From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 07 dec 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1120, November 2nd 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Make phone calls with phone service from Packet8.Order VoIP today & get Free Activation, Free Equipment & First Month=20 Free! Packet8 30-day money back guarantee. 1-877-868-1135 http://click.topica.com/= caaegt4a2i6YsbnuqMaa/ TMONE ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this Shukan Shogi report the first game of the Ryu-O match between=20 Watanabe and Kimura. This match gives a fresh feeling after a three=20 consecutive Habu-Sato matches. It has also been a very long time since=20 no-one of the "Habu generation" (Habu, Sato, Moriuchi, Maruyama, Goda,=20 Fujii) played in a title match (I may be wrong, but the last time might=20 be the Tanigawa-Sanada match in 1997). Both players have career winning=20 percentages over 70%, but somehow Kimura never made it to the big stage=20 before. The first game was a real fight with Kimura dictating the pace,=20 but Watanabe showed that he is more experienced despite being more than=20 ten years younger. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Kimura Kazuki, Challenger"] [White "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"] [Event "18th Ryu-O sen, Game 1"] [Date "October 25th and 26th 2005"] 1.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.P7g-7f 00:02:00 00:02:00 4.G4a-3b 00:02:00 00:05:00 5.G6i-7h 00:06:00 00:05:00 6.P8c-8d 00:06:00 00:10:00 7.P2f-2e 00:12:00 00:10:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:12:00 00:18:00 A big surprise! Watanabe and Kimura are both specialists in the=20 R8e-Yokofudori opening and some expected that this match would have this= =20 opening in every game. Instead, Watanabe plays the Kakugawari opening=20 with tempo loss. A popular opening, but Watanabe has never played this=20 opening in an official game before. Still, since this is not a single=20 game but a match, this is a reasonable strategy. Save your best opening=20 for the time when you really need it. Being beaten in the first game of=20 a long title match playing your favorite opening is a serious problem.=20 On the other hand, winning the first game even without playing your=20 favorite opening could cause serious psychological damage to the opponent. 9.S7ix8h 00:14:00 00:18:00 10.S3a-2b 00:14:00 00:19:00 11.S3i-3h 00:22:00 00:19:00 12.S2b-3c 00:22:00 00:23:00 13.P4g-4f 00:40:00 00:23:00 14.S7a-7b 00:40:00 00:35:00 15.S3h-4g 00:43:00 00:35:00 16.P6c-6d 00:43:00 00:39:00 17.P1g-1f 00:50:00 00:39:00 18.P1c-1d 00:50:00 00:47:00 19.K5i-6h 01:08:00 00:47:00 20.S7b-6c 01:08:00 00:52:00 21.S8h-7g 01:15:00 00:52:00 22.K5a-4b 01:15:00 01:00:00 23.P9g-9f 01:22:00 01:00:00 24.P9c-9d 01:22:00 01:07:00 25.G4i-5h 01:57:00 01:07:00 26.G6a-5b 01:57:00 01:15:00 27.S4g-5f 02:01:00 01:15:00 28.P7c-7d 02:01:00 01:23:00 29.P3g-3f 02:05:00 01:23:00 30.K4b-3a 02:05:00 01:29:00 31.K6h-7i 02:10:00 01:29:00 32.S6c-5d 02:10:00 01:36:00 33.P6g-6f 02:17:00 01:36:00 34.P4c-4d 02:17:00 01:49:00 35.N2i-3g 02:28:00 01:49:00 36.G5b-4c 02:28:00 01:57:00 37.R2h-4h 02:59:00 01:57:00 38.K3a-2b 02:59:00 02:15:00 39.K7i-8h 03:08:00 02:15:00 40.N8a-7c 03:08:00 02:20:00 41.P4f-4e 03:19:00 02:20:00 42.N7c-8e 03:19:00 02:58:00 43.S7g-8f 03:37:00 02:58:00 44.P6d-6e 03:37:00 03:09:00 45.B*7c 04:44:00 03:09:00 46.R8b-8a 04:44:00 03:13:00 47.P4ex4d 04:49:00 03:13:00 48.S3cx4d 04:49:00 03:18:00 49.P*4e 04:52:00 03:18:00 50.S4d-3c 04:52:00 03:22:00 51.P6fx6e 04:54:00 03:22:00 52.P9d-9e 04:54:00 04:13:00 53.P9fx9e 04:57:00 04:13:00 54.P3d-3e?! 04:57:00 04:19:00 Until this move, the position is identical to the 7th game of the Oi=20 match and the first game of the Kisei match between Habu and Sato.