From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 22 mar 2002 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 934, March 20th 2002) Most important news in this week's Shukan Shogi was of course the 6th game of the Osho match. Sato won to win the match 4-2 and looking at how the games went, this was the right result. Sato outplayed Habu in this match and the 6th game was no different. Here is the game with comments: Black: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger White: Habu Yoshiharu, Osho 51st Osho-sen, Game 6, March 11th and 12th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:01:00 4.P4c-4d 00:00:00 00:02:00 5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:02:00 6.B2b-3c 00:02:00 00:03:00 7.S3i-4h 00:02:00 00:03:00 8.P9c-9d 00:02:00 00:04:00 9.P9g-9f 00:10:00 00:04:00 10.S3a-3b 00:10:00 00:15:00 11.P5g-5f 00:11:00 00:15:00 12.R8b-4b 00:11:00 00:21:00 Even though this is the first time Habu plays the Shikenbisha in this Osho match, this was not a big surprise. In the second game he played Hineribisha and in the 4th game Yokofudori, and both games ended in a convincing victory for Sato. Habu has no choice but to try something else. 13.K5i-6h 00:11:00 00:21:00 14.S7a-7b 00:11:00 00:27:00 15.K6h-7h 00:18:00 00:27:00 16.S3b-4c 00:18:00 00:31:00 17.G4i-5h 00:18:00 00:31:00 18.K5a-6b 00:18:00 00:43:00 19.B8h-7g 00:42:00 00:43:00 20.P7c-7d 00:42:00 01:02:00 21.P6g-6f 01:01:00 01:02:00 22.P4d-4e 01:01:00 01:20:00 23.S4h-5g 01:27:00 01:20:00 24.N8a-7c 01:27:00 01:29:00 25.B7g-8f! 01:47:00 01:29:00 An important move, played with perfect timing. This makes it very hard for white to attack early and gives Sato the opportunity to get into the anaguma, which is one of his favorite strategies against the Furibisha. 26.G4a-5b 01:47:00 01:48:00 27.G5h-6g 01:58:00 01:48:00 28.P8c-8d 01:58:00 01:51:00 29.K7h-8h 02:00:00 01:51:00 30.S7b-8c 02:00:00 01:56:00 31.L9i-9h 02:11:00 01:56:00 32.G6a-7b 02:11:00 02:10:00 33.K8h-9i 02:11:00 02:10:00 34.K6b-7a 02:11:00 02:11:00 35.S7i-8h 02:11:00 02:11:00 36.K7a-8b 02:11:00 02:11:00 37.P3g-3f 02:33:00 02:11:00 38.S4c-5d 02:33:00 02:56:00 39.P1g-1f 03:12:00 02:56:00 40.P1c-1d 03:12:00 02:58:00 41.G6i-7i 03:16:00 02:58:00 42.R4b-4a 03:16:00 03:00:00 43.N2i-3g 03:31:00 03:00:00 44.G5b-6b 03:31:00 03:12:00 45.R2h-4h!? 04:38:00 03:12:00 Interesting play by Sato. This was the sealed move. Sato knows what Habu is going to play next and that reply makes 45.R4h a useless move. However, by sealing this move, Sato can think all night about how to really attack the white position. This kind of reasoning is only possible in two-day title matches. 46.B3c-4d 04:38:00 03:38:00 47.R4h-2h 04:38:00 03:38:00 This is forced, to avoid B2f. Now we have the same position as at move 44, and some of the commentators in the press room were worried about sennichite here. However, Sato has no intention of giving up the advantage of playing black. 48.B4d-3c 04:38:00 03:49:00 49.G6g-6h 04:38:00 03:49:00 50.P6c-6d 04:38:00 03:51:00 51.B8fx6d! 04:53:00 03:51:00 An exclamation mark for courage. This bishop is going to be in a lot of trouble and the faint at heart would certainly have played 51.G6h-7h here, completing the anaguma castle. Sato has decided to trust the strength of his anaguma castle and attack whenever possible. He wants to decide the match in this game. 52.P8d-8e 04:53:00 03:52:00 53.P2e-2d 04:54:00 03:52:00 54.P2cx2d 04:54:00 04:01:00 If 54.Bx2d, then after 55.N2e the black bishop has an escape route and black gets the advantage. 55.P4g-4f 04:55:00 04:01:00 56.P4ex4f 04:55:00 05:10:00 The question here is what happens if white goes for the bishop with 56.G6b-6c. Surprisingly, both players had different opinions about what would happen next. Sato had planned 57.Bx7c+, but after 58.G6cx7c Nx4e Sx4e Px4e P8f Px8f P*4f Sx4f B*3i R2g Bx6f+ S5e +Bx7f R7g it seems that black has good chances. Seeing this variation, Habu regretted 56.Px4f. After 56.G6b-6c, he had expected 57.Nx4e Sx4e B5e and after Bx5e Px5e Sx4f B*5b it seems that black's attack is stronger. 57.B6dx4f 04:56:00 05:10:00 58.P8e-8f 04:56:00 05:10:00 59.P*4e 05:35:00 05:10:00 60.P*6e? 05:35:00 05:48:00 Too subtle. Even at this level sometimes the most obvious moves are the best. Habu should have played 60.Px8g+ here. After 61.Sx8g P*6e G8h Px6f N7g and both Sx4e and K8a seem to be alright for white. The balance is now changing in Sato's favor. 