From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 21 jun 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1152, June 21st 2006) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- FREE Zoobooks Elephants ISSUE and tiger POSTER! Is your child reading? Zoobooks is guaranteed to improve=20 your child=92s reading skills. Click below to sign up now! http://click.topica.com/= caaeTvWa2i6YsbnuqMaa/ Zoobooks ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report the sixth game of the Meijin match between Moriuchi and=20 Tanigawa. Moriuchi won the game to end a match where all games were won=20 by black except for the first one. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"] [White "Tanigawa Koji, Challenger"] [Event "64th Meijin-sen, Game 6"] [Date "June 15th and 16th 2006"] 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 00:00:00 00:04:00 6.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:09:00 7.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:09:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:01:00 00:11:00 9.S7ix8h 00:04:00 00:11:00 10.S3a-2b 00:04:00 00:11:00 11.S3i-3h 00:09:00 00:11:00 12.S2b-3c 00:09:00 00:13:00 13.P4g-4f 00:11:00 00:13:00 14.S7a-6b 00:11:00 00:16:00 15.S8h-7g 00:12:00 00:16:00 16.P6c-6d 00:12:00 00:23:00 17.S3h-4g 00:12:00 00:23:00 18.S6b-6c 00:12:00 00:23:00 19.K5i-6h 00:12:00 00:23:00 20.G6a-5b 00:12:00 00:48:00 21.G4i-5h 00:22:00 00:48:00 22.P1c-1d 00:22:00 01:09:00 23.P1g-1f 00:24:00 01:09:00 24.P9c-9d 00:24:00 01:13:00 25.P9g-9f 00:24:00 01:13:00 26.K5a-4b 00:24:00 01:14:00 27.P6g-6f 00:30:00 01:14:00 28.S6c-5d 00:30:00 01:24:00 29.S4g-5f 00:39:00 01:24:00 30.P4c-4d 00:39:00 01:32:00 31.P3g-3f 00:45:00 01:32:00 32.P7c-7d 00:45:00 01:39:00 33.N2i-3g 00:56:00 01:39:00 34.K4b-3a 00:56:00 01:43:00 35.K6h-7i 01:08:00 01:43:00 36.G5b-4c 01:08:00 02:06:00 37.R2h-4h 01:18:00 02:06:00 38.K3a-2b 01:18:00 02:29:00 39.K7i-8h 02:32:00 02:29:00 40.N8a-7c 02:32:00 02:42:00 41.P4f-4e 02:36:00 02:42:00 42.N7c-8e 02:36:00 03:00:00 For the second time in this match the Kakugawari with tempo loss, but=20 this time with reversed colors. In the first game, Tanigawa played a=20 quick attack by bringing a silver to 4f followed by the pawn push to 3e.= =20 Moriuchi plays the most thematic position: the "normal" reclining=20 silver. Compared to the normal Kakugawari reclining silver, black has=20 the advantage of the extra move, while white has the advantage of being=20 able to attack by moving the knight to 8e. Because of this thematic=20 value, this position has been played in professional game numerous=20 times. When looking at the final result, white has won most of the=20 games, but when looking at content of the games, black gets out of the=20 opening with an advantage more often. 43.S7g-8f 02:38:00 03:00:00 44.P6d-6e 02:38:00 03:15:00 45.B*7c 02:56:00 03:15:00 46.R8b-8a 02:56:00 03:26:00 47.P4ex4d 02:56:00 03:26:00 48.S3cx4d 02:56:00 03:27:00 49.P*4e 02:57:00 03:27:00 50.S4d-3c 02:57:00 03:27:00 51.P6fx6e 02:58:00 03:27:00 52.P9d-9e 02:58:00 04:04:00 The sealed move and still in known territory. The alternative is 52.P3e,= =20 after which 53.B4f+ B*8b is inviting the sennichite (Bx8b+ Rx8b B*7c R8a= =20 B4f+ B*8b etc.). However, even with white, going for sennichite is not=20 Tanigawa's style. Attacking is his trade, but in this position there are= =20 two ways to attack: 52.P9e and 52.P7e. After 37 minutes, Tanigawa=20 decided to play P9e. 53.P9fx9e 03:01:00 04:04:00 54.P7d-7e 03:01:00 04:30:00 55.S8fx7e 03:12:00 04:30:00 56.R8a-7a 03:12:00 04:33:00 57.B7cx8d+ 03:16:00 04:33:00 58.R7a-8a 03:16:00 04:33:00 59.+B8d-7c 03:19:00 04:33:00 60.P3d-3e!? 03:19:00 04:36:00 This is a new move. Here, 60.R7a +B6d (it is important to defend the=20 silver on 7e or white can attack strongly with Rx7e Px7e B*6f) P3e P2d=20 had been played before, and was considered good for black. Playing=20 60.P3e with the rook still on 8a has the important advantage of being=20 able to use the rook in attack (on 7a this is almost impossible). With=20 the knight on 8e, it looks like the rook is blocked, but if black attack= =20 with P2d like in the variation above, white will get pawns in hand,=20 making an edge attack with P*9h Lx9h P*9g possible. Then white opens the= =20 rook file to the king and getting a lance or knight in hand in the=20 process. The white attack will be difficult to stop then. 61.P8g-8f 05:33:00 04:36:00 Moriuchi realizes that this is a crucial moment in the game and takes=20 134 minutes for his move. Rather than attacking immediately, he judged=20 that removing the dangerous knight on 8e has priority. 62.P3ex3f 05:33:00 04:57:00 63.P8fx8e 05:34:00 04:57:00 64.P3fx3g+ 05:34:00 04:57:00 65.