From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 13 dec 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1123, November 23rd 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Challenger Kimura is finding it very hard to win at the big stage. In=20 the third game of the Ryu-O match against Watanabe, he had chances to=20 win for the second time, but again he couldn't finish. Here is the game=20 with comments: [Black "Kimura Kazuki, Challenger"] [White "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"] [Event "18th Ryu-O sen, Game 3"] [Date "November 17th and 18th 2005"] 1.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.P7g-7f 00:03:00 00:02:00 4.G4a-3b 00:03:00 00:05:00 5.G6i-7h 00:06:00 00:05:00 6.P4c-4d 00:06:00 00:07:00 Again Watanabe surprises everyone. In the first game he exchanged=20 bishops here and this time he again doesn't play the R8e-Yokofudori, but= =20 the slow fight 6.P4d. The simple idea is to get the game out of known=20 territory, which means that black has to think himself about how to keep= =20 the advantage of having the first move. 6.P4d was played twice in the=20 recent Oza match between Habu and Sato and this has made it suddenly a=20 quite popular opening among professionals. However, like in the first=20 game, it is the first time that Watanabe has played this opening in an=20 official game. The winning percentage for black in this opening is good,= =20 but Kimura has lost twice against it this season, which might have=20 played a role in Watanabe's decision. 7.P2f-2e 00:10:00 00:07:00 8.B2b-3c 00:10:00 00:08:00 9.S3i-4h 00:15:00 00:08:00 10.G6a-5b 00:15:00 00:12:00 11.P4g-4f 00:19:00 00:12:00 12.G5b-4c 00:19:00 00:17:00 13.S4h-4g 00:25:00 00:17:00 14.S7a-6b 00:25:00 00:21:00 15.K5i-6i 00:29:00 00:21:00 16.P5c-5d 00:29:00 00:30:00 17.G4i-5h 00:39:00 00:30:00 18.K5a-4a 00:39:00 00:37:00 19.B8h-7g 00:44:00 00:37:00 20.S3a-2b 00:44:00 00:46:00 21.P3g-3f 00:48:00 00:46:00 22.B3c-4b 00:48:00 00:49:00 23.B7g-5i 00:58:00 00:49:00 24.S2b-3c 00:58:00 00:53:00 25.S7i-6h 01:16:00 00:53:00 26.K4a-3a 01:16:00 00:58:00 27.P6g-6f 01:27:00 00:58:00 28.K3a-2b 01:27:00 01:12:00 29.S4g-5f 01:35:00 01:12:00 30.P7c-7d 01:35:00 02:10:00 31.B5i-3g 01:43:00 02:10:00 It looks like black is trying to build an attacking formation, but=20 Kimura is actually aiming at taking away all of white's options, forcing= =20 him into an overplay. Rather than the silver on 5f, this bishop ties a=20 number of white pieces. 32.N8a-7c 01:43:00 02:10:00 33.P4f-4e 01:53:00 02:10:00 34.P4dx4e 01:53:00 02:11:00 35.S5fx4e 01:53:00 02:11:00 36.P9c-9d 01:53:00 02:17:00 37.R2h-4h 02:07:00 02:17:00 Here black has a choice. The alternative is 37.S5f R7b (defending=20 against S6e next) P*4e to take a vanguard pawn position. However, in=20 this case white has a pawn in hand, which can be used to start an=20 attack. As pointed out, Kimura is aiming at taking away attacking=20 options by his opponent and 37.R4h forces a pawn drop on 4d. 38.P*4d 02:07:00 