From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 24 aug 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1106, July 27th 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Need Emergency Cash? Get Up To $500 Now!=20 No Credit Checks, Easy & Fast Approval=20 Cash in you account Overnight! http://click.topica.com/= caadOura2i6YsbnuqMaa/911PaydayAdvance ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report two games between Habu and Sato. One is the fourth game=20 of the Kisei match (challenger Habu won to take the match to a decisive=20 fifth game) and the other one is the second game of the Oi match (won by= =20 challenger Sato to take a commanding 2-0 lead). Here are the games with=20 comments. [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Kisei"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [Event "76th Kisei-sen, Game 4"] [Date "July 18th 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.S7i-6h 00:00:00 00:00:00 4.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 5.S6h-7g 00:00:00 00:00:00 6.S7a-6b 00:00:00 00:00:00 7.P5g-5f 00:00:00 00:00:00 8.P5c-5d 00:00:00 00:01:00 9.S3i-4h 00:00:00 00:01:00 10.S3a-4b 00:00:00 00:03:00 11.G6i-7h 00:00:00 00:03:00 12.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:04:00 13.K5i-6i 00:00:00 00:04:00 14.K5a-4a 00:00:00 00:05:00 15.G4i-5h 00:00:00 00:05:00 16.G6a-5b 00:00:00 00:06:00 17.B8h-7i 00:02:00 00:06:00 18.S4b-3c 00:02:00 00:06:00 19.P3g-3f 00:02:00 00:06:00 20.B2b-3a 00:02:00 00:06:00 21.P3f-3e 00:05:00 00:06:00 So far a classic Yagura, which was a little bit of a surprise because=20 Sato is a specialist in this opening and is extremely hard to beat with=20 the black pieces. Playing this with white in a game he must win shows=20 that Habu has nerves of steel. This being said, Habu did exactly the=20 same thing in the 6th games of the Meijin match against Moriuchi. That=20 game developed slowly, but here Sato doesn't hesitate long before=20 starting the hostilities. 21.P3e is not a new move, but it is the first=20 time it is played in a game between these two players. We now get into=20 unknown territory very quickly. 22.B3a-6d 00:05:00 00:13:00 23.R2h-1h 00:06:00 00:13:00 24.P4c-4d 00:06:00 00:14:00 25.P3ex3d 00:06:00 00:14:00 26.S3cx3d 00:06:00 00:14:00 27.P6g-6f 00:06:00 00:14:00 28.P7c-7d 00:06:00 00:23:00 29.P6f-6e 00:07:00 00:23:00 30.B6d-4b 00:07:00 00:25:00 31.R1h-3h 00:07:00 00:25:00 32.S3d-4c 00:07:00 00:26:00 33.B7i-4f 00:07:00 00:26:00 34.S6b-7c 00:07:00 00:26:00 35.B4f-2h 00:41:00 00:26:00 36.R8b-6b 00:41:00 00:31:00 37.K6i-7i 00:41:00 00:31:00 38.P6c-6d 00:41:00 00:43:00 39.P6ex6d 00:41:00 00:43:00 40.S7cx6d 00:41:00 00:43:00 41.S4h-5g 00:44:00 00:43:00 42.N8a-7c 00:44:00 00:45:00 43.S7g-6h 00:53:00 00:45:00 44.K4a-3a 00:53:00 00:57:00 45.P*6f 00:57:00 00:57:00 46.K3a-2b 00:57:00 01:22:00 47.G5h-6g 00:59:00 01:22:00 48.P*3d 00:59:00 01:35:00 49.P1g-1f 01:01:00 01:35:00 An alternative is 49.N7g. For example, 50.P5e Px5e P7e Px7e P*7f Gx7f=20 Sx7e and it seems that white gets a strong attack, but after Gx7e Bx7e=20 P*7f Bx6f Sx6f Rx6f the position is unclear. 50.R6b-6a 01:01:00 01:36:00 51.N2i-1g? 01:13:00 01:36:00 An important mistake. Somehow Sato thought that white had to play 52.P2d= =20 next. Correct was to extend at the edge with 51.P1e and only then play N1g.