From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 11 jul 2002 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 950, July 10th 2002) This week in Shukan Shogi the third game of the Kisei match between Goda and Sato. Goda had some chances to end the match in this game, but Sato managed to turn the tables in the middle game. A late mistake put the outcome in doubt again, but in the end Sato found a difficult mate and won with one move difference. Here is the game with comments: Black: Goda Masataka, Kisei White: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger 73rd Kisei-sen, Game 3, July 4th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.G6i-7h 00:02:00 00:01:00 4.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:05:00 5.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:05:00 6.P4c-4d 00:02:00 00:05:00 7.P2f-2e 00:10:00 00:05:00 8.B2b-3c 00:10:00 00:05:00 9.S3i-4h 00:10:00 00:05:00 10.G6a-5b 00:10:00 00:10:00 11.P4g-4f 00:10:00 00:10:00 Goda again plays this move early. In the first game he was successful, but that may in part have been because he surprised Sato. As this element of surprise is no longer there, it is likely that Sato prepared something this time. 12.G5b-4c 00:10:00 00:12:00 13.S4h-4g 00:10:00 00:12:00 14.S7a-6b 00:10:00 00:14:00 15.K5i-6i 00:10:00 00:14:00 16.P5c-5d 00:10:00 00:24:00 17.G4i-5h 00:17:00 00:24:00 18.S6b-5c 00:17:00 00:32:00 19.P3g-3f 00:23:00 00:32:00 20.P8d-8e 00:23:00 01:12:00 21.B8h-7g 00:47:00 01:12:00 22.K5a-4b 00:47:00 01:12:00 23.S7i-8h 00:47:00 01:12:00 24.K4b-3b 00:47:00 01:14:00 25.B7g-5i 00:47:00 01:14:00 26.P7c-7d 00:47:00 01:15:00 27.S8h-7g 00:49:00 01:15:00 28.K3b-2b 00:49:00 01:15:00 29.K6i-7i 00:50:00 01:15:00 30.G4a-3b 00:50:00 01:16:00 31.P6g-6f 00:57:00 01:16:00 32.B3c-5a 00:57:00 01:25:00 33.B5i-2f 01:36:00 01:25:00 34.L1a-1b 01:36:00 01:49:00 35.S4g-5f 01:37:00 01:49:00 36.R8b-7b 01:37:00 02:08:00 37.N2i-3g 01:50:00 02:08:00 38.P7d-7e 01:50:00 02:10:00 39.P7fx7e 01:50:00 02:10:00 40.R7bx7e 01:50:00 02:10:00 41.S5f-6g 01:50:00 02:10:00 42.R7e-7b 01:50:00 02:24:00 43.K7i-8h 01:50:00 02:24:00 44.K2b-1a 01:50:00 02:24:00 Well, whatever Sato prepared didn't work as both players agreed that black had won the opening here. Sato said he switched to the anaguma because he had run out of positive moves. 45.P1g-1f 02:02:00 02:24:00 46.S3a-2b 02:02:00 02:24:00 47.R2h-4h 02:02:00 02:24:00 48.B5a-6b 02:02:00 02:58:00 49.P1f-1e 02:09:00 02:58:00 50.P5d-5e 02:09:00 02:58:00 51.P*7f 02:44:00 02:58:00 52.P9c-9d 02:44:00 03:00:00 53.P4f-4e 02:58:00 03:00:00 54.P4dx4e 02:58:00 03:00:00 55.R4hx4e 02:58:00 03:00:00 56.S5c-4d 02:58:00 03:00:00 57.R4e-4i 02:58:00 03:00:00 58.P*4e 02:58:00 03:02:00 59.P5g-5f 03:07:00 03:02:00 60.P5ex5f 03:07:00 03:11:00 61.S6gx5f 03:07:00 03:11:00 62.P8e-8f! 03:07:00 03:11:00 Sato does everything to create future counter attacks. It is hard to decide how to take this pawn. As it is likely that the knight on 3g will be in white's hands later in the game, Sx8f creates the future threat of N*6d and Px8f creates the potential attack of P*8g Gx8g N*9e. 63.S7gx8f 03:09:00 03:11:00 64.P3d-3e 03:09:00 03:13:00 65.P1e-1d 03:16:00 03:13:00 66.P1cx1d 03:16:00 03:13:00 67.P2e-2d 03:25:00 03:13:00 68.P2cx2d 03:25:00 03:13:00 69.P*1c? 03:25:00 03:13:00 Goda regretted this pawn drop very much. He should have played his attack without handing over pawns. Black is voluntarily giving up all his pawns and this gives white the opportunity to get his own attack going. 