From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 17 nov 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1164, September 13th 2006) In this report the opening game of the Oza match between Habu and Sato. A very exciting game that might have easily gone Sato's way, but Habu was lucky that his opponent twice couldn't find a complicated win in byoyomi. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"] [Event "54th Oza-sen, Game 1"] [Date "September 7th 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00 3.P6g-6f 00:04:00 00:01:00 4.R8b-3b 00:04:00 00:09:00 5.B8h-7g 00:10:00 00:09:00 6.P3d-3e 00:10:00 00:11:00 7.R2h-8h 00:21:00 00:11:00 Habu and Sato seem to make a point of playing as many different opening strategies as possible, but a Aifuribisha opening is a rarity. This is their 113th encounter, but only one time before this game the opening was Aifuribisha (a double Opposing Rook in the 4th game of last year's Oi match, which Habu convincingly won). 8.S7a-8b 00:21:00 00:17:00 9.K5i-4h 00:27:00 00:17:00 10.K5a-6b 00:27:00 00:27:00 11.S7i-6h 00:38:00 00:27:00 12.G4a-5b 00:38:00 00:31:00 13.P5g-5f 00:44:00 00:31:00 14.P4c-4d 00:44:00 00:53:00 15.P4g-4f!? 00:59:00 00:53:00 To professionals this is a strange move. Pushing the pawn on the head of the king without even protecting the king with moving the gold to 5h first looks strange. The point is of course that Sato doesn't want to allow the vanguard pawn P4e. Having a white pawn on 4e is not necessarily bad for black, but Sato sends a clear message that he will not allow Habu to dictate the pace of the game. 16.S3a-4b 00:59:00 01:29:00 17.S6h-5g 00:59:00 01:29:00 18.S4b-4c 00:59:00 01:29:00 19.G6i-5h 01:03:00 01:29:00 20.P7c-7d 01:03:00 01:29:00 21.G5h-4g 01:22:00 01:29:00 22.G6a-7b 01:22:00 01:33:00 23.K4h-3h 01:22:00 01:33:00 24.P1c-1d 01:22:00 01:37:00 25.K3h-2h 01:22:00 01:37:00 26.P1d-1e 01:22:00 01:45:00 27.L1i-1h 01:22:00 01:45:00 28.P2c-2d 01:22:00 02:07:00 29.K2h-1i 01:22:00 02:07:00 30.N2a-3c 01:22:00 02:07:00 31.S3i-2h 01:23:00 02:07:00 32.N3c-2e 01:23:00 02:08:00 33.G4i-3h 01:25:00 02:08:00 34.S4c-3d 01:25:00 02:09:00 35.P6f-6e 01:31:00 02:09:00 36.S8b-7c 01:31:00 02:09:00 37.P9g-9f 01:49:00 02:09:00 38.P9c-9d 01:49:00 02:14:00 39.P8g-8f 02:05:00 02:14:00 40.K6b-7a 02:05:00 02:28:00 41.R8h-6h 02:09:00 02:28:00 42.B2b-3c 02:09:00 02:32:00 43.N8i-9g 02:13:00 02:32:00 44.L1a-1c 02:13:00 02:37:00 45.S5g-4h 02:20:00 02:37:00 46.R3b-1b 02:20:00 02:38:00 47.S4h-3i 02:20:00 02:38:00 48.G5b-6b 02:20:00 02:46:00 49.B7g-6f 03:13:00 02:46:00 50.S7c-8b 03:13:00 03:06:00 It seems like white has won the opening. The white pieces are perfectly positioned to start a devastating edge attack as soon as white gets a pawn in hand (P1f Px1f P*1g and the anaguma falls apart). Because of this, black cannot easily start an attack of his own. Moreover, it is hard to see how black can start an attack at all in this position... 