From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 14 may 2004 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1044, May 12th 2004) =========================================================== Give Your Team Access to Their PCs from Anywhere. Increase productivity with a secure remote-access solution from GoToMyPC Pro. Stay in touch with your office. FREE TRIAL: http://click.topica.com/caaccMVa2i6YsbnuqMaa/ ExpertCity =========================================================== In this Shukan Shogi report the fourth game of the Asahi Open match between Fukaura and Habu. Unlike the previous games, opening preparation did not play a major role in this one and the result was a very exciting endgame in which Habu missed a complicated mate and lost. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Fukaura Koichi, Asahi"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [Event "22nd Asahi Open, Game 4"] [Date "May 7th 2004"] 1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:01:00 4.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:02:00 5.G6i-7h 00:06:00 00:02:00 6.P8c-8d 00:06:00 00:04:00 7.P2f-2e 00:06:00 00:04:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:06:00 00:05:00 After three games with the R8e Yokofudori, this game opens with another new interesting idea: the Kakugawari with one tempo loss. Because white exchanges the bishops here, he loses one move compared to the normal Kakugawari. In return, white can keep the pawn on 8d (it is always on 8e in the normal Kakugawari), which gives more attacking options. 9.S7ix8h 00:06:00 00:05:00 10.S3a-2b 00:06:00 00:05:00 11.S3i-3h 00:07:00 00:05:00 12.S2b-3c 00:07:00 00:06:00 13.K5i-6h 00:20:00 00:06:00 14.S7a-7b 00:20:00 00:07:00 15.P4g-4f 00:20:00 00:07:00 16.P6c-6d 00:20:00 00:08:00 17.S3h-4g 00:20:00 00:08:00 18.S7b-6c 00:20:00 00:08:00 19.S8h-7g 00:20:00 00:08:00 20.K5a-4b 00:20:00 00:08:00 21.S4g-5f 00:36:00 00:08:00 22.G6a-5b 00:36:00 00:09:00 23.G4i-5h 00:36:00 00:09:00 24.P7c-7d 00:36:00 00:10:00 25.P9g-9f 00:38:00 00:10:00 26.P9c-9d 00:38:00 00:10:00 27.P4f-4e 00:39:00 00:10:00 It is unusual for black to push both the pawn to 2e and 4e. With those two advanced pawns it is difficult to open the position. Most commentators in the press room already preferred the white position here. 28.S6c-5d 00:39:00 00:13:00 29.K6h-7i 00:39:00 00:13:00 30.K4b-3a 00:39:00 00:15:00 31.P6g-6f 00:42:00 00:15:00 32.N8a-7c 00:42:00 00:17:00 33.P3g-3f 00:43:00 00:17:00 34.G5b-6c 00:43:00 00:28:00 35.N2i-3g 00:46:00 00:28:00 36.P1c-1d 00:46:00 00:30:00 37.G5h-4g 01:01:00 00:30:00 38.L9a-9c 01:01:00 00:41:00 39.P1g-1f 01:03:00 00:41:00 40.R8b-9b 01:03:00 00:41:00 41.S7g-8f 01:03:00 00:41:00 42.K3a-2b 01:03:00 00:43:00 43.B*4f 01:08:00 00:43:00 44.K2b-3a 01:08:00 00:46:00 45.P3f-3e 01:47:00 00:46:00 46.P3dx3e 01:47:00 01:03:00 47.B4fx3e 01:47:00 01:03:00 Fukaura has found a way to activate his pieces. If white allows this bishop to retreat to 4f, white can no longer start a good attack of his own and black will get the advantage. Ready or not, Habu has to make his move now. 48.P6d-6e 01:47:00 01:04:00 49.P7f-7e! 01:47:00 01:04:00 Fukaura hits back harder than anyone expected. The simple threat is Px7d Gx7d Bx5c+, but 49.P7e leads to complications that must have been impossible to calculate at this point. Fukaura shows a lot of courage, going all out with his title on the line. 50.P*3d 01:47:00 01:48:00 51.B3e-4f 01:50:00 01:48:00 52.P8d-8e 01:50:00 01:49:00 53.P7ex7d 02:07:00 01:49:00 54.P8ex8f 02:07:00 01:50:00 No choice. 