70.L1bx1c 03:25:00 03:16:00 71.P*5d 03:33:00 03:16:00 72.R7bx7f 03:33:00 03:19:00 73.P*2e 03:35:00 03:19:00 74.P*8e! 03:35:00 03:26:00 Great fighting move. According to Katsumata, a fighting move must at least fulfil one of the following criteria: 1) surprise the opponent; 2) confuse the opponent because there are many possible replies; 3) make the opponent regret an earlier move. Sato's move deserves an exclamation mark because it fulfils all three of the criteria. First, it is a surprising move as both Sx8e and S7g are moves that attack the white rook, so P*8e doesn't look so powerful. Because white is in trouble, it must have been a big surprise to Goda that white can afford to play a passive move like pulling back the rook. Secondly, it is hard to make a choice between Sx8e, S7g and S6g. Thirdly, it makes Goda regret 69.P*1c. After 75.S7g R7b Px2d P*7f S6h P*2c black is in trouble as giving up a knight will give white the strong attack P8f Px8f P*8g Gx8g N*9e. If Goda would have had one pawn (the one he dropped on 1c earlier), he could have simply played 75.S7g R7b P*7f here and everything would have been alright. 75.S5f-6g? 03:46:00 03:26:00 The worst of the three. Both 75.Sx8e R7e P8f and 75.S7g R7b S6g were better, leading to unclear positions. Not only is 75.S6g the worst of the three options black had, on top of it, it invites the next mistake, which loses the game. 76.R7f-7d 03:46:00 03:30:00 77.P5d-5c+? 03:47:00 03:30:00 Loses a silver. As painful as allowing Rx5d is, Goda should have allowed it. The white bishop is better positioned on 5c than on 6b. 78.B6bx5c 03:47:00 03:30:00 79.S8fx8e 03:47:00 03:30:00 80.R7d-5d 03:47:00 03:30:00 81.P*1e 03:49:00 03:30:00 82.P1dx1e 03:49:00 03:30:00 83.P2ex2d 03:49:00 03:30:00 84.N8a-7c 03:49:00 03:30:00 85.S8e-7f 03:50:00 03:30:00 86.P*7e 03:50:00 03:30:00 And the silver dies. White has turned the tables. 87.P*1d 03:51:00 03:30:00 88.L1cx1d 03:51:00 03:30:00 89.L1ix1e 03:51:00 03:30:00 90.P7ex7f 03:51:00 03:44:00 91.L1ex1d 03:52:00 03:44:00 92.P*1c 03:52:00 03:44:00 93.L*2e 03:53:00 03:44:00 94.P1cx1d 03:53:00 03:45:00 95.N3gx4e 03:56:00 03:45:00 96.B5c-4b 03:56:00 03:48:00 97.P*1c 03:56:00 03:48:00 98.N2ax1c 03:56:00 03:50:00 99.P2d-2c+ 03:56:00 03:50:00 100.G3bx2c 03:56:00 03:50:00 101.L2ex2c+ 03:56:00 03:50:00 102.S2bx2c 03:56:00 03:50:00 103.G*5c 03:57:00 03:50:00 104.G4cx5c 03:57:00 03:51:00 105.N4ex5c+ 03:57:00 03:51:00 106.B4bx5c 03:57:00 03:51:00 107.P*2d 03:57:00 03:51:00 108.S2c-1b? 03:57:00 03:59:00 This question mark is not for the move itself (which is correct), but for the time Sato used to play it. He spent his final 8 minutes on this move, trying to find a mate. He should have saved a little more time here which he could use later. 109.B2fx3e 03:58:00 03:59:00 110.L*7g 03:58:00 03:59:00 111.P*5e 03:59:00 03:59:00 Both players in byoyomi now. White is winning, but Sato almost throws it away. 112.L7gx7h+? 03:59:00 03:59:00 A big mistake that could have ended this match. Correct was 112.Rx5e right away. Giving up the lance is a bad idea as Sato soon realized. If he had had a little more time, he would undoubtedly have played 112.Rx5e and white wins after 113.Rx4d Lx7h+ Kx7h Rx3e R4a+ G*3a. 113.S6gx7h 03:59:00 03:59:00 114.R5dx5e 03:59:00 03:59:00 115.L*5g! 03:59:00 03:59:00 The difference. This slows down white's attack and the endgame now gets extremely close. Very uncharacteristically, Sato was visibly upset with himself here. 116.R5ex3e 03:59:00 03:59:00 117.P3fx3e 03:59:00 03:59:00 118.L*7d 03:59:00 03:59:00 119.L5gx5c+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 120.S*7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 121.N8ix7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 122.P7fx7g+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 123.S7hx7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 124.L7dx7g+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 125.K8hx7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 126.P*7f 03:59:00 03:59:00 127.K7g-6h 03:59:00 03:59:00 128.P7f-7g+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 129.K6hx7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 130.P*7f 03:59:00 03:59:00 Sato is desperately trying to find a mate, sacrificing pawns to gain time. He has a lot of those and every pawn sacrifice gains him two minutes (one