+B7cx3g 05:34:00 04:57:00 66.P*7d 05:34:00 04:57:00 67.S7e-8f! 05:55:00 04:57:00 This allows a knight fork, but if 67.S6f, then 68.P*9h Lx9h N*8f is good= =20 for white. At the 61st move, Moriuchi has decided that it is vital to=20 make the head of the king strong and he sticks to his plan despite=20 losing material. 68.N*6f 05:55:00 04:58:00 69.G7h-7g 05:59:00 04:58:00 70.N6fx5h+ 05:59:00 05:43:00 71.R4hx5h 05:59:00 05:43:00 72.P7d-7e 05:59:00 05:43:00 This is the move that Tanigawa counted on. 73.Px7e P*7f, 73.Sx7e Rx8e=20 P*8f Rx7e Px7e P*7f are both good for white. 73.R5h-2h! 06:18:00 05:43:00 Not taking the pawn on 7e, but moving this rook to the perfect place for= =20 a counter attack is very good judgment by Moriuchi. Black has a slight=20 advantage here. 74.P7ex7f 06:18:00 06:27:00 75.G7gx7f 06:19:00 06:27:00 76.P*3d 06:19:00 06:27:00 77.N*5e! 07:03:00 06:27:00 Normally, this is a bad move. It forces white to play G4c-4b, where the=20 gold is better placed than on 4c. However, as Abe commented: "It is not=20 easy to win at the highest level by just playing moves that look good".=20 The "correct" way of playing is 77.P1e, but then 78.Sx4e Sx4e B*6g is=20 good for white. 78.G4c-4b 07:03:00 06:36:00 79.P1f-1e 07:18:00 06:36:00 Now the variation above is difficult to play for white, because 80.Sx4e=20 P*4c gives black a strong attack. From a professional point of view,=20 there is no relation between N*5e and P1e, so this is not good shogi.=20 However, being able to rise above the theory is the way of master players. 80.P*4f? 07:18:00 07:16:00 Tanigawa is starting to lose his way. He felt for most of the game that=20 white had enough attacking options and that opportunities would=20 naturally present themselves, but here he realized that Moriuchi has=20 made it very difficult for him to find good moves. Tanigawa didn't like=20 80.Px1e because of 81.P*1b 82.Lx1b 83.P*1c, but after the game Moriuchi=20 pointed out that white can take the pawn on 1c with the knight and the=20 position would still be very difficult. For example 83.Nx1c P*1d Nx2e=20 Rx2e B*6i and white is better. Tanigawa admitted that he never looked at= =20 Nx1c very closely as it seems the weaken the king position too much. If=20 white would have played 80.Px1e, Moriuchi said that he intended to play=20 P*1b Lx1b P3e. The move that Tanigawa played, 80.P*4f is not=20 particularly good, forcing black to put the promoted bishop on a good=20 square, but it is not the decisive mistake in this game. 81.+B3gx4f 07:28:00 07:16:00 82.G*3e 07:28:00 07:19:00 83.+B4f-4g 07:37:00 07:19:00 84.B*4f? 07:37:00 07:29:00 Here 84.Px1e was the move to keep this game going. 85.R2h-2i 07:56:00 07:29:00 86.P1dx1e 07:56:00 07:53:00 It seems like Tanigawa had been playing with two different things in=20 mind. First, finding the right time to play Px1e and second, to take the= =20 knight on 5e. In the end, he fails to execute either plan correctly.=20 86.Sx5e would fail to Px1d here after which the black attack can't be=20 stopped. However, by dropping the bishop on 4f, white has no way to=20 attack the black king anymore, so black can more or less attack at will. 87.P*1b 08:13:00 07:53:00 88.L1ax1b 08:13:00 07:53:00 89.P*1c 08:13:00 07:53:00 90.L1bx1c 08:13:00 07:54:00 91.P*3f 08:17:00 07:54:00 92.G3ex4e 08:17:00 07:58:00 93.P*4c 08:17:00 07:58:00 94.G4b-5b 08:17:00 08:01:00 95.P*1d 08:37:00 08:01:00 96.L1cx1d 08:37:00 08:01:00 97.N*2f 08:37:00 08:01:00 98.P*9h 08:37:00 08:30:00 99.N2fx1d 08:42:00 08:30:00 100.K2b-1b 08:42:00 08:30:00 101.P*1c 08:45:00 08:30:00 102.N2ax1c 08:45:00 08:30:00 103.P3f-3e 08:50:00 08:30:00 104.G4ex5f 08:50:00 08:33:00 105.+B4gx5f 08:50:00 08:33:00 106.B4fx5e 08:50:00 08:40:00 107.+B5fx5e 08:50:00 08:40:00 108.S5dx5e 08:50:00 08:40:00 109.P3ex3d 08:50:00 08:40:00 Resigns 08:50:00 08:41:00 Resigning looks a bit early, but after 110.Sx3d P*3c white has no=20 defense even though it will take black another move to make a mating=20 threat. However, white has no way to set up a strong attack against the=20 black king, so after thinking a little about it, Tanigawa resigned. With= =20 this convincing win, Moriuchi defends his Meijin title for the second=20 time in a row. His total tally is now four Meijin titles, which puts him= =20 on course to become the next Lifetime Meijin, an honorary title that=20 only the great players have held. Habu also has four Meijin titles at=20 the moment, so it would be interesting to see childhood rivals Moriuchi=20 and Habu play for the right to become the next Lifetime Meijin next=20 year. Tanigawa is already Lifetime Meijin and will regret the single=20 loss with the black pieces in the first game. However, it looked like=20 Moriuchi was just a little too strong for him this time. --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Here=92s your chance to tell some of the most important names in=20 retailing and household products what=92s on your mind. 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