From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 9 may 2002 Subject: These weeks in Shukan Shogi (no. 937 and 938, April 10th and 17th 2002) After the computer shogi world championships I am slowly getting back in a normal rhythm and that also means that I have started to catch up on the back issues of Shukan Shogi. This is a report from the April 10th and April 17th issues. There were two games in these that were commented. One was the second game of the Asahi Open final between Sugimoto and Horiguchi. Horiguchi won that game to level the best-of-five match at 1-1. The other game was the first game of the Meijin match between Maruyama and Moriuchi. Moriuchi had a great start in his quest for his first major title. Here are the games with comments: Black: Horiguchi Kazushiza, 5-dan White: Sugimoto Masataka, 6-dan 20th Asahi Open, Game 2, April 4th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:02:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:04:00 00:00:00 4.P4c-4d 00:04:00 00:01:00 5.S3i-4h 00:04:00 00:01:00 6.S3a-3b 00:04:00 00:01:00 7.P5g-5f 00:04:00 00:01:00 8.R8b-4b 00:04:00 00:01:00 9.K5i-6h 00:04:00 00:01:00 10.K5a-6b 00:04:00 00:01:00 11.K6h-7h 00:04:00 00:01:00 12.K6b-7b 00:04:00 00:01:00 13.B8h-7g 00:07:00 00:01:00 14.S3b-4c 00:07:00 00:01:00 15.S4h-5g 00:11:00 00:01:00 16.K7b-8b 00:11:00 00:01:00 17.K7h-8h 00:12:00 00:01:00 18.S4c-5d 00:12:00 00:02:00 19.P6g-6f 00:13:00 00:02:00 20.L9a-9b 00:13:00 00:02:00 21.P2f-2e 00:13:00 00:02:00 22.B2b-3c 00:13:00 00:02:00 23.G4i-5h 00:16:00 00:02:00 24.K8b-9a 00:16:00 00:02:00 25.S7i-7h 00:17:00 00:02:00 It's almost strange to see the ranging rook side build an anaguma. In recent years, the big issue in Furibisha against Ibisha games has been the Fujii system, which aimed at stopping the Ibisha side from playing anaguma because of the threat of an early attack. In this game it is not only white who plays the anaguma, black also doesn't answer this with an anaguma of his own, but with the Left Mino. 26.S7a-8b 00:17:00 00:02:00 27.P8g-8f 00:17:00 00:02:00 28.G6a-7a 00:17:00 00:05:00 29.G5h-6g 00:19:00 00:05:00 30.G4a-5b 00:19:00 00:10:00 31.S7h-8g 00:19:00 00:10:00 32.P7c-7d 00:19:00 00:11:00 33.G6i-7h 00:19:00 00:11:00 34.G5b-6b 00:19:00 00:11:00 35.P9g-9f 00:20:00 00:11:00 36.L1a-1b 00:20:00 00:35:00 37.P1g-1f 00:28:00 00:35:00 38.R4b-3b 00:28:00 00:45:00 39.R2h-2f 00:30:00 00:45:00 40.P6c-6d 00:30:00 00:54:00 41.P9f-9e 00:31:00 00:54:00 42.G6b-7b 00:31:00 00:57:00 43.P1f-1e!? 00:48:00 00:57:00 Interesting waiting move. Most professionals would have preferred 43.P8e followed by B8f here. Horiguchi is a player who can lure his opponent into his dungeon. He beat Habu in the semi-final with the same strategy. Force the opponent into action at an inconvenient moment and then strike back hard. This is exactly what is happening here, even though he is helped a little by a misjudgement by Sugimoto. By the way, P1e is not a waiting move that is entirely without meaning. If white plays a later B4d, it is possible to move the rook out of the bishop diagonal to 1f. 44.P3d-3e 00:48:00 01:01:00 Sugimoto has no similar waiting move and therefore has to play something positive. 45.S5g-4f 00:52:00 01:01:00 46.P4d-4e 00:52:00 01:11:00 47.S4f-5g 00:52:00 01:11:00 Horiguchi special number two. He has invited the pawn push to 4e and now is waiting again for his opponent. 48.B3c-4d 00:52:00 01:20:00 Sugimoto bites and that proves costly. Exchanging rooks seems good for him, but Horiguchi has judged this better. White should have played 48.B5a instead and after 49.P6e Px6e P2d Px2d K9h P3f followed by B7c white has good chances. 