From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 23 may 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1094, MAy 4th 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The second game of the Meijin match between Moriuchi and Habu was a game= =20 of exceptional quality. Two top players playing their best shogi, in the= =20 end won by Moriuchi with a brilliant defensive move. A good result for=20 the spectators, because this is a match that should not be over too=20 soon. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [Event "63rd Meijin-sen, Game 2"] [Date "April 25th and 26th 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 An important game for Moriuchi. Getting two games behind in a=20 best-of-seven match is very difficult to turn around. However, the signs= =20 are not bad. Even though he lost the opening game, he dictated the pace.= =20 Also, he comes into this game after securing his place in the Ryu-O=20 challenger finals with a win against Kimura three days earlier. On the=20 other hand, on the same day Habu saw his chances of taking all seven=20 major titles evaporate with a loss against Maruyama in the second chance= =20 round of the Ryu-O tournament. Moriuchi has the black pieces and wants=20 to hold his serve. 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:03:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:03:00 4.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:04:00 5.G6i-7h 00:09:00 00:04:00 6.P8c-8d 00:09:00 00:12:00 7.P2f-2e 00:09:00 00:12:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:09:00 00:12:00 9.S7ix8h 00:09:00 00:12:00 10.S3a-2b 00:09:00 00:12:00 11.S3i-3h 00:31:00 00:12:00 12.S2b-3c 00:31:00 00:16:00 13.S3h-2g 00:33:00 00:16:00 Again the Kakugawari with tempo loss. Playing the silver up without=20 moving the king is already trying to throw white off balance. Is the=20 game going to be a quick fight or not? 14.P4c-4d 00:33:00 01:22:00 15.K5i-6h 01:07:00 01:22:00 16.R8b-4b 01:07:00 02:15:00 17.S2g-3f 02:39:00 02:15:00 This is a very complex position where the players take a long time to=20 decide how to play. A detailed explanation of all the plans here is=20 difficult, but the reason why Moriuchi did not play 17.B*8c is not so=20 obvious. He rejected this because of 18.B*7d Bx7d+ Px7d B*8c (P7e Px7e=20 B*8c seems also possible) B*6e N7g Bx4g+ S3f +B4f Bx7d+ which is=20 unclear. 17.S3f defends against this variation (making B*8c a legitimate= =20 threat), but it also means that black gives up on the plan to attack=20 with a climbing silver, so the pace of the game slows down. 18.S7a-8b 02:39:00 02:57:00 19.P4g-4f 02:41:00 02:57:00 20.K5a-6b 02:41:00 02:58:00 21.G4i-5h 03:47:00 02:58:00 22.P3d-3e!? 03:47:00 03:38:00 The sealed move. Playing only 21 moves on the first day is highly=20 unusual, even for the Meijin match (the only match where players each=20 have 9 hours thinking time). 22.P3e is a shobute. Habu felt that he=20 needed to start the fight here, because after the quiet 22.K7b, black=20 can play 23.S7g which strengthens the black king position considerably.=20 Actually, Moriuchi intended to play 23.R4h in response to K7b, which=20 means that 22.P3e might not have been necessary. On the other hand, if=20 22.P3e is a good move, black should have played 21.R4h instead of=20 21.G5h. Moriuchi was worried about 22.B*6e then, but after the game Habu= =20 said that he had no intention of playing that bishop drop. It is=20 interesting how the like and dislike for certain moves seems to dominate= =20 the choices of the players here. 23.S3fx3e 04:32:00 03:38:00 24.P4d-4e 04:32:00 03:41:00 25.B*6e 04:32:00 03:41:00 Moriuchi doesn't back away from the fight. Taking the pawn on 3e and=20 dropping this bishop next means that the pace of the game suddenly picks= =20 up considerably. 26.P4ex4f 04:32:00 04:20:00 In the press room, 26.B*5d was considered the only move. Habu has seen=20 deeper. 27.P*4d 05:06:00 04:20:00 28.P*3a 05:06:00 04:33:00 29.S3ex4f 05:44:00 04:33:00 29.Bx3b+ Px3b G*4c fails to B*6e (Gx4b P4g+ is good for white). Pulling=20 back the silver seems like admitting failure of the attack, but having=20 forced white to drop a pawn in defense on 3a is important compensation. 30.R4bx4d 05:44:00 05:06:00 31.P*4e 05:51:00 05:06:00 32.R4d-4a 05:51:00 05:06:00 33.P9g-9f!? 06:30:00 05:06:00 A complete surprise. 33.S7g seems the obvious move to improve the=20 position, after which white can start the decisive fight with 34.P*4d.