=20 Actually, Watanabe was a commentator in Tokyo for the 7th game of the Oi= =20 match, while Kimura followed the game in the press room. Therefore, they= =20 were both very familiar with this position in which 54.P7e was played=20 both times. Watanabe's new 54.P3e doesn't seem to be an improvement. 55.B7c-4f+ 05:10:00 04:19:00 56.B*8b 05:10:00 04:20:00 57.P3fx3e! 06:01:00 04:20:00 Not an easy move to play. After 58.Bx4f 59.Rx4f, black has handed over=20 the promoted bishop and with the rook on 4f, it seems that white has all= =20 kinds of nasty attacks. However, the obvious 60.B*2h is answered by=20 61.R3f Bx1i+ P3d Sx3d B*6f even though white has won a lance, the=20 promoted bishop is out of play and the black bishop on 6f is working=20 much better. From now on, the black position is better, but somehow=20 Watanabe manages to keep it very close... 58.B8bx4f 06:01:00 05:10:00 59.R4hx4f 06:01:00 05:10:00 60.P*6f 06:01:00 05:11:00 61.R4f-2f 06:29:00 05:11:00 62.P7d-7e 06:29:00 05:28:00 63.S8fx7e 06:37:00 05:28:00 64.R8a-7a 06:37:00 05:53:00 65.S7ex6f 06:43:00 05:53:00 66.R7ax7f 06:43:00 06:16:00 67.S5f-6g 06:49:00 06:16:00 68.R7f-7b 06:49:00 06:18:00 69.B*6a 06:55:00 06:18:00 70.R7b-7a 06:55:00 06:25:00 71.B6a-8c+ 06:56:00 06:25:00 72.P*6d 06:56:00 07:05:00 73.P*7g 07:07:00 07:05:00 74.P6dx6e 07:07:00 07:14:00 75.S6fx6e 07:07:00 07:14:00 76.P*9g 07:07:00 07:17:00 77.S6ex5d 07:14:00 07:17:00 78.P5cx5d 07:14:00 07:17:00 79.P2e-2d 07:18:00 07:17:00 80.S3cx2d 07:18:00 07:24:00 81.+B8cx8d 07:32:00 07:24:00 82.R7a-8a 07:32:00 07:24:00 83.P4e-4d 07:33:00 07:24:00 84.G4cx4d 07:33:00 07:25:00 85.+B8d-6b 07:33:00 07:25:00 86.S2dx3e 07:33:00 07:32:00 87.P*3c 07:34:00 07:32:00 88.N2ax3c 07:34:00 07:33:00 89.R2f-7f 07:40:00 07:33:00 90.P*7e 07:40:00 07:33:00 91.R7fx7e 07:41:00 07:33:00 92.B*6d! 07:41:00 07:34:00 White has been struggling with the lack of pawns in hand, but this shows= =20 that the position is still unclear. 93.R7e-7b+ 07:44:00 07:34:00 If the rook moves to another square, then 93.P9h+ Lx9h P*9g is very strong.= 94.R8a-8b! 07:44:00 07:34:00 The second point of B*6d: white can now exchange the rooks, which gives=20 him good chances for a counterattack. 95.+R7bx8b 07:48:00 07:34:00 96.B6dx8b 07:48:00 07:34:00 The bishop is no longer pointing at 9g, but still threatens Bx3g+=20 followed by N*9f next, so black has to act quickly. 97.S*4a 07:48:00 07:34:00 98.P*3a 07:48:00 07:37:00 99.S4ax3b+ 07:51:00 07:37:00 100.P3ax3b 07:51:00 07:38:00 101.R*8a 07:51:00 07:38:00 102.B8bx3g+ 07:51:00 07:40:00 103.R8ax8e+ 07:51:00 07:40:00 104.R*2i 07:51:00 07:42:00 105.P*2d 07:52:00 07:42:00 106.P*8d! 07:52:00 07:45:00 An obvious move. The promoted rook on 8d is defending against the knight= =20 drop on 9f, is eyeing the silver on 3e and also threatens to enter the=20 attack with +R8a at any time. Of course, Kimura had seen this, but he=20 counted on a move that didn't work. 107.+B6bx8d 07:54:00 07:45:00 A change of plan. Kimura thought he could play 107.+Rx3e Gx3e +Bx3e=20 here, but at the last moment saw that he is mated after R*9h then! (Lx9h= =20 Px9h+ Kx9h P*9g and the pawn on 8d and the promoted bishop on 3g are=20 working together to create the mate). 107.+Bx8d blocks the rook and=20 moves the bishop away from the action and suddenly the position is=20 difficult to win for black. 