From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 29 may 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1144, April 26th 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report the second game of the Asahi Open match between Habu and=20 Fujii. Fujii managed to avoid losing ten in a row against Habu with some= =20 very good shogi that should give him some confidence in the rest of the=20 match. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Fujii Takeshi, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Asahi"] [Event "24th Asahi Open, Game 2"] [Date "April 19th 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P1g-1f?! 00:03:00 00:00:00 After the game, Fujii regretted playing this move so early. Habu's=20 opening strategy took him by surprise. 4.S7a-6b 00:03:00 00:01:00 5.P6g-6f 00:06:00 00:01:00 6.P5c-5d 00:06:00 00:02:00 7.S7i-7h 00:07:00 00:02:00 8.S3a-3b 00:07:00 00:03:00 9.S7h-6g 00:08:00 00:03:00 10.B2b-3a 00:08:00 00:04:00 This is the Iijima-style bishop pull-back. Not a very popular opening,=20 but Habu said after the game that he wanted to give it a try. It is=20 especially effective against Furibisha players that push the edge pawn=20 early, as can be seen from this game. 11.B8h-7g 00:08:00 00:04:00 12.P8d-8e 00:08:00 00:04:00 13.R2h-8h 00:08:00 00:04:00 14.B3a-5c 00:08:00 00:04:00 15.G6i-5h 00:10:00 00:04:00 16.K5a-4b 00:10:00 00:05:00 17.S6g-5f 00:11:00 00:05:00 18.K4b-3a 00:11:00 00:10:00 19.S5f-4e 00:23:00 00:10:00 20.R8b-8d 00:23:00 00:16:00 21.K5i-4h 00:29:00 00:16:00 This is the point of Habu's opening strategy. Black seems to have 21.P6e= =20 here, after which white cannot play P4d which seems to constrain his=20 options considerably. However, then white can play 22.P7d Sx5d B4d and=20 start the fight early, making use of the bad position of the black king.= =20 This is why Fujii regretted 3.P1f. In the same opening development=20 without P1f, the black king would already have been on 4h here, and=20 black could have played 21.P6e without giving white a strong attack.=20 Instead, black now has to pull back his silver and loses two moves. 22.P4c-4d 00:29:00 00:20:00 23.S4e-5f 00:29:00 00:20:00 24.G6a-5b 00:29:00 00:20:00 25.K4h-3h 00:29:00 00:20:00 26.K3a-2b 00:29:00 00:21:00 27.K3h-2h 00:29:00 00:21:00 28.G5b-4c 00:29:00 00:21:00 29.L1i-1h 00:29:00 00:21:00 30.S6b-5a 00:29:00 00:25:00 31.K2h-1i 00:29:00 00:25:00 32.S5a-4b 00:29:00 00:25:00 33.S3i-2h 00:29:00 00:25:00 34.P3c-3d 00:29:00 00:25:00 35.G4i-3i 00:33:00 00:25:00 36.S4b-3c 00:33:00 00:25:00 37.G5h-4h 00:35:00 00:25:00 38.P1c-1d 00:35:00 00:28:00 39.G4h-3h 00:36:00 00:28:00 40.P2c-2d 00:36:00 00:28:00 41.P6f-6e 00:48:00 00:28:00 42.S3b-2c 00:48:00 00:29:00 43.B7g-6f 00:51:00 00:29:00 44.R8d-8b 00:51:00 00:30:00 45.P4g-4f 00:51:00 00:30:00 46.P7c-7d 00:51:00 00:33:00 47.P4f-4e 00:54:00 00:33:00 48.P4dx4e? 00:54:00 00:43:00 So far, white has done well and Habu said after the game that the=20 Iijima-style seems to give white even chances. However, taking the pawn=20 on 4e is a mistake. Fujii's reply was difficult to foresee, but here=20 48.G3b was required. Then after 48.Px4d Gx4d the position is unclear.=20 After seeing this, Fujii said that maybe 47.P4e was an overplay and that= =20 playing S4g followed by S3f was better. 49.S5fx4e 00:59:00 00:43:00 50.P*4d 00:59:00 00:43:00 51.S4e-3f! 01:01:00 00:43:00 Habu underestimated the power of the silver here, combined with the next= =20 bishop maneuver, which is very good for black. Having exchanged the pawn= =20 on the 4th file only favors black. This pawn can be used in defense on=20 4h and 4i or in attack on 4b and 4c. Habu only looked at 51.S5f, after=20 which white can go for an attack on the head of the bishop on the 6th file.