From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 31 jan 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 976, January 15th 2003) I have been very busy lately, so I am a little behind with the Shukan Shogi reports. I hope I can get back on schedule in a couple of weeks. Until then, the reports will be somewhat irregular. In this report the decisive 7th game of the Ryu-O match between Habu and Abe. This all ended in tears for Abe, as he saw his first major title slipping away at the final moment. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Abe Takashi, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Ryu-O"] [Event "15th Ryu-O sen, Game 7"] [Date "January 7th and 8th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 The furigoma gave Abe the black pieces. In general this can be considered a slight advantage, but in this match four of the six previous games were won by white. I am sure that Abe would have liked to have another go with white, playing his favourite Chuza Yokofudori. 2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:04:00 3.G6i-7h 00:08:00 00:04:00 4.G4a-3b 00:08:00 00:06:00 5.S7i-6h 00:12:00 00:06:00 6.P3c-3d 00:12:00 00:08:00 7.P6g-6f 00:12:00 00:08:00 8.S7a-6b 00:12:00 00:17:00 9.S3i-4h 00:14:00 00:17:00 10.S3a-4b 00:14:00 00:23:00 11.P5g-5f 00:15:00 00:23:00 12.P5c-5d 00:15:00 00:29:00 13.G4i-5h 00:17:00 00:29:00 14.K5a-4a 00:17:00 00:32:00 15.K5i-6i 00:19:00 00:32:00 16.G6a-5b 00:19:00 00:36:00 17.S6h-7g 00:26:00 00:36:00 18.S4b-3c 00:26:00 00:39:00 19.B8h-7i 00:27:00 00:39:00 20.B2b-3a 00:27:00 00:43:00 21.P3g-3f 00:28:00 00:43:00 22.P4c-4d 00:28:00 00:47:00 23.G5h-6g 01:26:00 00:47:00 24.P7c-7d 01:26:00 01:10:00 25.P2g-2f 01:40:00 01:10:00 26.G5b-4c 01:40:00 01:20:00 27.S4h-3g 01:59:00 01:20:00 28.B3a-6d 01:59:00 01:37:00 29.B7i-4f 02:10:00 01:37:00 The Waki system. An interesting choice by Abe, as this is not considered to be a very promising system for black. However, it seems that Abe had decided to go all out in this game in an attempt to wrestle the Ryu-O title from Habu. 30.S6b-7c 02:10:00 02:38:00 31.K6i-7i 02:16:00 02:38:00 32.K4a-3a 02:16:00 02:44:00 33.K7i-8h 02:19:00 02:44:00 34.K3a-2b 02:19:00 02:59:00 35.P2f-2e 02:22:00 02:59:00 36.P8d-8e 02:22:00 03:03:00 37.P1g-1f 02:29:00 03:03:00 38.P9c-9d 02:29:00 03:15:00 39.P9g-9f 03:13:00 03:15:00 40.P1c-1d 03:13:00 03:51:00 41.B4fx6d 03:17:00 03:51:00 42.S7cx6d 03:17:00 03:52:00 43.S3g-2f 03:18:00 03:52:00 44.B*6i 03:18:00 04:25:00 The sealed move and still in known territory. Quite a number of professional games have been played up until this position. 45.R2h-4h?! 04:48:00 04:25:00 A strange move. After the game he admitted that this was a change of plan. He intended to attack with 45.P1e Px1e followed by Sx1e or Lx1e, but he suddenly got cold feet and chose the passive 45.R4h instead. Strategically, 45.R4h is a bad move, as the balance between S2f (attacking) and R4h (defence) is bad. It is interesting that this questionable move actually brings Abe within an inch of the Ryu-O title. 46.P7d-7e 04:48:00 05:11:00 47.G7h-7i 04:59:00 05:11:00 48.P7ex7f 04:59:00 05:13:00 49.S7gx7f 05:04:00 05:13:00 50.P*7e 05:04:00 05:13:00 51.S7fx8e 05:08:00 05:13:00 52.B6ix8g+ 05:08:00 06:00:00 53.K8hx8g 05:08:00 06:00:00 54.R8bx8e 05:08:00 06:00:00 55.P*8f 05:08:00 06:00:00 56.R8e-8b 05:08:00 06:00:00 57.P*7g 05:08:00 06:00:00 58.N8a-7c 05:08:00 06:02:00 59.R4h-2h 05:44:00 06:02:00 60.P5d-5e 05:44:00 06:20:00 61.P5fx5e 05:49:00 06:20:00 62.S6dx5e 05:49:00 06:24:00 63.P*5f 05:49:00 06:24:00 64.S5e-6d 05:49:00 06:30:00 Habu has exchanged the pawns in the centre and now strongly threatens the joining pawn tesuji P*8e Px8e P*8f. However, in his eagerness to make the best of the attacking opportunity given by Abe, he has underestimated black's next move. Instead of 60.P5e, he should have played 60.P*8e Px8e Nx8e P*8f Nx7g+, which gives white a good attack. 65.B*6a! 06:01:00 06:30:00 Very good. This not only defends against the joining pawn attack, but this bishop also helps an attack after P3e or P1e. 66.P9d-9e 06:01:00 06:46:00 A desperate attempt to give the attack more power, but hardly effective. 