From: Reijer Grimbergen fu is saga-u ac jp> Date: 30 sep 2003 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1010, September 10th 2003) In this Shukan Shogi report the first game of the Oza match between Habu and Watanabe. An interesting game, even though Habu seemed to make his vast experience count. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"] [White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"] [Event "51st Oza-sen, Game 1"] [Date "September 2nd 2003"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 Even though Habu is only 32 at the start of this game, he has been at the top of the shogi world for so long that he can almost be considered a veteran. In contrast, his challenger Watanabe is only 19 years old and appears in his first title match ever. Many reporters saw this match as a fight between the Habu generation and the front runner of a new generation of teenage prodigies, many of which are still playing in the 3-dan league. How would Watanabe respond to the pressure of being the representative of a new generation in his first title match encounter with the magical Habu? 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:01:00 4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 5.P2f-2e 00:03:00 00:02:00 6.P8d-8e 00:03:00 00:03:00 7.G6i-7h 00:05:00 00:03:00 8.G4a-3b 00:05:00 00:05:00 9.P2e-2d 00:08:00 00:05:00 10.P2cx2d 00:08:00 00:07:00 11.R2hx2d 00:08:00 00:07:00 12.P8e-8f 00:08:00 00:09:00 13.P8gx8f 00:11:00 00:09:00 14.R8bx8f 00:11:00 00:10:00 15.R2dx3d 00:12:00 00:10:00 16.B2b-3c 00:12:00 00:12:00 17.R3d-3f 00:20:00 00:12:00 18.S3a-2b 00:20:00 00:14:00 19.P*8g 00:36:00 00:14:00 20.R8f-8e 00:36:00 00:19:00 Habu likes to meet his opponents head-on. He played Watanabe only once before and then avoided his opponent's specialty and played Furibisha instead. Even though he won this game fairly easily, a title match is a completely different ball game. Beating your opponent in the opening he likes best carries over to the rest of the match, so Habu allows Watanabe to play his favorite opening: the R8e Yokofudori. 21.R3f-2f 00:36:00 00:19:00 22.K5a-4a 00:36:00 00:25:00 23.K5i-5h 00:43:00 00:25:00 24.P7c-7d 00:43:00 01:15:00 25.B8hx3c+ 01:45:00 01:15:00 26.N2ax3c 01:45:00 01:15:00 27.N8i-7g 01:45:00 01:15:00 28.R8e-8d 01:45:00 01:23:00 29.B*5e 01:45:00 01:23:00 30.P*8b 01:45:00 01:44:00 31.N7g-6e 01:51:00 01:44:00 32.G6a-6b! 01:51:00 02:09:00 A new move by Watanabe. Even though he is a proclaimed hater of studying opening theory, he will have had this position on the board at home as it occurred in the game between Sato and Tanigawa in the final of the preliminary group 1 of the Ryu-O tournament this year. Tanigawa played 32.S6b there, but Watanabe's 32.G6b is an improvement. The king now has an escape route through 6a and 7b, which can be an important difference in the endgame. 33.P*2c 02:18:00 02:09:00 The pawn on 7d is blocking the important side-ways working of the rook and that is why Habu decided to attack at this point. It is very hard to say if this is the right decision... 