= 52.G4a-3b 01:01:00 00:44:00 53.P5g-5f! 01:29:00 00:44:00 The second part of Fujii's plan. He wants to put the bishop on 4f. Habu=20 has to avoid this. 54.B5c-6b 01:29:00 00:56:00 55.B6f-5g 01:37:00 00:56:00 56.P5d-5e? 01:37:00 00:57:00 The second mistake and already the decisive one. Correct was immediately= =20 56.B*7c and even though 57.P7e P8f Px7d B8d B4f P8g+ is still good for=20 black, white still has fighting chances. 57.P5fx5e 01:40:00 00:57:00 58.B6b-7c 01:40:00 01:09:00 59.B5g-6f! 01:44:00 01:09:00 Flexibility by Fujii. Instead of sticking to his plan to move the bishop= =20 to 4f, he sees that 59.P4f P3e would mean trouble. Instead, he moves the= =20 bishop back to 6f and starts to attack from there. 60.P6c-6d 01:44:00 01:11:00 61.P6ex6d 01:45:00 01:11:00 62.R8b-6b 01:45:00 01:11:00 63.N8i-7g 01:51:00 01:11:00 64.B7cx6d 01:51:00 01:17:00 65.P*6e 01:52:00 01:17:00 66.B6d-3a 01:52:00 01:18:00 67.B6f-8d 01:54:00 01:18:00 68.R6b-6a 01:54:00 01:34:00 69.R8h-5h! 02:01:00 01:34:00 Now the rook that was sleeping on 8h, comes into play with great force.=20 There were many other moves to consider like P*4e or R6h, but this is=20 clearly the strongest move. 70.P8e-8f 02:01:00 01:43:00 71.P8gx8f 02:01:00 01:43:00 72.P7d-7e 02:01:00 01:44:00 73.R5h-5f 02:02:00 01:44:00 74.P*8c 02:02:00 02:06:00 75.B8dx7e 02:02:00 02:06:00 76.B3ax7e 02:02:00 02:06:00 77.P7fx7e 02:02:00 02:06:00 78.B*6g 02:02:00 02:06:00 79.R5f-5g 02:02:00 02:06:00 80.B6g-7f+ 02:02:00 02:08:00 81.P5e-5d 02:02:00 02:08:00 82.+B7fx7e 02:02:00 02:08:00 83.R5g-5f 02:03:00 02:08:00 84.N8a-7c 02:03:00 02:08:00 85.B*7b 02:14:00 02:08:00 86.R6a-5a 02:14:00 02:18:00 87.B7b-6c+ 02:14:00 02:18:00 88.P*7f 02:14:00 02:18:00 89.+B6cx7c 02:20:00 02:18:00 90.R5ax5d 02:20:00 02:18:00 91.R5fx5d 02:20:00 02:18:00 92.G4cx5d 02:20:00 02:18:00 93.+B7c-6c! 02:22:00 02:18:00 Black seems to be in a little bit of trouble, because giving up a knight= =20 can be a problem in this position. The anaguma castle looks very solid,=20 but after N*4f it will become weak very quickly. However, Fujii has=20 calculated this very deeply and knows he will be able to save the knight. 94.G5d-5c 02:22:00 02:19:00 95.+B6c-8e 02:25:00 02:19:00 96.+B7e-6f 02:25:00 02:20:00 No choice. 97.+Bx8e Nx8e is worse. 97.R*7c 02:26:00 02:20:00 98.R*5i 02:26:00 02:21:00 99.+B8ex7f 02:26:00 02:21:00 100.+B6fx7f 02:26:00 02:21:00 101.R7cx7f+ 02:26:00 02:21:00 And black has saved the knight on 7g. 102.R5ix9i+ 02:26:00 02:21:00 103.P*5d 02:29:00 02:21:00 104.G5cx5d 02:29:00 02:21:00 105.+R7f-7b 02:29:00 02:21:00 106.+R9i-5i 02:29:00 02:24:00 107.P*4b 02:32:00 02:24:00 108.S3cx4b 02:32:00 02:26:00 109.P*4c 02:32:00 02:26:00 110.S4bx4c 02:32:00 02:26:00 111.P*4b 02:32:00 02:26:00 112.P*7a 02:32:00 02:26:00 113.+R7b-6a 02:33:00 02:26:00 114.P3d-3e 02:33:00 02:26:00 115.P4b-4a+! 02:35:00 02:26:00 The final blow. Giving up the silver is not a big deal in this position,= =20 as there is no way to check the black king with it while the king is=20 still safely in the anaguma. On the other hand, capturing the silver on=20 3f leaves a gaping hole for a knight drop on 3e. The white king cannot=20 be defended. 116.P3ex3f 02:35:00 02:30:00 117.N*3e 02:37:00 02:30:00 118.S*5b 02:37:00 02:31:00 119.N3ex4c+ 02:42:00 02:31:00 120.S5bx6a 02:42:00 02:31:00 121.S*3a 02:42:00 02:31:00 122.G3bx3a 02:42:00 02:50:00 123.+P4ax3a 02:42:00 02:50:00 124.R*3e 02:42:00 02:51:00 125.+P3ax2a 02:44:00 02:51:00 126.K2bx2a 02:44:00 02:51:00 127.N*4g 02:44:00 02:51:00 128.R3e-3a 02:44:00 02:53:00 129.B*4b 02:44:00 02:53:00 Resigns 02:44:00 02:53:00 The difference between the positions is clear. White has no defense,=20 while the anaguma is still completely intact. A one-sided victory for=20 Fujii, who really needed to win this game. Not only would losing have=20 meant a 2-0 hole with three to play, he also had lost 9 straight games=20 against Habu. Therefore, this victory will have restored his confidence=20 and the Asahi Open match is now down to a best-of-three series. --=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/ --^---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------