From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 25 jul 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no.1002 and 1003, July 16th and 23th 2003) In this week's Shukan Shogi report the first game of the Oi match between Tanigawa and Habu. Tanigawa started the match well by winning an exciting game with white. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [White "Tanigawa Koji, Oi"] [Event "44th Oi-sen, Game 1"] [Date "July 15th and 16th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00 3.P6g-6f 00:01:00 00:02:00 4.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:40:00 5.S7i-7h 00:13:00 00:40:00 6.R8b-2b 00:13:00 00:44:00 In the interview series in Shukan Shogi, Habu expressed an interest in the Ai-Furibisha opening. Not in the least worried about Tanigawa's opening preparation, Habu sticks to his word and plays it at the first opportunity. However, this is not the first time Habu and Tanigawa have played this opening. In their previous 132 encounters (Habu won 79 of those), they played the double ranging rook opening two times. Interestingly, these two games also were Oi title match games: the 4th game of the 40th Oi match in 1999 and the 1st game of the 41st Oi match in 2000. Both games started with P7f P3d P6f R3b and Habu won both of these games with black. In this game Tanigawa moves up the bishop to 3c and plays an opposing rook opening. This is a popular way of playing the Ai-furibisha these days. Both the A class Junisen games Fujii-Suzuki and Kubo-Suzuki were played in this way and both games were won by white. There is still a lot of unexplored territory in the Ai-Furibisha opening, but it looks like white also has good chances. 7.S3i-4h 00:18:00 00:44:00 8.S3a-4b 00:18:00 00:49:00 9.S7h-6g 00:31:00 00:49:00 10.K5a-6b 00:31:00 00:53:00 11.P3g-3f 00:39:00 00:53:00 12.S7a-7b 00:39:00 01:11:00 13.S4h-3g 00:49:00 01:11:00 14.K6b-7a 00:49:00 01:14:00 15.P8g-8f 01:39:00 01:14:00 16.G4a-5b 01:39:00 01:28:00 17.P8f-8e 01:42:00 01:28:00 18.P4c-4d 01:42:00 02:23:00 19.P6f-6e 02:02:00 02:23:00 20.S4b-4c 02:02:00 02:37:00 21.B8h-7g 02:31:00 02:37:00 22.P4d-4e 02:31:00 03:16:00 23.R2h-8h 02:40:00 03:16:00 24.R2b-3b 02:40:00 04:10:00 25.B7gx3c+ 03:34:00 04:10:00 The sealed move. Both players are taking their time to find the right places for their pieces. 26.N2ax3c 03:34:00 04:10:00 27.B*7g 03:47:00 04:10:00 28.S4c-5d 03:47:00 04:51:00 29.S6g-5f 03:47:00 04:51:00 30.G5b-4c 03:47:00 04:51:00 31.P8e-8d 03:54:00 04:51:00 32.P8cx8d 03:54:00 04:53:00 33.R8hx8d 03:54:00 04:53:00 34.P*8c 03:54:00 04:53:00 35.R8d-8h 03:54:00 04:53:00 36.R3b-6b 03:54:00 04:59:00 37.R8h-6h 03:57:00 04:59:00 38.P8c-8d 03:57:00 05:02:00 39.G6i-5h 04:07:00 05:02:00 40.S7b-8c 04:07:00 05:02:00 41.K5i-4h 04:07:00 05:02:00 42.G6a-7b 04:07:00 05:02:00 43.K4h-3h 04:27:00 05:02:00 44.P9c-9d 04:27:00 05:03:00 45.P9g-9f 04:27:00 05:03:00 46.P2c-2d 04:27:00 05:04:00 47.G4i-4h 04:45:00 05:04:00 48.P1c-1d 04:45:00 05:10:00 49.P1g-1f 04:57:00 05:10:00 50.L1a-1c 04:57:00 05:10:00 51.B7g-6f 04:58:00 05:10:00 52.R6b-1b 04:58:00 05:40:00 53.S3g-2h 05:15:00 05:40:00 54.R1b-4b 05:15:00 05:46:00 55.N8i-7g 05:17:00 05:46:00 56.P7c-7d 05:17:00 05:49:00 57.R6h-8h 05:20:00 05:49:00 58.B*8b 05:20:00 05:53:00 59.P7f-7e 05:47:00 05:53:00 60.P7dx7e 05:47:00 05:55:00 61.G5h-6g 05:47:00 05:55:00 62.G4c-4d 05:47:00 06:30:00 63.B6fx7e 05:48:00 06:30:00 64.K7a-6b 05:48:00 06:30:00 65.P6e-6d 05:59:00 