From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 01 nov 2005 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1117, October 12th 2005) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Is your computer freezing up or slowing down? Repair corrupt files and harmful errors - protect your PC Take a 2-minute PC health check-up at no charge! http://click.topica.com/= caad3p7a2i6YsbnuqMaa/PC PowerScan ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report the final game of half a year of Habu-Sato match games.=20 Their encounters in the Kisei, Oi and Oza ended with a win by Habu in=20 the 3rd game of the Oza match, defending his title in straight games. In= =20 the end, the status quo was maintained as the titleholder won each=20 match, but only the Oza match was relatively easy for the titleholder.=20 Here is game 3 of this match with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"] [Event "53rd Oza-sen, Game 3"] [Date "October 1st 2005"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00 4.P4c-4d 00:00:00 00:02:00 5.S3i-4h 00:01:00 00:02:00 6.S3a-4b 00:01:00 00:03:00 7.P5g-5f 00:01:00 00:03:00 8.G6a-5b 00:01:00 00:04:00 9.P5f-5e 00:11:00 00:04:00 This looked like a normal Ibisha game, but again Sato has prepared=20 something to put Habu off balance early. It has been the story of the=20 three matches they have played this year. Sato is the one with the new=20 ideas early, but they do not always pay off. 10.S7a-6b 00:11:00 00:19:00 11.S4h-5g 00:35:00 00:19:00 12.G4a-3b 00:35:00 00:21:00 13.S5g-5f 00:39:00 00:21:00 14.P6c-6d 00:39:00 00:24:00 15.S7i-6h 00:52:00 00:24:00 16.S6b-6c 00:52:00 00:31:00 17.P2f-2e 01:16:00 00:31:00 18.S4b-3c 01:16:00 00:37:00 19.S6h-5g 01:16:00 00:37:00 20.K5a-4a 01:16:00 00:39:00 21.P6g-6f 01:16:00 00:39:00 22.B2b-3a 01:16:00 00:44:00 23.R2h-6h 01:19:00 00:44:00 24.R8b-6b 01:19:00 00:44:00 25.P6f-6e 01:19:00 00:44:00 26.P6dx6e 01:19:00 00:45:00 27.S5fx6e 01:19:00 00:45:00 28.P*6d 01:19:00 00:45:00 29.S6e-5f 01:19:00 00:45:00 30.B3a-4b 01:19:00 00:48:00 31.G6i-5h 01:43:00 00:48:00 32.K4a-3a 01:43:00 00:49:00 33.P3g-3f 01:45:00 00:49:00 34.P7c-7d 01:45:00 01:09:00 35.K5i-4h 01:45:00 01:09:00 36.P5c-5d 01:45:00 01:21:00 37.P5ex5d 01:53:00 01:21:00 38.S6cx5d 01:53:00 01:21:00 39.K4h-3h 01:53:00 01:21:00 40.K3a-2b 01:53:00 01:39:00 41.S5g-4f 02:08:00 01:39:00 42.G5b-4c 02:08:00 01:49:00 43.S5f-5e 02:31:00 01:49:00 Sato is trying to attack the orthodox position Habu has built. 44.S6c is= =20 not an option, because of 45.P3e Px3e Sx3e and with S5ex4d next, the=20 black bishop comes into play strongly. Therefore, Habu's next move is=20 forced. 44.S5dx5e 02:31:00 02:05:00 45.S4fx5e 02:31:00 02:05:00 46.P*5d 02:31:00 02:05:00 47.S5e-4f 02:31:00 02:05:00 Black has succeeded in exchanging silvers and forcing white to drop back= =20 the pawn on 5d. However, this doesn't mean that black has the better=20 position here. The difference in king position is too big to draw any=20 conclusions yet. 48.P8c-8d 02:31:00 02:07:00 49.P9g-9f 02:44:00 02:07:00 50.P9c-9d 02:44:00 02:32:00 51.B8h-9g 02:51:00 02:32:00 52.P9d-9e 02:51:00 02:43:00 53.P*6c 03:31:00 02:43:00 54.R6bx6c 03:31:00 02:44:00 55.P*6e 03:31:00 02:44:00 56.P6dx6e 03:31:00 03:58:00 57.B9gx4b+ 03:31:00 03:58:00 58.G4cx4b 03:31:00 03:58:00 59.B*7b 03:31:00 03:58:00 60.R6c-6d 03:31:00 03:58:00 61.B7bx8a+ 03:31:00 03:58:00 62.P6e-6f 03:31:00 03:58:00 63.+B8a-8b 03:37:00 03:58:00 64.R6d-6e 03:37:00 04:03:00 65.N8i-7g 03:44:00 04:03:00 66.R6ex2e 03:44:00 04:03:00 67.S*1f! 03:59:00 04:03:00 Only here one can say that Sato's strategy has been a success. The=20 square 1f is not where one usually wants to drop a silver, but in this=20 case it puts so much pressure on the rook that Habu has to force his=20 hand here. 68.S*6g 03:59:00 04:03:00 No choice. 68.R2f S3g or 68.R2d Rx6f followed by P*2e are good for black. 69.G5hx6g 04:11:00 04:03:00 70.P6fx6g+ 04:11:00 04:03:00 71.R6hx6g 04:11:00 04:03:00 72.G*5f 04:11:00 04:15:00 73.R6g-6a+ 04:14:00 04:15:00 74.G5fx4g 04:14:00 04:17:00 75.K3hx4g 04:14:00 04:17:00 76.R2ex2i+ 04:14:00 04:17:00 77.G*3i 04:19:00 04:17:00 78.+R2ix1i 04:19:00 04:17:00 79.S*2h 04:20:00 04:17:00 80.P4d-4e 04:20:00 04:17:00 81.S4fx4e 04:25:00 04:17:00 82.