From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 24 may 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1096, May 18th 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Erase wrinkles without Botox! Nexiderm SP is clinically proven to=20 reduce wrinkles by 68% Click here to get your 30-day free supply. http://click.topica.com/= caadslIa2i6YsbnuqMaa/Nexiderm ------------------------------------------------------------------- The third game of Meijin match between Moriuchi and Habu was a high=20 level theoretical battle. Moriuchi won this game with the white pieces,=20 which could be an important break. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"] [White "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"] [Event "63rd Meijin-sen, Game 3"] [Date "May 12th and 13th 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:03:00 3.G6i-7h 00:02:00 00:03:00 4.P8d-8e 00:02:00 00:06:00 5.B8h-7g 00:02:00 00:06:00 6.P3c-3d 00:02:00 00:06:00 7.S7i-6h 00:03:00 00:06:00 8.G4a-3b 00:03:00 00:14:00 9.S3i-3h 00:11:00 00:14:00 10.S7a-6b 00:11:00 00:26:00 11.P4g-4f 00:26:00 00:26:00 12.P6c-6d 00:26:00 00:47:00 13.S3h-4g 00:53:00 00:47:00 14.S6b-6c 00:53:00 00:47:00 15.S4g-5f 00:55:00 00:47:00 16.P9c-9d 00:55:00 01:14:00 17.P9g-9f 00:56:00 01:14:00 18.G6a-5b 00:56:00 01:18:00 19.P2g-2f 01:07:00 01:18:00 20.B2bx7g+ 01:07:00 01:25:00 21.S6hx7g 01:07:00 01:25:00 The Kakugawari for the third time in this match. However, in the first=20 two games the hypermodern Kakugawari with tempo loss was played. In this= =20 game, the old fashioned Reclining Silver position is the opening of=20 choice. A long theoretical battle is the likely outcome... 22.S3a-4b 01:07:00 01:25:00 23.K5i-6h 01:08:00 01:25:00 24.P1c-1d 01:08:00 01:26:00 25.P1g-1f 01:11:00 01:26:00 26.S6c-5d 01:11:00 01:27:00 27.G4i-5h 01:28:00 01:27:00 28.P4c-4d 01:28:00 01:32:00 29.P3g-3f 01:42:00 01:32:00 30.K5a-4a 01:42:00 01:43:00 31.K6h-7i 01:45:00 01:43:00 32.K4a-3a 01:45:00 01:44:00 33.P6g-6f 01:48:00 01:44:00 34.P7c-7d 01:48:00 01:45:00 35.N2i-3g 01:50:00 01:45:00 36.N8a-7c 01:50:00 01:46:00 37.P2f-2e 02:25:00 01:46:00 38.S4b-3c 02:25:00 01:46:00 39.P4f-4e 02:27:00 01:46:00 40.P4dx4e 02:27:00 01:53:00 41.P3f-3e 02:28:00 01:53:00 42.S3c-4d 02:28:00 01:53:00 43.P1f-1e 02:30:00 01:53:00 44.P1dx1e 02:30:00 01:53:00 45.P2e-2d 02:30:00 01:53:00 46.P2cx2d 02:30:00 01:53:00 47.P7f-7e 02:30:00 01:53:00 48.P7dx7e 02:30:00 01:54:00 49.R2hx2d 02:30:00 01:54:00 50.P*2c 02:30:00 01:54:00 51.R2d-2i 02:30:00 01:54:00 52.G5b-6c 02:30:00 01:55:00 53.P*1b 02:31:00 01:55:00 54.L1ax1b 02:31:00 01:55:00 55.P3ex3d 02:31:00 01:55:00 56.B*3h 02:31:00 01:56:00 57.R2i-3i 02:31:00 01:56:00 58.B3h-2g+ 02:31:00 01:56:00 59.B*1a 02:31:00 01:56:00 60.