02:17:00 39.S4e-5f 02:07:00 02:17:00 40.R8b-7b 02:07:00 02:17:00 41.P9g-9f 02:26:00 02:17:00 42.P8c-8d 02:26:00 02:19:00 43.K6i-7i 02:59:00 02:19:00 44.L9a-9c 02:59:00 03:16:00 45.S6h-7g 03:09:00 03:16:00 46.S6b-5c 03:09:00 03:21:00 47.G5h-6g 03:41:00 03:21:00 48.S5c-6d 03:41:00 03:24:00 49.S7g-8f 03:49:00 03:24:00 50.L1a-1b 03:49:00 03:47:00 The sealed move. In the press room nobody expected it (the general=20 opinion was that white would play 50.P1d), but Watanabe saw it as his=20 only option. Kimura's cautious play begins to bear fruit. Watanabe is=20 running out of reasonable moves. 51.K7i-8h 04:01:00 03:47:00 52.K2b-1a 04:01:00 03:48:00 53.L1i-1h 04:29:00 03:48:00 54.B4b-5c 04:29:00 04:28:00 55.R4h-2h 05:28:00 04:28:00 56.N7c-8e 05:28:00 04:41:00 57.P1g-1f 05:39:00 04:41:00 58.S3c-2b 05:39:00 05:24:00 59.P1f-1e 05:56:00 05:24:00 60.B5c-4b 05:56:00 05:50:00 61.N2i-1g 06:29:00 05:50:00 Kimura's strategy has been a complete success. Black is now threatening=20 to start the attack with P2d Px2d P*2e and white has no decent counter=20 against that. Therefore, Watanabe is forced into action with a position=20 that is not really ready for it. 62.P5d-5e 06:29:00 05:59:00 63.S5fx5e 06:30:00 05:59:00 64.S6dx5e 06:30:00 05:59:00 65.B3gx5e 06:30:00 05:59:00 66.P9d-9e 06:30:00 05:59:00 67.P9fx9e 06:30:00 05:59:00 68.P7d-7e 06:30:00 05:59:00 69.P7fx7e 06:35:00 05:59:00 70.S*6d 06:35:00 05:59:00 71.B5e-3g 06:36:00 05:59:00 72.S6dx7e 06:36:00 05:59:00 73.S*7c 06:48:00 05:59:00 74.R7b-7a 06:48:00 06:26:00 75.S8fx8e 07:03:00 06:26:00 76.P8dx8e 07:03:00 06:26:00 77.P*7f 07:03:00 06:26:00 78.S7e-8f 07:03:00 06:30:00 79.P8gx8f 07:06:00 06:30:00 80.P8ex8f 07:06:00 06:30:00 81.P2e-2d? 07:09:00 06:30:00 An important mistake. This gives white an extra pawn in hand, which=20 turns the tables. If Kimura would have played either 81.S*7g directly or= =20 81.N*7i, he would have kept the advantage. 82.P2cx2d 07:09:00 06:38:00 83.S*7g 07:15:00 06:38:00 84.S*8g 07:15:00 07:04:00 85.G7hx8g 07:15:00 07:04:00 86.P8fx8g+ 07:15:00 07:04:00 87.K8hx8g 07:15:00 07:04:00 88.P*8f 07:15:00 07:04:00 89.S7gx8f 07:15:00 07:04:00 90.P*8e 07:15:00 07:04:00 91.S8f-7g 07:15:00 07:04:00 92.G*4g 07:15:00 07:06:00 93.B3g-5e 07:15:00 07:06:00 94.R7a-5a 07:15:00 07:06:00 95.P5g-5f 07:16:00 07:06:00 96.P*5d 07:16:00 07:06:00 The point. Without the pawn exchange on 2d, white would not have had=20 this pawn to drop on 5d. 97.S7c-6b=3D 07:26:00 07:06:00 98.P5dx5e 07:26:00 07:06:00 99.S6bx5a=3D 07:26:00 07:06:00 100.B4bx5a 07:26:00 07:06:00 White has won material and the position is now better for Watanabe.=20 Still, the difference is marginal and Kimura gets another chance. 101.R*7b 07:35:00 07:06:00 102.B5a-4b 07:35:00 07:09:00 103.S*4a 07:36:00 07:09:00 104.G3b-3a 07:36:00 07:23:00 105.P*2c 07:39:00 07:23:00 106.S2bx2c 07:39:00 07:23:00 107.S4a-5b=3D 07:40:00 07:23:00 108.S*8f 07:40:00 07:35:00 109.K8g-8h 07:41:00 07:35:00 110.G4c-5c 07:41:00 07:40:00 111.S7gx8f 07:42:00 07:40:00 112.P8ex8f 07:42:00 07:40:00 113.P*4c 07:42:00 07:40:00 114.B*6i? 07:42:00 07:44:00 Underestimates the reply. 