06:30:00 66.P6cx6d 05:59:00 06:33:00 67.B7e-6f 05:59:00 06:33:00 68.P4e-4f 05:59:00 06:59:00 69.P4gx4f 06:00:00 06:59:00 70.P6d-6e 06:00:00 07:00:00 71.N7gx6e 06:09:00 07:00:00 72.P*6d 06:09:00 07:01:00 73.P*7c 06:10:00 07:01:00 74.N8ax7c 06:10:00 07:01:00 75.N6ex7c+ 06:10:00 07:01:00 76.B8bx7c 06:10:00 07:01:00 77.P*6c 06:18:00 07:01:00 78.S5dx6c 06:18:00 07:01:00 79.N*7e 06:18:00 07:01:00 80.N*5d 06:18:00 07:02:00 81.B6f-7g 06:19:00 07:02:00 82.P6d-6e 06:19:00 07:15:00 83.S2h-3g 06:21:00 07:15:00 84.P3d-3e 06:21:00 07:19:00 85.P3fx3e? 06:51:00 07:19:00 A long build-up has resulted in a very difficult endgame position. Habu is the first one to make a mistake. Correct was 85.P6d Sx6d P*6c K5b Nx8c+ Gx8c S*2b. Now Rx2b fails to Bx4d, so white has to play N*4a after which Sx1c= is winning material. Tanigawa had little faith in this position, but things are actually quite complicated if white answers Sx1c= with P6f. For example, Gx6f Nx6f Bx6f P*6e Bx4d Rx4d G*7b is far from clear. 86.P*3f 06:51:00 07:22:00 87.S3gx3f 06:51:00 07:22:00 88.S8c-7d 06:51:00 07:23:00 This gives white thickness in the center. The advantage is small, but white now has the upper hand. 89.N7ex6c+ 07:02:00 07:23:00 90.G7bx6c 07:02:00 07:23:00 91.P*6d 07:14:00 07:23:00 In the press room, 91.P*7e was also analyzed, but after 92.Sx7e P*7d Bx4f S*3g P6f black is in trouble. 92.G6cx6d 07:14:00 07:29:00 93.P3e-3d 07:20:00 07:29:00 94.G4dx3d 07:20:00 07:30:00 95.S*2c 07:20:00 07:30:00 Because of the strong bishop on 7g, this seems hard to defend against... 96.N*8e! 07:20:00 07:31:00 But this is the perfect answer. Black now has to give up the bishop as 97.B8f G2e makes the silver on 2c a worthless chunk of wood. 97.S2cx3d+ 07:24:00 07:31:00 98.N8ex7g+ 07:24:00 07:31:00 99.G6gx7g 07:24:00 07:31:00 100.N3c-2e 07:24:00 07:31:00 Taking out the strong bishop on 7g followed by this activation of the knight is more than enough compensation for the lost material. Both players thought that white was clearly better here, but actually the difference is still marginal. 101.N*4e 07:33:00 07:31:00 102.N5dx4f 07:33:00 07:37:00 103.K3h-2h 07:33:00 07:37:00 104.B*5i 07:33:00 07:41:00 105.G7g-7f 07:45:00 07:41:00 106.G6d-5e 07:45:00 07:45:00 107.P*3g 07:52:00 07:45:00 108.G5ex5f 07:52:00 07:49:00 109.P5gx5f 07:52:00 07:49:00 110.B5ix4h+ 07:52:00 07:49:00 111.R8hx4h 07:52:00 07:49:00 112.G*3h 07:52:00 07:49:00 113.R4hx3h 07:52:00 07:49:00 114.N4fx3h+ 07:52:00 07:49:00 115.K2hx3h 07:52:00 07:49:00 116.R*7h 07:52:00 07:49:00 117.P*6h 07:53:00 07:49:00 118.R7hx6h+ 07:53:00 07:50:00 119.P*4h 07:53:00 07:50:00 120.P*4g 07:53:00 07:52:00 121.N4ex5c+ 07:53:00 07:52:00 122.K6b-7a 07:53:00 07:52:00 123.G*6b? 07:56:00 07:52:00 Looks like a strong attack, but after the game Habu said that this was the decisive mistake. Better was 123.Sx4g and after 124.S*5g G*6b Bx6b +Nx6b Rx6b P*7b Kx7b B*3f P*5d G*4i black still has chances to turn the tables. 124.B7cx6b! 07:56:00 07:55:00 A change of plan. Tanigawa wanted to play 124.K8b here, but realized just in time that he would be mated after 125.B*7a K8c N*9e! Px9e G*9d! Kx9d G*9c! Lx9c Px9e K8c Bx9c+ Kx9c P9d etc. A beautiful mate with three sacrifices in a row that shocked Tanigawa. For a moment he thought that the game had slipped away from him. 125.