From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 16 nov 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1163, September 6th 2006) In this report the 5th game of the Oi match between Habu and Sato. Habu managed to stop Sato this time and took a 3-2 lead to get within one win of his 12th Oi title. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"] [Event "47th Oi-sen, Game 5"] [Date "August 30th and 31st 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:01:00 4.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:02:00 5.P2f-2e 00:13:00 00:02:00 6.B2bx8h+ 00:13:00 00:05:00 7.S7ix8h 00:13:00 00:05:00 8.S3a-2b 00:13:00 00:05:00 9.S3i-4h 00:17:00 00:05:00 10.S2b-3c 00:17:00 00:12:00 11.P1g-1f 00:21:00 00:12:00 12.S7a-6b 00:21:00 00:29:00 13.P1f-1e 00:24:00 00:29:00 14.P6c-6d 00:24:00 00:35:00 15.P4g-4f 00:24:00 00:35:00 16.S6b-6c 00:24:00 00:36:00 17.S4h-4g 00:24:00 00:36:00 18.P7c-7d 00:24:00 00:41:00 19.P3g-3f 00:27:00 00:41:00 20.G6a-5b 00:27:00 00:46:00 21.R2h-7h 01:02:00 00:46:00 This is not as strange as it looks. One of the common ways to make use of the extra move in the Kakugawari with tempo loss is to push the edge pawn to 1e and then change to a Right Side King formation. In this formation, the problem is often that the king has no space to run, but with the pawn on 1e there is much more room for the king to escape from an attack. 22.R8b-7b 01:02:00 01:29:00 23.N2i-3g 01:56:00 01:29:00 24.K5a-4b 01:56:00 01:33:00 25.G4i-3h 01:56:00 01:33:00 26.K4b-3a 01:56:00 01:54:00 27.K5i-4i 01:58:00 01:54:00 28.K3a-2b 01:58:00 02:04:00 29.G6i-5h 02:15:00 02:04:00 30.P4c-4d 02:15:00 02:41:00 31.R7h-7i 02:28:00 02:41:00 32.P9c-9d 02:28:00 02:49:00 33.G3h-4h 02:43:00 02:49:00 34.P9d-9e 02:43:00 03:09:00 35.K4i-3h 02:43:00 03:09:00 36.S6c-5d 02:43:00 03:14:00 37.P5g-5f 02:57:00 03:14:00 38.L1a-1b 02:57:00 03:23:00 39.S8h-7g 03:10:00 03:23:00 40.P6d-6e 03:10:00 03:26:00 41.R7i-2i 03:16:00 03:26:00 42.R7b-6b 03:16:00 03:26:00 43.S7g-6h 03:20:00 03:26:00 44.G5b-4b 03:20:00 03:30:00 45.S6h-5g 03:24:00 03:30:00 46.K2b-1a 03:24:00 03:33:00 47.N8i-7g 03:34:00 03:33:00 48.G3b-2b 03:34:00 03:43:00 49.G5h-6h 03:53:00 03:43:00 The sealed move and more or less expected. However, Sato seriously considered a bold attack here: 49.B*5a R5b Bx4b+ Rx4b G*6d. The simple threat is Gx5c and if white defends, then Nx6e is also possible. Even though Sato could not see how this would be bad for him, he rejected the attack because of its simplicity: "If I lose after that, it would be quite embarrassing". Still, Takeichi (6-dan) pointed out that there was another attack he could have tried here: 49.P4e Px4e P5e Sx5e Nx4e S3c-4d P*4f! and it is difficult for white to keep his pieces together. Both Habu and Sato admitted after the game that this was indeed an attack worth considering. 50.G2b-3b 03:53:00 03:46:00 51.R2i-8i 04:00:00 03:46:00 52.P8c-8d! 04:00:00 04:19:00 Easy to overlook, but very strong. Pushing the pawn on the file where the opponent rook just moved to is difficult to do, but it is important to stop black from pushing the pawn to 8e. In that case, it would be almost impossible for white to attack. 53.P8g-8f 04:18:00 04:19:00 54.R6b-8b 04:18:00 04:21:00 White threatens N7c next, after which black no longer has any attacking options. Sennichite is not unlikely in that position, but Sato wants more than that with the black pieces, so he has to attack now. 55.P5f-5e 04:40:00 04:21:00 56.S5dx5e 04:40:00 04:28:00 57.N7gx6e 04:40:00 04:28:00 58.B*5d! 04:40:00 05:01:00 Combined with the next move, this is the perfect counter. Habu was not happy that he had been forced into a waiting game earlier, but when the position is heating up, he is ready for battle. 59.P6g-6f 05:04:00 05:01:00 60.P3d-3e! 05:04:00 05:04:00 The head of the knight is the weak point in the black position. 