34.S2bx2c 02:18:00 02:15:00 35.R2fx2c+ 02:19:00 02:15:00 36.G3bx2c 02:19:00 02:15:00 37.P*2d 02:19:00 02:15:00 38.G2c-2b 02:19:00 02:24:00 39.S*2c 02:19:00 02:24:00 40.K4a-5b 02:19:00 02:43:00 41.S2cx2b= 02:49:00 02:43:00 42.N3c-4e 02:49:00 02:44:00 43.S2bx1a= 02:49:00 02:44:00 44.P*2h?! 02:49:00 03:58:00 "Unexpected" was the euphemism Habu used concerning this move. In the press room, 44.P6d was considered much better. For example, 44.P6d Bx6d P7e Bx7e R2d G*6d B*3e and white has good fighting chances. Even 44.P7e was generally regarded as superior to 44.P*2h. However, when asked after the game, Watanabe had no comments about this move. That was telling in itself, as he was by far the more lively talker during the post-mortem analysis. He might have simply overlooked the fact that black doesnt have to take this pawn. 45.S3i-4h! 03:01:00 03:58:00 Now black gets an important material advantage and a strong looking attack. 46.P6c-6d 03:01:00 03:58:00 47.L*8f 03:12:00 03:58:00 48.R8d-9d 03:12:00 04:00:00 49.G*8e 03:15:00 04:00:00 50.P2hx2i+ 03:15:00 04:07:00 51.G8ex9d 03:33:00 04:07:00 52.P9cx9d 03:33:00 04:09:00 53.B5e-3c+ 03:33:00 04:09:00 54.K5b-6c 03:33:00 04:17:00 55.R*5a 03:37:00 04:17:00 56.G*7b 03:37:00 04:17:00 57.+B3c-3d 03:39:00 04:17:00 58.B*5d 03:39:00 04:28:00 59.P4g-4f 03:41:00 04:28:00 60.P6dx6e 03:41:00 04:28:00 61.P4fx4e 03:42:00 04:28:00 62.P6e-6f 03:42:00 04:29:00 63.+B3d-3c 03:46:00 04:29:00 64.B5dx4e 03:46:00 04:45:00 65.P6gx6f 04:14:00 04:45:00 66.B4e-2g+ 04:14:00 04:47:00 67.+B3c-5e 04:16:00 04:47:00 68.P5c-5d? 04:16:00 04:50:00 Watanabe has managed to keep the position very close, but this is a mistake. Better was 68.R5d! and after 69.+Bx5d +Bx5d G7g +P2h K6h N7c things are far from clear. The white king looks quite vulnerable, but the promoted bishop makes it very hard for black to find a good attack. On the other hand, white threatens to set up a good attack by himself with N*8e next. 69.G4i-3h! 04:21:00 04:50:00 Overlooked by Watanabe? 70.+Bx3h is mate in one after 71.Rx5d+, so this important promoted bishop will now disappear from its critical position. 70.P5dx5e 04:21:00 04:55:00 71.G3hx2g 04:21:00 04:55:00 72.N*4f 04:21:00 04:55:00 73.K5h-6h 04:24:00 04:55:00 74.N*5b 04:24:00 04:57:00 75.B*3f 04:29:00 04:57:00 76.K6c-5c 04:29:00 04:58:00 77.P*4i 04:40:00 04:58:00 78.P*3e 04:40:00 04:58:00 79.B3f-2e 04:40:00 04:58:00 80.B*3h 04:40:00 04:59:00 81.R5a-4a+ 04:42:00 04:59:00 82.K5c-6c? 04:42:00 04:59:00 Although Watanabe seemed to have resigned himself to losing this game after 69.G3h, Habu still thought that the position was difficult. Only here he felt that Watanabe made the final mistake. He was worried about 82.Bx2g+. This looks very dangerous after 83.+Rx4c K6d P*6e Kx6e B4g K6d, but black has to be quick with his attack and can only mate with a pawn drop in this position. Allowing +Rx4c usually means game over, but this might have been an exception. One minute of byoyomi was not enough for Watanabe to see his final chance. 83.+R4ax4c 04:43:00 04:59:00 84.G6b-5c 04:43:00 04:59:00 85.+R4cx4f 04:43:00 04:59:00 86.B3hx2g+ 04:43:00 04:59:00 87.N*6e 04:43:00 04:59:00 88.G5c-5d 04:43:00 04:59:00 89.+R4f-4c 04:44:00 04:59:00 90.K6c-6d 04:44:00 04:59:00 91.N*4f 04:44:00 04:59:00 92.G*5c 04:44:00 04:59:00 93.N6ex5c+ 04:46:00 04:59:00 94.G5dx5c 04:46:00 04:59:00 95.G*6e 04:46:00 04:59:00 Resigns 04:46:00 04:59:00 And black wins after 96.K6c Gx7d Kx7d (K6b +Rx5c followed by G*4c leads to mate) +Rx5c which leaves white without defense. A game that seems to show Watanabe's of experience at this level. The question is if he will be able to learn quickly enough to get back in such a short match. The next game is already one that he must win. -- 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