From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 15 nov 2006 Subject: Almost three months ago in Shukan Shogi (no. 1162, August 30th 2006) It has been a while, but it seems that I finally will be able to get back to the Shukan Shogi reports. This time a game that was already played in August (yes, almost three months ago!). It is the fourth game of the Oi match between Habu and Sato. Sato won this game to level the match at two games each. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "47th Oi-sen, Game 4"] [Date "August 22nd and 23rd 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:02:00 4.P5c-5d 00:01:00 00:03:00 5.P2f-2e 00:12:00 00:03:00 6.R8b-5b 00:12:00 00:03:00 It is unclear if Habu and Sato have been consciously thinking about the shogi fans following their games, but they have been playing a different opening in every game of this match so far. This time Sato has picked the Gokigen Nakabisha. 7.G6i-7h 00:14:00 00:03:00 8.P5d-5e 00:14:00 00:41:00 9.P2e-2d 00:32:00 00:41:00 10.P2cx2d 00:32:00 00:41:00 11.R2hx2d 00:32:00 00:41:00 12.P5e-5f 00:32:00 00:47:00 13.P5gx5f 00:33:00 00:47:00 14.R5bx5f 00:33:00 00:47:00 15.K5i-6i 00:34:00 00:47:00 16.G4a-3b 00:34:00 00:47:00 17.S3i-4h 00:44:00 00:47:00 18.K5a-6b 00:44:00 00:51:00 19.P6g-6f 00:53:00 00:51:00 20.S3a-4b 00:53:00 01:01:00 21.S7i-6h 02:22:00 01:01:00 22.R5f-5a 02:22:00 01:07:00 23.P4g-4f 02:22:00 01:07:00 24.K6b-7b 02:22:00 01:17:00 25.S4h-4g 02:23:00 01:17:00 26.K7b-8b 02:23:00 02:16:00 27.K6i-7i 02:27:00 02:16:00 28.S7a-7b 02:27:00 02:16:00 29.B8h-7g 02:28:00 02:16:00 30.B2b-3c 02:28:00 02:23:00 31.R2d-2h 02:39:00 02:23:00 32.B3c-4d 02:39:00 02:24:00 33.P*2d!? 03:35:00 02:24:00 With the end of the first day not far off, it was expected that both players would finish the building of their formations and start the fight on the second day. However, Habu decides to take the opportunity for an ealier start of the hostilities and after 56 minutes played 33.P*2d. Whether this move is good or bad is hard to judge, but it is always a good idea to try and put your opponent off-balance at this level. 34.P*2f 03:35:00 03:07:00 The weak of heart would consider 34.P*2b here, but there is not a professional that would play such a move unless it was forced. 35.P6f-6e 03:38:00 03:07:00 36.B4dx7g+ 03:38:00 03:11:00 37.N8ix7g 03:38:00 03:11:00 38.B*2g 03:38:00 03:12:00 39.G4i-4h 03:40:00 03:12:00 40.B2g-5d+ 03:40:00 03:15:00 41.R2hx2f 03:43:00 03:15:00 Habu has gotten what he played for. The rook is active, he has won a pawn and black still has the bishop in hand. On the other hand, white has made a promoted bishop. However, it is hard to see what white can do with this bishop. The general opinion in the press room was that Habu had the advantage here. 42.+B5d-4d 03:43:00 03:18:00 43.R2f-2h 04:18:00 03:18:00 The sealed move. An interesting thing happened at the start of the second day. When it was time to open the envelope with the sealed move, the chief arbiter Tsukada was nowhere to be seen. In the end, the vice-arbiter Sanada had to open the envelope and start the second day, something he had never done before. He admitted he was quite nervous about making a mistake. It turned out that Tsukada had overslept and when he later appeared in the press room he looked very embarrassed. 44.P*2f 04:18:00 03:20:00 45.S4g-3f?! 04:35:00 03:20:00 46.S4b-3c 04:35:00 04:55:00 47.P4f-4e 05:02:00 04:55:00 48.+B4d-6b 05:02:00 05:00:00 49.B*5g?! 06:00:00 05:00:00 50.S3c-2b! 06:00:00 05:30:00 The game has turned a little weird. Moves like 45.S3f and 49.B*5g look strange and when someone who is learning the game plays moves like this you try to correct this by pointing out that it is not good to move pieces away from the king and that a bishop has a lot of potential as a piece in hand and should not be dropped to hastily. The truth is that Habu is stuck for moves a little and seems to be trying to confuse Sato a little with moves that look bad, but are maybe not necessarily so. Sato responds in kind with 50.S2b, which is also strange because this silver was on the good square 4b just a little while ago and now has taken two steps away from the king. The point of this silver maneuver is that the silver defends 2c if the rook later takes the pawn on 2f. Also, the square 3c is now free to bring the knight on 2a into play. 51.K7i-8h 06:02:00 05:30:00 52.N2a-3c 06:02:00 05:30:00 53.P9g-9f 06:04:00 05:30:00 54.P9c-9d 06:04:00 05:34:00 55.S6h-6g 06:11:00 05:34:00 56.P4c-4d 06:11:00 05:59:00 57.R2hx2f 06:12:00 05:59:00 58.P4dx4e 06:12:00 05:59:00 59.R2f-2h 06:12:00 05:59:00 60.P4e-4f! 06:12:00 06:05:00 Fine play by Sato. He has take three consecutive moves to move the pawn from 4c to 4f where it is now a perfect attack base. Black cannot take this pawn because 61.Bx4f R5i+ P*4i +R5a gives white the perfect tandem of promoted rook and promoted bishop. The difference with black's rook and bishop is too big to have hope for survival. 