54.Gx7d 55.S7g threatens P*7e and if white defends by playing 56.P*7e himself, black gets a very strong attack after 57.P2d Px2d (Sx2d Bx2d Px2d S*8c) P*2e. 55.P7dx7c+ 02:07:00 01:50:00 56.S*3e 02:07:00 01:50:00 57.B4fx3e 02:13:00 01:50:00 58.P3dx3e 02:13:00 01:50:00 59.P*3d 02:13:00 01:50:00 60.G6cx7c 02:13:00 02:05:00 61.P3dx3c+ 02:21:00 02:05:00 62.G3bx3c 02:21:00 02:05:00 63.P*3d 02:22:00 02:05:00 64.G3c-3b 02:22:00 02:05:00 65.P2e-2d 02:25:00 02:05:00 66.P2cx2d 02:25:00 02:05:00 67.R2hx2d 02:25:00 02:05:00 68.P*2c 02:25:00 02:05:00 69.R2d-2h 02:25:00 02:05:00 70.P3e-3f 02:25:00 02:13:00 71.N3g-2e 02:28:00 02:13:00 72.P3f-3g+ 02:28:00 02:21:00 73.G4gx3g 02:28:00 02:21:00 74.B*3i 02:28:00 02:24:00 75.R2h-5h 02:34:00 02:24:00 76.B*4i 02:34:00 02:27:00 77.R5h-5i 02:37:00 02:27:00 78.B3i-4h+ 02:37:00 02:27:00 79.R5ix4i 02:37:00 02:27:00 80.+B4hx4i 02:37:00 02:27:00 81.B*5a! 02:40:00 02:27:00 Here the white position was judged better because of the huge pawn on 8f, but 81.B*5a is a very good move. It threatens both P3c+ and also defends against the mating threat R*5a K8h +B7f, because black can defend against this mating threat with Bx7c+. We now enter a very close endgame. 82.P8fx8g+ 02:40:00 02:33:00 83.G7hx8g 02:40:00 02:33:00 84.R*8a 02:40:00 02:33:00 85.P3d-3c+ 02:44:00 02:33:00 86.N2ax3c 02:44:00 02:34:00 87.N2ex3c+ 02:44:00 02:34:00 88.R8ax5a 02:44:00 02:34:00 89.N*2e 02:45:00 02:34:00 90.P*7h 02:45:00 02:46:00 91.K7i-8h 02:49:00 02:46:00 92.P*8f 02:49:00 02:46:00 93.G8gx8f 02:49:00 02:46:00 94.R5a-8a 02:49:00 02:46:00 95.P*8d 02:53:00 02:46:00 96.B*6h 02:53:00 02:51:00 The Habu way. This is not a mating threat, but it forces black to find a hisshi against the white king or lose. A lot of pressure with only 7 minutes left... 97.S*4b! 02:54:00 02:51:00 The only way to put the pressure on Habu. 97.N*3d is a mating threat (S*4b next), but then white can play 98.K4a and there is no way to get to the white king, because both +Nx3b and S*4b are answered by K5b. 98.G3bx4b 02:54:00 02:53:00 99.N*3d 02:54:00 02:53:00 100.P*3b 02:54:00 02:54:00 If 100.K4a, there is now mate with +Nx4b etc. 101.+N3cx4b 02:56:00 02:54:00 102.R9bx4b 02:56:00 02:54:00 103.S*3c 02:57:00 02:54:00 104.P3bx3c 02:57:00 02:54:00 105.N2ex3c+ 02:57:00 02:54:00 Fukaura has done everything he can. He has created a hisshi against the white king, but had to give up some pieces to do so. Can Habu use these pieces for mate? 106.P*8g? 02:57:00 02:55:00 He could, but Habu overlooks the mate. It is definitely not easy, but 106.N*7f is the correct move. There are many variations, but the most important one is 107.K9h 108.S*9g 109.Nx9g. Here Habu was blinded by the move 110.S*8i, which leads to mate after 111.Kx8i B7i+ K9h +B8h, but after 111.K8g Bx8f+ Kx8f there is no mate because the knight on 7f is in the way. Because of this, Habu thought there was no mate by dropping the knight on 7f. He had overlooked that he can play 110.N8h+! to get rid of the blocking knight. Then 111.Kx8h P*8g K9h S*8i leads to mate. 106.P*8g also looks like mating the black king, but it just comes up short. 107.K8hx7h 02:58:00 02:55:00 108.S*6i 02:58:00 02:55:00 109.K7hx6h 02:58:00 02:55:00 110.N*7f 02:58:00 02:55:00 111.G8fx7f 02:59:00 02:55:00 112.