51.P4f-4e! 03:20:00 03:06:00 Great vision by Sato. He has seen that if the silver on 3d moves away from the attack area, the white edge attack is not powerful enough. Habu has no choice but too attack now, even though he also must have realized that his edge attack is not good enough anymore. 52.P1e-1f 03:20:00 03:30:00 53.P1gx1f 03:20:00 03:30:00 54.S3dx4e 03:20:00 03:30:00 55.P2g-2f 03:20:00 03:30:00 56.P*1g 03:20:00 03:30:00 57.N2ix1g 03:21:00 03:30:00 58.N2ex1g+ 03:21:00 03:30:00 59.S2hx1g 03:22:00 03:30:00 60.S4e-5d 03:22:00 03:41:00 61.N9g-8e 03:36:00 03:41:00 62.P2d-2e 03:36:00 03:51:00 63.S3i-2h 03:37:00 03:51:00 64.S5dx6e 03:37:00 04:07:00 65.B6f-5g 03:47:00 04:07:00 66.S6ex7f 03:47:00 04:08:00 67.N*5e 04:05:00 04:08:00 68.P*1e 04:05:00 04:13:00 69.P1fx1e 04:06:00 04:13:00 70.N*3d 04:06:00 04:14:00 71.P*6d 04:18:00 04:14:00 72.P6cx6d 04:18:00 04:14:00 73.B5gx3e 04:18:00 04:14:00 74.P*1f 04:18:00 04:16:00 75.S1gx1f 04:18:00 04:16:00 76.N3dx2f 04:18:00 04:16:00 77.P*6c 04:18:00 04:16:00 78.G6b-5b 04:18:00 04:33:00 79.G3h-2g? 04:32:00 04:33:00 An important mistake based on a rather unusual oversight, especially for someone of Sato's caliber. Correct was 79.P*2d R2b Bx2f Px2f P2c+ Rx2c N*3e and black is probably better. 80.P*3d 04:32:00 04:35:00 81.G2gx2f 04:32:00 04:35:00 82.P2ex2f 04:32:00 04:39:00 This is the move that Sato overlooked. He had only thought about 32.Px3e Gx2e after which black would have had the better position. To be honest, this simple looking oversight is caused by underestimating Habu's next move. 83.B3ex2f 04:33:00 04:39:00 84.N8a-7c! 04:33:00 04:40:00 The point of Habu's play. He is aiming at N*3e after an exchange of knights. A white knight there would be more than the black position could take. 85.P3g-3f 04:48:00 04:40:00 Sato spend 15 minutes of pure agony on this move. It is a defense only move that is admitting complete failure. Sato was therefore very embarrassed to play it, but 15 minutes of thought showed that he had no choice. Because it was obvious that Sato was playing this move more or less with the tears streaming down his face (not literally of course), the professionals in the press room predicted a quick victory for Habu from here. However, things are not so easy... 86.N7cx8e 04:48:00 04:43:00 87.P8fx8e 04:48:00 04:43:00 88.P*2e 04:48:00 04:52:00 89.S1fx2e 04:49:00 04:52:00 90.B3cx1e 04:49:00 04:52:00 91.L1hx1e 04:50:00 04:52:00 92.L1cx1e 04:50:00 04:52:00 93.P*1f 04:50:00 04:52:00 94.L1ex1f 04:50:00 04:52:00 95.S2ex1f 04:51:00 04:52:00 96.R1bx1f 04:51:00 04:52:00 97.S2h-1g 04:51:00 04:52:00 98.N*1d 04:51:00 04:52:00 99.S1gx1f 04:58:00 04:52:00 100.N1dx2f 04:58:00 04:52:00 101.S1f-2g 04:58:00 04:52:00 102.P*1g 04:58:00 04:53:00 103.R*1a 04:59:00 04:53:00 104.L*5a 04:59:00 04:53:00 105.R1ax1g+ 04:59:00 04:53:00 106.P*1h 04:59:00 04:56:00 107.K1i-2i 04:59:00 04:56:00 108.B*5i 04:59:00 04:56:00 109.R6h-9h 04:59:00 04:56:00 110.S*3g 04:59:00 04:58:00 111.N*4i 04:59:00 04:58:00 112.S7f-8g+ 04:59:00 04:58:00 113.R9h-5h 04:59:00 04:58:00 114.G*4h 04:59:00 04:58:00 115.G4gx3g 04:59:00 04:58:00 116.G4hx5h 04:59:00 04:58:00 117.S2gx2f 04:59:00 04:58:00 118.G5hx4i 04:59:00 04:58:00 119.K2ix1h 04:59:00 04:58:00 120.N*4e 04:59:00 04:58:00 121.G3g-2g 04:59:00 04:58:00 122.G4i-3i 04:59:00 04:58:00 123.S*2h? 04:59:00 04:58:00 It is hard to call this a blunder, but Sato had a hidden win in this position. After 123.