From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 01 nov 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1115, September 28th 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- So Much Television, Such Little Time! In Love with Lost(TM) or=20 Devoted to Desperate Housewives(TM)? Take our premier week=20 survey, complete our offers, and get a FREE* DVD set of either=20 show! http://click.topica.com/= caad3Qaa2i6YsbnuqMaa/Viewer Survey ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report the final game of the Oi title match between Habu and=20 Sato. An exciting match, with Habu always behind and in danger of losing= =20 his title. In this light, the final game was a bit disappointing. Sato=20 never recovered from an early mistake and Habu won quite convincingly.=20 Here is the game with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"] [Event "46th Oi-sen, Game 7"] [Date "September 21st and 22nd 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 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 00:02:00 00:04:00 6.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:07:00 7.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:07:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:02:00 00:08:00 The furigoma gave Sato the black pieces. This was the fifth time the=20 pawns were tossed in the summer matches between Habu and Sato (Kisei, Oi= =20 and Oza). In all cases the tokins came up in majority, giving the black=20 pieces to the challenger. Habu selects the Kakugawari with tempo loss,=20 not the first time they play this opening. The game now follows the=20 first game of the Kisei match for a long time, with the important=20 difference that Habu was black in that game. 9.S7ix8h 00:02:00 00:08:00 10.S3a-2b 00:02:00 00:09:00 11.S3i-3h 00:14:00 00:09:00 12.S2b-3c 00:14:00 00:13:00 13.P1g-1f 00:33:00 00:13:00 14.P1c-1d 00:33:00 00:21:00 15.P4g-4f 00:41:00 00:21:00 16.S7a-7b 00:41:00 00:32:00 17.S3h-4g 00:41:00 00:32:00 18.P6c-6d 00:41:00 00:33:00 19.K5i-6h 00:41:00 00:33:00 20.S7b-6c 00:41:00 00:36:00 21.G4i-5h 00:43:00 00:36:00 22.K5a-4b 00:43:00 00:41:00 23.S4g-5f 00:45:00 00:41:00 24.G6a-5b 00:45:00 00:46:00 25.P6g-6f 00:49:00 00:46:00 26.P7c-7d 00:49:00 00:52:00 27.S8h-7g 00:50:00 00:52:00 28.S6c-5d 00:50:00 00:52:00 29.K6h-7i 00:52:00 00:52:00 30.K4b-3a 00:52:00 00:59:00 31.P3g-3f 00:52:00 00:59:00 32.P9c-9d 00:52:00 01:04:00 33.P9g-9f 00:52:00 01:04:00 34.P4c-4d 00:52:00 01:39:00 35.N2i-3g 00:52:00 01:39:00 36.G5b-4c 00:52:00 01:48:00 37.K7i-8h 01:30:00 01:48:00 38.N8a-7c 01:30:00 02:09:00 39.R2h-4h 02:01:00 02:09:00 40.K3a-2b 02:01:00 03:05:00 41.P4f-4e 02:09:00 03:05:00 42.N7c-8e 02:09:00 03:09:00 43.S7g-8f 02:15:00 03:09:00 44.P6d-6e 02:15:00 03:13:00 45.B*7c 02:46:00 03:13:00 46.R8b-8a 02:46:00 03:28:00 47.P4ex4d 03:07:00 03:28:00 48.S3cx4d 03:07:00 03:35:00 49.P*4e 03:15:00 03:35:00 50.S4d-3c 03:15:00 03:40:00 51.P6fx6e 03:16:00 03:40:00 52.P9d-9e 03:16:00 03:58:00 53.P9fx9e 03:34:00 03:58:00 The sealed move and the position is still identical to the Kisei match=20 game. Following a game for such a long time is not unusual, but in the=20 recent games between Habu and Sato, new early opening ideas have been=20 the rule rather than the exception. Therefore, this development is a=20 little unexpected. 54.P7d-7e 03:34:00 03:59:00 55.P7fx7e? 04:18:00 03:59:00 Sato is the one who plays differently. In the Kisei match Habu played=20 55.Sx7e and won a difficult and close endgame. After the game, Sato said= =20 that that he always intended to play differently, but he had also to=20 admit that this was not the position to change the moves. On the=20 surface, Px7e doesn't look bad. Of course there is the danger of drops=20 on 7f or 6f, but with the silver still on 8f the black position is=20 stronger against a pawn drop on 7g and an edge attack. 56.B*6f seems=20 like a strong move, but after 57.S7g the bishop gets in trouble. 56.P3d-3e 04:18:00 04:45:00 Changing the focus of attack to the other side of the board. 57.B7c-4f+ 04:24:00 04:45:00 If black manages to make this promoted bishop work, he will get the=20 advantage. 