From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 16 aug 2004 Subject: Some time ago in Shukan Shogi (no. 1050, June 23rd 2004) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Save up to 67% on Omaha Steaks + Get 6 FREE Burgers and a=20 FREE Cutlery Set + Cutting Board! http://click.topica.com/= caacvgpa2i6YsbnuqMaa/OmahaSteaks ------------------------------------------------------------------- Slowly working my way back. Here is the opening game of Kisei match=20 between Sato and Moriuchi. Sato scored a fine victory with the white=20 pieces from an opening that is considered unplayable for white. Here is=20 the game with comments: [Black "Moiruchi Toshiyuki, Challenger"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Kisei"] [Event "75th Kisei-sen, Game 1"] [Date "June 17th 2004"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.S7i-6h 00:01:00 00:00:00 4.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:00:00 5.P6g-6f 00:01:00 00:00:00 6.S7a-6b 00:01:00 00:00:00 7.P5g-5f 00:01:00 00:00:00 8.P5c-5d 00:01:00 00:00:00 9.S3i-4h 00:01:00 00:00:00 10.S3a-4b 00:01:00 00:00:00 11.G4i-5h 00:01:00 00:00:00 12.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:00:00 13.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:00:00 14.K5a-4a 00:01:00 00:00:00 15.K5i-6i 00:01:00 00:00:00 16.G6a-5b 00:01:00 00:00:00 17.S6h-7g 00:02:00 00:00:00 18.S4b-3c 00:02:00 00:00:00 19.B8h-7i 00:02:00 00:00:00 20.B2b-3a 00:02:00 00:00:00 21.P3g-3f 00:02:00 00:00:00 22.P4c-4d 00:02:00 00:00:00 23.G5h-6g 00:03:00 00:00:00 24.G5b-4c 00:03:00 00:02:00 25.B7i-6h 00:03:00 00:02:00 26.P7c-7d 00:03:00 00:07:00 27.K6i-7i 00:03:00 00:07:00 28.P9c-9d 00:03:00 00:11:00 29.K7i-8h 00:05:00 00:11:00 30.N8a-7c 00:05:00 00:21:00 31.P2g-2f 00:12:00 00:21:00 32.P9d-9e 00:12:00 00:27:00 33.P2f-2e 00:18:00 00:27:00 34.P1c-1d!? 00:18:00 01:16:00 Sato has chosen a variation of the Yagura that was popular more than 10=20 years ago. However, the move 34.P1d was never popular as it goes=20 straight against one of the most well-known rules of the Yagura opening:= =20 do not play the edge pawn, because the bogin attack by the opponent is=20 too strong. Sato has prepared a special counter strategy against the=20 climbing silver, but this counter plan is probably only effective in one= =20 game with short time limits (four hours in the Kisei match). 35.S4h-3g 00:24:00 01:16:00 Of course, Moriuchi does not shy away from the theoretical answer to=20 34.P1d. After all, he is the top player in the game at the moment and=20 almost unbeatable with black. 36.B3a-6d 00:24:00 01:16:00 37.P1g-1f 00:53:00 01:16:00 38.R8b-8a 00:53:00 01:17:00 39.B6h-4f 00:56:00 01:17:00 40.B6d-5c 00:56:00 01:18:00 41.S3g-2f 00:57:00 01:18:00 42.P4d-4e 00:57:00 01:20:00 43.B4f-6h 00:57:00 01:20:00 44.S3c-4d 00:57:00 01:21:00 45.S2f-3g 00:58:00 01:21:00 46.K4a-5b 00:58:00 01:30:00 This is the plan that Sato had prepared. Having the king on 5b combined=20 with a strong central position behind the vanguard pawn on 4e gives the=20 white position good balance. Furthermore, the attack on the edge by=20 black is quite far away, giving white plenty of time to go for his own=20 attack. The downside of the white strategy is that the king is not very=20 well defended. If black manages to force a breakthrough, the game will=20 be over almost immediately. 47.P4g-4f 01:01:00 01:30:00 48.P4ex4f 01:01:00 01:41:00 49.S3gx4f 01:01:00 01:41:00 50.N2a-3c 01:01:00 01:47:00 51.P6f-6e!? 01:17:00 01:47:00 Inviting the knight to 6e, from which it wants to attack anyhow.=20 Therefore, this is a very hard move to play. The reason behind it is=20 that black wants to activate the silver on the right without being=20 bothered by B6d all the time. If white keeps the pawn on 6e, the bishop=20 can not go to 6d. If white takes the pawn with the knight, after S6f P6d= =20 (the game sequence), the bishop is also blocked. 52.P*4e 01:17:00 01:55:00 53.S4f-3g 01:17:00 01:55:00 54.N7cx6e 01:17:00 01:55:00 55.S7g-6f 01:18:00 01:55:00 56.P6c-6d 01:18:00 01:55:00 57.P2e-2d 01:50:00 01:55:00 58.P2cx2d 01:50:00 01:55:00 59.R2hx2d 01:50:00 01:55:00 60.S6b-6c 01:50:00 02:42:00 61.R2d-2h 01:57:00 02:42:00 62.P8d-8e 01:57:00 02:43:00 63.P1f-1e 02:14:00 02:43:00 The simple plan is to win the lance after 63.Px1e P*1b Lx1b P*1c. 64.P5d-5e! 02:14:00 02:51:00 Sato just allows the capture at 1d. One of the advantages of having the=20 king on 5b is that even a tokin on 1c is still far away. 65.P*2d 02:41:00 02:51:00 Hoping to force 66.P*2b, which would give black a huge advantage. 