From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 06 jan 2005 Subject: The end of the year in Shukan Shogi (no. 1075-1077, December 15th, Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- ** Get Your Own Support-a-Cure Yellow Bracelet for $1.99 **=20=20=20 Show your support for finding cures for both AIDS & Cancer.=20 Get yours for just $1.99. This bracelet makes a difference. http://click.topica.com/= caacYkka2i6YsbnuqMaa/Penn Media ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this Shukan Shogi report the 5th and the 6th game of the Ryu-O match=20 between Moriuchi and Watanabe. Watanabe won game 5 to get within one=20 game of winning the Ryu-O title and for a while it also looked that he=20 would take game 6. However, Moriuchi showed some resilient defending to=20 level the match again, so a decisive seventh game has to decide the=20 Ryu-O title holder. Here are the games with comments: [Black "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"] [White "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Ryu-O"] [Event "17th Ryu-O sen, Game 5"] [Date "December 7th and 8th 2004"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.S7i-6h 00:02:00 00:02:00 4.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:02:00 5.P6g-6f 00:02:00 00:02:00 6.P5c-5d 00:02:00 00:02:00 7.P5g-5f 00:04:00 00:02:00 8.S3a-4b 00:04:00 00:09:00 9.S3i-4h 00:11:00 00:09:00 10.S4b-5c 00:11:00 00:09:00 11.S4h-5g 00:23:00 00:09:00 12.P6c-6d 00:23:00 00:20:00 13.G6i-7h 00:26:00 00:20:00 14.R8b-3b 00:26:00 00:24:00 After two Yagura games, Moriuchi tries something different with white:=20 the Yodo-furibisha opening. This will not have been a big surprise to=20 Watanabe, because Moriuchi played this opening also against Habu in the=20 Kio tournament four days before this Ryu-O game. Moriuchi won that game=20 convincingly, which will have given him the confidence to try it in this= =20 very important title match game as well. 15.P2g-2f 00:30:00 00:24:00 16.P4c-4d 00:30:00 00:26:00 17.P2f-2e 00:39:00 00:26:00 18.B2b-3c 00:39:00 00:26:00 19.K5i-6i 00:39:00 00:26:00 20.K5a-6b 00:39:00 00:29:00 21.P3g-3f 00:53:00 00:29:00 22.G4a-5b 00:53:00 01:33:00 23.S5g-4f 00:56:00 01:33:00 24.K6b-7b? 00:56:00 01:34:00 An important mistake that gives black a very good position. Correct was=20 24.G4c, after which black has no strong attack. For example, 25.P3e B5a=20 R3h Px3e Sx3e P*3d S4f. Moriuchi did not like this position: "If it=20 comes out like this, I should have played a normal Furibisha from the=20 start". 25.P3f-3e 01:45:00 01:34:00 26.B3c-5a 01:45:00 01:44:00 27.R2h-3h 01:56:00 01:44:00 28.P4d-4e? 01:56:00 01:48:00 The second mistake. Watanabe had counted on 28.Px3e, after which Sx3e=20 K8b P*3d S7b R3f P7d N3g led to a position with completely different=20 opinions. Moriuchi feared that he might be pushed off the board from=20 here, while Watanabe worried about the problems of opening up the=20 position with a closed bishop diagonal and how to properly castle his=20 king. It seems that this variation was better than the game. 29.S4f-5g 02:19:00 01:48:00 30.P3dx3e 02:19:00 01:54:00 31.P6f-6e 02:23:00 01:54:00 32.B5a-3c 02:23:00 02:14:00 33.B8hx3c+ 02:45:00 02:14:00 34.N2ax3c 02:45:00 02:52:00 35.P6ex6d 02:48:00 02:52:00 36.N3cx2e 02:48:00 02:57:00 37.P*2f 03:08:00 02:57:00 38.P3e-3f 03:08:00 04:34:00 The sealed move and one of those rare occasions where a position after=20 the first day already looks more or less decided. Black seems to have an= =20 overwhelming advantage and Moriuchi's body language was already quite=20 bad when he was contemplating the sealed move. Quite unusual for him, as= =20 it is normally very hard to read to tell from looking at him how good or= =20 bad his position is. 39.P2fx2e 03:09:00 04:34:00 40.R3b-3d 03:09:00 05:03:00 41.B*2b 03:34:00 05:03:00 42.L1a-1b 03:34:00 05:13:00 43.B2b-1a+ 03:40:00 05:13:00 44.B*2g 03:40:00 05:23:00 45.