+R1ix3i 04:25:00 04:17:00 83.G4ix3i 04:25:00 04:17:00 Habu has not been able to save the rook, but he has managed to weaken=20 the black king position even further. The general opinion was that the=20 white attack is not strong enough and that black is winning here.=20 However, a mistake is easily made in a position like this as we will see. 84.L*4c 04:25:00 04:17:00 85.P*4d 04:25:00 04:17:00 86.L4cx4d 04:25:00 04:25:00 87.S4ex4d 04:27:00 04:25:00 88.S3cx4d 04:27:00 04:25:00 89.R*8a?! 04:35:00 04:25:00 Good or bad? The opinions were divided. Commentator Morishita didn't=20 like the move at all, but the reason for playing it is quite clear and=20 suits Sato's playing style. Furthermore, black is still winning after=20 this move. Still, Sato could have made it a lot easier for himself had=20 he played 89.P*4c G4bx4c and only then R*8a here. After P*4a Rx4a+ G*3a=20 white has been forced to drop a gold in defense, which makes attacking=20 almost impossible. 90.P*4a 04:35:00 04:25:00 Now the two rooks are just in each other's way, but... 91.L*4h!? 04:37:00 04:25:00 This was the move Sato counted on. Because white has dropped a pawn on=20 4a, this lance works both in attack and defense. Habu admitted that he=20 was completely surprised by this move and praised it. 92.S4d-4e 04:37:00 04:35:00 93.K4g-3g 04:44:00 04:35:00 94.N2a-3c 04:44:00 04:38:00 95.N*2f 04:53:00 04:38:00 96.S*2e 04:53:00 04:46:00 97.S1fx2e 04:54:00 04:46:00 98.N3cx2e 04:54:00 04:46:00 99.K3g-3h 04:54:00 04:46:00 100.B*5f 04:54:00 04:49:00 101.S*4g 04:54:00 04:49:00 102.B5f-7h+ 04:54:00 04:51:00 103.K3h-2i 04:54:00 04:51:00 Black now threatens to close his defense with S3h, so the next move is=20 forced. 104.N*3g 04:54:00 04:52:00 105.+B8bx3g? 04:58:00 04:52:00 Sato has dictated the pace of the game again, but this mistake makes it=20 all go to waste. Correct was 105.K1i. Then white has nothing better than= =20 to start an edge attack from a long way away with 106.P1d, but then=20 107.+B6d P1e is not a mating threat yet, even if black hands over a pile= =20 of pieces. Therefore, black will probably win after +Bx4b Gx4b +Rx4a. 106.N2ex3g+ 04:58:00 04:52:00 107.S2hx3g 04:58:00 04:52:00 108.G*2g 04:58:00 04:56:00 109.G3i-2h 04:58:00 04:56:00 110.S*1h 04:58:00 04:56:00 111.G2hx1h 04:58:00 04:56:00 112.G2gx3g 04:58:00 04:56:00 113.S*3i 04:59:00 04:56:00 114.S*2g 04:59:00 04:56:00 115.P*2h 04:59:00 04:56:00 116.S2gx1h=3D 04:59:00 04:56:00 117.K2ix1h 04:59:00 04:56:00 118.G*4i 04:59:00 04:59:00 119.S3i-3h 04:59:00 04:59:00 120.G4ix4h 04:59:00 04:59:00 121.S3hx3g 04:59:00 04:59:00 122.G4hx4g 04:59:00 04:59:00 123.N*2e 04:59:00 04:59:00 124.G4gx3g 04:59:00 04:59:00 125.N*1d 04:59:00 04:59:00 126.P1cx1d 04:59:00 04:59:00 127.N2fx1d 04:59:00 04:59:00 128.L1ax1d 04:59:00 04:59:00 129.S*1c 04:59:00 04:59:00 130.K2b-3a 04:59:00 04:59:00 131.G*2a 04:59:00 04:59:00 132.K3ax2a 04:59:00 04:59:00 133.+R6ax4a 04:59:00 04:59:00 134.L*3a 04:59:00 04:59:00 Resigns 04:59:00 04:59:00 No mate after 135.+Rx3b Kx3b or 135.S1b+ Kx1b +Rx3b Gx3b and the black=20 king can not be defended. Despite showing some good shogi again, Sato=20 loses the game and the match in straight games, ending a long summer of=20 Habu-Sato matches (this was the 15th game they played since June 11th).=20 Habu has now won the Oza title for the 14th time in a row, breaking a=20 record set by Oyama's 13 consecutive Meijin titles in the period=20 1959-1971. Habu might extend this record next year, but it seems very=20 unlikely that we will witness such total dominance in the near future by= =20 any other player. A historic moment and from a personal point of view, I= =20 was happy that this milestone was achieved in Huis Ten Bosch, the Dutch=20 theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture, which was the location of=20 this third game. --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- New Apple=AE iPod=AE nano. As Thin as a No. 2 Pencil. Stores up to 3=20 Days of Songs! Get it Here FREE*! http://click.topica.com/= caad3PYa2i6YsbnuqMaf/Superb Rewards=20 ------------------------------------------------------------------- --^---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------