From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 26 aug 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1107, August 10th 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Erase wrinkles without Botox! Nexiderm SP is clinically proven to=20 reduce wrinkles by 68% Click here to get your 30-day free supply. http://click.topica.com/= caadOvza2i6YsbnuqMaa/Nexiderm ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report the third game of the Oi match between Habu and Sato.=20 Habu needed to win this game to avoid going 3-0 down with four to play=20 and that is how it turned out. Still, Habu was very close to losing this= =20 game as well and Sato still seems to be the player in better form. Here=20 is the game with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"] [Event "46th Oi-sen, Game 3"] [Date "August 2nd and 3rd 2005"] 1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:02:00 3.P2f-2e 00:00:00 00:02:00 4.P8d-8e 00:00:00 00:02:00 5.G6i-7h 00:00:00 00:02:00 6.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:04:00 7.P2e-2d 00:02:00 00:04:00 8.P2cx2d 00:02:00 00:19:00 9.R2hx2d 00:02:00 00:19:00 10.P*2c 00:02:00 00:19:00 11.R2d-2h 00:02:00 00:19:00 12.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:25:00 13.S3i-3h 00:03:00 00:25:00 14.P8e-8f 00:03:00 00:28:00 15.P8gx8f 00:03:00 00:28:00 16.R8bx8f 00:03:00 00:28:00 17.P*8g 00:03:00 00:28:00 18.R8f-8d 00:03:00 00:28:00 19.P7g-7f 00:12:00 00:28:00 20.P9c-9d 00:12:00 00:51:00 21.P9g-9f 00:14:00 00:51:00 22.S7a-6b 00:14:00 01:01:00 23.P4g-4f 00:14:00 01:01:00 24.P6c-6d 00:14:00 01:02:00 25.S3h-4g 00:15:00 01:02:00 26.S6b-6c 00:15:00 01:03:00 27.S4g-5f 00:16:00 01:03:00 28.S6c-5d 00:16:00 01:06:00 The double reclining silver Aigakari opening is very old, but the way=20 the rooks are placed is very modern. Black has retreated the rook to 2h,= =20 which is a very flexible position, limiting white's options, because=20 there is no rook to attack with a bishop now. 29.P1g-1f 00:16:00 01:06:00 30.P1c-1d 00:16:00 01:14:00 31.B8h-7g 00:21:00 01:14:00 32.B2b-3c 00:21:00 01:24:00 33.B7gx3c+ 01:21:00 01:24:00 34.N2ax3c 01:21:00 01:24:00 35.K5i-6h 01:21:00 01:24:00 36.K5a-4b 01:21:00 02:32:00 37.P3g-3f 02:35:00 02:32:00 38.S5d-6e 02:35:00 03:24:00 It is unclear if this move is good or bad, but the reasons for it are=20 easy to understand. Black's main ideas in this position are to pester=20 the rook with B*6f combined with an attack on the head of the white=20 knight with P3e. 38.S6e deals with both of these threats if white plays=20 39.Sx6e Px6e because then the rook is defending 3d. 39.S5f-4g 02:59:00 03:24:00 Sato retreats the silver, keeping the threat of P3e alive. 40.S6ex7f 02:59:00 04:43:00 Forced, as white has to free the pawn on 6d quickly to play P6e and=20 defend the pawn on 3d. The theme of this game now will be whether this=20 silver on 7f can play an active role in the white attack or not. 41.S7i-8h 03:15:00 04:43:00 The alternative is 41.P3e. Sato didn't like 42.Px3e B*6f R8b Px3d Sx8g=3D= =20 but this is far from easy. Actually, Habu wasn't at all convinced that=20 this is good for white and intended to play 42.B*4d S8h Bx3e instead.=20 Sato is famous for his deep analysis of positions, but seemed to have=20 discarded an interesting looking move too early here. 42.P6d-6e 03:15:00 04:55:00 43.G4i-5h 03:25:00 04:55:00 44.S3a-2b 03:25:00 05:03:00 45.P8g-8f 04:53:00 05:03:00 46.B*7e 04:53:00 05:10:00 47.P8f-8e 04:59:00 05:10:00 48.S7fx8e 04:59:00 06:06:00 49.P3f-3e 05:04:00 06:06:00 50.P3dx3e 05:04:00 06:09:00 51.B*6c 05:05:00 06:09:00 52.P9d-9e 05:05:00 06:33:00 53.P9fx9e 05:57:00 06:33:00 54.P*9h 05:57:00 06:34:00 55.L9ix9h 05:57:00 06:34:00 56.P*9g 05:57:00 06:34:00 57.N8ix9g 05:58:00 06:34:00 58.S8e-7d 05:58:00 06:34:00 59.P*8e 05:59:00 06:34:00 60.R8d-8b 05:59:00 06:34:00 61.B6c-1h+ 05:59:00 06:34:00 62.P*9f 05:59:00 06:35:00 63.P*7f 06:01:00 06:35:00 64.B7e-6d 06:01:00 06:42:00 65.P*3d 06:01:00 06:42:00 66.P9fx9g+ 06:01:00 06:49:00 67.S8hx9g 06:03:00 06:49:00 68.N8a-9c 06:03:00 06:54:00 Sato was quite happy with his position until he saw this move. Here he=20 realized that the bishop on 6d is more valuable than the promoted bishop= =20 on 1h. Nx8e is a big threat and it is not easy to defend against it. For= =20 example, bringing the promoted bishop into play with 69.N*8f (if the=20 silver on 7d moves, black has +B6c), white has the strong counter=20 70.N*5d which blocks the bishop, threatens the strong attack P6f and=20 also gives white the option of Nx8e next. 69.P3dx3c+ 06:34:00 06:54:00 70.G3bx3c 06:34:00 07:02:00 71.N*5f 06:44:00 07:02:00 72.B6d-5e 06:44:00 07:02:00 73.+B1h-4e 06:44:00 07:02:00 74.B5e-9i+ 06:44:00 07:02:00 Now black is in trouble, but Sato doesn't give up that easily. 75.P*3d 06:44:00 07:02:00 76.G3c-3b 06:44:00 07:02:00 77.S9g-8h 06:49:00 07:02:00 78.+B9ix9h 06:49:00 07:02:00 79.+B4e-5e 06:49:00 07:02:00 80.R8bx8e 06:49:00 07:09:00 81.P*8g 06:49:00 07:09:00 82.G6a-6b 06:49:00 07:11:00 83.N2i-3g 06:58:00 07:11:00 84.P*9f 06:58:00 07:23:00 85.N3g-4e 06:58:00 07:23:00 86.N*4a 06:58:00 07:23:00 87.P9e-9d 07:02:00 07:23:00 88.P9f-9g+ 07:02:00 07:28:00 89.P9dx9c+ 07:03:00 07:28:00 90.+P9gx8h 07:03:00 07:31:00 91.G7hx8h 07:04:00 07:31:00 92.+B9hx8g 07:04:00 07:32:00 93.G8hx8g 07:09:00 07:32:00 94.R8ex8g+ 07:09:00 07:32:00 95.P*8h 07:09:00 07:32:00 96.G*7h 07:09:00 07:33:00 97.K6h-5i 07:09:00 07:33:00 98.+R8g-9h 07:09:00 07:33:00 99.K5i-4h 07:26:00 07:33:00 100.+R9h-8i 07:26:00 07:35:00 101.R2h-3h 07:30:00 07:35:00 102.L*5d?! 07:30:00 07:38:00 It is unclear where Habu could have played it better, but this lance=20 drop gives Sato a golden opportunity. It looks like the decisive move,=20 since moving the promoted bishop is answered by +Rx1i and white wins easily=