58.B*8b 04:24:00 04:47:00 Looks dangerous, but when the bishops are exchanged white has the threat= =20 of Px3f, so this is possible. 59.P6e-6d 04:36:00 04:47:00 Sato is having nothing of the bishop exchange and he is probably right:=20 59.+Bx8b Rx8b B*7c R7b B4f+ (black has to defend 3f, so no time to take=20 the lance) B*6f looks good for white. Taking on 3f is still possible and= =20 the rook on 7b is also ready to attack. Still, 59.P6d gives white=20 another opportunity to activate his pieces. 60.R8a-6a 04:36:00 04:47:00 Now the pawn on 6d is difficult to defend. 61.G5h-6g 05:16:00 04:47:00 62.P*6f! 05:16:00 04:57:00 Unexpected, but strong. In the press room only 62.Bx6d was analyzed.=20 Then 63.+Bx6d Rx6d B*7c and when the rook moves Bx8d+ Px3f leads to a=20 difficult position. 63.G6gx6f 05:20:00 04:57:00 64.B8bx6d 05:20:00 04:57:00 65.+B4fx6d 05:21:00 04:57:00 66.R6ax6d 05:21:00 04:57:00 The point of 62.P*6f now becomes clear. With the gold hanging on 6f,=20 B*7c is not possible. The really difficult move still has to come, though..= . 67.P*6e 05:21:00 04:57:00 68.R6d-6a! 05:21:00 04:57:00 Innocent (maybe even weak) looking move, but brilliant. Black has three=20 pawns and a bishop in hand, which seems to give him all kind of=20 attacking possibilities like P2d, P4d and/or B*5b. Not a position in=20 which to give the initiative to the opponent and even Sato thought that=20 there must be something for black here. There isn't and Habu was the=20 only one to make the correct judgment here. Because of the threat Px3f=20 and the hanging gold on 6f, black can do nothing with the initiative in=20 this position. 69.P2e-2d 05:28:00 04:57:00 70.P2cx2d 05:28:00 05:25:00 71.P*2c 05:35:00 05:25:00 72.G3bx2c 05:35:00 05:27:00 73.P*2e 06:16:00 05:27:00 74.B*5i! 06:16:00 05:54:00 Painful drop. Games between Habu and Sato are often decided at the very=20 end, but here Habu already felt that he was winning. 75.R4h-3h 06:17:00 05:54:00 With the rook tied to defensive duties, the black attack loses all its=20 power. 76.P*9h 06:17:00 06:03:00 77.L9ix9h 06:19:00 06:03:00 78.P3ex3f 06:19:00 06:04:00 79.P2ex2d 06:26:00 06:04:00 80.G2cx2d 06:26:00 06:11:00 81.P*2e 06:32:00 06:11:00 82.G2d-2c 06:32:00 06:15:00 83.P4e-4d 06:33:00 06:15:00 84.S3cx4d 06:33:00 06:15:00 85.S5f-4e 06:33:00 06:15:00 86.P*9g 06:33:00 06:29:00 87.L9hx9g 06:33:00 06:29:00 88.P3fx3g+ 06:33:00 06:49:00 89.S4ex5d 06:33:00 06:49:00 90.G4cx5d 06:33:00 06:49:00 91.R3h-5h 06:33:00 06:49:00 It seems like winning this position is still difficult, but Habu again=20 shows why he is stronger than anybody else. 92.P*7g! 06:33:00 06:52:00 Looks like overdoing it, but Habu knows what he is doing. 93.N8ix7g 06:34:00 06:52:00 94.B5ix7g+ 06:34:00 06:54:00 95.G7hx7g 06:34:00 06:54:00 96.N8ex7g+ 06:34:00 06:55:00 97.S8fx7g 06:34:00 06:55:00 98.N*8e 06:34:00 06:57:00 Black has sacrificed the bishop, but the tokin on 3g makes sure that the= =20 black king has no escape route. 99.B*4c 06:36:00 06:57:00 100.N8ex7g+ 06:36:00 07:02:00 101.K8hx7g 06:36:00 07:02:00 102.N*8e 06:36:00 07:02:00 103.K7g-7f 06:36:00 07:02:00 104.S*7g 06:36:00 07:03:00 105.S*6g 06:37:00 07:03:00 106.G5d-5e 06:37:00 07:10:00 107.P7e-7d 06:48:00 07:10:00 108.S7gx6f+ 06:48:00 07:12:00 109.S6gx6f 06:48:00 07:12:00 110.G5ex6f 06:48:00 07:12:00 111.K7fx6f 06:48:00 07:12:00 112.S*7g 06:48:00 07:12:00 113.K6f-7e 06:48:00 07:12:00 114.S*6f 06:48:00 07:12:00 115.K7ex8d 06:48:00 07:12:00 116.G*9c 06:48:00 07:12:00 Resigns 06:48:00 07:12:00 Again Sato plays on until the mate is almost too simple: 117.K7c G*6b=20 K8b (K6d G6c) G9b or 117.Kx8e P*8d K9f G*8e. A bit of a disappointing=20 finish to an exciting match, as this game was all Habu from the moment=20 the moves were different from the first game of the Kisei match. Habu=20 shows a lot of nerve and fighting spirit to come back from 2-0 and 3-2=20 down in this match with his 11th Oi title as reward. --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Oprah vs Dr. Phil- who is your favorite? 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