=20 However, Moriuchi thought that in this position, having the silver on 7g= =20 is actually more a wall silver than a silver on 8h. The escape route via= =20 7g is more important than the escape route through 7i. 34.K6b-7b 06:30:00 05:24:00 35.P9f-9e 06:32:00 05:24:00 36.G3b-4c 06:32:00 05:34:00 Aiming at G5d next. 37.S4f-5e 06:56:00 05:34:00 38.P5c-5d 06:56:00 05:54:00 39.S5e-4f 06:58:00 05:54:00 39.Sx5d P6d is good for white. Going forward and backward with the=20 silver again looks like a pointless maneuver, but black has prevented=20 G5d and if he can force white into a waiting game, the extended pawn on=20 9e will become important. 40.G4c-5c 06:58:00 06:00:00 41.B6e-5f 07:02:00 06:00:00 42.S3c-3d 07:02:00 06:33:00 The professionals in the press room didn't like it, but Habu agreed with= =20 Moriuchi that white can't afford to wait. 43.P9e-9d 07:09:00 06:33:00 44.P9cx9d 07:09:00 06:35:00 45.P2e-2d 07:09:00 06:35:00 46.B*6d 07:09:00 06:37:00 47.R2h-2f 07:25:00 06:37:00 48.B6dx4f 07:25:00 07:05:00 49.R2fx4f 07:27:00 07:05:00 50.S*5e 07:27:00 07:05:00 51.R4f-4h 07:29:00 07:05:00 52.S5ex5f 07:29:00 07:05:00 53.P5gx5f 07:29:00 07:05:00 54.P2cx2d 07:29:00 07:06:00 55.B*6f 07:59:00 07:06:00 56.B*3i 07:59:00 07:46:00 After the game, Habu regretted this move. The alternative is 56.B*3c,=20 which Habu liked better after 57.S*4d Gx4d Px4d P2e. Still, the main=20 line after 56.B*3i also looks good for white. 57.B6fx1a+ 07:59:00 07:46:00 58.B3ix4h+ 07:59:00 07:46:00 59.G5hx4h 07:59:00 07:46:00 60.R*2h 07:59:00 07:46:00 61.B*3h 08:11:00 07:46:00 62.S3dx4e 08:11:00 08:07:00 63.S*3i 08:16:00 08:07:00 64.S4ex5f 08:16:00 08:09:00 65.+B1a-6f 08:23:00 08:09:00 66.R2hx3h+ 08:23:00 08:10:00 67.G4hx3h! 08:25:00 08:10:00 This just seems to allow a rook promotion, so most professionals=20 wouldn't even consider this move and play 67.Sx3h without much thought.=20 However, after 67.Sx3h, white can play 68.B*3c which forces the exchange= =20 of the vital promoted bishop on 6f. 68.S5f-4g+ 08:25:00 08:22:00 The important thing about 67.Gx3h is that Moriuchi must already have=20 seen some time before that 67.R4i+ +Bx5f is OK for black, even after the= =20 scary looking B*5i K5g. Habu agreed and played 68.S4g+ instead. 69.R*2b! 08:29:00 08:22:00 Another move that needed sharp calculation. Inoue admitted that he would= =20 almost certainly play 69.L*4i here, which is the natural defense move.=20 Moriuchi has calculated that black cannot win from that position. 70.G5c-5b 08:29:00 08:23:00 71.R2bx2a+ 08:29:00 08:23:00 72.B*3e 08:29:00 08:27:00 73.K6h-7g 08:31:00 08:27:00 74.B3e-5g+ 08:31:00 08:27:00 75.+B6fx5g 08:37:00 08:27:00 76.+S4gx5g 08:37:00 08:27:00 77.S8h-7i 08:37:00 08:27:00 78.R4a-4i+ 08:37:00 08:31:00 79.+R2ax3a 08:44:00 08:31:00 80.B*5h 08:44:00 08:33:00 81.B*3d 08:51:00 08:33:00 82.P*3c 08:51:00 08:39:00 83.+R3ax3c 08:52:00 08:39:00 84.B5h-6i+ 08:52:00 08:44:00 85.K7g-8h 08:52:00 08:44:00 86.P*4e? 08:52:00 08:56:00 An important mistake, but it is hard to blame Habu for missing the next=20 move. If he would have seen it, he would have played 86.+R5h instead,=20 which is good for white even after 87.P*5i +Rx5i. 86.P*4e looks like a=20 good move. It blocks the bishop diagonal and threatens to win with +Sx6g= =20 next. For example, 87.+R3b +Sx6g Bx5b+ +Bx7i Gx7i +Rx7i K9h G*8h and mate. 87.G3h-4h!! 08:55:00 08:56:00 A brilliant move that will go down in history. Taking this with the=20 promoted silver is forced and moving this piece away from the king gives= =20 black enough time to release a very quick and decisive attack. 88.+S5gx4h 08:55:00 08:56:00 89.L*6f 08:55:00 08:56:00 This wins very quickly. The problem of 86.P*4e is now obvious. If white=20 would not have dropped a pawn there, the defense P*4c would have been=20 possible. 90.+R4ix3i 08:55:00 08:56:00 91.L6fx6c+ 08:57:00 08:56:00 92.K7b-8c 08:57:00 08:56:00 93.N*7e 08:57:00 08:56:00 94.K8c-9c 08:57:00 08:56:00 95.+L6cx7c 08:57:00 08:56:00 96.N8ax7c 08:57:00 08:57:00 97.B3dx5b+ 08:57:00 08:57:00 98.G6a-7b 08:57:00 08:57:00 99.+B5b-7d 08:58:00 08:57:00 A very rare sight: in only a couple of moves, Habu's king is blown away=20 by a perfectly executed combined attack. All the black pieces are in the= =20 right positions. 100.S*8e 08:58:00 08:58:00 101.L9ix9d 08:59:00 08:58:00 102.S8ex9d 08:59:00 08:58:00 103.P*9e 08:59:00 08:58:00 104.S9dx9e 08:59:00 08:58:00 105.P*9d 08:59:00 08:58:00 106.K9cx9d 08:59:00 08:59:00 107.P*9f 08:59:00 08:59:00 Resigns 08:59:00 08:59:00 There is no mate against the black king and 108.Sx9f P*9e Kx9e +Bx9f K9d= =20 P*9e leads to mate. An important win for Moriuchi, who showed that Habu=20 is not the only one who can come from behind to snatch a game. Food for=20 thought for Habu and good news for the spectators, who can look forward=20 to a very interesting match. Game three will have Habu with the black=20 pieces again. --=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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------