From: Reijer Grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp> Date: 24 oct 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1016, October 22nd 2003) This week in Shukan Shogi the final game of the Oza match between Habu and Watanabe. The 19-year old challenger came very close, but in the end Habu just managed to defend his Oza title. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"] [Event "51st Oza-sen, Game 5"] [Date "October 15th 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.S7i-6h 00:03:00 00:02:00 4.P3c-3d 00:03:00 00:03:00 5.P6g-6f 00:04:00 00:03:00 6.S7a-6b 00:04:00 00:03:00 7.P5g-5f 00:04:00 00:03:00 8.P5c-5d 00:04:00 00:13:00 9.S3i-4h 00:04:00 00:13:00 10.S3a-4b 00:04:00 00:15:00 11.G4i-5h 00:05:00 00:15:00 12.G4a-3b 00:05:00 00:16:00 13.G6i-7h 00:06:00 00:16:00 14.K5a-4a 00:06:00 00:18:00 15.K5i-6i 00:07:00 00:18:00 16.G6a-5b 00:07:00 00:19:00 17.S6h-7g 00:08:00 00:19:00 18.S4b-3c 00:08:00 00:21:00 19.B8h-7i 00:09:00 00:21:00 20.B2b-3a 00:09:00 00:22:00 21.P3g-3f 00:09:00 00:22:00 22.P4c-4d 00:09:00 00:22:00 23.G5h-6g 00:12:00 00:22:00 The final game of this epic battle for the Oza title is not a Yokofudori, but a classic Yagura. The Yagura is said to favor black these days, so it will be interesting to see what Habu has up his sleeve. 24.P7c-7d 00:12:00 00:24:00 25.S4h-3g 00:15:00 00:24:00 26.B3a-6d 00:15:00 00:25:00 27.B7i-6h 00:16:00 00:25:00 28.G5b-4c 00:16:00 00:28:00 29.K6i-7i 00:17:00 00:28:00 30.K4a-3a 00:17:00 00:28:00 31.K7i-8h 00:19:00 00:28:00 32.K3a-2b 00:19:00 00:28:00 33.S3g-4f 00:23:00 00:28:00 34.S6b-5c 00:23:00 00:40:00 35.N2i-3g 00:27:00 00:40:00 36.B6d-7c 00:27:00 00:41:00 37.P1g-1f 00:28:00 00:41:00 38.P1c-1d 00:28:00 00:41:00 39.P2g-2f 00:28:00 00:41:00 40.S3c-2d 00:28:00 00:41:00 41.R2h-3h 00:29:00 00:41:00 42.P9c-9d 00:29:00 00:44:00 43.L1i-1h 00:30:00 00:44:00 44.P9d-9e 00:30:00 00:47:00 45.P6f-6e 00:33:00 00:47:00 46.P8d-8e 00:33:00 01:08:00 47.N3g-2e 00:35:00 01:08:00 48.S5c-4b 00:35:00 01:22:00 49.P3f-3e 01:14:00 01:22:00 50.S2dx3e 01:14:00 01:29:00 51.S4fx3e 01:15:00 01:29:00 52.P3dx3e 01:15:00 01:29:00 53.P1f-1e 01:16:00 01:29:00 54.P1dx1e 01:16:00 01:34:00 55.P6e-6d 01:21:00 01:34:00 56.P6cx6d!? 01:21:00 01:35:00 Even though the move order is slightly different, this game has followed the NHK Cup game between Nakai and Hatakeyama Mamoru, which was played in June. Ladies Meijin Nakai scored a rare victory against a strong professional in that game. 56.Px6d is Habu's new idea. It is not a very natural move, since it closes the bishop diagonal and opens a drop square on 6c. However, Habu plans to play P6e next and use the square 6f as the base for his attack. The question is whether he will have time to make that work. 57.B6hx3e 02:05:00 01:35:00 58.P*3d 02:05:00 01:43:00 59.B3e-6h 02:10:00 01:43:00 60.P6d-6e 02:10:00 02:00:00 61.P*1c 02:20:00 02:00:00 62.S*1d 02:20:00 02:23:00 63.S*1b 02:33:00 02:23:00 64.L1ax1b 02:33:00 02:28:00 65.P1cx1b+ 02:33:00 02:28:00 66.K2bx1b 02:33:00 02:28:00 67.L*1g 02:33:00 02:28:00 68.K1b-2b 02:33:00 02:48:00 69.L1gx1e 02:33:00 02:48:00 70.S1dx2e 02:33:00 02:48:00 71.P2fx2e 02:33:00 02:48:00 72.P8e-8f 02:33:00 02:48:00 73.P8gx8f 03:12:00 02:48:00 74.N*6f 03:12:00 02:52:00 75.S7gx6f? 03:29:00 02:52:00 A mistake. In the press room close to 20 professionals (among them A class Junisen members Moriuchi, Sato, Aono and Suzuki Daisuke) had gathered and they unanimously judged that black had the better position here. However, 76.Sx6f turns the tables in Habu's favor. The right move was 75.L1a+. Then after 76.P*1c Lx1c+! (the move that Watanabe overlooked) Nx1c R1h black has the stronger attack. For example, Nx7h+ Kx7h P*1d S*2a G3b-3c Rx1d L*3e +L1b K3a Rx1c+ and black has broken through. 76.P6ex6f 03:29:00 02:52:00 77.G6gx6f 03:29:00 02:52:00 78.P*8e 03:29:00 02:55:00 79.L1e-1b+ 03:36:00 02:55:00 80.K2b-3a 03:36:00 02:55:00 81.S*6c! 03:36:00 02:55:00 Watanabe shows his fighting spirit. This move works both in attack and defense. It makes it hard for the white king to escape and there is always the tesuji threat of P*8c Rx8c Sx7d+ with attack on rook and bishop. 82.P8ex8f 03:36:00 03:45:00 83.N*7i 03:39:00 03:45:00 84.S*2g 03:39:00 04:02:00 85.R3h-5h 03:42:00 04:02:00 86.S*6i 03:42:00 04:05:00 87.P*8c 03:52:00 04:05:00 88.R8b-9b 03:52:00 04:05:00 89.P*3c 03:58:00 04:05:00 90.G4cx3c 03:58:00 04:09:00 91.R5h-5i 03:58:00 04:09:00 92.S6ix7h+ 03:58:00 04:13:00 93.K8hx7h 03:58:00 04:13:00 94.S2gx1h+ 03:58:00 04:13:00 95.P5f-5e 04:08:00 04:13:00 96.B7c-8d? 04:08:00 04:20:00 Watanabe has successfully managed to complicate the position and this has invited a Habu mistake. Here 96.P8g+ was correct. Then 97.Kx8g P*6e Gx6e P*6g and white threatens lance drops on 6d or 8d next. This leaves black without defense. 