From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 19 may 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1093, April 27th 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Need a new washer and dryer set? You could get one free! http://click.topica.com/= caadtaGa2i6YsbnuqMaa/ProductTestPanel ------------------------------------------------------------------- Disaster struck for Yamasaki in the second game of the Asahi Open=20 Tournament against Habu. He lost the game after missing an easily=20 winning attack, a hisshi and even a mate. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Yamasaki Takayuki, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Asahi"] [Event "23rd Asahi Open, Game 2"] [Date "April 19th 2005"] 1.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:02:00 4.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:03:00 5.G6i-7h 00:02:00 00:03:00 6.G4a-3b 00:02:00 00:03:00 7.P2e-2d 00:02:00 00:03:00 8.P2cx2d 00:02:00 00:03:00 9.R2hx2d 00:02:00 00:03:00 10.P*2c 00:02:00 00:03:00 11.R2d-2h 00:02:00 00:03:00 Yamasaki likes this opening, pulling back the rook to 2h and then=20 following up with a climbing silver attack. Therefore, this was no=20 surprise and the question was how Habu would counter it. 12.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:03:00 13.S3i-3h 00:02:00 00:03:00 14.P8e-8f 00:02:00 00:03:00 15.P8gx8f 00:02:00 00:03:00 16.R8bx8f 00:02:00 00:03:00 17.P*8g 00:02:00 00:03:00 18.R8f-8d 00:02:00 00:03:00 19.S3h-2g 00:04:00 00:03:00 20.P9c-9d 00:04:00 00:03:00 21.P9g-9f 00:04:00 00:03:00 22.K5a-4a 00:04:00 00:03:00 23.S2g-3f 00:07:00 00:03:00 24.B2b-3c 00:07:00 00:04:00 25.P1g-1f 00:10:00 00:04:00 26.P1c-1d 00:10:00 00:04:00 27.K5i-6i 00:10:00 00:04:00 28.S7a-6b 00:10:00 00:04:00 29.P7g-7f 00:11:00 00:04:00 30.S3a-2b 00:11:00 00:04:00 31.P6g-6f 00:12:00 00:04:00 32.G6a-5b 00:12:00 00:06:00 33.S7i-6h 00:12:00 00:06:00 34.P5c-5d 00:12:00 00:06:00 35.G4i-5h 00:37:00 00:06:00 36.B3c-4b 00:37:00 00:13:00 Habu is not doing anything special in this game, just defending quietly=20 and defending his pieces. Just like in the first game, he gives his=20 young opponent the chance to throw his best punch. 37.P4g-4f 00:41:00 00:13:00 38.P7c-7d 00:41:00 00:17:00 39.G5h-6g 00:53:00 00:17:00 40.N2a-3c 00:53:00 00:19:00 41.P4f-4e 01:00:00 00:19:00 42.P7d-7e 01:00:00 00:20:00 43.P7fx7e 01:02:00 00:20:00 44.B4bx7e 01:02:00 00:20:00 45.S6h-7g 01:07:00 00:20:00 46.B7e-5c 01:07:00 00:21:00 47.P5g-5f?! 01:12:00 00:21:00 Yamasaki was not happy with this choice, which loses a pawn. If this was= =20 a simple mistake, it would have been tolerable, but a similar thing had=20 happened in an earlier game that Yamasaki knew about. 48.P3d-3e 01:12:00 00:27:00 49.S3f-2g 01:13:00 00:27:00 This loses the pawn on 4e, but the problem is that the natural 49.S4g=20 fails to 50.P5e!, threatening R2d or P1e Px1e P*1g (Lx1g P*1h Rx1h R2d)=20 next. Black cannot exchange rooks with the king on 6i. 50.R8d-8e 01:13:00 00:34:00 51.B8h-7i 01:15:00 00:34:00 52.R8ex4e 01:15:00 00:52:00 Habu was happy with his position here and Yamasaki was not, but in the=20 next couple of moves things inexplicably change... 