From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 02 sep 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1155, July 12th 2006) In this report the third game of the Kisei match between Sato and Suzuki. Like in the second game, Suzuki had very good chances to win, but again he failed to convert, losing the Kisei match in straight games. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Suzuki Daisuke, Challenger"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Kisei"] [Event "77th Kisei-sen, Game 3"] [Date "July 5th 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P7f-7e 00:00:00 00:00:00 4.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00 5.R2h-7h 00:00:00 00:01:00 6.P8d-8e 00:00:00 00:01:00 7.P7e-7d 00:02:00 00:01:00 8.P7cx7d 00:02:00 00:01:00 9.R7hx7d 00:02:00 00:01:00 10.B2bx8h+ 00:02:00 00:01:00 11.S7ix8h 00:02:00 00:01:00 12.B*6e 00:02:00 00:01:00 13.B*5f 00:02:00 00:01:00 The same position as in the first game. There it followed 14.B5d (new move by Sato) S3h G3b K4h S6b K3i and both sides castled quietly. 14.B6ex7d 00:02:00 00:10:00 This time Sato takes a more aggressive approach. 15.B5fx7d 00:02:00 00:10:00 16.G6a-7b 00:02:00 00:15:00 This is a new move in professional games. However, it was also played in the final of this year's Amateur Ryu-O tournament between Imaizumi and Kato. This game had been published in Shukan Shogi and both players were aware of this. Suzuki even openly admitted that he had studied this game between top amateurs very carefully, adding that he had never studied so hard in his professional life than before and during this match. He didn't want to be defeated in the study room against Sato who is renowned for his thorough opening preparation. 17.B*5e 00:03:00 00:15:00 18.P*7c 00:03:00 00:17:00 19.B7d-5f 00:22:00 00:17:00 20.R*1b 00:22:00 00:18:00 Dropping the rook here can't be helped, but is also the point of 16.G7b. If the gold would have been on 6b instead, black can play 21.Bx1a+ Rx1b L*8c here. This is not necessarily bad for white, but in the game variation there is no immediate attack, so the game will quiet down and white can hope to put his rook on 1b into play later on. In this game, Sato will have to wait a long time for an opportunity to do this. 21.B5fx3d 00:22:00 00:18:00 22.G4a-3b 00:22:00 00:18:00 23.B5e-7g 00:24:00 00:18:00 24.S7a-6b 00:24:00 00:23:00 25.S3i-4h! 00:27:00 00:23:00 Good play by Suzuki. The natural instincts of a Furibisha player cry out for putting the king safe by moving it into a mino castle as quickly as possible, but Suzuki resists this temptation and decides to use the right silver to fight for the center. 26.S3a-4b 00:27:00 00:29:00 27.B3d-5f 00:37:00 00:29:00 28.P5c-5d 00:37:00 00:42:00 29.P3g-3f 00:37:00 00:42:00 30.S6b-5c 00:37:00 00:51:00 31.S4h-3g 00:38:00 00:51:00 32.S5c-6d 00:38:00 00:55:00 33.P6g-6f! 00:43:00 00:55:00 Another good move by Suzuki. If black plays 33.S4f too fast, then he will be in trouble after 34.S4b-5c N3g S4d and the bishops will become a target for the white silvers. 33.P6f is blocking the bishop diagonal and therefore not looking very good, but a very important move in preparation for the next bishop maneuver. 