97.P7f-7e 04:10:00 04:20:00 98.G*6d 04:10:00 04:20:00 An Oyama-like attempt to completely kill the black attack. 99.S*7b! 04:15:00 04:20:00 This way of hooking silvers is usually not good. However, in this case it is the only way to keep the attacking threats in the position. Habu is very lucky that there is still a way to win in this position. 100.P*1a 04:15:00 04:28:00 101.+L1bx1a 04:21:00 04:28:00 102.L*6e 04:21:00 04:28:00 103.G6fx6e 04:26:00 04:28:00 104.G6dx6e 04:26:00 04:28:00 105.S7bx8a= 04:31:00 04:28:00 106.R9b-9d 04:31:00 04:29:00 107.R5i-5h 04:32:00 04:29:00 108.+S1h-1g 04:32:00 04:30:00 109.L*1i 04:34:00 04:30:00 110.P8f-8g+! 04:34:00 04:36:00 The second time Habu finds the winning pawn sacrifice. 111.Nx8g fails to 112.G7f Lx1g P*6f. 111.K7hx8g 04:46:00 04:36:00 112.P*6g 04:46:00 04:36:00 113.L1ix1g 04:57:00 04:36:00 114.P6gx6h+ 04:57:00 04:37:00 115.R5hx6h 04:57:00 04:37:00 116.P*6g 04:57:00 04:39:00 117.L1g-1b+ 04:59:00 04:39:00 118.S4b-4c 04:59:00 04:41:00 119.R6h-1h 04:59:00 04:41:00 120.B8dx7e! 04:59:00 04:42:00 The decisive move. The bishop comes into play and white even threatens to bring the rook into attack with R8d next. 121.S*8e 04:59:00 04:42:00 122.P*8f 04:59:00 04:44:00 123.K8g-7h 04:59:00 04:44:00 124.B7e-5g+ 04:59:00 04:45:00 125.S8ex9d 04:59:00 04:45:00 126.B*6i 04:59:00 04:45:00 127.K7hx6i 04:59:00 04:45:00 128.G*6h 04:59:00 04:45:00 Resigns 04:59:00 04:45:00 Watanabe shows his disappointment by playing on until a mate that even a beginner can find. He pushed Habu to the edge in this match, but was unable to deal the final blow. Habu gets his 12th consecutive Oza title as a reward for his resilience. However, without a doubt Watanabe will get a chance for revenge in the near future. This is not going to be the last Habu-Watanabe match. In other shogi news: ==================== * In B1 the 7th round was played and leader Fukaura took another important step towards promotion by beating promotion rival Abe. Fukaura now has seven wins and already only needs three wins from the remaining five games to make his debut in the top class. The interesting question seems to be: who will promote with him? Surprisingly, the best chances seem to be for Takahashi, who also scored an important victory against Morishita. Takahashi is now 5-1. Rookie Kitahama again showed that he reserves his best play for the Junisen by beating Goda and is now breathing down Takahashi with 5-2. The only other players with a positive score are Senzaki, Abe (both 4-2) and Morishita (4-3). * In B2 the 5th round was played and halfway only Namekata and Horiguchi have perfect scores. Those two were considered among the favorites to promote this year, so it would not be surprising if both would make it to B1. However, they can not afford a mistake (especially Horiguchi), because Kimura has 4-1 and is very capable of winning all his other games. Furthermore, Namekata and Kimura will meet in the 9th round. Izumi is also still in the race at 4-1, but somehow his promotion seems unlikely. * In C1 also the 5th round was played and Yashiki managed to keep his perfect record until the halfway line only for the second time in his long C1 career. He shares the lead with Toyokawa and Nakata Isao. In the next round Yashiki and Nakata will meet in what might be a decisive game for Yashiki. His remaining opponents after Nakata look far from impressive and entering the final stretch with a one game cushion should help him a lot. Waiting at 4-1 are Kobayashi Hiroshi (5d), Ishikawa, Naganuma, Nozuki and Watanabe. Quite a strong group, so there is still a lot to play for in this class. * In the Shinjin-O match against Tamura, Namekata used an opening that lost an extra move with white in the first game and he followed this up with an opening that sacrificed a pawn with black in the second game. This time he was successful and leveled the match at 1-1. The final game will have to decide who will win his first Shinjin-O title. * In the Osho league, Moriuchi continues his good form by winning his first round game against Kubo. Moriuchi won in only 74 moves in a Double Ranging Rook opening, which should be considered Kubo's specialty. 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 --^---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------