49.P2e-2d 01:22:00 01:20:00 50.P3e-3f 01:22:00 01:21:00 51.R2fx3f 01:24:00 01:21:00 52.R3bx3f 01:24:00 01:26:00 53.P3gx3f 01:24:00 01:26:00 54.R*3i 01:24:00 01:26:00 55.R*4b! 01:24:00 01:26:00 The right square. In the press room the slow attack 55.R*4a followed by Px2c+ and +P3b was expected. Horiguchi has seen that if he picks up the lance and knight on the right quickly enough, the attack against the anaguma will be quite strong. On the other hand, even if white takes the knight and lance on 2i and 1i, there is still no good place to use them against the Silver Crown castle. 56.B4d-2f 01:24:00 01:27:00 57.R4bx1b+ 01:24:00 01:27:00 58.R3ix2i+ 01:24:00 01:27:00 59.+R1bx2a 01:24:00 01:27:00 60.+R2ix1i 01:24:00 01:47:00 61.N*8e! 01:28:00 01:47:00 Sometimes the bad order is the right order. The most natural built-up of the attack is 61.L*9h and only then 63.N*8e. However, with white having a lance in hand, Horiguchi didn't like 62.P8d in response to 61.L*9h. Normally, pushing the pawn on 8c is not so good in the anaguma, but in this case it stops black's attack. 62.N*8d? 01:28:00 02:04:00 Sugimoto didn't like 62.P8d Nx9c+ Sx9c L*9d S8b Lx9b+ Kx9b and tries to get some attack of his own before it is too late. However, without the worry of the knight being captured by P8d, black can play the natural attack that would not have been possible earlier. Sugimoto should have tried 62.P8d here. 63.L*9h 01:33:00 02:04:00 64.P7d-7e 01:33:00 02:08:00 The alternative 64.S6c Nx9c+ Sx9c P9d S8b P8e B5i+ S6h is also good for black. 65.P7fx7e 01:35:00 02:08:00 66.S5d-6c 01:35:00 02:11:00 67.P9e-9d 02:02:00 02:11:00 68.P9cx9d 02:02:00 02:12:00 69.P*9c 02:02:00 02:12:00 70.S8bx9c 02:02:00 02:18:00 71.N8ex9c+ 02:04:00 02:18:00 72.N8ax9c 02:04:00 02:22:00 73.L9hx9d 02:10:00 02:22:00 74.P*9g 02:10:00 02:27:00 75.L9ix9g 02:12:00 02:27:00 76.P*9f 02:12:00 02:28:00 77.L9gx9f 02:12:00 02:28:00 78.N8dx9f 02:12:00 02:29:00 79.S8gx9f 02:14:00 02:29:00 80.N*8d 02:14:00 02:30:00 81.S9f-8g! 02:25:00 02:30:00 Helping the attack with 81.S9e is tempting, but 81.S8g is the right decision. After 81.S9e N9f K9h L*8h white suddenly has a strong attack. 82.L*9e 02:25:00 02:34:00 83.L9dx9c+ 02:30:00 02:34:00 84.L9bx9c 02:30:00 02:34:00 85.N*8e 02:30:00 02:34:00 86.L*9b 02:30:00 02:52:00 87.P*9d 02:37:00 02:52:00 88.L9e-9i+ 02:37:00 02:52:00 89.N*7i! 02:43:00 02:52:00 The game winner. 88.Kx9i Lx9d K8h L*9c and white is back in business. 90.L9cx9d 02:43:00 02:52:00 91.P*9c 02:43:00 02:52:00 92.P*7f 02:43:00 02:54:00 93.P9cx9b+ 02:48:00 02:54:00 94.K9ax9b 02:48:00 02:54:00 95.S*9c 02:51:00 02:54:00 96.K9b-8a 02:51:00 02:54:00 97.L*7c 02:51:00 02:54:00 98.P7fx7g+ 02:51:00 02:57:00 99.K8hx7g 02:51:00 02:57:00 100.P*7f 02:51:00 02:59:00 101.S8gx7f 02:52:00 02:59:00 102.B2f-5i+ 02:52:00 02:59:00 When the game is already over, white finally manages to promote the bishop. 103.G6g-6h 02:53:00 02:59:00 Resigns 02:53:00 02:59:00 White has no more attacking moves and is mated after 104.L*6a Lx7b+ Kx7b (Sx7b G*9b) G*7c K8a S8b+ Gx8b +Rx6a etc. A good win for Horiguchi to tie the match which is now down to a best-of-three games. The next game will be very important for both players. Here is the first game of the Meijin match: Black: Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger White: Maruyama Tadahisa, Meijin 60th Meijin-sen, Game 1, April 10th and 11th 2002 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 The furigoma resulted in four tokins so challenger Moriuchi starts the game. He has experience in the Meijin, losing 4-1 against Habu in 1996. Now the pressure is much more on him to do well, as he is clearly the best player never to win a major title. Not a description to be envied, but there is no better way to get rid of this than to win the most prestigious title of all: the Meijin. 