From: "'Mirnik, Boris'" SCHERING DE> Date: 6 sep 2002 Subject: Re: More kifus of the European Shogi Championship That is a real good idea to spread kifus over SHOGI-L. But I miss some comments from the players. I will start with my game against Eric and I hope others will follow. I used ShogiView, wich seems to have a differnt way of writing the moves. If this is a problem, please tell me what better tool to use and where to get it. [TITLE EC 2002] [BLACK Boris Mirnik] [WHITE Eric Cheymol] [The following is not an complete analysis. It more about my thoughts and feelngs during the game: So I am in the final of the EC and my apponent is Eric Cheymol. This is not our first game. And I allready won once against Eric, but most of our games were clear wins by Eric. especially interesting is that in both shogi tournaments I won before this event, I lost one game each ... against Eric!] 1. P-7f 2. P-3d 3. P-6f 4. S7a-6b 5. R2h-6h 6. P-5d 7. P-1f 8. P-1d 9. K-4h 10. K-4b 11. K-3h 12. K-3b 13. K-2h 14. G6a-5b [Eric is not moving his Rook pown. What is he aiming at?] 15. S3i-3h 16. S6b-5c [White seems to go for a slow openning so I thought it is time to force things.] 17. P-6e 18. P-5e [Now the game get a shape and the openening a name: Center vanguard pawn. So what shoul I do? After thinking for a while I was not happy with my position. May be my last move was not the best. I need the silver to support the pown on 6e, but 20. S7h P5f 21. B2b S2b 22. P5e B5g allows Eric to promote his Bishop. Ok, remember for the next time: it is more save to advance the Gold to 5h before pushing the the Pown to 6e.] 19. G6i-5h 20. R8b-6b [Yes, thats the Problem. My Silver is to late to fight for the center and Eric wins more space and a second vanguard pawn.] 21. S7i-7h 22. P-6d 23. Px6d 24. S5cx6d 25. S7h-6g 26. P-7d 27. P-5f [I have to find a possibility to fight as soon as possible. If I just wait Eric will slowly squeeze me.] 28. P*6e [Of course Eric is not intersted in opening lines at that point in the game. He has much more space and will try to strengthen his position before allowing exchanges.] 29. L9i-9h [Just in case the Bishop diogonals became open. I had no plan in this position.] 30. S3a-4b 31. P-4f 32. S4b-5c 33. G5h-4g 34. S5c-5d 35. P-3f 36. Px5f [The preparation is over. Eric brought a second silver to the center while I advanced to reach the High-Mino. Who will be better prepared for the middlegame?] 37. B8hx2b+ 38. Kx2b 39. S6gx5f 40. P*5e 41. S5f-4e 42. S5dx4e 43. Px4e 44. B*7i [I am glad to exchange as much pieces as possible. With every exchange Erics impressive center becomes less importend. But Eric is the first to use his pieces in hand and puts pressure against my rook.] 45. R6h-5h 46. S*6g [Is this Silver drop good or bad. I am still not sure. Of course, it does put more pressure on my rook. But it may be to slow.] 47. R5h-5i [Exchanging Rook against Bishop is ok for me.] 48. B7i-2d+ [May be it is time to stop for a second. How would you evaluate the position? Eric still has a space advantage, a strong center, a promoted Bishop and imidiate threats against my rook. So his position is much better. But ... I still had confidence in my postion. And this is why: I have a strong castle, and some pieces in hand while Eric has non. So I might be able to confuse things. Yes, I know it sounds desparate, but Eric has to advance very carefully. Positions with vanguard pawns tend to overextend quickly. Erics pieces have to support the center which may lead to holes in the back of his pieces. Especially Bishops are good for such nasty drops. On every move Eric has to calculate very accurate. Still, if Eric advance in good order he should keep the advantage.] 49. P-4d 50. +B2d-3c 51. Px4c+ 52. G5bx4c 53. G4i-4h [Making an escape root for my rook. That looks sensible, but may be that was allready the time for the bishop drop. 54. B4e S6h+ 55. B8a +S5i 56. G5i wins two pieces for the rook. I was thinking about that, but saw no follow up and decided to wait for a better chance.] 54. P-6f 55. P*4d 56. G4cx4d [Forcing the Gold away from the King. If +B4d then B7a.] 57. N2i-3g [Aiming for P4e and S4d.] 58. S6g-6h+ 59. B*9e [Here it is! Eric surly regreted not advancing the edge pown before starting the attack. Of corse this is not a big combination. Just an oversigt by Eric, but try to find a way to activate his game without giving me counter chances. It is not easy. Erics pieces are spread over the board, while my position is very compact. And the Bishop in hand is very dangerous.] 60. +S6hx5i 61. B9ex6b+ 62. G4d-4c 63. +B6b-6c 64. +B3c-4b 65. R*6b [This is not the best. A sure sign for my overconfidece. R8b would be a move faster compared to the the game. ] 66. S6d-5c 67. R6b-6a+ 68. R*3a [That is a hard move to play. But Eric is not afraid of defencing moves. The game is still not over.] 69. +R6ax8a [May be this is enough but much simpler would have been P6h stopping the tokin.] 70. P-6g+ 71. +R8ax9a 72. +P-5h 73. P*4d 74. S5cx4d 75. P*4e 76. +Px4h 77. G4gx4h 78. G4c-5c 79. Px4d 80. G5cx6c 81. L*4c [Now my attack is very severe. So this is Erics last chance to fight.] 82. P*4g 83. G4hx4g [I had a clear defencive plan. But as you will see it has a hole. So I should have defended in a different way. May be S*4g is better.] 84. P*4f 85. G4gx4f 86. G*4h 87. N3g-2e [That was the move on wich I founded my defence. The Knight opens an escape root for my King and puts pressure on Erics King at the same time. Unfortunatlly it is a big mistake wich could have lost the game imidiatly: 88. +B2d and I would have been in real trouble. Taking all the pawns with my Gold and allowing it to become unprotected on a square, where Eric can take it with a check should have been punished! I realized all this after I made the move and my hart stopped beating while Eric was thinking.] 88. +S5i-5h [Pheew ... that was close.] 89. L4cx4b+ [The dangerous Bishop is gone.] 90. B*3i [This attack is not good enouph.] 91. K-3g 92. G4hx3h 93. Kx3h 94. B3i-4h+ 95. K-2i [My King is under pressure, but there is no mate!] 96. G4ax4b [I did not calculate it to the end, but it should be tsume now. If somebody finds a way to save Eric, please mail me.] 97. +R9ax3a 98. Kx3a 99. R*6a 100. P*4a 101. N*4c 102. G4bx4c 103. G*3b 104. Kx3b 105. Px4c+ 106. Kx4c 107. R6ax6c+ 108. G*5c 109. B*5d [Resigns] Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Best Regards Boris Mirnik Schering AG D-13342 Berlin, Germany Phone: +49 30 468-16825 Fax: +49 30 468-96825