From: Reijer Grimbergen FU IS SAGA-U AC JP> Date: 6 mar 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 982 and 983, February 26th and March 5th 2003) This week in Shukan Shogi the third game of the Kio match between Habu and Maruyama. Maruyama played a game in which he showed a lot of fighting spirit. The game could have gone either way, but this time it was Habu who lost a close endgame. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Kio"] [White "Maruyama Tadahisa, Challenger"] [Event "28th Kio-sen, Game 3"] [Date "February 21st 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:00:00 4.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:00:00 5.P2f-2e 00:03:00 00:00:00 6.P8d-8e 00:03:00 00:00:00 7.G6i-7h 00:04:00 00:00:00 8.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:00:00 9.P2e-2d 00:05:00 00:00:00 10.P2cx2d 00:05:00 00:00:00 11.R2hx2d 00:05:00 00:00:00 12.P8e-8f 00:05:00 00:00:00 13.P8gx8f 00:07:00 00:00:00 14.R8bx8f 00:07:00 00:00:00 15.R2dx3d 00:08:00 00:00:00 16.B2b-3c 00:08:00 00:00:00 17.R3d-3f 00:12:00 00:00:00 18.K5a-4a 00:12:00 00:00:00 19.K5i-5h 00:17:00 00:00:00 20.S3a-2b 00:17:00 00:01:00 21.G4i-3h 00:18:00 00:01:00 22.G6a-5a 00:18:00 00:02:00 23.P*8g 00:21:00 00:02:00 24.R8f-8e 00:21:00 00:03:00 25.R3f-5f!? 00:22:00 00:03:00 A very recent new idea, introduced by Miura in his A class Junisen game against Habu on February 5th. Normal is 25.R2f, but there are a number of reasons why R5f is worth a thorough investigation. First, with the rook on 2f, black blocks the sideway working of the rook after a future P3f (an inevitable move in this opening). This gives white the chance to start a counter attack with P8f aiming at the pawn on 7f. With the rook on 5f, this pawn is still defended. Another white attacking plan is P7e followed by Px7f or P*7f if black takes the pawn. With the rook on 5f this is also not very threatening as black can take back with Rx7f. Finally, moves to pester the rook like P*2e or B(*)4d are also no longer possible. Of course, having the rook on 5f has its drawbacks. After all, Habu won the game against Miura in 58 moves... 26.S7a-6b 00:22:00 00:08:00 27.P3g-3f 00:22:00 00:08:00 28.P7c-7d 00:22:00 00:26:00 29.N2i-3g 00:27:00 00:26:00 30.N8a-7c 00:27:00 00:27:00 31.S3i-4h 00:27:00 00:27:00 32.P9c-9d 00:27:00 00:44:00 33.P9g-9f 00:36:00 00:44:00 34.P1c-1d 00:36:00 01:12:00 35.B8h-7g! 00:40:00 01:12:00 Important. Miura answered the edge pawn push with 33.P1f (in that game the edge pawns were still on 9g and Pd) and got into trouble after 34.P*2f since 35.P*2h is answered by 36.P1e Px1e P*1h Lx1h B*2i. 36.B3c-4d 00:40:00 01:27:00 Almost a waiting move. A clever way to invite Habu into action. 37.P9f-9e?! 01:37:00 01:27:00 Played after a long thought, but after the game Habu criticized his choice. The idea is that 37.Px9e 38.Px9e 39.P7e is good for black after both 40.Rx7e P*9b Lx9b P*9c Lx9c Bx4d Px4d B*8d or 40.R8d P*9b Lx9b Bx4d Px4d Px7d Rx7d B*8c. 38.S2b-3c! 01:37:00 02:01:00 This is the move that Habu underestimated. When black takes the edge pawn on 9d, this only invites a counter attack on that file. Still, black has no choice. 39.P9ex9d 01:48:00 02:01:00 40.P*9g 01:48:00 02:07:00 41.L9ix9g 02:36:00 02:07:00 42.N7c-6e 02:36:00 02:26:00 43.B7gx4d 02:41:00 02:26:00 44.S3cx4d 02:41:00 02:26:00 45.P3f-3e 02:41:00 02:26:00 46.B*9h 02:41:00 03:15:00 47.B*9f 02:45:00 03:15:00 48.R8e-8d 02:45:00 03:15:00 49.G7h-8h 03:02:00 03:15:00 50.B9hx8i+ 03:02:00 03:18:00 51.G8hx8i 03:02:00 03:18:00 52.L9ax9d 03:02:00 03:18:00 53.B*6f 03:11:00 03:18:00 54.N*7e! 03:11:00 03:23:00 White is desperately attacking, while black is desperately defending. It is very hard to say how is better in this position, but after 54.N*7e the white attack becomes unstoppable. The question is, can black set up a faster attack? 