3f 04:13:00 04:25:00 42.N7c-6e 04:13:00 05:10:00 43.B8hx3c+ 05:15:00 05:10:00 44.S2bx3c 05:15:00 05:10:00 45.P3e-3d? 05:15:00 05:10:00 An important mistake (maybe even the losing move). Habu completely underestimated the power of Abe's reply. If white would have to answer this pawn push with 46.S2b, black would have had a good position. 46.P*3e! 05:15:00 05:44:00 Perfect reply. This move is hard to play, as black can get two-for-one after 47.Px3c+ Px3f +Px3b Kx3b. However, black has no good way to use the two generals, while black's position is very vulnerable to rook drops. White is both threatening Px3g+ Gx3g R*3i and the strong attack P7g+. 47.R3f-5f 06:23:00 05:44:00 Admitting failure. 47.Rx3e is answered by 48.S4d! R3f (Px4d Nx5g+ loses the rook) and now both P7g+ (analysed in the press room) and S5e (the move Abe intended to play) are good for white. 48.S3cx3d! 06:23:00 06:11:00 Another good move by Abe. This allows a bishop fork, but Abe has seen that this will allow all of his forces to join the attack. 49.B*6f 06:23:00 06:11:00 50.R7e-7d 06:23:00 06:14:00 51.B6fx1a+ 06:23:00 06:14:00 52.B*3c 06:23:00 06:14:00 53.+B1ax3c 06:52:00 06:14:00 54.N2ax3c 06:52:00 06:14:00 55.P*7e 06:52:00 06:14:00 56.R7d-5d 06:52:00 06:41:00 57.L*5e 06:52:00 06:41:00 58.R5d-6d 06:52:00 06:53:00 The double rocket of rook and lance looks threatening, but white has nothing to fear here. 59.S7i-6h 07:06:00 06:53:00 60.P*8h 07:06:00 07:07:00 61.G7hx8h 07:10:00 07:07:00 62.N3cx4e 07:10:00 07:09:00 White has managed the most coveted goal of the R8e Yokofudori: both knights are attacking the black king. White's position is overwhelming. 63.P*3c 07:14:00 07:09:00 64.G3bx3c 07:14:00 07:12:00 65.L5ex5c+ 07:14:00 07:12:00 66.P*5e! 07:14:00 07:34:00 Abe doesn't let up. 66.Sx5c looks good after 67.Rx5c+ L*5b, but black also has 67.Nx4e!. For example, 68.Sx4e Rx5c+ L*5b +Rx6d Px6d R*1a and because white can't drop a pawn in defence on the third file, the black attack is quite strong. 67.R5fx5e 07:49:00 07:34:00 68.N4ex5g+ 07:49:00 07:34:00 69.S6hx5g 07:49:00 07:34:00 70.S6bx5c 07:49:00 07:34:00 71.N*4e 07:50:00 07:34:00 The difference. Now 71.Rx5c+ L*5b +Rx6d fails to Nx5g+. 72.L*5d 07:50:00 07:38:00 Wins the rook and the game. 73.R5ex6e 07:50:00 07:38:00 74.L5dx5g+ 07:50:00 07:38:00 75.K5hx5g 07:50:00 07:38:00 76.R6dx6e 07:50:00 07:38:00 77.N4ex3c= 07:50:00 07:38:00 78.K4a-3b 07:50:00 07:43:00 79.L*6f 07:51:00 07:43:00 80.R6ex7e 07:51:00 07:49:00 81.L6fx6c+ 07:54:00 07:49:00 82.P*5f 07:54:00 07:51:00 83.S4gx5f 07:54:00 07:51:00 84.P*5e 07:54:00 07:51:00 85.K5g-6f 07:54:00 07:51:00 86.B*8d 07:54:00 07:54:00 87.+L6cx5c 07:54:00 07:54:00 88.R7e-7c 07:54:00 07:54:00 Resigns 07:54:00 07:54:00 After 89.Kx5e 90.Rx5c black has no attack left. 91.P*5d even leads to mate after 92.S*4d K4f L*4e. A perfect game by Abe that will have done his confidence a lot of good (not that I had the impression that lack of confidence is his problem). He is now back in this match and has a game with black coming up to try and make things even. Of course, if he loses the next game, he will be 3-1 down with three to play, so he definitely needs to convert the advantage of starting the game. In other shogi news: ================ * A stunning defeat by Habu against Morishita in the A class has thrown the challenger race wide open again. Co-leader Tanigawa also lost (against Miura), which means that we now have three players with 4-2: Tanigawa, Habu and Fujii (who beat Maruyama). They can be joined by Sato if he wins his game against Shima. The fight against relegation is just as interesting, as Maruyama, Morishita and Goda have 2-4 and can be joined by Shima if he loses his game against Sato. This only leaves Aono and Miura in the middle with 3-3, but their position in the league is quite low, so they still need one more win to be certain of their position in next year's top class. * Tanaka Torahiko's dream of challenging Habu for the Kio finally came to an end, as he first lost in the final of the winner's section against Goda and then also the second chance game in against Maruyama. Despite a lot of surprises in this tournament, A class players Goda and Maruyama will now play for the right to challenge Habu. Goda needs only one win to become challenger, while Maruyama needs to win two in a row. * For a while it looked like the Osho league would be an easy pass for Habu to a rematch with Sato, but a loss to Moriuchi in the next to final round suddenly sees Moriuchi with the best chance to become Osho challenger. With one game to play, Moriuchi is the only player with 4-1, with Habu and Kubo following with 3-2. Even Goda has the chances to challenge in his own hands, as he has a 2-2 score and will play his final game against Moriuchi. More next week, 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