61.P8gx8f 05:45:00 05:48:00 62.P6ex6f 05:45:00 05:48:00 63.G7i-7h 05:45:00 05:48:00 64.P3d-3e 05:45:00 06:07:00 65.B4fx3e 05:57:00 06:07:00 66.N7c-6e 05:57:00 06:08:00 67.S5g-4f 06:04:00 06:08:00 68.P*3d 06:04:00 06:16:00 69.B3e-2f 06:06:00 06:16:00 70.N2a-1c 06:06:00 06:16:00 71.P*6d 06:20:00 06:16:00 72.P*8g 06:20:00 06:22:00 73.G7hx8g 06:20:00 06:22:00 74.P2d-2e 06:20:00 06:22:00 75.B2f-1g 06:31:00 06:22:00 76.B3c-2d 06:31:00 06:28:00 77.P3f-3e 06:35:00 06:28:00 78.P1d-1e 06:35:00 06:30:00 79.N3gx2e 06:52:00 06:30:00 80.P1ex1f 06:52:00 07:11:00 81.N2ex1c+ 06:52:00 07:11:00 82.P1fx1g+? 06:52:00 07:11:00 A big mistake. The only way to continue was 82.Bx1c 83.B2f 84.P*2e and after both 85.B1e Bx3e B3g B2f Bx2f Px2f and 85.B3g Px3e Rx2e P3f white still has some chances to win despite the black advantage. 83.R2hx2d 06:52:00 07:11:00 84.B*4g 06:52:00 07:11:00 85.R2d-2b+ 06:59:00 07:11:00 86.B4gx5f+ 06:59:00 07:12:00 87.P6d-6c+! 07:00:00 07:12:00 Good move. This is a fine combination of three moves that give black complete control over the position. 88.G6bx6c 07:00:00 07:13:00 89.B*3g 07:00:00 07:13:00 This not only defends the silver on 4f, but the discovered check S5g is very strong, so white has to get the king out of the diagonal. 90.K8b-8a 07:00:00 07:18:00 91.P*5g 07:09:00 07:18:00 The icing on the cake. This forces the promoted bishop to a very bad square. "I suddenly felt like I was 10 moves behind" (Habu). 92.+B5f-4g 07:09:00 07:18:00 93.P*6d 07:11:00 07:18:00 94.G6c-6b 07:11:00 07:19:00 95.+R2b-3b 07:14:00 07:19:00 96.R4a-7a 07:14:00 07:21:00 97.P9f-9e 07:23:00 07:21:00 This edge attack decides the game. 98.P9dx9e 07:23:00 07:28:00 99.P*9d 07:24:00 07:28:00 100.L1ax1c 07:24:00 07:29:00 101.N*8e 07:30:00 07:29:00 102.S8cx9d 07:30:00 07:29:00 103.S4f-5e 07:31:00 07:29:00 Strong. The bishop is only a small sacrifice for an Osho title winning attack. 104.+B4gx3g 07:31:00 07:29:00 105.S5ex5d 07:31:00 07:29:00 106.P5cx5d 07:31:00 07:29:00 107.S*7c 07:31:00 07:29:00 108.S*6a 07:31:00 07:29:00 109.S7cx6b+ 07:32:00 07:29:00 110.S6ax6b 07:32:00 07:29:00 111.G*7c 07:32:00 07:29:00 112.S*6a 07:32:00 07:32:00 113.P6d-6c+ 07:32:00 07:32:00 114.S6bx6c 07:32:00 07:32:00 115.G7cx6c 07:32:00 07:32:00 116.S9dx8e 07:32:00 07:32:00 117.P*6b 07:34:00 07:32:00 118.G7bx6c 07:34:00 07:35:00 119.P6bx6a+ 07:34:00 07:35:00 120.R7a-7b 07:34:00 07:35:00 121.+R3bx7b 07:37:00 07:35:00 122.K8ax7b 07:37:00 07:35:00 123.R*7a 07:37:00 07:35:00 124.K7b-8b 07:37:00 07:35:00 125.S*8d 07:37:00 07:35:00 Resigns 07:37:00 07:36:00 Habu took 1 minute here to say goodbye to his Osho title. There is no defense against this simple hisshi. A fine game by Sato, winning his first Osho title in his third attempt (he lost 1-4 and 0-4 in his previous encounters with Habu). This game also ends the two title matches that Habu and Sato played simultaneously. Both players won 5 games, but Sato will obviously feel the winner, as he managed to take one of Habu's titles. Congratulations to the new Osho! In other shogi news: ==================== * In B1 the final round was played, but there were not many decisions left. Shima and Goda already got the two promotion spots and Fukuzaki was already relegated. The only remaining decision was the second relegation spot. Kiriyama, Kamiya and Minami were the candidates. Kamiya won quickly against Fukuzaki and saved himself, but Minami lost against Kubo and had to wait anxiously about the outcome of the game Abe-Kiriyama. Fortunately for him Abe won, so Kiriyama joins Fukuzaki on the way down to B2. * In C2 two of the three tickets to C1 were already taken by Toyokawa and Matsuo, but the third place was still to be played for. Even though Naganuma had the chances in his own hand, for a long time it looked like Tamura would promote. Tamura had won quickly (as he usually does) and Naganuma was in deep trouble against Kondo. However, late in the evening Naganuma managed to turn the tables and win. A very special promotion, as Naganuma spent 15 years in C2. Last year he was already close to promotion and that helped him this year, as he had the best Junisen position of four players with an 8-2 score. Tamura, Takano and Nakao have to try again next year. * There are two new 4-dan players: Ohira Takehira (24) and Kumasaka Manabu (24) promoted from the 3-dan league. Ohira did this with an impressive 16-2 score, tying the best record of Ogura and Fujiwara. Kumasaka needed help by Kukuchi and Takano, who were ahead of him going into the final day. Kikuchi lost both of his final games and Takano lost his final game against Ohira and that paved the way for Kumasaka's promotion. 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