From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 25 jan 2002 Subject: These weeks in Shukan Shogi (no. 925 and 926, Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Osho White: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger 51st Osho-sen, Game 1, January 16th and 17th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:08:00 3.P2g-2f 00:05:00 00:08:00 4.P4c-4d 00:05:00 00:09:00 5.P2f-2e 00:09:00 00:09:00 6.B2b-3c 00:09:00 00:09:00 7.S3i-4h 00:10:00 00:09:00 8.R8b-3b 00:10:00 00:12:00 This was a big surprise. It is not that Sato never ranges the rook, but until now he has always does that when invited by the opponent (for example, in the 2.G3b opening) or when he wanted to put the opponent on the wrong foot by playing Yodo Furibisha. Ranging the rook by himself is a first. He said he wanted to give it a try, as he had studied it extensively. Perhaps the more important reason was psychological. Sato has been beaten badly by Habu in all of their recent title match encounters (including a 4-0 in the Osho match two years ago). Playing something he has never played before might be his way of saying: "This time will be different!". 9.K5i-6h 00:14:00 00:12:00 10.S3a-4b 00:14:00 00:13:00 11.K6h-7h 00:16:00 00:13:00 12.K5a-6b 00:16:00 00:13:00 13.B8h-7g 00:29:00 00:13:00 14.S7a-7b 00:29:00 01:01:00 15.K7h-8h 00:45:00 01:01:00 16.K6b-7a 00:45:00 01:03:00 17.P5g-5f 00:52:00 01:03:00 18.G4a-5b 00:52:00 01:11:00 19.S4h-5g 01:19:00 01:11:00 20.P6c-6d 01:19:00 01:37:00 21.L9i-9h 01:45:00 01:37:00 22.P5c-5d 01:45:00 01:50:00 23.K8h-9i 01:46:00 01:50:00 24.S4b-5c 01:46:00 01:52:00 25.S7i-8h 01:53:00 01:52:00 26.P7c-7d 01:53:00 01:57:00 27.P3g-3f 02:24:00 01:57:00 28.P9c-9d 02:24:00 02:13:00 29.G6i-7i 02:52:00 02:13:00 30.P9d-9e 02:52:00 02:26:00 31.G4i-5i 03:03:00 02:26:00 32.N8a-7c 03:03:00 03:05:00 33.B7g-6h 03:17:00 03:05:00 34.P6d-6e 03:17:00 03:15:00 35.G5i-6i 03:47:00 03:15:00 36.K7a-8a!? 03:47:00 03:59:00 Up until now this looks like an old-fashioned third file rook from the times that the late Oyama had so much success with it. However, from now it gets something modern. Playing the king to 8a instead of 8b is what Sato prepared: "I thought it was the best". The idea behind this is to keep the king out of a potential bishop diagonal. A normal continuation from here would be P6f followed by Px6e Nx6e S4h. In this case the diagonal to the king is invitingly open, allowing all kinds of nasty checks for black. A second idea is to move the rook to the king side to support an edge attack against the anaguma. We will see how this works very soon... 37.G6i-7h 04:03:00 03:59:00 38.G5b-6c 04:03:00 04:01:00 39.S5g-4f 04:45:00 04:01:00 40.S5c-6d 04:45:00 04:13:00 41.P3f-3e 04:50:00 04:13:00 Habu doesn't hesitate. 42.P7d-7e?! 04:50:00 04:20:00 Sato didn't like 42.Px3e Sx3e and goes for a semeai (mutual attack) instead. This is in style, but in the press room the comment: "Static rook player playing ranging rook" was heard. Sato gives up some pawns here to get an attack against the anaguma. 43.P3ex3d 05:05:00 04:20:00 44.B3c-5a 05:05:00 06:05:00 45.P7fx7e 06:01:00 06:05:00 46.S6dx7e 06:01:00 06:05:00 47.B6h-5g 06:07:00 06:05:00 48.P6e-6f 06:07:00 06:13:00 49.P6gx6f 06:08:00 06:13:00 50.P*7f 06:08:00 06:13:00 51.R2h-3h 06:18:00 06:13:00 52.N7c-8e 06:18:00 06:18:00 It seems that Sato thought he had good play here. However, in reality he has no good attack without pawns so there is no real compensation for the sacrificed material. Even worse, he has overlooked something. 53.B5g-4h 06:21:00 06:18:00 54.S7b-7c 06:21:00 06:34:00 55.B4h-2f 06:36:00 06:34:00 56.G6c-5c 06:36:00 07:01:00 Now white's position looks horrible with all the generals scattered around. Sato intended to play 56.B6b here, but after 57.B1e there is no defense against the breakthrough on the third file. Sato is lucky that there is no obvious way to attack his position. Here everyone thought that Habu had an overwhelming position. 