55.P7fx7e 03:28:00 03:23:00 Here Habu intended to play 55.S7h, but he realised in time that after 56.Lx9f Lx9f Nx6g+ Kx6g (Sx6g Rx8g+) B*4i white is winning. 56.L9dx9f 03:28:00 03:23:00 57.B6fx4d 03:29:00 03:23:00 58.P4cx4d 03:29:00 03:24:00 59.L9gx9f 03:29:00 03:24:00 60.N6e-7g+ 03:29:00 03:50:00 61.S7i-7h 03:30:00 03:50:00 62.+N7gx7h 03:30:00 03:52:00 63.G8ix7h 03:30:00 03:52:00 64.B*8i 03:30:00 03:52:00 65.S*6i 03:34:00 03:52:00 66.B*9g 03:34:00 03:53:00 67.R5f-2f 03:36:00 03:53:00 68.P*2c 03:36:00 03:54:00 69.L*2e 03:36:00 03:54:00 This attack looks heavy, but also impossible to stop. Many thought here that the black attack was going to be quicker than the white one. 70.P2c-2d! 03:36:00 03:56:00 71.L2ex2d 03:36:00 03:56:00 72.S*1e! 03:36:00 03:56:00 With this fine one-two defensive punch, Maruyama shows his resilience. Being forced to drop this silver here doesn't look very good, but it is white's only chance to win. 73.R2f-2i? 03:36:00 03:56:00 Better is 73.R4f Bx7h+ Sx7h B7i+ Rx4d K5b Rx7d and the position is still very difficult. 74.P*2f 03:36:00 03:56:00 75.L2dx2a+? 03:52:00 03:56:00 Habu uses 16 minutes to make the decisive mistake. 75.N*3f Bx7h+ Sx7h B8h+ P*2c +Bx7h P2b+ G4c N*5e still gives black reasonable chances to win. After 75.Lx2a+ the black attack is too slow. 76.B8ix7h+ 03:52:00 03:56:00 77.S6ix7h 03:52:00 03:56:00 78.B9g-8h+ 03:52:00 03:56:00 79.P*2c 03:56:00 03:56:00 80.+B8hx7h 03:56:00 03:57:00 81.P2c-2b+ 03:56:00 03:57:00 82.G3b-4b 03:56:00 03:58:00 83.B*2e 03:56:00 03:58:00 84.G5a-5b! 03:56:00 03:58:00 The decisive move. Black can't get to the white king in time. 85.+L2a-3a 03:58:00 03:58:00 86.K4a-5a 03:58:00 03:58:00 87.+P2b-3b 03:58:00 03:58:00 88.R8dx8g+ 03:58:00 03:58:00 89.+P3bx4b 03:58:00 03:58:00 90.K5ax4b 03:58:00 03:58:00 91.N*5i 03:58:00 03:58:00 92.+R8g-8h 03:58:00 03:58:00 93.K5h-4i 03:58:00 03:58:00 94.+B7h-6i 03:58:00 03:58:00 95.K4i-3i 03:58:00 03:58:00 96.S*2g 03:58:00 03:58:00 Resigns 03:59:00 03:58:00 White threatens mate with Sx3h+ Kx3h +Rx4h etc. and there is no defence. 97.Gx2g is answered by G*4i followed by mate and 97.Rx2g Px2g+ also wins for white. A fine game to win for Maruyama. Not only does he save the match, he also stopped Habu who was on a roll, especially with black. Habu had won all the title match games he played this year and had a winning streak of 25 games with the black pieces going into this game. Game 4 will prove if this game has given Maruyama enough confidence to get back into this Kio match. In other shogi news: ==================== * In the Kisei tournament the play-offs for places in the knock-out tournament were played between the players who scored one win and one loss in their league. Moriuchi beat Kubo, Shima beat Kamiya, Sugimoto beat Kato and Kobayashi Hiroshi beat Miura to claim a place in the final eight. The challenger knock-out has the following match-ups: Maruyama-Sugimoto, Moriuchi-Suzuki, Kimura-Kobayashi and Shima-Goda. * Sato had a good start in the white group of the Oi leagues as he beat Ohira in their first round game. While Moriuchi and Habu lost their first games in the red group, the white group has no upsets so far. * The Asahi Open is reaching its climax as the four semi-finalist are known. Habu and Yamasaki joined Fukuara and Aono with victories against Kimura and Nozuki respectively. Who will become the challenger of Horiguchi Kazushiza? * Nakai defended her Ladies Meijin title with a win in the decisive fifth game against challenger Usui. Usui looked to be in control after taking a 2-1 lead in the match, but Nakai managed to come back to take her 9th Meijin title, improving her own record. -- 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