108.R2ix1i+ 07:54:00 07:48:00 109.P*3h 07:55:00 07:48:00 110.+B3g-3f 07:55:00 07:50:00 111.+B8d-7e 07:55:00 07:50:00 112.P2cx2d 07:55:00 07:51:00 113.N*4g 07:55:00 07:51:00 114.P*8d 07:55:00 07:54:00 115.N4gx3e 07:55:00 07:54:00 116.+B3fx3e 07:55:00 07:55:00 117.+R8ex8d 07:56:00 07:55:00 118.P*8c 07:56:00 07:55:00 119.+R8dx8c 07:56:00 07:55:00 120.L9ax9e 07:56:00 07:55:00 121.P*9f 07:57:00 07:55:00 122.L9ex9f 07:57:00 07:55:00 123.+R8c-9b? 07:57:00 07:55:00 The losing move, based on the confidence of the born defender Kimura. He= =20 thought he could survive the next move, but overlooked an important=20 attacking option. If he would have seen it, he would have played=20 123.Lx9g or 123.P7f here. 124.S*9h 07:57:00 07:56:00 125.G7h-7i 07:59:00 07:56:00 A change of plan, but it is all white from now on. 125.Lx9h Px9h+ of=20 course leads to mate and 125.+Rx9f +Rx8i Kx9g +Rx9i is winning for white= =20 because there is also the threat of P*9e +Rx9e N*8c. However, what=20 Kimura overlooked here is that 125.P7f doesn't work because of 126.N*6e=20 +Bx6e N*8e which is hisshi (only possible because the rook has moved=20 from 8c to 9b). Kimura's confidence in his defending skills let him down= =20 here. Almost every player would have preferred 123.Lx9g to take away=20 attacking options, but Kimura's style is to force the opponent into a=20 misplacement of pieces and then kill the attack. Indeed, the position of= =20 L9f, P9g and S9h is heavy, but in this position it just works for white. 126.S9hx9i=3D 07:59:00 07:57:00 127.K8h-7h 07:59:00 07:57:00 128.P9g-9h+ 07:59:00 07:57:00 129.P*4i 07:59:00 07:57:00 130.+R1ix4i 07:59:00 07:57:00 131.G*5i 07:59:00 07:57:00 132.+R4i-2i 07:59:00 07:57:00 133.+B7e-4b 07:59:00 07:57:00 134.S*4c 07:59:00 07:58:00 135.+R9bx9f 07:59:00 07:58:00 136.N*4f 07:59:00 07:59:00 137.P*4i 07:59:00 07:59:00 138.N4fx5h+ 07:59:00 07:59:00 139.S6gx5h 07:59:00 07:59:00 140.P*9e 07:59:00 07:59:00 141.+R9fx9e 07:59:00 07:59:00 142.N*6f 07:59:00 07:59:00 143.K7h-6g 07:59:00 07:59:00 144.N6fx5h+ 07:59:00 07:59:00 145.G5ix5h 07:59:00 07:59:00 146.L*7a 07:59:00 07:59:00 Watanabe has taken his time, which is his style. First make a position=20 from which it is difficult to lose and then go for the kill. 146.L*7a is= =20 the deciding move. 147.N*4g 07:59:00 07:59:00 148.P*6f 07:59:00 07:59:00 149.K6gx6f 07:59:00 07:59:00 150.S*5e 07:59:00 07:59:00 151.N4gx5e 07:59:00 07:59:00 152.G4dx5e 07:59:00 07:59:00 153.+R9ex5e 07:59:00 07:59:00 154.P5dx5e 07:59:00 07:59:00 155.S*3a 07:59:00 07:59:00 156.K2b-2c 07:59:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:59:00 Kimura plays a final check, but there is no mate and after 157.+Bx4c the= =20 black king is mated with 158.G*7e etc. Watanabe had a tough time in this= =20 game, but in the end he got all he wanted: winning with white using an=20 opening he has never used before. Still, challenger Kimura didn't seem=20 to be too shaken: "I played at the big stage, used my time, played a=20 difficult game. Maybe it is strange to say this when you lose, but it=20 was fun." Feeling too much pressure is not good, but as Yamasaki pointed= =20 out, winning at the big stage is not easy. It needs a life-or-death=20 attitude in every game and Kimura might be a little too satisfied with=20 reaching this stage. This was a game he should have won and that can be=20 costly at the highest level... --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Is your computer freezing up or slowing down? 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