+B2g-2h 02:31:00 01:58:00 61.R3i-6i 02:31:00 01:58:00 62.S5d-4c 02:31:00 02:47:00 63.N3gx4e 04:10:00 02:47:00 The sealed move. 64.P5c-5d 04:10:00 03:04:00 65.N4e-3c+ 04:11:00 03:04:00 66.N2ax3c 04:11:00 03:04:00 67.P*4e 04:11:00 03:04:00 68.S4cx3d 04:11:00 03:07:00 69.P4ex4d 04:11:00 03:07:00 70.P*4b 04:11:00 03:10:00 71.P*3e 04:12:00 03:10:00 72.S3d-2e 04:12:00 03:10:00 73.S*3d 04:12:00 03:10:00 74.N*2b!? 04:12:00 03:11:00 We are well into the second day of this game, but this is still theory.=20 Habu and Moriuchi started the discussion about this position in their Oi= =20 league game in 2003. There Moriuchi played 74.N*4a and after 75.P6e Px6e= =20 Sx6e Nx6e Rx6e P*6d Rx7e P*7d Sx2e Nx2e N*3d S*3c R4e black had the=20 advantage. Moriuchi couldn't find anything else than +B2g, but after R4g= =20 N3g+ P*1c the edge attack was decisive and Habu scored a convincing=20 victory. After that game, 74.N*2b was suggested as better, but there was= =20 no clear conclusion. Since then, 74.N*2b has been played in a number of=20 games but still there was no consensus about the move. It looks dubious,= =20 as it limits white's options, while black has different choices for his=20 moves. Professionals don't like that, but despite this, no clear way to=20 win for black was found and the position was no longer played. 75.S3dx2e 04:12:00 03:11:00 76.N3cx2e 04:12:00 03:11:00 77.P3e-3d 04:12:00 03:11:00 78.S*2d 04:12:00 03:55:00 79.P6f-6e 04:15:00 03:55:00 80.P6dx6e 04:15:00 04:12:00 81.S5fx6e 04:22:00 04:12:00 82.P*6d 04:22:00 04:20:00 83.S6ex6d 04:25:00 04:20:00 84.+B2hx6d 04:25:00 04:41:00 85.P4d-4c+ 04:26:00 04:41:00 86.P4bx4c 04:26:00 05:03:00 87.R6ix6d 04:27:00 05:03:00 88.G6cx6d 04:27:00 05:03:00 89.B*5c 04:27:00 05:03:00 90.K3a-2a 04:27:00 05:03:00 91.B5cx6d+ 04:27:00 05:03:00 92.K2ax1a 04:27:00 05:05:00 93.S*4a 04:58:00 05:05:00 94.R*3i 04:58:00 05:51:00 95.P*6i 04:59:00 05:51:00 96.R3ix3d+ 04:59:00 05:53:00 97.+B6dx7c? 05:41:00 05:53:00 Difficult to foresee, but this is an important mistake. This knight=20 later has to be dropped in defense, and the black bishop needs a lot of=20 moves to get close to the white king again. Better was 97.Sx3b+ Rx3b=20 G*4b R3c P*3b L1d P3a+ K1b G*3b P7f +P2a Px7g+ Nx7g K1c +Px2b +R3f Gx3c=20 Sx3c R*3a which seems to be good for black. 98.R8b-4b 05:41:00 06:00:00 99.+B7c-5a 05:45:00 06:00:00 100.B*4e! 05:45:00 06:07:00 The point. White doesn't have much choice because 100.G3a P*3b G4a +Bx4b= =20 Gx4b G*2a Kx2a R*3a is mate and 100.S*2a gives no hope of any=20 counter-attack. Still, even thought this bishop drop doesn't look like=20 much, it is very strong and Habu might have underestimated it. +R3h next= =20 is already a mating threat (after Bx7h+) and white has also the option=20 of taking the gold on 7h at any time. It is not easy to shut out the=20 bishop. For example 100.P5f Bx5f G*5g B4e G4f is an option, but looks=20 more like a desperate attempt at counter-play than a sound attack. 101.S4ax3b+ 06:32:00 06:07:00 102.R4bx3b 06:32:00 06:08:00 103.G*4b 06:32:00 06:08:00 104.R3b-3c 06:32:00 06:28:00 105.P*3b 06:33:00 06:28:00 106.L1b-1d 06:33:00 06:40:00 107.P3b-3a+ 06:34:00 06:40:00 108.