From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 28 jul 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1102, June 29th 2005, part 2) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Erase wrinkles without painful injections with Nexiderm SP. Nexiderm SP is clinically proven to reduce wrinkles by 68% Click=20 here to get your 30-day free supply. http://click.topica.com/= caadHlna2i6YsbnuqMaa/Nexiderm ------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is game 2 of the Kisei match between Sato and Habu. Sato won this=20 game to even the match. It seems like we have another major struggle on=20 our hands as both players seem to be in excellent form. Here is the game= =20 with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Kisei"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [Event "76th Kisei-sen, Game 2"] [Date "June 20th 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:01:00 4.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:01:00 5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:01:00 6.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:02:00 7.G6i-7h 00:02:00 00:02:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:02:00 00:02:00 Like in the first game, the Kakugawari with tempo loss. 9.S7ix8h 00:02:00 00:02:00 10.S3a-2b 00:02:00 00:02:00 11.P1g-1f 00:04:00 00:02:00 12.S2b-3c 00:04:00 00:08:00 13.P1f-1e 00:04:00 00:08:00 14.S7a-7b 00:04:00 00:08:00 15.S3i-4h 00:04:00 00:08:00 16.P6c-6d 00:04:00 00:08:00 17.P4g-4f 00:04:00 00:08:00 18.S7b-6c 00:04:00 00:09:00 19.S4h-4g 00:04:00 00:09:00 20.P9c-9d 00:04:00 00:10:00 21.P9g-9f 00:04:00 00:10:00 22.K5a-4b 00:04:00 00:14:00 23.P3g-3f 00:04:00 00:14:00 24.G6a-5b 00:04:00 00:15:00 25.N2i-3g 00:04:00 00:15:00 26.P7c-7d 00:04:00 00:17:00 27.R2h-2i 00:08:00 00:17:00 28.N8a-7c 00:08:00 00:23:00 29.K5i-4h 00:19:00 00:23:00 Now the game is clearly different from game 1. The right side king is of= =20 course not a bad formation, but it is hard for black to set up a good=20 attack. 30.P8d-8e 00:19:00 00:37:00 31.G4i-5h 00:26:00 00:37:00 32.P4c-4d 00:26:00 00:42:00 33.S8h-7g 00:46:00 00:42:00 34.R8b-8a 00:46:00 00:54:00 35.S4g-5f 00:51:00 00:54:00 36.P5c-5d 00:51:00 00:57:00 37.P6g-6f 00:53:00 00:57:00 38.G3b-4c 00:53:00 00:59:00 39.G5h-4g 01:02:00 00:59:00 40.K4b-3b 01:02:00 01:00:00 41.G7h-6h 01:08:00 01:00:00 42.R8a-4a! 01:08:00 01:06:00 Very high level strategic shogi. Black wants to play the plan K3h=20 followed by G5h and G5h-4h, but then white can counter with S2b,=20 followed by N3c, L1b and R1a and white gets a very strong edge attack.=20 Therefore, the best black can do is to keep the king on 4h and move the=20 left gold to 5h. White could use this time to attack in the center:=20 42.G6b 43.G5h 44.R5a followed by P5e, but then black can strongly=20 counter with 45.P4e and the fact that G4g and G5h are connected is an=20 important defensive strength. Habu's 42.R4a puts black in a Zugzwang=20 situation: if 43.G5h then 44.G6b and black has no moves to improve his=20 position. If 45.G6h, then white plays R5a and if now P4e as before, the=20 gold is on 6h instead of 5h, which is an important weakness. 43.K4h-5h 01:30:00 01:06:00 Sato has seen the white plan and tries something different. 