From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 25 may 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1143, April 19th 2006) 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/= caaePuwa2i6YsbnuqMaa/PC Powerscan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the first game of the Meijin match between Moriuchi and=20 Tanigawa. An interesting match-up as they have never met in a title=20 match before, and it was expected that Tanigawa would attack and=20 Moriuchi would defend. The first game indeed went according to this=20 pattern, with Tanigawa attacking early and Moriuchi quietly defending=20 and finally winning in the counter-attack. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Tanigawa Koji, Challenger"] [White "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Meijin"] [Event "64th Meijin-sen, Game 1"] [Date "April 11th and 12th 2006"] 1.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:02:00 3.P7g-7f 00:04:00 00:02:00 4.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:03:00 5.G6i-7h 00:17:00 00:03:00 6.P8c-8d 00:17:00 00:03:00 7.P2f-2e 00:19:00 00:03:00 8.B2bx8h+ 00:19:00 00:04:00 The popular Kakugawari with tempo loss. This is the first time that=20 Moriuchi and Tanigawa have played this opening against each other but=20 that is not a real surprise. The last time they played each other was=20 more than a year ago, before this opening suddenly became popular. Of=20 course, both players have played this opening in important games.=20 Moriuchi played it in the Kio match and Tanigawa played it in the Meijin= =20 play-off game. Before the start of the Meijin match, everyone expected=20 to see this opening at least once. 9.S7ix8h 00:19:00 00:04:00 10.S3a-2b 00:19:00 00:04:00 11.S3i-3h 00:28:00 00:04:00 12.S2b-3c 00:28:00 00:05:00 13.P1g-1f 00:59:00 00:05:00 14.P1c-1d 00:59:00 00:10:00 15.P3g-3f 01:18:00 00:10:00 16.S7a-6b 01:18:00 00:14:00 17.S3h-3g 01:28:00 00:14:00 18.P6c-6d 01:28:00 00:16:00 19.S3g-4f 01:46:00 00:16:00 20.S6b-6c 01:46:00 00:17:00 21.P3f-3e 02:04:00 00:17:00 This early attack is being played a lot these days, most recently in the= =20 Ryu-O qualification game between Moriuchi and Habu played 4 days before=20 this game. The position was not identical, with Moriuchi and Habu=20 pushing the pawns on the 9th file, but the idea is the same: attack=20 early to take advantage of the extra move that black has. Moriuchi won=20 the game against Habu with black, so it would be interesting to see how=20 he would play this position from the other side. 22.P3dx3e 02:04:00 00:23:00 23.S4fx3e 02:10:00 00:23:00 24.S6c-5d 02:10:00 00:26:00 25.S8h-7g 02:29:00 00:26:00 26.P8d-8e 02:29:00 00:54:00 27.P7f-7e 03:27:00 00:54:00 28.P6d-6e 03:27:00 02:29:00 In the morning this game proceeded at a high pace, but in the last=20 couple of moves the game has slowed down considerably. It seems that=20 Moriuchi was not really sure how to develop his pieces here. 29.P7e-7d 04:11:00 02:29:00 It is unclear if Tanigawa was aware of Moriuchi's problems or if he just= =20 played according his famous attacking style. This is a psychologically=20 well-timed pawn push. White has two possible replies: defending