= 52.P1c-1d 01:13:00 01:41:00 53.N8i-7g 01:44:00 01:41:00 54.P5d-5e 01:44:00 01:57:00 55.P5fx5e 01:45:00 01:57:00 56.P1d-1e 01:45:00 01:57:00 57.P1fx1e? 02:12:00 01:57:00 Sato is again overlooking something, as he mistakenly thinks that=20 sacrificing the knight is his best option. Sacrificing material is=20 inevitable in this position, but Sato could have gotten much more value=20 for his pieces if he had played 57.R3f here. For example, after 58.Px1f=20 P*1b Px1g+ Px1a+ +Px2h L1b+ K3c R1f white is a bishop ahead, but the=20 promotion of the rook can not be defended so black has good chances to=20 make a fight of it. 58.P*1f 02:12:00 01:58:00 59.N1g-2e 02:12:00 01:58:00 60.P2c-2d 02:12:00 01:58:00 61.N2e-1c+ 02:13:00 01:58:00 Based on the same oversight. Had Sato seen it here, he would have played= =20 the better 61.P*3c G2c P6e. 62.K2bx1c 02:13:00 02:04:00 63.S5g-5f 02:16:00 02:04:00 64.K1c-2c 02:16:00 02:10:00 65.L1ix1f 02:16:00 02:10:00 66.P7d-7e 02:16:00 02:15:00 67.P7fx7e 02:18:00 02:15:00 68.N*3e! 02:18:00 02:18:00 This is the move that Sato missed. The only defense against this fork is= =20 68.R3g, but blocking the bishop and putting the rook in this awkward=20 spot is too horrible to consider. 69.P7e-7d! 02:36:00 02:18:00 Sato gives a full bishop to set up a counter attack. His only option,=20 because 69.R5h Nx2g+ B3i gives black no hope of attack. Worse, even if=20 there is some attack, white can easily escape up the board and make an=20 entering king. 70.N3ex2g+ 02:36:00 02:32:00 71.R3h-5h 02:36:00 02:32:00 72.P*7f 02:36:00 02:32:00 73.P7dx7c+ 02:38:00 02:32:00 74.P7fx7g+ 02:38:00 02:32:00 75.S6hx7g 02:38:00 02:32:00 76.+N2gx2h 02:38:00 02:32:00 77.+P7c-7d 02:47:00 02:32:00 78.+N2h-2g 02:47:00 02:35:00 79.P*7c 02:48:00 02:35:00 80.R6a-7a 02:48:00 02:37:00 81.+P7dx6d 03:21:00 02:37:00 82.B4bx6d 03:21:00 02:37:00 83.S5f-6e 03:21:00 02:37:00 84.B6d-3a 03:21:00 02:41:00 85.N*6d 03:23:00 02:41:00 86.G5b-6c 03:23:00 02:43:00 87.P7c-7b+ 03:23:00 02:43:00 88.R7a-5a 03:23:00 02:43:00 89.S*6b 03:37:00 02:43:00 90.B*3e 03:37:00 03:06:00 91.P4g-4f 03:38:00 03:06:00 92.B3ex4f 03:38:00 03:06:00 93.K7i-8h 03:38:00 03:06:00 94.G6cx6b 03:38:00 03:06:00 95.+P7bx6b 03:38:00 03:06:00 96.S*6i 03:38:00 03:06:00 97.+P6bx5a 03:50:00 03:06:00 98.S6ix5h=3D 03:50:00 03:06:00 99.G6g-6h 03:50:00 03:06:00 100.R*1h 03:50:00 03:11:00 101.P*3c 03:50:00 03:11:00 Black has really worked hard to get back in this game. Even Sato thought= =20 here that he had made things interesting again. White has three ways to=20 take this pawn, but all three captures seriously weaken his position. 102.P*6g! 03:50:00 03:28:00 If Habu has seen this in advance, it can only be considered brilliant.=20 Even at this point, it is very hard to see that white wins this close=20 endgame with one move difference. 103.P3cx3b+ 03:56:00 03:28:00 104.P6gx6h+ 03:56:00 03:28:00 105.G*2b 03:56:00 03:28:00 106.B3ax2b 03:56:00 03:28:00 107.