From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 5 feb 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no.977 and 978, January 22nd and 29th 2003) Slowly getting back on course with my Shukan Shogi reports. This time two games from the Osho match between Sato and Habu. The third game will probably have to wait until next week's report. Habu is off to a great start in this Osho match. His narrow escape against Abe in the Ryu-O seems to have completely refreshed him. Challenging for a title seems psychologically easier than defending, as Sato has been unable to settle down in this match yet. Two quick losses (72 moves and 67 moves) have already put him under a lot of pressure. Here are the games with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Osho"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [Event "52nd Osho-sen, Game 1"] [Date "January 15th and 16th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:04:00 00:01:00 4.P8c-8d 00:04:00 00:03:00 5.P2f-2e 00:23:00 00:03:00 6.P8d-8e 00:23:00 00:08:00 7.G6i-7h 00:23:00 00:08:00 8.G4a-3b 00:23:00 00:11:00 9.P2e-2d 00:24:00 00:11:00 10.P2cx2d 00:24:00 00:11:00 11.R2hx2d 00:24:00 00:11:00 12.P8e-8f 00:24:00 00:17:00 13.P8gx8f 00:24:00 00:17:00 14.R8bx8f 00:24:00 00:17:00 15.R2dx3d 00:26:00 00:17:00 16.B2b-3c 00:26:00 00:19:00 17.R3d-3f 01:26:00 00:19:00 18.K5a-4a 01:26:00 00:28:00 19.P*8g 01:54:00 00:28:00 20.R8f-8e 01:54:00 00:31:00 21.R3f-2f 01:54:00 00:31:00 22.S3a-2b 01:54:00 00:32:00 23.K5i-5h 01:54:00 00:32:00 It looks like black can play 23.Bx3c+ Nx3c B*9f here, but after R6e P6f R6d P6e R8d Bx6c+ G5b +B3f B*4d black has gained nothing. 24.S7a-6b 01:54:00 02:19:00 25.P3g-3f 02:19:00 02:19:00 26.G6a-5a 02:19:00 02:25:00 27.S3i-3h 02:49:00 02:25:00 28.P7c-7d 02:49:00 03:15:00 29.P3f-3e 03:16:00 03:15:00 30.R8ex3e 03:16:00 04:25:00 So far, this game is exactly the same as the second game of last year's Oza match between Habu and Sato. Actually, 30.Rx3e is not the main line here. 30.Bx8h+ or 30.N7c are more often played. However, Habu throws a psychological punch here. In their Oza match, Sato played 30.Rx3e and lost. By playing this move here, Habu is telling Sato that he is going to show him that the move is not wrong, but the player who played it. If Sato would lose this game, it would be a double shock. Of course, this is not the only reason Habu plays this move... 31.B8hx3c+ 03:19:00 04:25:00 32.N2ax3c 03:19:00 04:25:00 33.B*4f 03:19:00 04:25:00 34.P*2e 03:19:00 04:26:00 35.R2f-1f 03:20:00 04:26:00 36.R3e-3d 03:20:00 04:26:00 37.P*3e 03:26:00 04:26:00 38.R3d-4d 03:26:00 04:27:00 39.B4fx9a+ 03:27:00 04:27:00 40.N8a-7c 03:27:00 04:27:00 41.R1f-3f 04:58:00 04:27:00 42.P*3g! 04:58:00 05:49:00 Habu actually put his money on this move, which was played by Kobayashi Hiroshi in the Kisei tournament against Tanigawa in November last year. It's a good move and Kobayashi managed to beat Tanigawa with it, knocking the Oi title holder out of the Kisei tournament. 43.N2ix3g 05:14:00 05:49:00 44.B*5d 05:14:00 06:00:00 45.R3f-4f 05:17:00 06:00:00 46.R4dx4f 05:17:00 06:02:00 47.P4gx4f 05:17:00 06:02:00 48.B5d-3f 05:17:00 06:02:00 49.L*4g 05:32:00 06:02:00 50.P2e-2f 05:32:00 06:06:00 51.P*2h 05:37:00 06:06:00 In the post-mortem analysis of the Tanigawa-Kobayashi game, this move came up, but Tanigawa thought it was bad because it gives up the possibility of attacking with P*2c. Therefore, Tanigawa went for the semeai with 51.P3d. Sato of course knew this and plays P*2h without much hesitation, since he has prepared something new. 52.N3c-2e 05:37:00 06:09:00 53.N3gx2e 05:40:00 06:09:00 54.B3fx2e 05:40:00 06:16:00 55.N*5e! 05:44:00 06:16:00 This is the move that Sato prepared. This move has both a defensive and attacking purpose. It is a "drop where your opponent wants to drop" defence because white threatened P*3g Sx3g N*5e. Also, black now threatens Nx6c+ Sx6c +Bx7c, for example if white tries to pick up the knight with 56.P5d. 56.N7c-6e! 05:44:00 06:57:00 Great reply. This move also has a double meaning. It defends against the black threat, as black no longer can take a knight on 7c after Nx6c+ Sx6c. Secondly, the knight on 6e attacks the head of the king. It seems like black can just try to win this knight with 57.P6f, but after 58.P*3g Sx3g R*2i R*3i Rx3i+ Gx3i Nx5g+ Kx5g R*5i white gets a big advantage. 