+B1ax1b! 03:54:00 05:23:00 Fukuzaki, who followed the game from the press room, was especially=20 impressed with this move. It looks like the black position is badly=20 defended against a rook drop, but Watanabe has judged correctly that=20 46.Bx3h+ Gx3h R*4i can be answered by S5i and white has no way to get to= =20 the king. For example Rx2i+ N*7e Sx6d B*8c K6b L*6c Gx6c Bx6a+ Kx6a=20 Nx6c+ and black wins. 46.B2gx3h+ 03:54:00 05:54:00 47.G4ix3h 03:54:00 05:54:00 48.S5cx6d 03:54:00 05:54:00 49.+B1bx2c 04:06:00 05:54:00 50.R3d-3a 04:06:00 05:55:00 51.+B2c-2b 04:12:00 05:55:00 52.R3a-5a 04:12:00 05:56:00 53.S6h-5i 04:34:00 05:56:00 54.P*2f 04:34:00 06:30:00 55.L*6h 04:48:00 06:30:00 56.P*6e 04:48:00 06:30:00 57.+B2b-4d 04:48:00 06:30:00 58.P2f-2g+ 04:48:00 06:32:00 59.+B4dx5d 04:54:00 06:32:00 60.G5b-6c 04:54:00 06:32:00 61.B*8c 04:55:00 06:32:00 This might have been a mistake, but an alternative is not given. 62.K7bx8c 04:55:00 06:42:00 Here Watanabe realized that there was a problem, but it is too late. He=20 thought that 62.K6b was the only move here. 63.+B5dx6c 04:55:00 06:42:00 64.P*5h? 04:55:00 06:51:00 Despite the overwhelming advantage that black seems to have, only this=20 is losing move. If white would have played 64.G7b, things are still=20 unclear. For example, 65.+Bx6d +Px3h S*6c P*5h +Bx6e G*7d N*7e K8b Sx7b+= =20 Sx7b and now G*6b would be winning if white did not have Px5i+ K7i R*6i=20 K8h B*4d which picks up the gold on 6b. Also, 65.+Bx6d +Px3h N*7e K9b=20 S*6c G*8b +Bx6e B*7d Sx7d+ Px7d +Bx7d S*8c and the black attack is=20 stopped. This position was analyzed extensively, even after the=20 post-mortem was over, but a clear win for black was not found. Moriuchi=20 admitted after the game that he had already given up on the game here=20 and regretted not to have thought about his moves a little longer. 65.N*9e 05:07:00 06:51:00 66.K8c-9d 05:07:00 06:51:00 67.+B6cx8a 05:07:00 06:51:00 68.P5hx5i+ 05:07:00 06:51:00 69.K6i-7i 05:07:00 06:51:00 70.K9dx9e 05:07:00 07:01:00 71.N*8f 05:08:00 07:01:00 72.P8d-8e 05:08:00 07:03:00 73.+B8a-6c 05:09:00 07:03:00 74.B*5b 05:09:00 07:13:00 75.+B6cx6d 05:10:00 07:13:00 76.K9e-8d 05:10:00 07:13:00 77.+B6dx6e 05:10:00 07:13:00 Resigns 05:10:00 07:13:00 After 78.Px8f S*7e is a simple mate and there is no good attack or=20 defense for white. Suddenly, Watanabe is within one win of taking the=20 Ryu-O title from Moriuchi. Still, this is a situation he has been in=20 before, leading 2-1 in the Oza match against Habu last year. He then=20 lost both games, so he knows the difficulty of that final win. Let's see= =20 how he fares with the white pieces in game 6. [Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Ryu-O"] [White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"] [Event "17th Ryu-O sen, Game 6"] [Date "December 15th and 16th 2004"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:03:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:03:00 4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:03:00 5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:03:00 