+P3bx2b 03:56:00 03:28:00 108.K2cx2b 03:56:00 03:28:00 109.S7gx6h 03:58:00 03:28:00 110.S5h-6i=3D 03:58:00 03:31:00 111.R*7b 03:58:00 03:31:00 112.G*3b 03:58:00 03:32:00 This is the point of the whole endgame. If black could play 113.P*3c=20 here, he would win, but white has 114.Sx7h+ Rx7h+ P*7g and black is=20 forced to black the rook file (also after +Rx7g P*7f). This is=20 important, because after Rx7h+ white can't play Bx6h+ Px3b+ Sx3b S*3a=20 Kx3a G*4b Kx4b +R7b and white is mated. One can only wonder when Habu=20 saw this. It is likely that he saw this when he played 102.P*6g, but he=20 might have seen it earlier. 113.P*4h 03:59:00 03:32:00 Sato decides to turn to defense, but this doesn't prolong the game much. 114.R1hx4h+ 03:59:00 03:34:00 115.G*5i 03:59:00 03:34:00 116.P*6g 03:59:00 03:36:00 The second pawn drop on this square is decisive. 117.G5ix6i 03:59:00 03:36:00 118.P6gx6h+ 03:59:00 03:36:00 119.P*3c 03:59:00 03:36:00 120.+P6hx7h 03:59:00 03:37:00 121.R7bx7h+ 03:59:00 03:37:00 122.S*7i 03:59:00 03:37:00 123.G6ix7i 03:59:00 03:37:00 124.B4fx7i+ 03:59:00 03:37:00 125.K8hx7i 03:59:00 03:37:00 126.G*6h 03:59:00 03:37:00 Resigns 03:59:00 03:37:00 Mate after 127.+Rx7h G*8h +Rx8h N*6g K8i G*7i K9h +Rx8h Kx8h R*7h. A=20 game that looked like an easy win for Habu turned into a very close=20 endgame, but in the end Sato was not able to completely turn the tables.= =20 The Kisei match will be decided in the fifth and final game. Habu and=20 Sato have played 12 title matches before this one, but it is the first=20 time that a match between them will be decided in the final game. [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "46th Oi-sen, Game 2"] [Date "July 21st and 22nd 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00 4.P5c-5d 00:01:00 00:01:00 5.S3i-4h 00:27:00 00:01:00 6.B2bx8h+ 00:27:00 00:12:00 7.S7ix8h 00:27:00 00:12:00 8.R8b-2b 00:27:00 00:12:00 The Gokigen Nakabisha. This is an unusual way of playing the opening,=20 but Yamasaki did the same thing in the NHK final against Habu, so this=20 is not a new move. The position is different, though, since Habu played=20 5.K6h instead of 5.S4h. 9.B*7g 00:32:00 00:12:00 10.R2b-1b 00:32:00 00:16:00 White hasn't played a single general move yet, but there is no time for=20 that now. "In the opening a bishop is more valuable than a rook" is a=20 well-known shogi proverb, but this position is an exception. If black=20 manages to exchange the bishop for the rook, the white developed will be= =20 too much constrained by protecting squares where the rook can be=20 dropped. On the other hand, black can play a natural development of=20 pieces without giving white a chance to use the bishop. 11.P2f-2e 00:35:00 00:16:00 12.S3a-2b 00:35:00 00:24:00 It is hard to believe that the white position is being played by a top=20 professional. However, again there is no choice. The natural 12.G3b is=20 not good because of 13.P2d Px2d Rx2d P*2c Rx3d. In this position, white=20 can not counter with B*2h because of P*2b (Rx2b? Bx2b+) or with B*4e=20 because of Rx3b+ Sx3b (Rx3b Bx1a+) P*2b N3c P2a+ (Sx2a Bx3c+) and black=20 gets an overwhelming position. 