57.R*8a?! 07:24:00 06:57:00 Not wrong, but risky. Sato take 100 minutes to decide that he can win a razor-sharp endgame. This is a sign of confidence in his own ability, but it might have been wiser to play 57.R*2d instead. This bishop can't move because of Nx4c+, so white has only 58.R*2c, but then after Rx2e Rx2e, black has at least three good looking options: Nx4c+, B*1f or P4e. 58.P*3g 07:24:00 07:12:00 59.N5ex6c= 07:43:00 07:12:00 If black would have time, promoting the knight would have been better (this threatens +Nx7b), but after 59.Nx6c+ Px3h+ Gx3h Sx6c +B7c N*6a +Bx6a K3a the white king gets away. 60.P3gx3h+ 07:43:00 07:18:00 61.N6cx5a+ 07:43:00 07:18:00 62.S6bx5a 07:43:00 07:18:00 63.G4ix3h 07:43:00 07:18:00 64.N*5f! 07:43:00 07:23:00 This move rocked Sato. Maybe Sato had overlooked that this is a mating threat: 66.R*4h Gx4h Nx4h+ Kx4h N*5f Px5f Px5f G*5g K3i S*3h etc. Or maybe he had overlooked N*5f altogether. 65.P6g-6f? 07:51:00 07:23:00 Sato is unable to collect himself and plays the losing move. As Habu pointed out after the game, things would have been very difficult after 65.S6h!. For example, 66.R*2i G*3i Rx3i+ Gx3i G*3g is answered by the nice G3h! and then Gx3h P5f it is very difficult to get to the black king. The players took a long time in the post-mortem analysis, but couldn't find a good variation for white. Sato couldn't believe it, but Habu admitted: "The position after S6h is losing for me". 66.S*4h 07:51:00 07:30:00 67.G3hx4h 07:59:00 07:30:00 68.N5fx4h+ 07:59:00 07:30:00 69.K5hx4h 07:59:00 07:30:00 70.N*5f 07:59:00 07:30:00 71.K4h-5h 07:59:00 07:30:00 72.R*5i 07:59:00 07:30:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:30:00 Mate after 73.K6g Rx5g+ or 73.Kx5i G*4h K6i Bx4g+. This will be a hard loss to swallow for Sato, who seemed nervous at the start of the game. Not only did he lose with black, he more or less lost against himself, both because of the opening that he played earlier with white and because of his endgame mistake. The rest of the match will show how Sato can recover from this. And here is the second game: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Osho"] [Event "52nd Osho-sen, Game 2"] [Date "January 23rd and 24th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:05:00 3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:05:00 4.P5c-5d 00:02:00 00:07:00 5.P2f-2e 00:30:00 00:07:00 6.R8b-5b 00:30:00 00:09:00 The "Gokigen Nakabisha". When Sato played this in the third game of last year's Osho match this was a big surprise. Even Habu admitted then that it had never occurred to him that Ibisha player Sato would play this. This time Habu will have been more prepared. 7.G4i-5h 00:30:00 00:09:00 8.P9c-9d!? 00:30:00 00:17:00 Only eight moves in the game and already a new move. This move is Sato's opening preparation. In recent years, the timing of a pawn push on the edge has become an important issue in professional games and is one of the basic ideas behind the Fujii system. Here the timing is also crucial. The point of 8.P9d is that it is difficult for black to reply with 9.P9f because after 10.P5e P2d Px2d Rx2d P5f Px5f Bx8h+ Sx8h B*3c the innocent looking pawn move has turned a position that is almost certainly a white loss in a position that is probably a white win. The point is that the white king can escape up the board (first to 9c and then to 8d), limiting black's attacking options. 