+R3d-3h 06:34:00 06:57:00 109.N*5f 07:24:00 06:57:00 The difference with the variation given after 97.+Bx7c. Black has to=20 give up the knight he captured to defend against Bx7h+ followed by +Rx5h. 110.K1a-1b 07:24:00 07:09:00 111.G4b-3b? 07:25:00 07:09:00 This makes things much easier for white. Better was 111.+P3b and then=20 112.R3g+ is bad because of +Px2b followed by G*4h, so white has to play=20 112.R3f which is answered by 113.+B4a +Rx5h +B3a G*1a G*2a K1c Gx2b S3c=20 G*1b Kx1b +Px3c S*2b +Px2b Gx2b G*3b Rx3b S*2a K1c Sx3b+ and now G*6g=20 +Bx2b K2d G*3d Bx3d +B3c K3e +Bx3d K2f is just one example where the=20 white king barely escapes. White still seems to have the upper hand, but= =20 there are many variations and the margin of error is small. 112.R3c-3g+ 07:25:00 07:15:00 113.G*4h 07:28:00 07:15:00 114.+R3gx3b 07:28:00 07:17:00 115.+P3ax3b 07:28:00 07:17:00 116.+R3hx3b 07:28:00 07:17:00 117.R*4b 07:28:00 07:17:00 118.+R3b-3d 07:28:00 07:26:00 119.+B5a-7c 07:39:00 07:26:00 120.P7e-7f 07:39:00 07:49:00 121.S7gx7f 07:39:00 07:49:00 122.P*7g 07:39:00 07:49:00 123.G7hx7g 07:40:00 07:49:00 124.P*7e 07:40:00 07:51:00 125.S7fx7e 07:45:00 07:51:00 126.P*7f 07:45:00 07:54:00 127.G7g-7h 07:45:00 07:54:00 128.S*7g! 07:45:00 08:02:00 Winning. 129.Nx7g+ is answered by 130.Px7g+ Gx7g N*6e and white wins=20 quickly. 129.G5h-6g 08:14:00 08:02:00 The most beautiful variation would have been 129.R6b+ which is answered=20 by 130.S*8f! Px8f Bx5f Nx7g Px7g+ Gx7g N*7f and white wins. 130.+R3d-3i 08:14:00 08:22:00 131.P*4i 08:14:00 08:22:00 132.G*6e 08:14:00 08:23:00 133.N8ix7g 08:19:00 08:23:00 134.P7fx7g+ 08:19:00 08:27:00 135.G7hx7g 08:19:00 08:27:00 136.N*5e 08:19:00 08:29:00 137.G6g-6f 08:29:00 08:29:00 No choice. White threatened simply Nx6g+ Gx6g P*7g Gx7g P*7f. 138.P*7f 08:29:00 08:36:00 139.G6fx7f 08:29:00 08:36:00 140.G6ex7f 08:29:00 08:50:00 141.G7gx7f 08:29:00 08:50:00 142.S*6g 08:29:00 08:50:00 143.G7f-7g 08:31:00 08:50:00 144.P*7f 08:31:00 08:57:00 145.+B7cx5e 08:31:00 08:57:00 146.P5dx5e 08:31:00 08:58:00 147.G7gx6g 08:31:00 08:58:00 148.G*7g 08:31:00 08:58:00 149.N*3g 08:47:00 08:58:00 150.B*8h 08:47:00 08:59:00 151.K7i-8i 08:47:00 08:59:00 152.B8hx9i+ 08:47:00 08:59:00 153.K8ix9i 08:47:00 08:59:00 154.L*9g 08:47:00 08:59:00 Resigns 08:47:00 08:59:00 Mate after 155.K8i L9h+ Kx9h (K7i +L8h) +Rx4h Px4h G*8h K9g G8hx8g.=20 Another fine performance by Moriuchi who seems to have taken control of=20 this match. With a little bit of luck in the first game he could have=20 been up 3-0. As it is, Habu's task is only difficult but not hopeless.=20 However, a win in the fourth game is vital and far from easy with the=20 white pieces. Can Habu deliver under pressure as he has done so often in= =20 the past? --=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 T-Mobile Sidekick II plus $500 towards service!=20 Click here. http://click.topica.com/= caaduFNa2i6YsbnuqMaf/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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------