57.S4f-5g? 07:05:00 07:01:00 Habu regretted this passive move. He thought that white had no good plan and that he had time to further improve his position. After the game Habu said he probably should have attacked here, but no variations were given. 58.S7c-7d 07:05:00 07:05:00 59.R3h-3f 07:18:00 07:05:00 60.L9a-9c! 07:18:00 07:16:00 There is the rook switch! Suddenly white gets a very powerful attack against the anaguma. 61.B2f-3g 07:24:00 07:16:00 62.R3b-9b 07:24:00 07:20:00 The rocket is ready to fire at any convenient moment. 63.S5g-6h 07:29:00 07:20:00 64.G5c-6c 07:29:00 07:21:00 65.G7h-6g 07:33:00 07:21:00 66.G6a-7b 07:33:00 07:29:00 White has not only set up his attack, but also regrouped his defense. Suddenly black is in a lot of danger. 67.R3f-3e 07:34:00 07:29:00 68.B5a-4b 07:34:00 07:38:00 69.G7i-7h 07:41:00 07:38:00 70.P8c-8d 07:41:00 07:48:00 71.B3g-4f 07:44:00 07:48:00 72.B4b-6d! 07:44:00 07:51:00 Good judgment with less than 10 minutes on the clock. This bishop exchange is good for white. The bishop picks up the right pieces for the white attack. Furthermore, there is no fear of a rook promotion on the third file, as black can always plug his castle with an anchor pawn after playing P7g+ first. 73.B4fx6d 07:44:00 07:51:00 74.S7ex6d 07:44:00 07:51:00 75.P3d-3c+ 07:44:00 07:51:00 76.B*6i 07:44:00 07:51:00 77.P*7i 07:44:00 07:51:00 78.B6ix4g+ 07:44:00 07:51:00 79.+P3c-4c 07:44:00 07:51:00 80.P7f-7g+ 07:44:00 07:51:00 81.R3e-3a+ 07:44:00 07:51:00 82.P*7a 07:44:00 07:51:00 83.S6hx7g 07:44:00 07:51:00 84.+B4gx2i 07:44:00 07:51:00 85.S7g-8f 07:45:00 07:51:00 86.+B2ix1i 07:45:00 07:51:00 87.+R3ax2a 07:45:00 07:51:00 88.L*9d 07:45:00 07:51:00 Awesome power on the edge. 89.S8fx8e 07:50:00 07:51:00 90.S7dx8e 07:50:00 07:51:00 91.N*7g 07:50:00 07:51:00 92.N*7c 07:50:00 07:51:00 93.B*6a? 07:54:00 07:51:00 A rare endgame mistake by Habu. He should have played 93.Nx8e 94.Nx8e 95.S*8f here. Then the black threat is Sx8e followed by N*8d. Furthermore, 96.S*7d leads to sennichite (Sx8e Sx8e N*7g N*7c Nx8e etc.) and if white tries to avoid that with 96.S*7e instead, then 97.Sx8e Px8e N*7f is a problem. 94.P9e-9f 07:54:00 07:55:00 95.N7gx8e 07:54:00 07:55:00 96.N7cx8e 07:54:00 07:55:00 97.P9gx9f 07:54:00 07:55:00 Or 97.S*8c Px9g+ Nx9g Nx9g+ Sx9g Lx9g+ and white wins. It is important to leave the lance on 9c, as a lance in hand for black or an empty 9c square would now lead to mate after Bx7b+ Rx7b L*8b or N*9c. 98.L9dx9f 07:54:00 07:55:00 99.P*9g 07:54:00 07:55:00 100.N8ex9g+ 07:54:00 07:55:00 101.N8ix9g 07:54:00 07:55:00 102.L9fx9g+ 07:54:00 07:55:00 103.S8hx9g 07:54:00 07:55:00 104.L9cx9g+ 07:54:00 07:55:00 105.L9hx9g 07:54:00 07:55:00 106.P*9h 07:54:00 07:55:00 107.K9i-8h 07:54:00 07:55:00 Habu has given up on this game. 107.K8i Rx9g+ S*8h is no direct mate, but black wouldn't have any fighting chance. 108.R9bx9g+ 07:54:00 07:57:00 109.K8hx9g 07:54:00 07:57:00 Again Habu could have avoided mate with 109.K7g, but after something like 110.+B4f there is nothing left to play for. 110.N*8e 07:54:00 07:57:00 111.K9g-9f 07:54:00 07:57:00 112.S*9e 07:54:00 07:57:00 113.K9fx9e 07:54:00 07:57:00 114.N*8c 07:54:00 07:57:00 115.K9e-9d 07:54:00 07:57:00 116.S*9c 07:54:00 07:57:00 117.K9dx9c 07:54:00 07:57:00 118.L*9a 07:54:00 07:57:00 Resigns 07:54:00 07:57:00 Mate after 119.K8d S*7e Kx8e G7d Kx7d +B7c. A huge win for Sato. He played with white, had a terrible position in the middle game and won from an opening he played for the first time in his career. Have we seen a "new Sato"? -- 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