9.S3i-4h 01:49:00 00:17:00 Habu takes 79 minutes to admit that Sato has a point with P9d. 10.P9d-9e 01:49:00 00:25:00 The edge is now completely white territory. Important for both attack and defence. White might already be a bit better here. 11.K5i-6h 01:49:00 00:25:00 12.K5a-6b 01:49:00 00:33:00 13.K6h-7h 01:51:00 00:33:00 14.K6b-7b 01:51:00 00:37:00 15.P3g-3f 02:01:00 00:37:00 16.K7b-8b 02:01:00 01:35:00 17.P2e-2d 02:22:00 01:35:00 18.P2cx2d 02:22:00 01:41:00 19.R2hx2d 02:22:00 01:41:00 20.S7a-7b 02:22:00 01:45:00 21.N2i-3g 03:04:00 01:45:00 22.G4a-3b 03:04:00 02:57:00 23.R2dx3d! 04:09:00 02:57:00 Taking the side pawn is often dangerous, but Habu shows that he wants to play positively whenever he can. He plays a lot of title matches, but it is quite rare for him to be challenger (he last challenged in 2001 for the Ryu-O title). Being forced into the "lower seat" seems to give him a bit of extra fighting spirit (not that he can be accused of lacking any). 24.B2b-3c 04:09:00 04:15:00 The best move, but not what Sato intended. He wanted to play 24.Bx8h+ Sx8h G3c R3e R2b, but realized in time that after B*8f B*6d Bx6d Px6d N4e the white position is not as good as he thought. After 78 minutes he sealed 24.B3c to bring an unusually interesting first day to an end. 25.R3d-3e 04:30:00 04:15:00 26.P5d-5e 04:30:00 04:18:00 27.R3e-2e 05:21:00 04:18:00 28.S3a-2b 05:21:00 04:18:00 29.R2e-2f 05:24:00 04:18:00 30.R5b-5d 05:24:00 05:15:00 31.P3f-3e 05:31:00 05:15:00 32.B3c-4d? 05:31:00 05:21:00 A mistake. 32.S2c was the correct move. Sato now has a lot of trouble activating his pieces on his left side of the board. 33.P5g-5f! 05:44:00 05:21:00 Habu takes full advantage of Sato's mistake. This is a nasty move as white can't take the pawn: 34.Px5f 36.Bx4d and now 37.Rx4d is answered by B*7g and 37.Px4e by B*6e R5b P*5c R4b Bx3b+ Rx3g G*4c. However, if white doesn't take the pawn, black will take the pawn on 5e himself, and this pawn is a vital stronghold in white's position. 34.B4dx3e 05:44:00 05:49:00 35.R2f-3f 05:50:00 05:49:00 36.R5d-3d 05:50:00 05:49:00 37.P4g-4f 05:50:00 05:49:00 38.P*2f 05:50:00 06:13:00 39.P*2h 05:51:00 06:13:00 40.P5ex5f 05:51:00 06:58:00 Most commentators in the press room thought that Sato had no choice but to turn to defence and hope for a mistake, but Sato decides to fight. 41.P*5d! 06:11:00 06:58:00 Strong move. Of course Sato had seen this, but he judged that the only way to go in this position was to activate the silver on 2b. 42.S2b-3c 06:11:00 07:08:00 43.N3g-4e! 06:30:00 07:08:00 Habu doesn't let up. 43.P5c+ is tempting, but after 44.Bx5c Rx3d Sx3d Bx1a+ N3c black is without pawns and it is difficult to find a good attack. Also 43.Rx3e Rx3e P5c+ is unconvincing after P3f. 44.B3e-2d 06:30:00 07:23:00 If 44.S4d then 45.P5c+ Sx4e Rx3e (not Px4e Bx7i+ and white has turned the tables) Rx3e Px4e R3h+ Bx1a+ is good for black (for example, N*4f is answered by +B5e). 45.R3fx3d 06:46:00 07:23:00 46.S3cx3d 06:46:00 07:23:00 47.P5d-5c+ 06:46:00 07:23:00 48.S3dx4e 06:46:00 07:38:00 49.P4fx4e 06:47:00 07:38:00 50.R*2i 06:47:00 07:38:00 Sato tries everything to get back in the game, but... 51.R*5d! 07:01:00 07:38:00 The knock-out punch. It's a bit awkward to drop the rook here, but this attacks the bishop, defends the square 5g and also threatens +P5b. This is too much for the white position. 52.B2dx7i+ 07:01:00 07:59:00 Sato uses all of his remaining time for this bishop sacrifice, but it was clear to everyone that it was desperation rather than a calculated attack. 53.B8hx7i 07:08:00 07:59:00 54.S*6e 07:08:00 07:59:00 55.+P5c-5b 07:09:00 07:59:00 The shortest route to the win. 56.S6ex5d 07:09:00 07:59:00 57.+P5bx6a 07:09:00 07:59:00 58.S7bx6a 07:09:00 07:59:00 59.B7i-3e 07:09:00 07:59:00 60.N*6b 07:09:00 07:59:00 61.S*5b 07:14:00 07:59:00 62.S6ax5b 07:14:00 07:59:00 63.B3ex6b+ 07:14:00 07:59:00 64.R2ix6i+ 07:14:00 07:59:00 65.K7hx6i 07:14:00 07:59:00 66.G*6a 07:14:00 07:59:00 67.R*5a 07:15:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:15:00 07:59:00 An nice final move, leading to a nice resignation position. 