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:03:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:03:00 4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:04:00 5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:04:00 6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:04:00 7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:04:00 8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:04:00 9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:04:00 10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:04:00 11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:04:00 12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:04:00 13.P8gx8f 00:01:00 00:04:00 14.R8bx8f 00:01:00 00:04:00 15.R2dx3d 00:01:00 00:04:00 Completely as expected. Maruyama likes to defend with the Yokofudori. Moriuchi of course knows this. 16.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:25:00 17.R3d-3f 00:02:00 00:25:00 18.S3a-2b 00:02:00 00:26:00 19.P*8g 00:06:00 00:26:00 20.R8f-8e 00:06:00 01:19:00 21.R3f-2f 00:06:00 01:19:00 22.K5a-4a 00:06:00 01:20:00 23.K5i-5h 00:12:00 01:20:00 24.S7a-6b 00:12:00 01:23:00 25.P3g-3f 00:23:00 01:23:00 26.G6a-5a 00:23:00 01:34:00 27.S3i-3h 00:30:00 01:34:00 28.P5c-5d?! 00:30:00 02:44:00 A surprise. The normal continuation is 28.P7d, but Maruyama said that he had no confidence in that. As this match will probably have other games with this opening, he didn't elaborate. No need to make your opponent any wiser about your opening fears. 29.S3h-3g 00:55:00 02:44:00 30.P7c-7d 00:55:00 02:46:00 31.S3g-4f 01:43:00 02:46:00 32.P7d-7e 01:43:00 02:47:00 33.B8hx3c+ 02:58:00 02:47:00 34.N2ax3c 02:58:00 02:50:00 35.P3f-3e 02:58:00 02:50:00 36.P7ex7f 02:58:00 02:50:00 So far this game is identical to the 4th game of the 47th Oza match between Maruyama and Habu. Maruyama was black in this game and played 37.S6h here. After 38.P*2e R2h P3f he got into trouble and Habu won. 37.G4i-3h! 03:04:00 02:50:00 Moriuchi's preparation. This gold defends against a bishop drop on 2g or 2h, so black can now move the rook to 3f instead of having to pull back to 2h after P*2e. 38.P*2e 03:04:00 03:02:00 After the game, Maruyama thought that 38.B*4d might have been better. However, after 39.P6f Bx6f S8h N7c P*6d it still seems that black is better, as Px6d fails to the fork B*7d. It seems that 37.G3h leaves Maruyama with an important hole in his opening preparation. 39.R2f-3f 04:05:00 03:02:00 40.N3c-4e 04:05:00 03:54:00 41.S7i-6h 04:06:00 03:54:00 42.P*3g 04:06:00 03:54:00 43.N2ix3g 04:27:00 03:54:00 44.N4ex3g+ 04:27:00 04:11:00 45.S4fx3g 04:30:00 04:11:00 46.B*5e 04:30:00 04:33:00 47.P*7g 04:43:00 04:33:00 48.R8e-7e 04:43:00 04:44:00 49.P7gx7f 05:15:00 04:44:00 Both players weren't very talkative about this stage of the game. A natural alternative seems to be 49.P3d, but Moriuchi only said that he looked at it, but there wasn't anything he could say. 50.N*2d 05:15:00 06:23:00 Dropping on 4d is more natural, but after 51.R1f, white has no way to win. 51.P7fx7e 06:11:00 06:23:00 After the game Moriuchi said that he would have played that against either 50.N*2d or 50.N*4d. 51.R5f is not a real alternative, as things get very wild after 52.R7b B*7g Bx3g+ Gx3g S*5e Bx5e Px5e R6f B*2h. 52.N2dx3f 06:11:00 06:25:00 53.P6g-6f! 06:11:00 06:25:00 Good move. The black king suddenly gets a lot more freedom. 