From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 17 may 2006 Subject: A long time ago in Shukan Shogi (no. 1140, March 29th 2006) Here is one game that has been long overdue: the final game of the Osho match between Habu and Sato. Sato rallied to come back from 3-0 down, but couldn't finish the job. Habu played a good game to finally close out this series and keep his Osho title. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"] [Event "55th Osho-sen, Game 7"] [Date "March 21st and 22nd 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 Habu and Sato have played more than 100 games against each other, but this one was special. After Habu won the first three games of this match, it looked like it would be over quickly, but Sato came back to win the next three games. This hasn't happened in 28 years. The only other player who did the same thing was Yonenaga, who came back from 3-0 down to tie the 17th 10-dan match (now Ryu-O tournament) against Nakahara in 1978. Nakahara won the final game to win the match, so in professional shogi no-one has ever come back from 3-0 down to win a match. Sato can be the first and the signs seem to be in his favor. Habu just lost Kio title to Moriuchi and also lost the Meijin challenger play-off against Tanigawa. On the other hand, Sato just beat Watanabe in the Oi league and is in the middle of a seven game winning streak. Even the pawns give the nod to Sato in this game, as the furigoma results in three tokins and Sato can start with the black pieces. 2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.S7i-6h 00:05:00 00:02:00 4.P3c-3d 00:05:00 00:04:00 5.S6h-7g 00:06:00 00:04:00 6.S7a-6b 00:06:00 00:07:00 7.G6i-7h 00:13:00 00:07:00 8.P5c-5d 00:13:00 00:11:00 9.K5i-6i 00:16:00 00:11:00 10.S3a-4b 00:16:00 00:16:00 11.S3i-4h 00:17:00 00:16:00 12.G4a-3b 00:17:00 00:24:00 13.P2g-2f 00:55:00 00:24:00 14.K5a-4a 00:55:00 00:41:00 15.P5g-5f 00:55:00 00:41:00 16.G6a-5b 00:55:00 01:05:00 17.P3g-3f 00:56:00 01:05:00 18.P4c-4d 00:56:00 01:13:00 19.P4g-4f 01:00:00 01:13:00 20.G5b-4c 01:00:00 01:35:00 21.G4i-5h 01:00:00 01:35:00 22.P7c-7d 01:00:00 01:37:00 23.N2i-3g 01:08:00 01:37:00 24.S4b-3c 01:08:00 01:42:00 25.S4h-4g 01:38:00 01:42:00 26.P8d-8e 01:38:00 01:56:00 27.P2f-2e 01:39:00 01:56:00 Sato is not playing a fashionable opening, but instead plays the seldom seen Yonenaga quick attack (a tribute to the only other player coming back from 3-0 down?). 28.P1c-1d 01:39:00 02:23:00 29.P9g-9f 01:59:00 02:23:00 30.P9c-9d 01:59:00 02:25:00 31.P1g-1f 02:05:00 02:25:00 32.P6c-6d 02:05:00 02:36:00 33.P6g-6f 02:21:00 02:36:00 34.S6b-6c 02:21:00 02:36:00 35.B8h-7i 02:22:00 02:36:00 36.B2b-3a 02:22:00 02:36:00 37.G5h-6g 02:31:00 02:36:00 38.B3a-4b 02:31:00 02:36:00 39.B7i-6h 02:32:00 02:36:00 40.K4a-3a 02:32:00 02:36:00 41.K6i-7i 02:32:00 02:36:00 42.N8a-7c 02:32:00 02:36:00 43.P4f-4e 03:55:00 02:36:00 In the end, Sato decided not to open the game too early with a quick P4e attack, which is the way Yonenaga played this opening. In a two-day match, starting the attack on the first day is not a good idea. Therefore, Sato has played it more slowly and the game has settled down in a symmetric Yagura opening. Sato has a difficult decision to make here and takes more than an hour to play 43.P4e. Starting the attack with the king on 7i is dangerous, but if black moves to king into the castle with 43.K8h, white can start attacking first with 44.P6e. 44.P4dx4e 03:55:00 03:44:00 The only move, but Habu takes his time to play it and seals it to end the first day. The second day will start with all the complications. 45.P3f-3e 04:13:00 03:44:00 46.S3c-4d 04:13:00 05:07:00 47.S4g-3f 04:45:00 05:07:00 48.P6d-6e 04:45:00 05:10:00 Sato was worried about 48.P4f here. If then 49.Bx4f Px3e Sx3e P*3f leads to an unclear position. It is hard to say which is better and it Habu seemed to have overlooked this option. Still, with the king still on 7i, black has to be very careful with his attack because giving white a major piece in hand can be very dangerous. 