44.R4a-6a 01:30:00 01:11:00 The problem. With the king on 5h, a fight on the 6th file is much more=20 dangerous than with the king on 4h. 45.G4g-4h 01:31:00 01:11:00 46.S6c-7b 01:31:00 01:14:00 47.P4f-4e! 01:40:00 01:14:00 A move that requires a lot of courage. Starting the fight near the own=20 king is very dangerous. Even if black can set up a good attack, a=20 counter attack is always going to be strong. Sato realized that he had=20 no choice here. 48.P4dx4e 01:40:00 01:21:00 49.N3gx4e 01:41:00 01:21:00 50.S3c-4d 01:41:00 01:36:00 An obvious move seems to be 50.S2b, threatening to trap the knight with=20 P*4d next, but then 51.P7e is strong. For example, 52.B*8c Px7d Bx7d S7f= =20 P5e S7e B9b Sx5e! Bx2i+ P*4d and even though black is a rook down, his=20 attack is unstoppable (for example, G4c-4b fails to B*5d). The silver on= =20 2b, blocking the escape of the white king, is very important here. 51.P*4f 01:42:00 01:36:00 52.P5d-5e 01:42:00 01:43:00 53.S5f-6g 01:53:00 01:43:00 54.P3d-3e? 01:53:00 02:02:00 Hard to see, but this is mistake. Better was to go for a knight exchange= =20 after 54.N3c, aiming to drop the knight on 5d, which threatens both Nx4f= =20 and P6e next. After 55.Nx3c+ Kx3c, both players agreed that white has a=20 much better position than in the actual game. 55.G4h-3g! 02:23:00 02:02:00 A terrible looking move, but necessary and (fortunately for Sato) very=20 strong. 55.Px3e Sx3e is good for white, since he can play P*3f next and=20 the silver on 3e also defends against a pawn exchange on the 2nd file. 56.P6d-6e 02:23:00 02:11:00 57.P6fx6e 02:27:00 02:11:00 58.N7cx6e 02:27:00 02:23:00 An alternative seems 59.Px3f Gx3f B*3h, but after R2h Bx6e+ P*6f +B6d=20 P2d Px2d Rx2d P*2c R2f the white bishop on 6d is not working well and=20 black has the attacking options P*3c or P1d Px1d P*1c Lx1c B*1b. 59.S7g-6f 02:29:00 02:23:00 60.S4dx4e 02:29:00 02:24:00 61.P4fx4e 02:29:00 02:24:00 62.P3ex3f 02:29:00 02:24:00 63.G3gx3f 02:29:00 02:24:00 64.P*4f 02:29:00 02:24:00 65.G3fx4f 03:04:00 02:24:00 66.N*5d 03:04:00 02:24:00 67.G4fx5e 03:29:00 02:24:00 68.P*4f 03:29:00 02:31:00 69.R2i-3i 03:29:00 02:31:00 70.P*3h 03:29:00 02:32:00 71.R3ix3h 03:29:00 02:32:00 72.K3b-2b 03:29:00 02:32:00 73.S6fx6e! 03:34:00 02:32:00 The only move. Again very dangerous looking, but black can just survive. 74.B*4g 03:34:00 03:17:00 75.K5h-4i 03:34:00 03:17:00 76.B4gx3h+ 03:34:00 03:27:00 Alternatives were 76.Bx2e+ (aiming at P4g+ next) or 76.Bx6e+ Gx6e P4g+.=20 However, 76.Bx2e+ is answered by 77.P2d P4g+ (+Bx2d ends the white=20 attack) B*3a! Rx3a Px2c+ Kx2c Rx3a+ N3c P*2f and black wins, while=20 76.Bx6e+ Gx6e P4g+ is answered by B*5e S*3c P*6d and after +Px3h Kx3h,=20 the white attack runs out of steam. 77.K4ix3h 03:34:00 03:27:00 78.R*5i 03:34:00 03:27:00 79.N*3e 03:52:00 03:27:00 80.R6a-3a 03:52:00 03:30:00 81.S*3f 03:56:00 03:30:00 82.R5ix1i+ 03:56:00 03:31:00 83.G5ex5d 03:56:00 03:31:00 84.R3a-3d 03:56:00 03:52:00 85.B*5e 03:57:00 03:52:00 86.L*3c 03:57:00 03:52:00 87.B*4a 03:59:00 03:52:00 Resigns 03:59:00 03:54:00 No defense. 88.Rx3e Sx3e K3a is mate after R*3b Kx4a Rx5b+ Kx5b Gx4c=20 Kx4c S5d etc. A very good game by Sato, who seemed to be on his heels=20 after the opening, but he never gave in to the pressure and with some=20 courageous moves turned the game around. Very important, because 2-0=20 down in a short match is hard to come back from. --=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 Sirius Satellite Package, don't pass on this! http://click.topica.com/= caadHlCa2i6YsbnuqMaf/ProductTestPanel ------------------------------------------------------------------- --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: = shogi-l shogi net EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a2i6Ys.= bnuqMa.= c2hvZ2kt Or send an email to: shogi-unsubscribe topica com For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=3DTEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------