+N5cx6b 07:56:00 07:55:00 126.K7ax6b! 07:56:00 07:56:00 A second change of plan. Here Tanigawa intended 126.Rx6b, but again he saw in time that black has the beautiful reply 127.G*8b!. Then white loses the promoted rook after both 128.Rx8b B*3e or 128.Kx8b B*4f. Tanigawa is a little bit lucky that for the second time there is a winning alternative to the losing move he originally wanted to play. 127.N*5d 07:56:00 07:56:00 128.K6b-7c 07:56:00 07:57:00 129.B*4f 07:59:00 07:57:00 130.R4bx4f 07:59:00 07:59:00 131.B*6b 07:59:00 07:59:00 132.K7c-6d 07:59:00 07:59:00 133.G*5e 07:59:00 07:59:00 134.K6d-6c 07:59:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:59:00 No mate and no defense, so Habu has nothing but to resign. A very exciting game with a lot of drama in the endgame. Also a big win for Tanigawa with white in the opening game of this match. Let's hope we will see seven games of this type of shogi! In other shogi news: ==================== * In the Oza challenger tournament, 19-year old Watanabe upset Moriuchi in the semi-finals. Watanabe had the early lead, but Moriuchi managed to turn the position around, only to throw the game away in the endgame where the amount of time he used to get back in the game turned out to be the decisive factor. Can Watanabe win one more to get to his first title match? * Yamasaki seems unstoppable this year. In the challenger finals of the Ryu-O tournament, he reached the second round by beating Takano. In itself this is not a very surprising result, but it was Yamasaki's 20th consecutive win. Only six players in history have ever won 20 or more games in a row. Still a long way to go to Kamiya's record of 28, but this already looks like Yamasaki's breakthrough season (and it is only July!). * In the A class of the Junisen three second round games were played. Tanigawa won his second game in a row against Aono, while Fujii recovered from his false start against Suzuki by beating Shima. Maruyama also got his first win and beating Sato could be a very important result, considering that both players are expected to stay in the challenger race until the end. Shima and Aono already have to start worrying about relegation with two losses. * In B1, the third round was played. A strange game between Abe and Goda, where Goda suddenly resigned in a middle game position that seemed far from clear. There was also almost no post-mortem analysis to clear up what had happened. A bit of a letdown as this was considered a big game between two promotion rivals. Abe will not be bothered too much, getting his third win in a row and sharing the lead with Fukaura. They are followed by Morishita, Senzaki, Nakagawa and Kitahama who have two wins from three games. Inoue already suffered his 3rd loss promotion seems to be out of the question this year. * In B2 the second round was played and the biggest result was that Minami beat Kimura. Minami is of course a very strong player with quite a few titles to his name, but Kimura was the odds-on favorite to promote this year. This is still possible, but he will have to come from behind to catch up with the leaders Minami, Namekata, Izumi, Mori, Nishikawa and Horiguchi. * In C1 also the second round was played and so far things are going well for Yashiki. He also won his second game, sharing the lead with Kobayashi Kenji, Toyokawa, Nakata Isao, Ishikawa, Naganuma, Nozuki, Watanabe and Awaji. Only two promotion spots in this big class with 32 players, so any mistake can be vital. 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