49.P6fx6e 04:57:00 05:10:00 50.P8e-8f! 04:57:00 05:14:00 Well timed pawn push. If black takes this pawn with the silver, the 6th file is weakened and P5e next is strong. On the other hand, taking with the pawn gives white the classic attack against the yagura with the knight to 6e, joining pawn on 8e and dangling pawn on 8g. However, at this point both players still thought that black had the slightly better position. 51.P8gx8f 05:45:00 05:14:00 52.N7cx6e 05:45:00 05:57:00 53.S7g-6f 05:49:00 05:57:00 54.P*8e 05:49:00 06:00:00 55.P8fx8e 05:54:00 06:00:00 56.P*8f 05:54:00 06:00:00 57.P3ex3d 06:15:00 06:00:00 58.B4b-6d 06:15:00 06:18:00 59.R2h-3h 06:21:00 06:18:00 60.B6d-4f 06:21:00 06:19:00 61.S6fx6e 06:40:00 06:19:00 62.P8f-8g+ 06:40:00 06:26:00 63.G7hx8g 06:40:00 06:26:00 64.R8bx8e 06:40:00 06:26:00 65.P*8f 06:44:00 06:26:00 66.R8ex6e 06:44:00 06:26:00 67.P*6f 06:44:00 06:26:00 68.B4fx6h+ 06:44:00 06:27:00 69.R3hx6h? 07:03:00 06:27:00 Sato took almost 20 minutes to decide with which piece to take the bishop and in the end picks the wrong one. Better was 69.Kx6h and then 70.R6d P3c+ Sx3c Nx4e and the black attack seems to be stronger. 70.R6e-6d 07:03:00 06:34:00 71.S3fx4e 07:03:00 06:34:00 72.B*4f 07:03:00 06:36:00 The problem. Black suddenly has to defend very carefully. 73.N*5g? 07:24:00 06:36:00 Difficult to see, but correct was 73.Sx4d. Then 74.S*5i S*5g Sx6h+ Kx6h Bx3g+ Sx4c+ Gx4c N*3e R*4i and the position is still unclear. 74.P5d-5e! 07:24:00 06:39:00 Sato had overlooked this strong move. The rook on 6d, which seemed to be dead, suddenly comes back to life. 75.Sx4d is answered by 76.Rx4d and 75.K8h Px5f Gx5f Bx3g+ is also good for white. 75.P6f-6e? 07:43:00 06:39:00 This allows P*6f and thus only worsens the black position. However, there doesn't seem to be a good alternative. 76.P*6f 07:43:00 07:29:00 77.P6ex6d 07:43:00 07:29:00 78.P6fx6g+ 07:43:00 07:29:00 79.R*6a? 07:43:00 07:29:00 The final mistake. Habu was worried about the immediate 79.Rx6g. If then 80.Px5f like in the game, black can still fight with 81.R*5a. 80.K3a-2b 07:43:00 07:29:00 81.R6hx6g 07:43:00 07:29:00 82.P5ex5f 07:43:00 07:39:00 83.K7i-8h 07:43:00 07:39:00 84.P5fx5g+ 07:43:00 07:40:00 85.R6g-6e 07:43:00 07:40:00 86.B4f-5e! 07:43:00 07:51:00 The deciding move. Black has to give white the rook, but the king position is too weak to defend against a rook attack. 87.R6ex5e 07:52:00 07:51:00 88.S4dx5e 07:52:00 07:51:00 89.R6ax9a+ 07:53:00 07:51:00 90.R*5h 07:53:00 07:52:00 91.K8h-9g 07:53:00 07:52:00 92.S*7h 07:53:00 07:52:00 93.L*8h 07:59:00 07:52:00 94.S7hx8g= 07:59:00 07:52:00 95.K9gx8g 07:59:00 07:52:00 96.G*7h 07:59:00 07:53:00 97.S*9g 07:59:00 07:53:00 98.+P5g-6g 07:59:00 07:53:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:53:00 White threatens mate with 100.G7g Nx7g +R7h etc. If 99.P8e, then 100.G7g K8f Gx7f Kx7f R7h+ and mate. Finally, 99.P9e N*8d is hisshi. Against the odds, Habu played an almost perfect game to keep his Osho title. This game was played at Sado island, and it seemed that Habu slept on the boat to the island, despite the strong wind and high sea. This seems to indicate that he didn't feel any pressure, but his reaction after the post-mortem analysis was finished and Sato had left the room was telling: he gave a big sigh of relief before getting up and leaving the playing room himself. Another great Habu-Sato match narrowly ending in Habu's favor. -- 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/ --^---------------------------------------------------------------- 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=TEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------