From: Reijer Grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp> Date: 03 oct 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1013, October 1st 2003) This Shukan Shogi report finally brings me back to current events. It features the third game of the Oza match between Habu and Watanabe. This game was Habu's for the taking, but he let it slip through his fingers and now Watanabe is suddenly only one win away from his first title. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"] [White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"] [Event "51st Oza-sen, Game 3"] [Date "September 25th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:02:00 4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 5.P2f-2e 00:19:00 00:02:00 6.P8d-8e 00:19:00 00:03:00 7.G6i-7h 00:19:00 00:03:00 8.G4a-3b 00:19:00 00:04:00 9.P2e-2d 00:20:00 00:04:00 10.P2cx2d 00:20:00 00:05:00 11.R2hx2d 00:20:00 00:05:00 12.P8e-8f 00:20:00 00:05:00 13.P8gx8f 00:21:00 00:05:00 14.R8bx8f 00:21:00 00:06:00 15.R2dx3d 00:22:00 00:06:00 16.B2b-3c 00:22:00 00:06:00 17.R3d-3f 00:23:00 00:06:00 18.S3a-2b 00:23:00 00:08:00 19.K5i-5h 00:25:00 00:08:00 20.K5a-4a 00:25:00 00:11:00 21.P*8g 00:29:00 00:11:00 22.R8f-8e 00:29:00 00:13:00 23.B8hx3c+ 00:30:00 00:13:00 24.N2ax3c 00:30:00 00:14:00 25.N8i-7g 00:30:00 00:14:00 26.R8e-2e 00:30:00 00:18:00 27.P*2f 00:30:00 00:18:00 28.R2e-2d 00:30:00 00:18:00 29.R3f-5f 00:30:00 00:18:00 30.G6a-6b 00:30:00 00:39:00 Up until this move, the game is identical to game 2. There Habu played 30.B*4e and lost quickly after 31.N6e. Of course, Watanabe plays it differently. He just defends the pawn on 5c. 31.G4i-3h 00:31:00 00:39:00 32.R2d-5d 00:31:00 00:53:00 33.R5f-6f 00:35:00 00:53:00 34.K4a-5b 00:35:00 00:55:00 35.P7f-7e 00:39:00 00:55:00 36.G6b-7b 00:39:00 01:03:00 37.S7i-6h 00:42:00 01:03:00 38.S7a-8b 00:42:00 01:12:00 39.R6f-7f 00:54:00 01:12:00 40.S8b-8c 00:54:00 01:23:00 41.S3i-4h 01:35:00 01:23:00 42.P7c-7d 01:35:00 01:40:00 43.P7ex7d 01:38:00 01:40:00 44.S8cx7d 01:38:00 01:44:00 45.P*7e 01:41:00 01:44:00 46.S7d-8c 01:41:00 01:45:00 47.P8g-8f 01:41:00 01:45:00 48.P9c-9d 01:41:00 02:32:00 49.P8f-8e 01:52:00 02:32:00 50.P9d-9e 01:52:00 02:32:00 51.P3g-3f 02:34:00 02:32:00 52.P1c-1d 02:34:00 02:55:00 53.N2i-3g 02:49:00 02:55:00 54.P1d-1e 02:49:00 03:05:00 55.P5g-5f! 03:18:00 03:05:00 White has extended both of his edge pawns and it seems that white has a solid, active position. However, Habu shows his deep strategic understanding of this position by finding a plan that will soon make it impossible for Watanabe to defend his position. Step one of this plan is 55.P5f. Black aims at S4h-5g followed by P5e next (Rx5e is then answered by B*4f). 56.R5d-2d 03:18:00 03:28:00 Watanabe decides to move the rook early, but this sets up the second stage of black's plans. 57.B*4f 03:41:00 03:28:00 58.R2d-9d 03:41:00 03:30:00 59.P9g-9f! 03:41:00 03:30:00 The combination of the bishop on 4f and the counter attack against the extended edge pawn gets white in trouble. For example, 60.Px9f fails to 61.P*9e Rx9e P7d and black breaks through on 7c. 60.P*7c 03:41:00 04:03:00 The threat of the bishop on 4f has to be stopped, but dropping a pawn here sets up the final stage of the black plan. 61.P9fx9e 03:44:00 04:03:00 62.R9d-3d 03:44:00 04:03:00 63.R7f-8f 03:50:00 04:03:00 64.P*8d 03:50:00 04:06:00 65.P8ex8d 03:55:00 04:06:00 66.S8cx8d 03:55:00 04:06:00 67.P5f-5e 03:58:00 04:06:00 68.P*9f 03:58:00 04:11:00 69.B4f-5g! 04:05:00 04:11:00 Habu's plan is complete. The indirect attack of the white silver on 8d will soon make it impossible for white to hold the position together. The pawn on 7c is important because the silver on 8d can now no longer retreat from the attack of the bishop. From now on, Habu is no longer aiming at only winning this game, but winning it in the same fashion that Watanabe won game two: complete destruction. 70.P*8e 04:05:00 04:28:00 71.R8f-5f 04:08:00 04:28:00 72.B*8c 04:08:00 04:40:00 73.P3f-3e 04:13:00 04:40:00 74.R3d-4d 04:13:00 04:41:00 75.R5f-4f? 04:17:00 04:41:00 Here Habu could have ended the game quickly with 75.P7d. Then 76.Bx7d R3f threatens both Bx8d and P3d and 76.Rx7d P5d! Px5d (Rx5d Rx5d Px5d Bx8d) P3d Rx7g+ (what else?) Sx7g Bx5f P*5c wins for black. 