6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:04:00 7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:04:00 8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:04:00 9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:04:00 10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:04:00 11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:04:00 12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:04:00 13.P8gx8f 00:01:00 00:04:00 14.R8bx8f 00:01:00 00:04:00 15.R2dx3d 00:01:00 00:04:00 16.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:04:00 17.R3d-3f 00:01:00 00:04:00 18.S3a-2b 00:01:00 00:04:00 19.P*8g 00:01:00 00:04:00 20.R8f-8e 00:01:00 00:06:00 Watanabe sticks to his game plan. He convincingly won the 4th game with=20 his favorite R8e-Yokofudori, so there is no reason for him to change. 21.R3f-2f 00:01:00 00:06:00 22.K5a-4a 00:01:00 00:06:00 23.S3i-4h 00:04:00 00:06:00 24.S7a-6b 00:04:00 00:15:00 25.P3g-3f 00:04:00 00:15:00 26.G6a-5a 00:04:00 00:18:00 27.N2i-3g 00:06:00 00:18:00 28.P7c-7d 00:06:00 00:36:00 29.K5i-5h 00:31:00 00:36:00 30.N8a-7c 00:31:00 00:56:00 31.G4i-3h 00:31:00 00:56:00 32.P9c-9d 00:31:00 03:03:00 33.B8hx3c+ 00:55:00 03:03:00 34.N2ax3c 00:55:00 03:03:00 35.S7i-6h 00:55:00 03:03:00 36.P*8f 00:55:00 03:16:00 37.P8gx8f 01:00:00 03:16:00 38.R8ex8f 01:00:00 03:16:00 39.P*8g 01:00:00 03:16:00 40.R8fx7f 01:00:00 03:16:00 41.S6h-7g 01:02:00 03:16:00 42.R7f-7e 01:02:00 03:16:00 43.P*7f 01:39:00 03:16:00 44.R7e-8e 01:39:00 03:16:00 45.P4g-4f 01:44:00 03:16:00 46.N3c-2e 01:44:00 04:13:00 47.P8g-8f 02:12:00 04:13:00 48.N2ex3g+ 02:12:00 04:13:00 49.G3hx3g 02:12:00 04:13:00 50.P*2e 02:12:00 04:13:00 51.R2f-2i 02:24:00 04:13:00 52.R8e-8d 02:24:00 04:21:00 Interestingly, we are still in known territory. However, be changing the= =20 move order Moriuchi has been able to avoid the attacking plans by white=20 and now has reached a position that is considered good for black. White=20 has no clear attacking plan, but if he does not act quickly, black will=20 set up a devastating attack. 53.P*2c?! 03:14:00 04:21:00 The sealed move. This is still a known move, but Moriuchi regretted it=20 afterwards. He felt that this pawn drop had no meaning. 54.S2b-3c 03:14:00 04:26:00 55.R2ix2e 03:14:00 04:26:00 56.P7d-7e 03:14:00 04:37:00 57.P7fx7e 03:18:00 04:37:00 58.P*3e 03:18:00 04:46:00 59.P2c-2b+ 04:17:00 04:46:00 Moriuchi decided that it was better to give up the pawn and admit that=20 53.P*2c was a mistake, rather than leaving the white position as it is. 60.G3bx2b?! 04:17:00 04:50:00 A small psychological battle here. 60.Sx2b might be better (61.N*7d is=20 the obvious follow-up, but the position is unclear), but Watanabe wanted= =20 to create a position that was not possible without 53.P*2c, thus=20 reminding Moriuchi longer of his error in judgment. 61.P7e-7d 04:23:00 04:50:00 62.R8dx7d 04:23:00 04:56:00 63.B*2c 05:15:00 04:56:00 64.K4a-5b 05:15:00 05:44:00 65.B2c-5f+ 05:15:00 05:44:00 The reason why Watanabe's decision might have been questionable. This=20 promoted bishop is very strong and will play a decisive role in the=20 outcome of this game. 66.B*6e 05:15:00 05:45:00 There does not seem to be much future for this bishop, but white has=20 little choice. After 66.R5d Rx3e, the white position has no attacking=20 potential. 67.