minute per move), so if there is a mate he is likely to find it eventually. If there is no mate, he will lose this game. 131.K7g-6h 03:59:00 03:59:00 132.P7f-7g+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 133.K6hx7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 134.P*7f 03:59:00 03:59:00 135.K7g-6h 03:59:00 03:59:00 136.P7f-7g+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 137.K6hx7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 138.P*7f 03:59:00 03:59:00 139.K7g-6h 03:59:00 03:59:00 140.S*7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 A great relief for Sato. He has found the mate. 141.K6h-6g 03:59:00 03:59:00 142.N*5e 03:59:00 03:59:00 143.K6g-5g 03:59:00 03:59:00 144.B*6h 03:59:00 03:59:00 145.G5hx6h 03:59:00 03:59:00 146.S7gx6h= 03:59:00 03:59:00 Resigns 03:59:00 03:59:00 A tough fighting game which finally went Sato's way. With shogi like this, the objective shogi fan can only hope that Sato also wins the next game so this Kisei match will go the full distance. In other shogi news: ================ * A-Junisen: Maruyama didn't get much time to recover from his 4-0 loss in the Meijin title match, as he immediately had to face Osho Sato (for both players it was their first game in the new Junisen season). Sato got the early lead in this Yokofudori game, but Maruyama had a good chance to turn the tables in the endgame. He missed this chance and Sato won. It already looks unlikely he will get another chance to beat Moriuchi next year. Tanigawa played his second round game against Aono and surprisingly lost. It may have been the extra pressure of many reporters following this game as a win would have meant Tanigawa's 1000th professional victory. Aono wanted nothing of it, as he played a new move very early in the game and got the maximum reward. A very important win for Aono, who is expected to have a very tough time in the top division. Fujii and Morishita also played a game in the second round. Fujii won against an opponent he has a lot of trouble with (2-6 going into this game). It was a good win for Fujii, who won in typical Fujii-system style, attacking Morishita's anaguma early. Tanigawa, Fujii and Aono all have one win and one loss, while Morishita is in a little bit of trouble with two losses. * B1 Junisen: This class seems already to be turning into a three horse race. Promotion favourites Abe, Kubo and Fukaura won, getting a 2-0 start. Especially Abe got a big win against Suzuki, also one of the candidates for promotion. Senzaki recovered from a first round loss with a come from behind win against Tanaka. * Oza: In the challenger tournament of the Oza-sen, Meijin Moriuchi was the last player to reach the semi-finals with a win against Goda. Moriuchi will play Fujii next, while the other semi-final is between Morishita and Osho Sato. Oza Habu is certain to face a strong opponent. It would be interesting to see a Habu-Moriuchi match... * Asahi Open: In the first round of the Asahi Open seven amateurs beat professionals to advance to the second round. Last week four of those winning amateurs faced their second professional opponent and for three of them the tournament ended there as Fujii lost to Kimura, Shimizugami lost against Ono Shuichi and Kaneuchi lost against Ishida. Especially Ishida had to work very hard to defend the pride of the pros, but he prevailed. The only professional who lost was Tamaru (8-dan), who fell to Ishii. It was quite a bad loss for Tamaru as Ishii controlled the game and never was in serious trouble. Ishii will now face Ono Yaichio in the next round. * Ladies Osho: Challenger Nakai took the Osho title from Shimizu in straight games by also winning the third game. A tough loss for Shimizu, who had a very good opening but couldn't convert. Nakai now holds three of the four major Ladies titles. Shimizu is left with only the Oi title. 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