with=20 30.Px7d or counter-attacking with 31.B*6d. This is not a single move=20 decision, but will decide if white will try to kill the black attack or=20 win in a mutual attack. Tanigawa played this move 35 minutes before the=20 designated time to seal the move. Although this doesn't mean that the=20 move has to be sealed at that time, it is not easy to make a difficult=20 decision when everyone is waiting for you to seal the move. 30.P7cx7d 04:11:00 03:21:00 In the end, Moriuchi seals the move 17 minutes after the designated=20 time. 30.Px7d was a surprise for most followers and for Tanigawa.=20 Moriuchi also would have preferred to play 30.B*6d, but there was=20 something he didn't like about it even though after the game he didn't=20 give any details. Tanigawa had expected 30.B*6d B*4f S*5e Bx5e Bx5e S*4f= =20 B6d S*5e which leads to a violent position. 31.B*6d 04:15:00 03:21:00 32.B*7c 04:15:00 03:22:00 33.B6dx7c+ 04:18:00 03:22:00 34.N8ax7c 04:18:00 03:22:00 35.B*4f 04:19:00 03:22:00 36.K5a-6b 04:19:00 04:02:00 37.P*7e 04:46:00 04:02:00 38.R8b-8d 04:46:00 04:06:00 39.P2e-2d 05:01:00 04:06:00 40.P2cx2d 05:01:00 04:07:00 41.S3ex2d 05:01:00 04:07:00 42.S3c-3d 05:01:00 04:15:00 43.S2d-3e 05:10:00 04:15:00 44.P*2g 05:10:00 04:19:00 45.R2hx2g 05:11:00 04:19:00 46.P*2f 05:11:00 04:19:00 47.R2gx2f 05:11:00 04:19:00 48.P*2e 05:11:00 04:19:00 49.R2f-2h 05:11:00 04:19:00 50.S3dx3e 05:11:00 04:27:00 51.B4fx3e 05:12:00 04:27:00 52.P7dx7e 05:12:00 04:31:00 53.B3e-4f 05:42:00 04:31:00 54.G6a-7b 05:42:00 05:08:00 55.S*6d 06:40:00 05:08:00 56.S5d-6c! 06:40:00 06:14:00 Very strong and overlooked by almost everyone including Tanigawa. Up=20 until now, Tanigawa seemed to be attacking strongly and in control of=20 this game, but this move shows that things are still very much unclear.=20 Moriuchi felt that 56.R7d P*7f Px7e P*7e would be losing for white. The=20 professionals in the press room agreed and had started to analyze S4e=20 instead when 56.S6c was played. 56.S6c is not really a strange move. It=20 improves the sideways working of the rook and threatening to exchange=20 the attacking silver is also not a bad idea. Still, Tanigawa was=20 surprised and rushed his next move. 57.R2hx2e? 07:15:00 06:14:00 An important mistake. At first glance, black seems to win a pawn and=20 leave white without pawns in hand after the forced 58.P*2c. However,=20 white now gets the chance to set up a strong counter-attack. Tanigawa=20 admitted after the game that he regretted this move very much: "This was= =20 not the kind of position to be happy with a pawn". Correct was 57.R3h.=20 For example, 58.P*3g Rx3g B*2f K6i Bx3g+ Sx6c+ Gx6c Nx3g and black has=20 still many ways to attack. 58.P*2c 07:15:00 06:23:00 59.S6dx7e 07:22:00 06:23:00 60.R8d-3d 07:22:00 07:00:00 61.R2e-2h 07:23:00 07:00:00 No choice. White threatens B*2f next. 62.N2a-3c 07:23:00 07:01:00 The combination of the rook on 3d and 3c is very good shape. With 57.R3h= =20 black could have avoided the rook move to 3d. 63.S7g-7f 07:27:00 07:01:00 64.S*4e 07:27:00 07:06:00 65.P*7d 08:09:00 07:06:00 66.S4ex4f 08:09:00 07:21:00 67.P7dx7c+ 08:09:00 07:21:00 68.G7bx7c 08:09:00 07:21:00 69.P*7d 08:09:00 