61.P*5f 06:19:00 06:05:00 62.R5a-4a 06:19:00 06:11:00 Now white strongly threatens P3e, so black has to do something quick. 63.P*4d 06:26:00 06:11:00 64.+B6bx4d 06:26:00 06:17:00 65.P*4e 06:27:00 06:17:00 66.+B4d-5c 06:27:00 06:22:00 67.B5gx4f 06:27:00 06:22:00 68.P3d-3e 06:27:00 06:22:00 69.B4fx3e 06:34:00 06:22:00 70.+B5cx3e 06:34:00 06:56:00 71.S3fx3e 06:34:00 06:56:00 72.R4ax4e 06:34:00 06:58:00 73.S3e-3d 07:02:00 06:58:00 74.B*3i 07:02:00 07:03:00 75.S3dx4e 07:04:00 07:03:00 76.B3ix2h+ 07:04:00 07:03:00 77.P6e-6d 07:06:00 07:03:00 78.N3cx4e 07:06:00 07:05:00 79.B*5d 07:08:00 07:05:00 This threatens the gold on 3b, the knight on 4e and also attacks 6c. White seems to be in trouble here, but Sato is not worried at all. 80.S*5b! 07:08:00 07:07:00 This silver drop makes the white position very strong and gives white time to bring the promoted bishop on 2h into play. 81.B5dx4e?! 07:15:00 07:07:00 Probably better was 81.Bx3b+ +B3i G5h N5g+ but Habu hated to move the bishop in the wrong direction, so he decided to take the knight instead. 82.R*4b! 07:15:00 07:33:00 Another strong defensive drop by Sato. Habu can no longer avoid losing serious material. 83.P6dx6c+ 07:29:00 07:33:00 84.S7bx6c 07:29:00 07:39:00 85.B4ex6c+ 07:38:00 07:39:00 86.S5bx6c 07:38:00 07:39:00 White is now a bishop for a knight up. The right way to play such a position is to make the game last longer, in which case the material advantage will become important. However, Sato is running out of time and sees no way to avoid a mutual attack in which material might not be a factor. White is winning, but has to be careful... 87.P*4c 07:38:00 07:39:00 88.R4bx4c 07:38:00 07:47:00 89.P*4i 07:39:00 07:47:00 90.S6c-7b 07:39:00 07:51:00 91.N*6d 07:43:00 07:51:00 92.P*6f 07:43:00 07:59:00 93.N6dx7b+ 07:46:00 07:59:00 94.G6ax7b 07:46:00 07:59:00 95.S6gx6f 07:46:00 07:59:00 96.+B2hx2i 07:46:00 07:59:00 97.S*5d 07:46:00 07:59:00 98.R4c-4b 07:46:00 07:59:00 99.S*6c 07:51:00 07:59:00 100.G7b-7a 07:51:00 07:59:00 101.R*5a 07:52:00 07:59:00 102.+B2ix5f 07:52:00 07:59:00 103.P*6b? 07:53:00 07:59:00 Sato is in byoyomi and the lack of time has forced him to let Habu in. Here Habu misses his opportunity to turn the tables. If he would have played 103.S5c+ here, he would have made it very difficult for Sato. The threat is Rx7a+ (Kx7a G*7b leads to mate) and black is now also indirectly threatening the bishop on 5f. For example, 104.+Bx7h Kx7h B*4e P*6g G*6a +Sx4b Gx5a +Sx5a Bx6c G*6a and even after analyzing the position for a long time in the post-mortem no win for Sato could be found. 104.P*6a! 07:53:00 07:59:00 Great defense. If black takes this pawn, there is definitely no mate. 105.P6bx6a+ 07:53:00 07:59:00 106.N*8f 07:53:00 07:59:00 This is a simple mating threat, but there is no defense. 107.G7h-7i 07:57:00 07:59:00 108.+B5fx6f 07:57:00 07:59:00 109.+P6ax7a 07:57:00 07:59:00 110.R4bx4h+ 07:57:00 07:59:00 111.P4ix4h 07:57:00 07:59:00 112.G*7h 07:57:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:58:00 07:59:00 Mate after 113.Gx7h Nx7h+ Kx7h S*6g or 113.K9g N*8e Nx8e S*8h Gx8h +Bx8h K8f B*6d N*7e +Bx7g K9g G*8f. Quite a long mate and remarkable that Sato had seen this in byoyomi when playing 104.P*6a. A very good win for Sato with the white pieces. He is now back in this match completely, winning two games after losing the first two games. He has black in the next game and every opportunity to seize the momentum. Habu has to find a way to stop the rot, but he has shown in the Osho match earlier this year that he is at his best when the pressure is really on. -- 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.aBsjvI.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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------