76.R4d-6d 04:17:00 04:41:00 77.R4f-3f 04:21:00 04:41:00 78.S2b-2c 04:21:00 04:41:00 79.L9ix9f 04:26:00 04:41:00 80.P7c-7d 04:26:00 04:45:00 81.P7ex7d 04:27:00 04:45:00 82.R6dx7d 04:27:00 04:45:00 83.G7h-8g 04:31:00 04:45:00 84.N8a-7c 04:31:00 04:53:00 85.P*7f 04:35:00 04:53:00 86.R7d-6d 04:35:00 04:55:00 87.P9e-9d? 04:41:00 04:55:00 Looks good, as black will win easily if he manages to make a promoted pawn on 9c, but there is a very important problem with this move. Habu should have played 87.P2e here and it is still very likely that black will win. 88.P*9e 04:41:00 04:55:00 89.L9fx9e 04:41:00 04:55:00 90.S8dx9e 04:41:00 04:55:00 91.P9d-9c+ 04:41:00 04:55:00 92.B8c-7d! 04:41:00 04:55:00 93.P7f-7e 04:48:00 04:55:00 94.B7d-6e! 04:48:00 04:55:00 The problem. By sacrificing this bishop, white brings the knight on 7c into play. Furthermore, by first moving the bishop to 7d, white has forced the pawn to 7e, which blocks the black bishop on 5g. Suddenly, the tables have been turned. 95.N7gx6e 04:48:00 04:55:00 The alternative 95.G7f is also good for white after 96.Bx7f Rx7f S*8f P*7d Sx7g+ Sx7g N*6e. 96.N7cx6e 04:48:00 04:55:00 97.B5g-6f 04:48:00 04:55:00 98.N*4d 04:48:00 04:55:00 99.R3f-4f 04:48:00 04:55:00 100.L9ax9c 04:48:00 04:55:00 101.G8g-7f 04:50:00 04:55:00 102.L*5f 04:50:00 04:56:00 The combination of the knight on 4d and the lance on 5f is very strong. White is winning, albeit just barely. 103.K5h-4i 04:50:00 04:56:00 104.P*3f 04:50:00 04:56:00 105.N3g-2e 04:51:00 04:56:00 106.N3cx2e 04:51:00 04:56:00 107.P2fx2e 04:51:00 04:56:00 108.N*3g 04:51:00 04:57:00 109.S4hx3g 04:53:00 04:57:00 110.P3fx3g+ 04:53:00 04:57:00 111.G3hx3g 04:53:00 04:57:00 112.L5f-5g+ 04:53:00 04:58:00 113.N*4e 04:55:00 04:58:00 114.+L5gx6h 04:55:00 04:59:00 115.K4i-3h 04:56:00 04:59:00 116.+L6hx6g 04:56:00 04:59:00 117.G7fx6e 04:58:00 04:59:00 118.R6dx6e 04:58:00 04:59:00 119.P5e-5d 04:58:00 04:59:00 120.P*3f! 04:58:00 04:59:00 In byoyomi, Watanabe shows his great endgame instincts. He was unable to calculate this to the end in 60 seconds, but he felt that his attack was stronger. 121.P5dx5c+ 04:58:00 04:59:00 122.K5b-4a 04:58:00 04:59:00 123.G3gx3f 04:58:00 04:59:00 124.N4dx3f 04:58:00 04:59:00 125.B6fx1a+ 04:59:00 04:59:00 126.G*2f 04:59:00 04:59:00 Resigns 04:59:00 04:59:00 After 127.N*3c or N3c=, white can just play K5a and there is no continuation. On the other hand, the black king can not be defended. A shocking defeat for Habu. From Habu's demeanor after the game it is always impossible to tell if he won or lost but today was different. He was very clearly upset with himself for letting such a golden opportunity slip away. The last thing he wanted was to give his young challenger the feeling that he could win the match. This is exactly what happened and Habu will now need all his experience and magic to come back from 2-1 down. In other shogi news: ==================== * In the A class, Moriuchi won the game against co-leader Kubo to be the first player with four wins. He can be joined by Tanigawa if Tanigawa can beat Suzuki, but Moriuchi is already the clear favorite to set up a re-match with Habu next spring. Sato can still hope to spoil the fun as he stopped the rot of two consecutive losses with a win against Shima. Shima controlled this game but could not convert and is now 0-4 and a prime candidate to drop to B1 next year. * In B1 round 6 was played. Fukaura seems determined to make it to the top class, as he beat Inoue for his sixth straight victory. He already has a game in hand, as he is only followed by Abe and Takahashi with 4-1 and both have a lower Junisen ranking than Fukaura. Fukaura can take another big step towards promotion if he beats Abe in the next round. This would already give him a two game lead with five games to play. The other promotion candidates are Morishita (4-2), Kitahama (4-2), Goda (3-2) and Senzaki (3-2). * In C2 the fourth round was played and there were not many surprises. Yamasaki beat Masuda to keep his perfect record and he was joined by Yagura, Miyata, Tamura, Chiba Anyoji and Yokoyama. The presence of Anyoji and Yokoyama among the leaders is a surprise. Anyoji has thus far not made much of an impact in this class and Yokoyama is a rookie. While the other three rookies are struggling (Fujikura is 2-2, while Shimamoto and Nishio are 0-4), Yokoyama does not seem to be phased at all by the different atmosphere of Junisen games. I wonder how long he can keep his streak going. * We have two new 4-dan players. From October 1st, Murayama Yasuaki and Sato Kazutoshi have joined the professional ranks by ending first and second in the 33rd 3-dan league. Murayama (19) was already very close last time, when he ended in third place. This time there was no doubt, as he already clinched promotion before the final day. Sato (25) is a different story, as he already entered the 3-dan league as a 17-year old, but only in his 16th attempt managed to clinch promotion. He was more relieved than happy about finally making it to 4-dan. 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