+B5f-6f 05:33:00 05:45:00 68.S3c-2d 05:33:00 05:45:00 Looks like a bad move, because white voluntarily allows the black gold=20 on 2b to be attacked by the promoted bishop on 6f, but again white has=20 no choice. It looks like Watanabe is attacking strongly, but he has a=20 very hard time to string the moves together. 69.R2e-2f 06:05:00 05:45:00 70.P*2e 06:05:00 05:47:00 71.R2f-2h 06:06:00 05:47:00 72.P3ex3f 06:06:00 05:47:00 73.G3g-4g 06:08:00 05:47:00 74.B6ex4g+ 06:08:00 06:04:00 Another forced move. If white does not give up this bishop now, it will=20 be lost after P5f next. 75.K5hx4g 06:08:00 06:04:00 76.G2b-3c 06:08:00 06:04:00 77.B*8c 06:34:00 06:04:00 78.R7d-6d 06:34:00 06:22:00 79.K4g-5h 06:35:00 06:22:00 80.P*7d 06:35:00 06:24:00 81.+B6f-5f 06:44:00 06:24:00 82.G*3g 06:44:00 06:34:00 83.R2h-2i 06:48:00 06:34:00 84.R6d-5d 06:48:00 06:39:00 85.S7g-6f 06:55:00 06:39:00 86.G3gx4h 06:55:00 06:41:00 87.K5hx4h 06:56:00 06:41:00 88.P3f-3g+ 06:56:00 06:41:00 89.K4hx3g 06:57:00 06:41:00 90.S2d-3e 06:57:00 06:44:00 91.P*3d 07:09:00 06:44:00 92.G3c-3b 07:09:00 06:49:00 93.S6f-5e 07:18:00 06:49:00 94.N*4d 07:18:00 06:50:00 95.+B5f-6f 07:19:00 06:50:00 96.P*8b 07:19:00 07:07:00 Watanabe has somehow managed to get a strong-looking attack and there=20 were voices in the press room talking about a new Ryu-O. However,=20 Moriuchi has looked deeply and felt here that he would win the game. If=20 white would not play this pawn drop, he would have the extra pawn he=20 needs later to mate the black king, therefore 96.Rx5e 97.+Bx5e 98.S*5h=20 (like in the game) can not be answered by 99.P4e. Also, 99.Bx7d+ S3f K4h= =20 S*4g is winning for white. However, black has a hidden move: 99.N*6d!.=20 If then 100.Px6d Bx7d+ N*6c +B4e S*3f K4h or 100.K4a +B4e S*3f K2h and=20 in both cases there is no win for white. Watanabe did see this and=20 therefore played P*8b, but now that lack of a single pawn becomes the=20 theme of the game. 97.B8c-7b+ 07:41:00 07:07:00 98.R5dx5e 07:41:00 07:08:00 99.+B6fx5e 07:50:00 07:08:00 100.S*5h 07:50:00 07:08:00 101.P4f-4e 07:51:00 07:08:00 Now the white promoted bishop is working in defense. 102.S*3f 07:51:00 07:14:00 103.K3g-2h 07:51:00 07:14:00 104.P2e-2f 07:51:00 07:15:00 105.N*3i 07:51:00 07:15:00 106.P2f-2g+ 07:51:00 07:50:00 107.N3ix2g 07:51:00 07:50:00 108.S3e-2f 07:51:00 07:50:00 If white would have one more pawn, then 108.P*2f Nx3e P2g+ K3i P*3h=20 would be mate. Being a pawn away from the Ryu-O title must be tough... 109.K2h-1h 07:51:00 07:50:00 110.P5c-5d 07:51:00 07:56:00 111.+B5ex5d 07:52:00 07:56:00 112.S2fx2g+ 07:52:00 07:56:00 113.R2ix2g 07:52:00 07:56:00 114.S3fx2g+ 07:52:00 07:56:00 115.K1hx2g 07:52:00 07:56:00 116.R*4g 07:52:00 07:56:00 117.G*3g 07:56:00 07:56:00 118.N*3e 07:56:00 07:59:00 119.K2g-2f 07:57:00 07:59:00 120.R4gx3g+ 07:57:00 07:59:00 121.K2fx3g 07:57:00 07:59:00 122.P*5c 07:57:00 07:59:00 123.R*2a 07:59:00 07:59:00 124.G*3f 07:59:00 07:59:00 125.K3g-4h 07:59:00 07:59:00 126.G3f-4g 07:59:00 07:59:00 127.K4h-3i 07:59:00 07:59:00 128.P5cx5d 07:59:00 07:59:00 129.S*6d 07:59:00 07:59:00 130.B*3a 07:59:00 07:59:00 131.R2ax3a+ 07:59:00 07:59:00 132.G3bx3a 07:59:00 07:59:00 133.R*5c 07:59:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:59:00 Mate after 134.Sx5c +Bx6c K4b S*3c or 134.K4a Rx4c+ R*4b B*2c because=20 white has no pieces to drop. A very interesting game where it was=20 unclear where white made the decisive mistake. It also was the first=20 time in this match that a game ended with both players in byoyomi. This=20 match will be decided in the final game. Will the status quo continue or= =20 will Watanabe break through the