53.P*4f 01:15:00 00:52:00 54.R4e-4d 01:15:00 00:52:00 55.B7i-6h 01:16:00 00:52:00 56.P2c-2d 01:16:00 01:08:00 57.K6i-7i 01:23:00 01:08:00 58.S2b-2c 01:23:00 01:13:00 59.P6f-6e 01:28:00 01:13:00 60.P6c-6d 01:28:00 01:21:00 61.P6ex6d 01:33:00 01:21:00 62.B5cx6d 01:33:00 01:21:00 63.R2h-4h 01:33:00 01:21:00 64.P2d-2e 01:33:00 01:22:00 65.P4f-4e 01:34:00 01:22:00 66.R4d-3d 01:34:00 01:22:00 67.P5f-5e 01:40:00 01:22:00 68.P5dx5e 01:40:00 01:35:00 69.P4e-4d 01:40:00 01:35:00 70.S6b-5c 01:40:00 01:36:00 71.P3g-3f 01:59:00 01:36:00 72.S5cx4d 01:59:00 01:37:00 73.R4h-3h 02:02:00 01:37:00 74.B6d-5c 02:02:00 02:03:00 75.K7i-8h 02:05:00 02:03:00 Despite winning an early pawn, white has been unable to make any=20 progress. On the other hand, the black position has improved massively.=20 The black king is much safer than the white king and black has potential= =20 attacks everywhere. Even the silver on 2g is no longer a passive piece.=20 Seeing this position through the eyes of a professional, the game is=20 over. The only question remaining is where and how black will strike the= =20 decisive blow. 76.S2c-2d 02:05:00 02:13:00 Moving the silver out of the defense is not a move of preference, but=20 Habu has no choice. 77.P*5d 02:13:00 02:13:00 This attacking base should have decided the game. 78.B5c-6b 02:13:00 02:13:00 79.P1f-1e 02:24:00 02:13:00 80.P1dx1e 02:24:00 02:13:00 81.P*2f 02:24:00 02:13:00 82.P5e-5f 02:24:00 02:25:00 83.P2fx2e 02:25:00 02:25:00 84.S2dx2e 02:25:00 02:25:00 85.P3fx3e 02:25:00 02:25:00 86.S4dx3e 02:25:00 02:25:00 87.N2i-1g 02:26:00 02:25:00 88.S2e-1d 02:26:00 02:27:00 89.S2g-2f 02:27:00 02:27:00 90.P*3g 02:27:00 02:27:00 91.S2fx3e 02:31:00 02:27:00 92.B6bx3e 02:31:00 02:27:00 93.B6hx3e 02:31:00 02:27:00 94.P3gx3h+ 02:31:00 02:27:00 95.B3e-7a+? 02:36:00 02:27:00 Aims at taking the knight, followed by N*4f, but this is playing it too=20 safe. As Morishita pointed out, the quickest way to win was 95.B5c+ Gx5c= =20 Px5c+ K3a and then P*3e Rx3e P*4d Px4d B*5d (or S*4c) and white has no=20 defense. After 95.B7a+ black is still winning quite comfortably, but it=20 shows that Yamasaki's mind set is wrong here. Trying to play it safe is=20 a dangerous thing in a shogi endgame. 96.P5f-5g+ 02:36:00 02:32:00 97.G6gx5g 02:37:00 02:32:00 98.P*7f 02:37:00 02:32:00 99.S7gx7f 02:38:00 02:32:00 100.P*7g 02:38:00 02:34:00 101.N8ix7g 02:41:00 02:34:00 102.P*7e 02:41:00 02:34:00 103.S7f-6g 02:43:00 02:34:00 104.P*6b 02:43:00 02:35:00 105.P*6c 02:43:00 02:35:00 106.G5bx6c 02:43:00 02:36:00 107.P*6d 02:43:00 02:36:00 108.G6cx5d 02:43:00 02:37:00 109.+B7ax8a 02:43:00 02:37:00 110.P*8f 02:43:00 02:37:00 111.N*4f 02:45:00 02:37:00 112.R3d-3g+ 02:45:00 02:38:00 113.+B8ax5d 02:52:00 02:38:00 114.