From: Reijer Grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp> Date: 14 nov 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1018 and 1019, November 5th and 12th In this week's Shukan Shogi report the second game of the Ryu-O match between Habu and Moriuchi. So far, this match looks like the complete opposite of the Meijin match Habu and Moriuchi played earlier this year. Moriuchi is playing well and Habu is struggling and this has given the challenger a 2-0 lead after a game that was all Moriuchi. Habu will have to get his act together quickly, or this year will end with he and Moriuchi just swapping the two most coveted professional titles. Here is the second game with comments: [Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Ryu-O"] [Event "16th Ryu-O sen, Game 2"] [Date "November 4th and 5th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:03:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:03:00 4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:05:00 5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:05:00 6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:07:00 7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:07:00 8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:09:00 9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:09:00 10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:12:00 11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:12:00 12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:22:00 13.P8gx8f 00:02:00 00:22:00 14.R8bx8f 00:02:00 00:23:00 15.R2dx3d 00:02:00 00:23:00 16.B2b-3c 00:02:00 00:29:00 17.R3d-3f 00:03:00 00:29:00 18.S3a-2b 00:03:00 00:34:00 19.P*8g 00:08:00 00:34:00 20.R8f-8d 00:08:00 00:53:00 Because of the recent popularity of the R8e-Yokofudori, this move almost looks like an anachronism. Habu is planning to follow an idea often played by Fukaura these days: leave the pawn on 7c and switch the rook to 3d to make a Hineribisha shape. However, Moriuchi comes prepared and has the perfect counter to this approach. 21.R3f-2f 00:09:00 00:53:00 22.K5a-4a 00:09:00 00:55:00 23.K5i-5h 00:26:00 00:55:00 24.S7a-6b 00:26:00 00:59:00 25.P3g-3f 00:26:00 00:59:00 26.P5c-5d 00:26:00 01:02:00 27.S3i-4h 00:37:00 01:02:00 28.P5d-5e 00:37:00 01:12:00 29.S7i-6h 00:42:00 01:12:00 30.P7c-7d 00:42:00 01:49:00 Habu gives up his plans to switch to rook to 3d. The reason is that Moriuchi has kept his gold on 4i, which is the perfect place for defending against a rook attack from the right side. 31.P3f-3e 01:28:00 01:49:00 32.N8a-7c 01:28:00 01:53:00 33.G4i-3h 01:30:00 01:53:00 34.G6a-5a 01:30:00 02:02:00 35.P1g-1f 01:46:00 02:02:00 36.R8d-8e 01:46:00 02:32:00 Trying to get back to a normal R8e position. Not really the optimal way to get into that position, but recently a number of strategies where black or white give up moves have popped up. In shogi there are many positions where losing moves is not a serious problem. The question is: is this position one of those? It seems like it is not... 37.N2i-3g 02:43:00 02:32:00 38.B3c-4d 02:43:00 03:18:00 39.P4g-4f! 03:06:00 03:18:00 Good move. Moriuchi ignores the attack on the pawn on 3e. He has correctly judged that 40.Bx3e S4g is good for black, as the silver will move up very quickly by using the white bishop as a target. 40.P5e-5f 03:06:00 04:33:00 41.B8hx4d 03:15:00 04:33:00 42.P4cx4d 03:15:00 04:34:00 43.P5gx5f 04:21:00 04:34:00 44.P*8f 04:21:00 04:38:00 45.N8i-7g! 05:33:00 04:38:00 Shows that Habu's opening play was suspect. Habu underestimated this move, counting on 45.Px8f Rx8f P*8g Rx7f which is interesting for white. 46.R8e-8d 05:33:00 05:58:00 Admitting the mistake, but giving black a big advantage. Habu intended to play 46.Px8g+, but after Nx8e +Px7h Nx7c+ Sx7c the move B*5d! is very strong. For example, B*6i K4i P*2e Nx2e +Px6h Nx3c+ leads to mate after Nx3c Bx3b+ Kx3b Rx2b+ Kx2b N*3d. There are of course a lot of other things white can try, but it seems that white loses the mutual attack in all cases. 47.P8gx8f 05:52:00 05:58:00 48.R8dx8f 05:52:00 05:59:00 49.P*8g 06:06:00 05:59:00 50.P*2e 06:06:00 06:01:00 51.R2f-2i 06:44:00 06:01:00 52.R8f-8d 06:44:00 06:05:00 53.S4h-4g 06:46:00 06:05:00 54.P7d-7e 06:46:00 06:06:00 55.B*6f 06:47:00 06:06:00 56.R8d-5d 06:47:00 06:15:00 The professionals in the press room expected the simple 56.R7d, but Habu had seen that after 57.Px7e R8d P8f! P*7f N8e N6e Rx2e he has no pawns in hand which makes it impossible to defend or attack. 