barriers of the Habu-generation? In other shogi news: =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D * We have another Moriuchi-Habu match coming up. In the Osho league,=20 Habu won his final game against Goda to finish 4-2 and to his own=20 surprise heard that Sato and Maruyama had lost, so he did not even have=20 to play a play-off game to become Osho challenger. The match will start=20 on January 11th and 12th. * The Kio challenger has not been decided yet. Moriuchi, the winner of=20 the winners section of the challenger tournament played Habu, who came=20 from the second chance round. A win by Moriuchi would mean that he would= =20 challenge Tanigawa, but Habu showed some of his magic tricks in a=20 position that looked bad for him and won. Now an extra game has to be=20 played on January 7th to decide the Kio challenger. * In the A class of the Junisen, the year was ended with the completion=20 of the sixth round. Kubo and Fujii kept the lead with 5-1 by beating=20 Takahashi and Fukaura, respectively. They are followed by Habu and=20 Tanigawa at 4-2. At the other end of the table Takahashi has all but a=20 theoretical chance to avoid relegation with 0-6, but the second=20 relegation spot is still up in the air. Sato, Miura and Suzuki all have=20 2-4 scores, and especially Suzuki is in a 4 game skid and he needs a win= =20 quickly to get back his confidence. * In B1 the 10th round was played and even though Morishita lost against= =20 Inoue, he still kept his top position with 6-3, a position he has to=20 share with Abe. There are two players with 6-4, Senzaki and Nakagawa and= =20 it seems that the two promotion spots will be decided by these four=20 players. Still, this class is so close that anything can happen in the=20 final three rounds. * In B2, the seventh round was played and veteran Tosa extended his=20 surprising run to seven straight wins and suddenly looks a very likely=20 candidate to promote, especially since his remaining schedule does not=20 look that difficult. Furthermore, he is only followed by Kimura and=20 Nozuki at 6-1 and Minami and Naito at 5-2. Tosa can afford to lose one=20 game and maybe two, so the question seems to be whether Kimura or Nozuki= =20 will accompany him to B1. * In the C1 Junisen class round 7 was played and Yamasaki took another=20 important step towards his second consecutive promotion by staying=20 undefeated. Because Tsukada and Miyata lost (Miyata because he was too=20 ill to play Katsumata), Yamasaki is now two points ahead of everyone=20 else and needs only two wins from his remaining three games to secure=20 promotion. This seems likely, so the question remains who will accompany= =20 him to B2. There are nine players with 5-2: Tsukada, Iizuka, Sanada,=20 Nakata Isao, Nakata Hiroki, Katsumata Hiura, Miyata and Okazaki. Very=20 difficult to predict, indeed. * In C2 the eight round was played and leader Iijima and Kondo did not=20 make a mistake. With 7-0 and a high position in the class, their=20 promotion already seems certain. Hashimoto missed a mate against=20 promotion rival Hirafuji, which means that now Hirafuji is in the third=20 promotion spot. Hirafuji has 6-1, just like Yagura. Murooka, Tamura,=20 Ueno, Ina, Hashimoto, Nishio and Sasaki at 5-2 can only hope for a=20 miracle to get back in the promotion race. --=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 a free* Bible and salvation reading plan. 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