From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 19 jan 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1130, January 18th 2006) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shopping for a new car?=20 Pay 2-3% below invoice on a new car of your choice.=20 Save thousands with our free car discount finder service! http://click.topica.com/= caaemrqa2i6YsbnuqMaa/Dealix ------------------------------------------------------------------- The professional year always starts a bit slowly, but finally we have=20 the first title match of 2006 under way: the Osho match between Habu and= =20 Sato. The fourth match between these two players in a short time, but=20 the games between them are always almost exciting and close. This first=20 game was no exception, although for a long time it seems like it would=20 be an easy victory for Habu. Sato showed that things were not that easy,= =20 but a mistake when he seemed to have turned things around proved fatal.=20 Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "55th Osho-sen, Game 1"] [Date "January 12th and 13th 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 This is the 100th official game between Habu and Sato. Most=20 professionals play only about 30 games against each other in their=20 entire career. Getting to a 100 well before turning 40 shows that Habu=20 and Sato have a long rivalry at the top level. Sato has been on the=20 receiving end for most of his career (coming into this game, Habu leads=20 the head-to-head 68-31), but in recent years he seems to have found ways= =20 to make it more difficult for Habu. Like the matches they played last=20 summer, this Osho match is expected to be close. 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00 3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:02:00 4.G4a-3b 00:02:00 00:05:00 5.G6i-7h 00:20:00 00:05:00 6.P4c-4d 00:20:00 00:23:00 7.P2f-2e 00:33:00 00:23:00 8.B2b-3c 00:33:00 00:27:00 9.S3i-4h 00:37:00 00:27:00 10.G6a-5b 00:37:00 01:13:00 11.P5g-5f 01:27:00 01:13:00 12.S3a-2b 01:27:00 01:20:00 13.B8h-7g 01:29:00 01:20:00 14.G5b-4c 01:29:00 01:55:00 15.B7g-6h 01:40:00 01:55:00 16.K5a-4a 01:40:00 02:34:00 17.S7i-8h 02:10:00 02:34:00 18.S7a-6b 02:10:00 03:29:00 19.S8h-7g 02:39:00 03:29:00 20.P5c-5d 02:39:00 03:29:00 21.K5i-6i 02:41:00 03:29:00 22.S6b-5c 02:41:00 03:30:00 23.P3g-3f 02:49:00 03:30:00 24.K4a-3a 02:49:00 04:04:00 25.G4i-5h 02:59:00 04:04:00 26.P8c-8d 02:59:00 04:29:00 27.P6g-6f 03:15:00 04:29:00 The sealed move. 28.B3c-5a 03:15:00 04:30:00 29.P2e-2d 03:32:00 04:30:00 30.P2cx2d 03:32:00 04:34:00 31.B6hx2d 03:32:00 04:34:00 32.S5c-4b 03:32:00 04:35:00 33.B2d-6h 03:43:00 04:35:00 34.S4b-3c 03:43:00 04:35:00 35.P*2e! 04:04:00 04:35:00 A surprising development. Sato's strongpoint in his recent title match=20 games against Habu has been his ideas in the opening, taking the=20 initiative in most games. However, in this game Sato's opening strategy=20 ends in failure. After 35.P*2e, white is unable to improve the position=20 of the wall silver on 2b, because moving it to 2c would make the=20 attacking base on 2e too strong. From now on, white can only wait for=20 black to make his move. 36.P9c-9d 04:04:00 04:42:00 37.K6i-7i 04:17:00 04:42:00 38.P9d-9e 04:17:00 04:46:00 39.G5h-6g 04:17:00 04:46:00 40.P7c-7d 04:17:00 04:58:00 41.K7i-8h 04:24:00 04:58:00 42.L9a-9c 04:24:00 05:37:00 43.P4g-4f 04:40:00 05:37:00 44.R8b-9b 04:40:00 05:41:00 45.S4h-4g 04:40:00 05:41:00 46.N8a-7c 04:40:00 05:46:00 47.S7g-8f 04:43:00 05:46:00 48.B5a-4b 04:43:00 05:46:00 49.B6h-5g 04:56:00 05:46:00 50.R9b-8b 04:56:00 06:14:00 51.N2i-3g 05:00:00 06:14:00 52.P*2c 05:00:00 06:15:00 53.R2h-2i 05:16:00 06:15:00 54.P1c-1d 05:16:00 06:17:00 55.P1g-1f 05:16:00 06:17:00 56.S2b-1c 05:16:00 06:23:00 57.B5g-3i 05:20:00 06:23:00 58.K3a-2b 05:20:00 06:29:00 59.B3i-1g 05:21:00 06:29:00 60.L1a-1b 05:21:00 06:33:00 61.P3f-3e 05:35:00 06:33:00 62.P3dx3e 05:35:00 06:34:00 63.B1gx3e 05:35:00 06:34:00 64.K2b-1a 05:35:00 06:35:00 Sato has found a way to get rid of the wall silver: moving into the=20 anaguma. A very modern way of playing shogi: when the opening fails,=20 just move into the anaguma and wait for a chance with the strong castle.= =20 This no-nonsense approach is often seen in the games of Ryu-O Watanabe=20 and he has a lot of success with it. This being said, Habu has built a=20 perfect attacking formation and it is hard to see how the white position= =20 can survive, even with the strong anaguma. 