54.R*2i 06:11:00 06:47:00 No choice. 54.Bx3g+ is too much after 55.Gx3g R*3i Gx3f S*6i K6g Sx7h= Kx7h G5h S6g and the white attack runs out of steam. 55.S3gx3f 06:36:00 06:47:00 56.R2ix8i+? 06:36:00 07:18:00 Only a small mistake, but enough for Moriuchi to turn the advantage into a win. Correct was 56.P*3g G4h Rx8i+ G7i +Rx9i N*7d P3h+ Gx3h N*7h and white also has good attacking chances. 57.R*7i! 06:43:00 07:18:00 The difference. Black can stop the white attack here. Note that if white would have played 56.P*3g first, after 57.G4h Rx8i+ R*7i would fail to *Rx7i followed by R*2h. 58.P*7g 06:43:00 07:26:00 59.S6hx7g 06:49:00 07:26:00 60.+R8ix7i 06:49:00 07:39:00 61.G7hx7i 06:49:00 07:39:00 62.R*2i 06:49:00 07:39:00 63.G7i-6h 06:53:00 07:39:00 64.B5ex1i+ 06:53:00 08:27:00 65.N*7d 07:09:00 08:27:00 66.S6b-7a 07:09:00 08:44:00 The alternative 66.+B7c is also good for black after 67.Nx6b+ +Bx6b N*2d G3a R*8b. 67.P*2c! 07:38:00 08:44:00 Painful drop. 68.Gx2c fails to 69.R*2a and now either 70.K3b Rx5a+ or 70.P*3a P*2d. Also, black gets a very strong attack after 68.S3a 69.R*2a followed by N*2d. 68.S2bx2c 07:38:00 08:48:00 69.P*2d 07:41:00 08:48:00 70.S2c-1b 07:41:00 08:51:00 71.B*5c 07:43:00 08:51:00 72.G5a-6a 07:43:00 08:53:00 73.P3e-3d! 07:46:00 08:53:00 The game winner. This opens the diagonal of the bishop, which can now promote on 3e and also give black the option of P3c+ at any time. 74.K4a-5b 07:46:00 08:53:00 75.N*4e 08:01:00 08:53:00 76.N*4a 08:01:00 08:57:00 77.B5c-3e+ 08:04:00 08:57:00 78.+B1i-6d 08:04:00 08:57:00 79.P2d-2c+ 08:06:00 08:57:00 80.S1bx2c 08:06:00 08:59:00 81.R*2a 08:07:00 08:59:00 82.P*7f 08:07:00 08:59:00 83.S7gx7f 08:11:00 08:59:00 84.+B6d-3a 08:11:00 08:59:00 85.R2ax1a+ 08:13:00 08:59:00 86.+B3a-2b 08:13:00 08:59:00 87.L*5c 08:16:00 08:59:00 Resigns 08:16:00 08:59:00 Not mate, but after 88.K4b 89.P3c+ white can choose between losing after 90.Nx3c +Rx6a or 90.+Bx3c Nx3c+. A perfect start for Moriuchi, who not only won convincingly, but also drilled an important hole in Maruyama's opening preparation. This must give him a lot of confidence for the second game. Meijin Maruyama is already under a lot of pressure to win the second game with black. In other shogi news: ==================== (A little bit dated, just in case anybody is still interested) * No new Kisei title for Habu, as he lost his quarter final game in the challenger tournament against Kubo. Meijin Maruyama advanced to the semis with a win against Hatakeyama Nariyuki, Kimura beat Namekata and Sato Yasumitsu won against Tanigawa. This results in the semi-final games Sato-Kimura and Maruyama-Kubo. * In the Oza challenger tournament Goda is the first to advance to the quarterfinals with a win against Naganuma. * In the white group of the Oi leagues, Fukaura beat Kanezawa. Both players have a 1-2 score now and will play no role in the challenger race this time. * Nakahara has decided to quit the Junisen and join the free class this season. Failing to get back to the A class in the last two years and being too busy as a director of the Shogi Renmei, he decided to ease his schedule a little (the B1 class has 12 rounds in a seasons, which is quite significant). Joining the free class also means mandatory retirement at 65. It is a pity that we won't see Nakahara active after that, but he himself said that when he became 4-dan at 18 (35 years ago), he though he would retire much earlier than that. More later, 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