57.B6fx7e 06:51:00 06:15:00 58.R5d-7d 06:51:00 06:15:00 59.S6h-5g 06:58:00 06:15:00 60.B*5d 06:58:00 06:22:00 61.P4f-4e 07:03:00 06:22:00 62.B5dx7f 07:03:00 06:35:00 63.B7e-6f 07:03:00 06:35:00 64.S6b-5c 07:03:00 06:35:00 65.P*2c 07:13:00 06:35:00 66.S2bx2c 07:13:00 06:36:00 67.P*2b 07:13:00 06:36:00 68.G3bx2b 07:13:00 06:43:00 69.P4ex4d 07:13:00 06:43:00 70.K4a-3b 07:13:00 06:44:00 71.S4g-3f! 07:30:00 06:44:00 Coolly played. There was a subtle trap here that Moriuchi had to evade. 71.P*2d 72.Sx2d 73.P*2c 74.Kx2c 75.Sx3f looks very good for black. However, if white plays the hidden move 74.G1b! (instead of Kx2c), the black attack is suddenly stopped. The terrible looking gold on 1b is actually keeping the white position together. 72.S5cx4d 07:30:00 06:54:00 73.P*4e 07:30:00 06:54:00 74.S4d-3c 07:30:00 07:10:00 75.B6f-5e! 07:30:00 07:10:00 Another good move. This aims at P*7e Rx7e S6f R7d P*7e winning the knight on 7c. If white defends with 76.G6b, the gold is no longer defending the king and 76.P*7b makes it no longer possible for white to attack with P*7f. 76.B7f-9d 07:30:00 07:22:00 77.P*7e 07:35:00 07:22:00 78.R7dx7e 07:35:00 07:24:00 79.P4e-4d 07:35:00 07:24:00 80.P*7f 07:35:00 07:29:00 81.S5g-6f 07:52:00 07:29:00 82.R7ex5e 07:52:00 07:32:00 83.S6fx5e 07:52:00 07:32:00 84.P7fx7g+ 07:52:00 07:32:00 85.G7hx7g 07:52:00 07:32:00 86.P*5g 07:52:00 07:36:00 87.K5h-4h 07:55:00 07:36:00 88.N*2f 07:55:00 07:37:00 89.N3gx2e! 07:58:00 07:37:00 The white attack looks dangerous, but despite being in time trouble, Moriuchi manages to find the winning continuation. 90.P5g-5h+ 07:58:00 07:37:00 91.K4hx5h 07:58:00 07:37:00 92.N2fx3h+ 07:58:00 07:37:00 93.N2ex3c+ 07:58:00 07:37:00 94.G2bx3c 07:58:00 07:37:00 Habu decides to gamble on the difficult mate rather than the simple hisshi. 94.Nx3c is not mate, but a simple win for black after 95.S*4c K2a Rx2c+. 95.S*4c 07:58:00 07:37:00 96.K3b-2b 07:58:00 07:37:00 97.R*3b 07:59:00 07:37:00 98.G3cx3b 07:59:00 07:37:00 99.S4cx3b+ 07:59:00 07:37:00 100.K2bx3b 07:59:00 07:37:00 101.R2ix2c+! 07:59:00 07:37:00 Moriuchi had one final hurdle to take. 101.P4c+ Kx4c Rx2c+ K5b S*6a looks mate, but after K6b or even Kx6a +Rx6c P*6b the bishop on 9d is working in defense, so there is no mate. 102.K3bx2c 07:59:00 07:37:00 103.P*2d 07:59:00 07:37:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:37:00 Mate after 103.Kx2d G*3d K1d P1e or 103.K3c S*3d K3b P4c+. A perfect game by Moriuchi, who punished Habu's indecisiveness in the opening. He is 2-0 up and the pressure is now all on Habu in the third game. In other shogi news: ==================== * In the A class, Sato kept his hopes of challenging for the title alive with a victory against Fujii. Sato now is 3-2, while Fujii drops to a dangerous 1-4 and has to be very careful not to drop out of the top class this year. Aono suddenly can hope to stay in after a victory against Kubo. Aono is still only 1-4, but has the players in front of him in sight again. Kubo's hopes of challenging in his rookie year are almost gone at 3-2. In the final game, Miura beat Maruyama to get to 3-2, while Maruyama dropped to 2-3. It seems that neither player will have much to play for in the rest of the Junisen season. * In B1, the 8th round was played and Fukaura was finally stopped by Morishita after seven consecutive wins. Fukaura is still very much in the driver's seat to the A class with 7-1. Takahashi was not able to close the gap with a loss to Inoue and dropped back to 5-2. Surprisingly, rookie Kitahama is now in second place. Kitahama beat Nakamura to improve his score to 6-2. Furthermore, his remaining schedule does not look that impressive (except for Senzaki in the next round), so it is a definite possibility that we will see him in the top class next year. Kitahama is famous for keeping his best shogi for the Junisen and this might actually put him among shogi's elite players next year. * In the Osho league Tanigawa takes the lead by beating Kubo. Tanigawa is now 3-0 and his only remaining rivals seem to be Moriuchi (2-1) and either Morishita or Goda (both on 1-1). * Tamura beat Namekata in the decisive third game of the Shinjin-O match to get his first Shinjin-O title. 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 --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: shogi-l shogi net EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a2i6Ys.a7fLMV.c2hvZ2kt Or send an email to: shogi-unsubscribe topica com TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html --^----------------------------------------------------------------