61.P*5f 05:12:00 05:04:00 62.S5e-6d 05:12:00 05:06:00 63.B*2g 05:22:00 05:06:00 64.P7d-7e 05:22:00 05:33:00 65.P3fx3e 05:29:00 05:33:00 66.B5dx2g+ 05:29:00 05:33:00 67.K3hx2g 05:29:00 05:33:00 68.P7ex7f 05:29:00 05:33:00 69.R8i-2i 05:33:00 05:33:00 70.B*6c! 05:33:00 05:45:00 Again another good combination by Habu. 71.B*3f 05:41:00 05:45:00 72.P5c-5d! 05:41:00 05:45:00 By blocking the bishop the exchange of bishops is no longer possible, so the bishop on 3f becomes a target for attack next. 73.P4f-4e 05:45:00 05:45:00 74.P*3d 05:45:00 06:19:00 75.S5g-4f 05:58:00 06:19:00 76.P3dx3e 05:58:00 06:24:00 77.S4fx3e 05:58:00 06:24:00 78.P*3d 05:58:00 06:24:00 79.S3e-2f 05:59:00 06:24:00 80.S6dx6e 05:59:00 06:34:00 81.P6fx6e 05:59:00 06:34:00 82.N*3e 05:59:00 06:34:00 White has a strong attack, but Sato still had hopes that he would be able to weather the storm. 83.K2g-1f 06:13:00 06:34:00 84.N3ex4g+ 06:13:00 06:40:00 85.B3fx4g 06:13:00 06:40:00 86.P7f-7g+ 06:13:00 06:41:00 87.P6e-6d 06:29:00 06:41:00 88.B6c-7d 06:29:00 06:44:00 89.G6hx7g 06:40:00 06:44:00 90.P4dx4e 06:40:00 06:45:00 91.G7g-6f 06:40:00 06:45:00 92.P4e-4f 06:40:00 06:47:00 93.B4g-6i 06:40:00 06:47:00 94.S*4g 06:40:00 06:59:00 95.G4h-4i 06:50:00 06:59:00 96.P*6g!! 06:50:00 07:11:00 Highlight of the game. It seems like white has trouble to keep his attack going. For example, 96.Sx5f+ is answered by 97.G7e and black turns the tables. The point of 96.P*6g is that after 97.Gx6g, white can play 98.Sx5f+. 97.R2i-2h 07:10:00 07:11:00 Defends against the pawn promotion on 6h and moves the rook from the diagonal of the bishop, so this looks like the perfect reply. 98.P6g-6h+ 07:10:00 07:12:00 99.R2hx6h 07:10:00 07:12:00 100.S4gx5f+ 07:10:00 07:12:00 The point. 101.G7e fails to +S5g and white either wins the rook or promotes the bishop. 101.R6h-7h 07:10:00 07:12:00 102.P*7c 07:10:00 07:12:00 103.R7hx7d 07:12:00 07:12:00 104.P7cx7d 07:12:00 07:12:00 105.G6fx5f 07:12:00 07:12:00 106.R*7i 07:12:00 07:12:00 107.S*7h 07:36:00 07:12:00 108.P4f-4g+ 07:36:00 07:16:00 109.B*8h 07:36:00 07:16:00 110.R7ix6i+ 07:36:00 07:17:00 111.S7hx6i 07:36:00 07:17:00 112.B*6g 07:36:00 07:18:00 113.R*5i 07:37:00 07:18:00 Again it seems that Sato has managed to stop the attack. For example, after 114.P*4h G3i +Px3g Sx3g the fork N*4g is answered by R5g, attacking the bishop. 114.P*4h 07:37:00 07:24:00 115.G4i-3i 07:37:00 07:24:00 116.B6g-8i+! 07:37:00 07:24:00 Wrong direction of play, but very strong. If the bishop on 8h moves, +Px3g Sx3g N*4g is possible because R5g no longer attacks the white bishop. Sato had completely overlooked this unnatural move. 117.B8hx3c+ 07:49:00 07:24:00 118.N2ax3c 07:49:00 07:30:00 119.S*3f 07:49:00 07:30:00 120.+P4gx3g 07:49:00 07:40:00 121.S2fx3g 07:49:00 07:40:00 122.P3d-3e 07:49:00 07:42:00 This pawn cannot be taken because of N*4g. With the attacking base on 3e, the white attack is unstoppable, despite Sato's desperate struggles. 123.S3f-4g 07:51:00 07:42:00 124.+B8ix9i 07:51:00 07:46:00 125.G3ix4h 07:54:00 07:46:00 126.+B9i-4d 07:54:00 07:47:00 127.S3g-2f 07:57:00 07:47:00 128.N*3d 07:57:00 07:48:00 129.S*2g 07:59:00 07:48:00 130.N3dx2f 07:59:00 07:50:00 131.S2gx2f 07:59:00 07:50:00 132.S*3d 07:59:00 07:50:00 133.R5i-2i 07:59:00 07:50:00 134.B*4c 07:59:00 07:51:00 135.N*3g 07:59:00 07:51:00 136.L*3f 07:59:00 07:53:00 137.P*4e 07:59:00 07:53:00 138.L3fx3g+ 07:59:00 07:53:00 139.P4ex4d 07:59:00 07:53:00 140.S3dx2e 07:59:00 07:53:00 141.S2fx2e 07:59:00 07:53:00 142.B4cx2e 07:59:00 07:53:00 143.R2ix2e 07:59:00 07:53:00 144.N3cx2e 07:59:00 07:53:00 145.N*3d 07:59:00 07:53:00 146.S*2g 07:59:00 07:53:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:53:00 Mate after 147.Kx2e N*3c K2f (K3e R*3f Sx3f +Lx3f) R*3f Sx3f +Lx3f K1g S*1g. Habu was not happy after the game because he felt that he had lost the opening battle, but this was a very important win for him after losing two straight, especially with the white pieces. Instead of having to face the possibility of losing his Oi title, he can now try and defend the title with the black pieces in the next game. -- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------