+R1b 124.Bx2f+ 125.Gx2f 126.N3g+ the black king looks to be in a lot of danger, but this is actually not a mating threat. Therefore, black has time to play 127.B*6a!!. This is threatening mate after Bx7b+ Kx7b B*6a K8a G*7b K9b Gx8b Kx8b +Rx5b Lx5b Bx8c+ Kx8c L*8d. Taking the bishop on 6a doesn't work: 128.Kx6a is mate after 129.S*6b G5bx6b +Rx6b. Therefore, white has to play 128.S*2i K1i (K1g R*1h) R*1h +Rx1h Sx1h+ Kx1h but then after Kx6a black has R*8a. Dropping a piece on 7a means that white no longer has a mating threat, while S7a (G7a S*6b and mate) is mate after N*7c Gx7c S*6b Gx6b Px6b+ Kx6b P*6c Gx6c Nx6c+ Kx6c Rx8c+ etc. A little difficult to find in one minute of byoyomi, even for Sato. 124.R*7h 04:59:00 04:58:00 125.L*6i 04:59:00 04:58:00 126.R7h-3h+ 04:59:00 04:58:00 127.B*4g 04:59:00 04:58:00 128.+R3hx4g 04:59:00 04:58:00 129.S2hx3i 04:59:00 04:58:00 130.S8b-7c 04:59:00 04:59:00 131.N*7f 04:59:00 04:59:00 132.+R4g-5h 04:59:00 04:59:00 It seems like the game is over. White takes the lance on 6i and at the same time defends the vital pawn on 6d. There seems to be no way for black to fight back. 133.P*4h? 04:59:00 04:59:00 To Habu's dismay and Sato's surprise, the game is still a win for black here. Sato himself suggested the winning move after the game: 133.G2h!. The point is the that promoted rook on 1g is now attacking the silver, far away on 8g. After 134.+Rx6i N*8d Px8d Nx8d white seems to be winning with the move N*1d, but then Nx7b+ (+Rx1d loses), Kx7b +Rx8g is threatening S*8c Kx8c P8d Sx8d G*8b (a very nice mate indeed) and Nx2f is no longer effective because the black king can escape up the board. This is still a complicated position, but the conclusion after the post-mortem analysis was that black wins after 133.G2h instead of 133.P*4h. 134.+R5hx6i 04:59:00 04:59:00 135.N*8d 04:59:00 04:59:00 136.P8cx8d 04:59:00 04:59:00 137.N7fx8d 04:59:00 04:59:00 138.B5i-8f+ 04:59:00 04:59:00 139.N8dx7b+ 04:59:00 04:59:00 140.K7ax7b 04:59:00 04:59:00 141.G*8d 04:59:00 04:59:00 142.S7cx8d 04:59:00 04:59:00 143.P8ex8d 04:59:00 04:59:00 144.N*7a 04:59:00 04:59:00 Resigns 04:59:00 04:59:00 White has moves like +Rx3i and black has no chances to escape up the board. On the other hand, the black attack has no strength and white can escape up the board whenever he likes. Without any hopes for attack or defense, Sato resigned. A rather strange game where nothing was like it seemed. Habu had the perfect looking edge attack, but it was not strong enough. Then in the endgame, Habu seemed to be winning easily, but actually Sato was the player having the won position. Let's see if the rest of the match holds more exciting stuff like this. -- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------