+B4i-5h 02:59:00 02:57:00 113.K6h-7g 02:59:00 02:57:00 114.S*8h 02:59:00 02:57:00 115.K7gx8g 02:59:00 02:57:00 116.R8ax8d 02:59:00 02:57:00 117.B*8e! 02:59:00 02:57:00 A very important bishop drop. 118.+B5hx7f 02:59:00 02:59:00 119.K8gx7f 02:59:00 02:59:00 120.P*7e 02:59:00 02:59:00 121.K7f-6g 02:59:00 02:59:00 122.P6ex6f 02:59:00 02:59:00 123.K6g-6h 02:59:00 02:59:00 Resigns 02:59:00 02:59:00 Because of the bishop drop on 8e, there is no mate with 124.G*5h here. Also 123.S7i= K5i G*5h Bx5h Sx5h+ Kx5h R8h+ K4g is no mate, so Habu resigned here. A very close and exciting game that in the end seemed to have been decided by luck more than anything else. This match will go the distance and because every game so far has been won by black, the furigoma will be watched with special interest. In other shogi news: ==================== * In the Ryu-O tournament, Tanigawa qualified for the challenger finals with a win against Suzuki Daisuke in the semifinals of the first qualification group. It looked like Tanigawa would win easily, but things got rather complicated at some point. However, Suzuki, who is known for sometimes getting carried away and moving too quickly, played the losing move after only one minute when he had still more than 2 hours left on the clock. Tanigawa will be happy to clear this hurdle, as he had a 1-4 score against Suzuki going into this game. * In the Oza challenger tournament, Moriuchi qualified for the quarterfinals with a win against Miyata. It was a game looked forward to in anticipation, but in the end one of young stars in shogi could not make a real impact as Moriuchi won the game quite easily. Moriuchi will play Tanigawa next for a place in the semifinals. * In the Oi leagues two games were played. In the red group Habu stated his claim on winning this group by beating Okazaki. Habu is the only player at 3-1, but both Nakagawa and Fukaura can join him, so with one game left, Habu is not even certain of a play-off yet. In the white group Maruyama Senzaki to get to 2-2, which means that he still has an outside chance of reaching a play-off. However, it is more likely that either Yamasaki (3-0) or Yashiki (2-1) will win this group. They will play this week and if Yamasaki wins this game, he is already certain of winning the red group. * Nakai started her defense of the Ladies Osho title well with a victory against challenger Ishibashi. Losing to Nakai has become a bad habit for Ishibashi. At some point their head-to-head was even at 7-7, but after this Nakai has now won 11 straight games. The mental hurdle is getting steeper and steeper... Reijer -- 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/ =========================================================== Looking for a Promotional or Marketing Gift? Discover Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty in grown up handfuls. It's the creativity unleashing, mood enhancing desk toy customized with your corporate image! http://click.topica.com/caaceBca2i6YsbnuqMaf/ Crazy Aaron Enterprises =========================================================== --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: shogi-l shogi net EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a2i6Ys.bnuqMa.c2hvZ2kt Or send an email to: shogi-unsubscribe topica com For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------