67.P9fx9e 06:05:00 06:46:00 68.P*8e 06:05:00 06:51:00 69.P8fx8e 06:06:00 06:51:00 70.P*8f 06:06:00 06:52:00 71.K8g-7h 06:06:00 06:52:00 72.N7cx8e 06:06:00 06:52:00 73.P*8h 06:07:00 06:52:00 74.P*9g 06:07:00 06:52:00 75.P9e-9d 06:46:00 06:52:00 76.S*9h 06:46:00 06:54:00 77.P1f-1e! 06:56:00 06:54:00 Well timed attack. Black now clearly has the better position. 78.S9hx9i+ 06:56:00 07:15:00 79.P1ex1d 06:56:00 07:15:00 80.P9g-9h+ 06:56:00 07:15:00 81.P1d-1c+ 06:58:00 07:15:00 82.N2ax1c 06:58:00 07:18:00 83.P*1b 07:01:00 07:18:00 84.L1ax1b 07:01:00 07:19:00 85.P*1d 07:01:00 07:19:00 86.L*1a 07:01:00 07:19:00 87.P1dx1c+ 07:11:00 07:19:00 88.L1bx1c 07:11:00 07:19:00 89.L1ix1c+ 07:11:00 07:19:00 90.L1ax1c 07:11:00 07:19:00 91.N*2d 07:11:00 07:19:00 And wins, thought Abe... 92.+P9hx8i! 07:11:00 07:23:00 The type of gamble that is the seed of Habu's magical skills. Habu has seen that he will lose and picks the moves most likely to confuse his opponent. 93.N2dx3b+? 07:46:00 07:23:00 The magic succeeds. Abe thought that he could win here with 93.Nx3b+ 94.Kx3b 95.B*2a. However, here he saw that this variation has an important flaw after 96.Kx2a Bx4c+ L*3b P2d +Px7i Kx7i Px2d P*2c B*9h!. After finding this he desperately tried to find another way to win in this variation, using a vital 23 minutes of his remaining 49. In the end he played Nx3b+ anyway. Under less pressure, he would have found the correct 93.B*1a K3a (Kx1a Nx3b+ Rx3b Bx4c+) Nx3b+ Kx3b Bx4c+ Kx4c G*5d Kx5d Bx3c+ and K5c fails to L*5d K6b +B5a K7b L5b+ and black wins. 94.K2bx3b 07:46:00 07:23:00 95.P2e-2d 07:57:00 07:23:00 96.+P8ix7i 07:57:00 07:28:00 97.K7hx7i 07:57:00 07:28:00 98.P2cx2d 07:57:00 07:28:00 99.G*2c 07:58:00 07:28:00 100.K3bx2c 07:58:00 07:29:00 101.B6ax4c+ 07:58:00 07:29:00 102.G*4b 07:58:00 07:36:00 103.+B4cx4b? 07:58:00 07:36:00 Abe has run out of time and he also has lost confidence in his position here. It is here that the difference between Habu and Abe becomes clear. Habu would not have given up here and certainly play 103.+B2a G*2b +B3a R8a +Bx4b Sx4b P*2e which still seems to be winning for black (K3c is answered by B*5d). After the game, Habu admitted that he had seen this, but that he had no choice but to hope for a white mistake. 104.R8bx4b 07:58:00 07:36:00 105.P*2e 07:58:00 07:36:00 106.B*3i 07:58:00 07:45:00 107.P2ex2d 07:58:00 07:45:00 108.S3cx2d 07:58:00 07:45:00 109.P*2e 07:59:00 07:45:00 110.B3ix2h+ 07:59:00 07:45:00 111.P2ex2d 07:59:00 07:45:00 112.K2c-3c 07:59:00 07:45:00 113.S*5d 07:59:00 07:45:00 114.R*4i 07:59:00 07:50:00 115.G*6i 07:59:00 07:50:00 116.+S9i-8i 07:59:00 07:50:00 117.K7i-6h 07:59:00 07:50:00 118.N8ex7g+ 07:59:00 07:50:00 119.K6hx7g 07:59:00 07:50:00 120.G*7f 07:59:00 07:50:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:50:00 Mate after 121.Gx7f Px7f and now either K6h G*6g Kx6g Rx6i+ or Kx8f R8b. A terrible way for Abe to bow out of the Ryu-O match. He got as close to the title as possible without actually winning it. One can only hope that this devastating loss will not have a lasting effect on Abe's career. On the other hand, one has to admire once again the never-say-die effort that Habu showed in this match. In bad form and exhausted from too many important games in a short time, he still managed to pull out this match after going 3-2 behind. This match could have gone down in history as Abe's breakthrough, but it will now be remembered for Habu's amazing come-back. In other shogi news: ==================== * Maruyama challenges Habu for the Kio title as he beat Goda in the deciding game of the Kio challenger tournament. Goda has advanced to the challenger final in three consecutive years, but failed to become challenger in every attempt. A sad record and I think he and Abe will be drinking partners for a while. * A big surprise in the A class Junisen as veteran Aono beat Shima to secure his place in the top class for another year with two games left to play. Shima is now at the bottom of the league with 2-5 and in serious danger of falling back to B1 after only one year. Shima shares last place surprisingly with Maruyama (lost against Goda) and Morishita (lost against Miura). Two rounds left to play and only two players who have no chances to challenge or be relegated. Again, the A Junisen is a very tight affair. -- 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