65.B3e-2f 05:36:00 06:35:00 66.B4b-6d 05:36:00 06:43:00 67.S4g-3f 05:45:00 06:43:00 68.B6dx4f 05:45:00 06:59:00 69.P1f-1e 05:48:00 06:59:00 70.P1dx1e 05:48:00 06:59:00 71.P*4e 05:48:00 06:59:00 72.S1c-2b 05:48:00 07:13:00 73.S3f-3e 06:08:00 07:13:00 74.B4f-6d 06:08:00 07:14:00 75.P4ex4d 06:11:00 07:14:00 76.G4c-3d 06:11:00 07:15:00 77.S3ex3d 06:23:00 07:15:00 78.S3cx3d 06:23:00 07:15:00 79.P*3e 06:23:00 07:15:00 80.S*3h! 06:23:00 07:32:00 It is unclear if Habu made a mistake somewhere, but after this silver=20 drop things are getting quite complicated. Black can not play 81.R6i=20 because of 82.S2g+ Bx1e Sx3e, but after the game continuation, it is=20 very questionable whether the black attack is strong enough. 81.R2i-2h 06:26:00 07:32:00 82.S3dx3e 06:26:00 07:32:00 83.B2fx3e 06:35:00 07:32:00 84.B6dx3g+ 06:35:00 07:32:00 85.P4d-4c+ 06:36:00 07:32:00 86.G3bx4c 06:36:00 07:33:00 87.B3e-7a+ 06:37:00 07:33:00 88.R8b-4b 06:37:00 07:37:00 89.P2e-2d 06:41:00 07:37:00 90.+B3gx2h 06:41:00 07:38:00 91.P2dx2c+ 06:41:00 07:38:00 92.S2bx2c 06:41:00 07:38:00 93.P*4d 06:43:00 07:38:00 94.G4c-3c 06:43:00 07:39:00 95.L1ix1e 07:04:00 07:39:00 "Without pawns in hand the game is lost" as the proverb goes. Habu needs= =20 a pawn to strengthen his attack. How important this is, will become=20 clear soon. 96.L1bx1e? 07:04:00 07:56:00 An important mistake. Sato is a little to eager here, probably because=20 he thinks that it is easier for the white king to escape up the board=20 here. However, with a pawn in hand and the lance not on 1b, the black=20 attack is just strong enough to win this game. 97.+B7a-5c 07:06:00 07:56:00 98.+B2h-6d 07:06:00 07:56:00 99.+B5cx6d 07:07:00 07:56:00 100.P6cx6d 07:07:00 07:56:00 101.S*3a 07:07:00 07:56:00 102.R4b-3b 07:07:00 07:57:00 103.P4d-4c+! 07:07:00 07:57:00 The point. Because black has a pawn and the lance is on 1e, 104.Gx4c=20 fails to 105.P*2d Sx2d G*2c and black wins. 104.R3bx3a 07:07:00 07:57:00 105.B*4b! 07:09:00 07:57:00 This gives the black attack decisive strength. 106.G3c-3b 07:09:00 07:58:00 107.P*2d 07:09:00 07:58:00 There is the only pawn again. 108.S2c-1b 07:09:00 07:58:00 109.G*2c 07:11:00 07:58:00 110.G3bx4b 07:11:00 07:59:00 111.+P4cx4b 07:11:00 07:59:00 112.P*2b 07:11:00 07:59:00 113.+P4bx3a 07:11:00 07:59:00 114.S*6i 07:11:00 07:59:00 115.+P3ax2a 07:38:00 07:59:00 White has a lot of pieces in hand, so finding the right way to win this=20 game took some time. Habu thought about this move for 27 minutes. Sato=20 is already in byoyomi here. 116.S1bx2a 07:38:00 07:59:00 117.G7h-6h 07:38:00 07:59:00 118.R*4h 07:38:00 07:59:00 119.R*1c 07:41:00 07:59:00 120.B*1b 07:41:00 07:59:00 121.G*5i 07:42:00 07:59:00 Here Habu felt certain about victory. Moving the rook just picks up the=20 silver on 6i, but with the rook in hand black has a long (but not too=20 complicated) mate. 122.B*4i 07:42:00 07:59:00 123.G5ix4h 07:48:00 07:59:00 124.B4ix6g+ 07:48:00 07:59:00 125.G2cx1b 07:48:00 07:59:00 126.S2ax1b 07:48:00 07:59:00 127.R*3a 07:48:00 07:59:00 128.L*2a 07:48:00 07:59:00 129.R1cx1b+ 07:48:00 07:59:00 130.K1ax1b 07:48:00 07:59:00 131.B*4e 07:48:00 07:59:00 132.P*3d 07:48:00 07:59:00 133.B4ex3d 07:48:00 07:59:00 134.N*2c 07:48:00 07:59:00 135.P2dx2c+ 07:48:00 07:59:00 136.P2bx2c 07:48:00 07:59:00 137.R3a-3b+ 07:48:00 07:59:00 138.K1b-1c 07:48:00 07:59:00 139.P*1d 07:48:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:48:00 07:59:00 Mate after 140.Kx1d N*2f K2d S*2e K1c S1d K2d Bx2c+ etc., or 140.K2d=20 S*2e K3e B4c+ etc. An interesting game that seemed to end in a one-sided= =20 victory for Habu, but suddenly got very complicated. In the end, like so= =20 many times before in their encounters, Habu prevailed. Still, the match=20 is still young and Sato will have a chance to level the match with the=20 black pieces in game 2. --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jumpstart your love life at AmericanSinglesR.com.=20=20 Meet someone in your area today. Millions of member profiles.=20 Create a profile, post photos and search for free. http://click.topica.com/= caaemrra2i6YsbnuqMaf/Spark Network ------------------------------------------------------------------- --^---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------