114.B3c was correct. 115.N*7i! 07:43:00 07:44:00 This must have been an unpleasant surprise for Watanabe. He thought=20 black had to play 115.N*7h here, which is good for white after 116.S*8g. 116.P*7h 07:43:00 07:52:00 No choice. 116.S*8g K7g or 116.P8g+ Nx8g P*8f S*7h and black can hold=20 the position. 117.R2hx7h 07:53:00 07:52:00 118.B4b-3c! 07:53:00 07:56:00 Watanabe shows he is very cool under pressure. 118.Bx7h+ Kx7h Px5f looks= =20 winning for white, but then Px4b+ P5g+ (mating threat) Gx5g! Gx5g +Px3a=20 and even though the black king looks very dangerous, there is no mate.=20 On the other hand, black is threatening mate after B*3c. The interesting= =20 thing is that after the game it was clear that Kimura had read this=20 variation until the end, while Watanabe had paid almost no attention to=20 it. It is a feature of Watanabe's play that he avoids risky variations=20 as much as possible. This is something he has in common with a lot of=20 amateurs, but of course the difference is that he knows exactly the=20 difference between safe and over-cautious. 119.G6g-6h? 07:56:00 07:56:00 The final mistake. After the simple 119.R2h, white is in trouble. For=20 example, 120.Lx9e Lx9e P*7h K7g Px7i+ Kx8f and it is not easy to stop=20 the black king from escaping up the board. 120.B6ix7h+ 07:56:00 07:56:00 121.G6hx7h 07:56:00 07:56:00 122.R*2h 07:56:00 07:56:00 123.K8h-7g 07:56:00 07:56:00 124.R2hx1h+ 07:56:00 07:56:00 125.P*8e 07:56:00 07:56:00 126.L*8a 07:56:00 07:57:00 127.S*7d 07:57:00 07:57:00 128.G4g-5g 07:57:00 07:57:00 129.B*7e 07:57:00 07:57:00 130.G5c-6d 07:57:00 07:59:00 This gold is a safeguard against any escape up the board by the black king.= 131.B7ex8f 07:57:00 07:59:00 132.S*6i 07:57:00 07:59:00 133.G7h-8h 07:57:00 07:59:00 134.+R1h-6h 07:57:00 07:59:00 135.K7g-8g 07:57:00 07:59:00 136.+R6hx7i 07:57:00 07:59:00 137.G8h-9g 07:59:00 07:59:00 138.+R7i-7h 07:59:00 07:59:00 139.K8g-9f 07:59:00 07:59:00 140.+R7hx7f 07:59:00 07:59:00 141.S7d-8c=3D 07:59:00 07:59:00 142.N*7c 07:59:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:59:00 This threatens mate: 144.Lx9e Kx9e +Rx8e, which can only be defended by=20 a move like 143.N7g, but then 144.G7e or Lx8c is winning easily for=20 white. Kimura said after the game that he was embarrassed by losing=20 three in a row and that pretty much sums it up. He has had chances to=20 win the first and the third game and in this third game he got exactly=20 the position he likes. If he can't beat Watanabe in these positions, it=20 is hard to see how he can win a game at all. He is an 0-3 hole and never= =20 before has anyone been able to dig himself out of it. It seems highly=20 unlikely that Kimura will be the first, but maybe if he can get a win in= =20 the next game, he might put a little bit of pressure on Watanabe. --=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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