13.P2e-2d 00:47:00 00:24:00 14.P2cx2d 00:47:00 00:27:00 15.R2hx2d 00:47:00 00:27:00 16.P*2c 00:47:00 00:28:00 17.R2d-2h 00:47:00 00:28:00 18.K5a-6b 00:47:00 00:32:00 19.K5i-6h 00:48:00 00:32:00 20.K6b-7b 00:48:00 00:33:00 21.K6h-7h 00:49:00 00:33:00 22.S7a-6b 00:49:00 00:40:00 23.P3g-3f 01:21:00 00:40:00 24.G4a-3b 01:21:00 00:55:00 25.S4h-3g 01:22:00 00:55:00 26.S2b-3c 01:22:00 01:07:00 27.S3g-4f 01:25:00 01:07:00 28.S6b-5c 01:25:00 01:59:00 29.P9g-9f 01:50:00 01:59:00 30.P4c-4d 01:50:00 02:23:00 31.P5g-5f 02:16:00 02:23:00 32.G6a-6b 02:16:00 02:32:00 33.P9f-9e 02:24:00 02:32:00 34.R1b-2b 02:24:00 02:59:00 35.G6i-6h 02:39:00 02:59:00 36.P2c-2d 02:39:00 03:06:00 37.N2i-3g 02:39:00 03:06:00 38.R2b-2c 02:39:00 03:13:00 39.P8g-8f? 03:05:00 03:13:00 The game has quieted down and both sides have taken time to develop=20 their pieces. After the game, Habu said that he regretted this way of=20 playing. Better would have been 39.B6f followed by N7g to be able to=20 play an edge attack at any given time. After 39.P8f the advanced edge=20 pawn on 9e becomes meaningless. 40.S3c-4b 03:05:00 03:20:00 41.P5f-5e 04:20:00 03:20:00 42.S4b-4c 04:20:00 03:23:00 43.P5ex5d 04:25:00 03:23:00 44.S5cx5d 04:25:00 03:36:00 45.S4f-5e 04:25:00 03:36:00 46.S5dx5e 04:25:00 03:45:00 47.B7gx5e 04:25:00 03:45:00 48.N2a-3c 04:25:00 03:58:00 49.P*5d 04:30:00 03:58:00 Looks like a good move, because this avoids the development of the rook=20 through R2a and R5a, but white has a strong counter. 50.S*6e! 04:30:00 04:29:00 This simply threatens to take the pawn on 5d and surprisingly, black has= =20 no good way of defending against that. For example, 51.S*5c S6ex5d Sx4d+= =20 N2e! (not Sx5e +Sx4c Gx4c S*3b and black wins) +Sx5d Sx5d Bx1a+ Nx3g+=20 R5h P*5e +B1b R5c is good for white. 51.P5d-5c+ 04:43:00 04:29:00 52.G6bx5c 04:43:00 04:29:00 53.N8i-7g 04:43:00 04:29:00 54.S6ex7f 04:43:00 04:47:00 55.P*7d 05:16:00 04:47:00 Habu realizes that he is in trouble and goes for the desperate attack. 56.P6c-6d 05:16:00 05:02:00 57.P7dx7c+ 05:17:00 05:02:00 58.N8ax7c! 05:17:00 05:23:00 A hard move to play, because the head of the knight looks so weak, but=20 Sato has seen that 58.Kx7c is not good because of 59.S*6e!. If then=20 60.S5d (Sx6e Nx6e forks king and gold) R5h! S7fx6e Nx6e Sx6e Bx4d is=20 good for black. 59.R2h-5h 05:45:00 05:23:00 60.P*5d 05:45:00 05:34:00 61.P*7d 05:49:00 05:34:00 62.N7c-6e 05:49:00 05:38:00 63.N7gx6e 05:49:00 05:38:00 64.S7fx6e 05:49:00 05:38:00 65.N*4e 05:49:00 05:38:00 66.N3cx4e 05:49:00 06:04:00 67.N3gx4e 05:49:00 06:04:00 68.P4dx4e 05:49:00 06:04:00 69.B5ex1a+ 05:49:00 06:04:00 70.N*7f 05:49:00 06:04:00 Very painful. White has a number of knight in hand, so he can play this=20 drop a number of times in a row. Black has no pawns in hand, so there is= =20 no way to defend here. 71.P7d-7c+ 06:28:00 06:04:00 72.K7bx7c 06:28:00 06:04:00 73.L*7g 06:28:00 06:04:00 74.N*7e 06:28:00 06:12:00 Resigns 06:33:00 06:12:00 An unexpectedly quick end to this game (a little past three in the=20 afternoon), but after 75.Lx7f Sx7f +B6f S6e (or Nx6g+ Gx6g +Sx6g +Bx6g=20 L*6e) +Bx7e L*7d white wins quickly. Habu saw no way to make a fight of=20 it and resigned. A complete victory by Sato with some unusual opening=20 moves. He showed no signs that he suffered any psychological damage from= =20 losing the 4th game of the Kisei match and takes a 2-0 lead. Habu is=20 already in a situation of having the win with the white pieces to avoid=20 going three games down with four to play. --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Get $1000.00 Overnight! Fast and Easy! No Credit Checks! Many Lenders are 100% Paperless! 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