66.P5ex5f! 02:41:00 03:22:00 Of course. 67.P2c+ is answered by 68.P*2g Rx2g P*2f Rx2f P*2e R2h Gx2c. 67.G6gx5f 03:00:00 03:22:00 A tough decision. The black king was well-defended, but moving out this=20 gold makes the difference between the black and white king suddenly very= =20 small. 68.P*2g 03:00:00 03:22:00 69.R2hx2g 03:02:00 03:22:00 70.P*2f 03:02:00 03:22:00 71.R2gx2f 03:09:00 03:22:00 72.P*2e 03:09:00 03:23:00 73.R2f-2g 03:17:00 03:23:00 74.P1dx1e 03:17:00 03:23:00 75.S3g-4h 03:17:00 03:23:00 76.P1e-1f 03:17:00 03:25:00 77.P*5e 03:20:00 03:25:00 78.P7d-7e 03:20:00 03:36:00 79.P*1d 03:32:00 03:36:00 No choice. 79.Px7e leaves a hole on 7f for a future knight drop and Sx7e= =20 allows P*7g. 80.L1ax1d 03:32:00 03:40:00 81.P*1e 03:32:00 03:40:00 82.L1dx1e 03:32:00 03:40:00 83.P*1d 03:32:00 03:40:00 84.P1f-1g+ 03:32:00 03:53:00 85.L1ix1g 03:33:00 03:53:00 86.P*5g 03:33:00 03:53:00 87.S4hx5g 03:46:00 03:53:00 88.P*1f 03:46:00 03:53:00 89.P1d-1c+ 03:46:00 03:53:00 90.P1fx1g+ 03:46:00 03:53:00 91.R2g-4g 03:46:00 03:53:00 92.L*8c 03:46:00 03:56:00 93.P2d-2c+ 03:46:00 03:56:00 94.G3b-4b 03:46:00 03:56:00 95.S6fx7e 03:52:00 03:56:00 96.P*7d 03:52:00 03:57:00 97.S7e-6f 03:52:00 03:57:00 98.+P1g-2h 03:52:00 03:57:00 99.+P2cx3c 03:52:00 03:57:00 100.G4bx3c 03:52:00 03:57:00 101.N2i-3g 03:52:00 03:57:00 102.+P2h-3h 03:52:00 03:58:00 103.N3gx4e 03:52:00 03:58:00 104.S4dx4e 03:52:00 03:58:00 105.R4gx4e 03:52:00 03:58:00 106.N*8f 03:52:00 03:58:00 107.S*7c? 03:57:00 03:58:00 An important mistake under time pressure. Much better was the simple=20 107.G7i, riding the white attacking wave. For example, 108.P9f Px9f P*9h= =20 Lx9h Nx9h+ Kx9h P8f Px8f Lx8f Bx8f Rx8f S*8g R8a P*8f L*8c N*7h and the=20 white attack seems to be over, while black is threatening L*5d strongly. 108.B5c-6b! 03:57:00 03:59:00 Even though Sato said after the game that he still thought the position=20 was difficult after this move, the general opinion was that white is=20 winning from here. By moving the king closer to the lance and rook,=20 black suddenly has no good way of attacking anymore. On the other hand,=20 white has an unstoppable attack on the 8th and 9th files. 109.S7cx6b+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 110.K5bx6b 03:59:00 03:59:00 111.S6fx6e 03:59:00 03:59:00 112.P6dx6e 03:59:00 03:59:00 113.G5fx6e 03:59:00 03:59:00 114.P*6d 03:59:00 03:59:00 115.N*7e 03:59:00 03:59:00 116.P6dx6e 03:59:00 03:59:00 117.N7ex6c+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 118.K6bx6c 03:59:00 03:59:00 119.P*6d 03:59:00 03:59:00 120.K6c-7c 03:59:00 03:59:00 121.B*5b 03:59:00 03:59:00 122.N8fx7h+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 123.K8hx7h 03:59:00 03:59:00 124.S*5h 03:59:00 03:59:00 125.K7h-8h 03:59:00 03:59:00 126.S5h-6g+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 127.S*7h 03:59:00 03:59:00 128.+S6gx7h 03:59:00 03:59:00 129.K8hx7h 03:59:00 03:59:00 130.S*5h 03:59:00 03:59:00 131.B5b-6c+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 132.K7c-8d 03:59:00 03:59:00 133.S*6g 03:59:00 03:59:00 134.N*6f 03:59:00 03:59:00 135.S5gx6f 03:59:00 03:59:00 136.S*6i 03:59:00 03:59:00 137.K7h-7g 03:59:00 03:59:00 138.P6ex6f 03:59:00 03:59:00 139.S6gx5h 03:59:00 03:59:00 140.S6ix5h=3D 03:59:00 03:59:00 141.S*7c 03:59:00 03:59:00 142.K8d-9d 03:59:00 03:59:00 143.K7gx6f 03:59:00 03:59:00 144.G*6g 03:59:00 03:59:00 Resigns 03:59:00 03:59:00 Mate after 145.K6e S*5f Kx7d S*6e K7e G*7d +Bx7d S6f or 145.K5f G*6f K4f= =20 S*3g. Both are quite unusual mating patterns. Sato wins an important=20 game with white to take the lead in this match. In a short match like=20 this, it is important to win the games with the black pieces. If Sato=20 can do this in game 2, he will already be two up with three to play.=20 After the game Moriuchi hinted at failing to make the transition from=20 two-day title match games he played recently to the one-day format of=20 the Kisei match. He better adapt soon or his four crown dream will end=20 prematurely. --=20 Reijer Grimbergen Department of Informatics, Yamagata University Jonan 4-3-16, Yonezawa, 992-8510 Japan Tel: +81-(0)238-26-3740 FAX: +81-(0)238-26-3299 http://gamelab.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/ Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Amazing Diet Patch The fastest - Easiest way to lose weight! 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