07:21:00 70.S6cx7d 08:09:00 07:24:00 71.P4gx4f 08:09:00 07:24:00 72.S7dx7e 08:09:00 07:32:00 73.S7fx7e 08:09:00 07:32:00 74.P*7d 08:09:00 07:32:00 75.P*3e 08:16:00 07:32:00 76.R3d-5d 08:16:00 07:42:00 77.S*6d 08:22:00 07:42:00 78.B*9e? 08:22:00 07:52:00 Moriuchi also makes a mistake, but with less serious consequences than=20 Tanigawa. Correct was immediately 80.Px7e. 79.N8i-7g 08:25:00 07:52:00 80.P7dx7e 08:25:00 08:01:00 81.S*5e 08:27:00 08:01:00 82.G7cx6d 08:27:00 08:33:00 83.S5ex5d 08:27:00 08:33:00 84.G6dx5d 08:27:00 08:33:00 85.P*7d 08:30:00 08:33:00 86.S*7b 08:30:00 08:50:00 Here Moriuchi had intended 86.B*5e, but now he saw that after 87.P9f=20 B9ex7g+ Gx7g Bx7g+ B*6h he can't play +Bx9i or +Bx6g because the white=20 king is mated after B9e! Without 86.B*5e, the bishop drop on 9e is=20 meaningless. 87.P9g-9f 08:30:00 08:50:00 88.B9e-8d 08:30:00 08:50:00 89.N7gx8e 08:30:00 08:50:00 90.S*8b 08:30:00 08:50:00 91.P3e-3d 08:39:00 08:50:00 Tanigawa has no choice but to attack. 92.N3c-4e! 08:39:00 08:50:00 93.P3d-3c+? 08:39:00 08:50:00 According to Fukaura this might have been the final mistake. 93.Px4e=20 seems bad because of either B*5e or B*4f, but after 93.B*5e R2f Bx1i+=20 P3c+ Gx3c R*3a black seems to have better fighting chances than in the game= . 94.N4ex5g+ 08:39:00 08:51:00 95.+P3cx3b 08:39:00 08:51:00 96.P7e-7f! 08:39:00 08:54:00 Opening the bishop's diagonal and making an attacking base on 7g decides= =20 the game. Black has no defense. 97.R*4b 08:50:00 08:54:00 98.K6b-6c 08:50:00 08:54:00 99.R4bx7b+ 08:51:00 08:54:00 100.K6cx7b 08:51:00 08:54:00 101.S*7c 08:51:00 08:54:00 102.K7b-8c 08:51:00 08:57:00 103.S7cx8d+ 08:52:00 08:57:00 104.K8cx8d 08:52:00 08:57:00 105.P7d-7c+ 08:52:00 08:57:00 106.B*7g 08:52:00 08:58:00 107.G7hx7g 08:53:00 08:58:00 Now there is a long but not too difficult mate. 108.R*8i 08:53:00 08:58:00 109.N*6i 08:53:00 08:58:00 110.R8ix6i+ 08:53:00 08:58:00 111.K5ix6i 08:53:00 08:58:00 112.S*6h 08:53:00 08:58:00 113.R2hx6h 08:53:00 08:58:00 114.+N5gx6h 08:53:00 08:58:00 115.K6ix6h 08:53:00 08:58:00 116.P7fx7g+ 08:53:00 08:58:00 117.K6h-5i 08:53:00 08:58:00 118.R*5g 08:53:00 08:59:00 119.B*5h 08:53:00 08:59:00 120.S*6h 08:53:00 08:59:00 121.K5i-4h 08:53:00 08:59:00 122.N*5f 08:53:00 08:59:00 123.K4h-3i 08:53:00 08:59:00 124.S*4h 08:53:00 08:59:00 Resigns 08:53:00 08:59:00 125.K3h or 125.K2h is mate after 126.G*2g and 125.Gx4h is mate after=20 126.Nx4h+ Kx4h Rx5h+ K3g B*5i K3f G*2f K3e G*2d. An important win for=20 Moriuchi. He is the favorite in this match, but Tanigawa was on a high=20 after beating Habu in the Meijin play-off. It was very important to put=20 a dent in Tanigawa's confidence early and winning the first game with=20 the white pieces is exactly what Moriuchi wanted. Tanigawa already needs= =20 to win with white in the next game to keep this match close. --=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: ------------------------------------------------------------------- See the hottest games before your friends! Sign up with Ubisoft,=20 and you'll get access to exclusive game news, contests, promotions,=20 community forums, and more. 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