88.Gx5a is hisshi after 89.B*7a K9b +B7b and 88.Gx6b is hisshi after 89.B*7a K9b N*9d. A very convincing victory by Habu. Sato's opening preparation was excellent as usual, but after this he was completely outplayed. Sato now desperately needs a win in the third game to have a chance of keeping his Osho title. In other shogi news: ================ * In the A Junisen the final two games of the 7th round were played. Habu may have run his luck a little too much in the Ryu-O match, as he blundered away a won game against Fujii. Instead of finding the mate he had, he played a move that threatened mate, but also closed a vital square for his own king. This gave Fujii a mate he previously didn t have and he of course took full advantage. Fujii has five wins and leads together with Sato. Sato beat Tanigawa in a R8e Yokofudori game in which it seemed that black s minuscule opening advantage was the decider. However, Meijin Moriuchi found a great move that could have changed the chances in Tanigawa s favour. A missed opportunity that can have important consequences. Fujii and Sato play in the next round, which means that there will be a sole leader with one round left to play. Will Fujii or Sato be able to win two games in a row and become challenger of Moriuchi, or will Tanigawa, Habu, Aono and Miura catch up? * In B1 round 9 was played. Leader Kubo beat Abe in a tough game and is now almost certain to play in the top class next year with 8 wins and only one loss. He is followed by Inoue, who scored a surprisingly easy victory against Senzaki, who also had 6-2 going into this round. Senzaki is now joined third with Suzuki, who beat Fukaura. Suzuki still has a reasonable chance to promote, as he plays both Kubo and Inoue in the final two rounds. * In B2 round 8 was played and things didn t get much clearer as only Izumi lost, while the other four leaders won their games. Nakagawa, Kitahama, Naito and Hatakeyama Mamoru now have 6-2 and their Junisen order might be the decisive factor in the end as there are no games between them in the final two rounds. None of their opponents looks to be a serious threat, so this is all going to be about dealing with the pressure of promotion. * In C2 round 8 was played. After seven rounds there were six players leading with only one loss. After round 8, two players dropped out of the lead: Ariyoshi and Kitajima. Ariyoshi lost an unclear game against Hiura, while Kitajima lost against co-leader Sugimoto. Sugimoto has now beaten two promotion rivals in a row and has the highest Junisen ranking among the players on 7-1. However, he has Horiguchi, Katsumata and Matsuo breathing down his neck and his final two games are against Katsumata and Matsuo. Katsumata also still has to play Horiguchi, so anything is still possible. * In C2 round 9 was played. Kubota has been struggling for a long time, but finally seems to have found his shogi back. He beat Kawakami to remain the only undefeated player in C2 and now only needs one more win from two games to promote to C1. He doesn t have the easiest opponents in Akutsu and Anyoji, but it seems very likely that he will claim one of the promotion spots. The other two candidates for promotion are Chuza and 18-year old Watanabe. They are both one loss behind Kubota and have their chances in their own hands. The six players on 6-2 (Tamura, Yamasaki, Yagura, Hashimoto, Kawakami and Iijima) can only hope for a mistake by the leaders. * In the Kisei leagues a big surprise as Habu lost his second game in a row (this time against Miura). This means that Habu is out of the Kisei tournament. So far Goda and Kimura are the only two players who have qualified for the challenger tournament. -- 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