+R3gx5g 02:52:00 02:38:00 115.S*5c 02:57:00 02:38:00 116.P8fx8g+ 02:57:00 02:51:00 117.G7hx8g 02:57:00 02:51:00 118.+R5gx4f 02:57:00 02:52:00 119.P*2b? 02:57:00 02:52:00 Habu has created some threats of his own against the king, but here=20 Yamasaki could have delivered the coupe de grace with 119.B*2b, which is= =20 hisshi. If white doesn't defend G*5b is mate, 120.Gx2b G*4b, 120.G4b=20 G*3a, 120.G*4b Sx4b+ Gx4b G*3a are all mate. Of course, Yamasaki had=20 seen B*5b, but he overlooked that after 120.S*5a or G*5b he could drop a= =20 pawn on 4b which leads to mate. Because of this oversight, he didn't=20 think that B*2b was a mate and chose 119.P*2b instead, which also=20 threatens mate (after B*5b next). Yamasaki regretted missing B*2b most,=20 but he gets another chance to win the game. 120.G3b-4b 02:57:00 02:54:00 121.S5cx4b+ 02:59:00 02:54:00 122.K4ax4b 02:59:00 02:54:00 123.G*5c 02:59:00 02:54:00 124.K4b-3b 02:59:00 02:57:00 125.P*3d 02:59:00 02:57:00 126.S*7i 02:59:00 02:58:00 127.K8hx7i 02:59:00 02:58:00 128.R*5i 02:59:00 02:58:00 129.G*6i 02:59:00 02:58:00 130.S*6h 02:59:00 02:59:00 131.K7i-8h 02:59:00 02:59:00 132.R5ix6i+ 02:59:00 02:59:00 133.P3dx3c+ 02:59:00 02:59:00 134.K3bx3c 02:59:00 02:59:00 135.B*5e 02:59:00 02:59:00 136.+R4fx5e 02:59:00 02:59:00 137.+B5dx5e 02:59:00 02:59:00 138.G*4d 02:59:00 02:59:00 139.N*4e? 02:59:00 02:59:00 Only here the game finally turns in Habu's favor. Black has a mate here=20 after 139.N*2e Sx2e Nx2e K2c S*2d Kx2d +B4f S*3e S*3c K2e R*2c P*2d=20 Sx2d+ K2f +S2e K2g +S3e. This is not so easy in byoyomi, and Yamasaki=20 said after the game that he had overlooked +B4f in this line. Yamasaki=20 actually thought that 139.N*4e was winning. 140.K3c-2c 02:59:00 02:59:00 Yamasaki somehow thought that this move was impossible. He has read=20 140.K2d +B4f P*3e S*3c K1c +Bx6h +Rx6h K9g and no mate against the black= =20 king, while the white king is almost impossible to defend. 141.R*3c 02:59:00 02:59:00 142.K2c-2d 02:59:00 02:59:00 143.K8h-9g 02:59:00 02:59:00 144.+R6ix9i 02:59:00 02:59:00 145.K9g-8f 02:59:00 02:59:00 146.G*8d 02:59:00 02:59:00 Resigns 02:59:00 02:59:00 Even after 147.+B4f P*3e there is no mate, while white threatens both=20 N*7d and B*9e Px9e +Rx9e, leaving black without defense. Missing a quick= =20 win, a hisshi and a mate: this game must have been unbearable for=20 Yamasaki. The shock was so big that he did not move from his seat even=20 after the post-mortem analysis had finished and everybody (including=20 Habu) had left the room. It is highly unlikely that Yamasaki will=20 recover enough from this to take all three remaining games. The next=20 game will show if the damage done to Yamasaki's confidence is already fatal= . --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Take movies and games anywhere with a Free Playstation Portable! http://click.topica.com/= caadwPba2i6YsbnuqMaf/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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------