34.S4b-5c 00:43:00 01:02:00 35.K5i-4h 00:44:00 01:02:00 36.P5d-5e 00:44:00 01:15:00 37.B5f-6g 00:44:00 01:15:00 38.S5c-5d 00:44:00 01:16:00 39.G4i-3h 00:47:00 01:16:00 40.G7b-6b 00:47:00 01:21:00 41.B7g-6h 00:51:00 01:21:00 42.P7c-7d 00:51:00 01:28:00 43.S8h-7g 00:54:00 01:28:00 44.P4c-4d 00:54:00 01:30:00 45.P4g-4f 00:54:00 01:30:00 46.S6d-7e 00:54:00 01:42:00 47.G6i-5h 01:20:00 01:42:00 48.G6b-5c 01:20:00 01:43:00 49.S3g-2f 01:20:00 01:43:00 50.P6c-6d 01:20:00 01:49:00 51.P*7f 01:20:00 01:49:00 52.S7e-8d 01:20:00 01:49:00 53.S2f-3e 01:20:00 01:49:00 54.S8d-7c 01:20:00 02:01:00 55.K4h-3i 01:21:00 02:01:00 56.P6d-6e 01:21:00 02:07:00 57.P6fx6e 01:22:00 02:07:00 58.S5dx6e 01:22:00 02:07:00 59.P*6f 01:22:00 02:07:00 60.S6e-5d 01:22:00 02:07:00 61.B6h-5i! 01:22:00 02:07:00 There are not many players who can claim that they outplayed Sato strategically, but Suzuki has managed to do just that. This bishop switches to the other side of the board to 2f, putting a lot of pressure on the white position. Sato completely overlooked this possibility and only realized it here, when it is already too late. Like in the second game, Suzuki gets an overwhelming position. 62.R1b-2b 01:22:00 02:35:00 63.B5i-2f 01:25:00 02:35:00 64.R8b-4b 01:25:00 02:36:00 The only move to keep the white position together, but the white rook and king are very badly placed. 65.S7g-6h 01:31:00 02:36:00 66.S7c-6b 01:31:00 02:47:00 67.N8i-7g 01:32:00 02:47:00 68.G3b-3c 01:32:00 03:24:00 69.N2i-3g 01:46:00 03:24:00 70.P2c-2d 01:46:00 03:25:00 71.P4f-4e 02:00:00 03:25:00 72.P2d-2e 02:00:00 03:29:00 73.B2f-1e 02:00:00 03:29:00 74.P1c-1d 02:00:00 03:29:00 75.B1ex3c+ 02:00:00 03:29:00 76.N2ax3c 02:00:00 03:29:00 77.P4ex4d 02:02:00 03:29:00 78.P2e-2f 02:02:00 03:32:00 79.P2gx2f 02:02:00 03:32:00 80.P5e-5f 02:02:00 03:45:00 81.B6gx5f 02:04:00 03:45:00 82.B*5e 02:04:00 03:46:00 83.G5h-4h 02:09:00 03:46:00 84.G5cx4d 02:09:00 03:46:00 85.S3ex4d 02:09:00 03:46:00 86.R4bx4d 02:09:00 03:46:00 87.G*3d 02:09:00 03:46:00 88.R4d-4f 02:09:00 03:47:00 89.P*4g 02:16:00 03:47:00 90.R4fx3f 02:16:00 03:48:00 91.G*2g 02:16:00 03:48:00 92.R2bx2f 02:16:00 03:50:00 93.G2gx2f 02:20:00 03:50:00 94.R3fx2f 02:20:00 03:50:00 95.P*2g? 02:20:00 03:50:00 Like in the second game, Suzuki has trouble with handling a winning position. This time it is not carelessness, but being overcautious that is costing him. Here 95.Gx3c would have made things easy. After 96.G*2i K4i Bx3c R*3a K4b Rx8a+ the black king can't be attacked while the white king is very difficult to defend. 96.R2f-3f 02:20:00 03:50:00 97.G3dx3c 02:21:00 03:50:00 98.R3fx3c 02:21:00 03:50:00 99.N*4f? 02:21:00 03:50:00 Looks like a good move, because it closes the bishop diagonal and attacks the white silver at the same time. Suzuki had counted on 100.S5d-6c R*2a P*3a and thought that attacking was easy with the two knights and bishop on 5f. However, this is based on a serious oversight... 100.S5d-6c 02:21:00 03:50:00 101.P*3d 02:32:00 03:50:00 A change of plan because here Suzuki realized that 101.R*2a fails to G*3a! R2e+ G*3e and black loses the rook after which R*6i next is very dangerous for black. Unfortunately, 101.P*3d is not much better. 102.R3c-3a 02:32:00 03:50:00 103.B5f-4e 02:32:00 03:50:00 104.G*5b 02:32:00 03:53:00 105.R*8c 02:47:00 03:53:00 106.S*7b 02:47:00 03:54:00 107.R8cx8e+ 02:47:00 03:54:00 108.G*4d 02:47:00 03:54:00 109.B4e-6g 02:51:00 03:54:00 110.P*8d 02:51:00 03:56:00 111.+R8ex8d 02:56:00 03:56:00 112.K5a-6a 02:56:00 03:56:00 113.P7f-7e 02:57:00 03:56:00 114.P*8c 02:57:00 03:56:00 115.+R8d-8f 02:58:00 03:56:00 116.K6a-7a 02:58:00 03:57:00 The exposed white king is suddenly in a strong four-general castle. 117.P7ex7d 02:58:00 03:57:00 118.P*3f 02:58:00 03:57:00 119.N3g-4e 03:00:00 03:57:00 120.R3a-4a 03:00:00 03:57:00 121.N4e-3c+ 03:03:00 03:57:00 122.P*4e 03:03:00 03:57:00 123.+N3c-3b 03:03:00 03:57:00 124.P4ex4f! 03:03:00 03:58:00 With the strong castle, white can even afford to give up a rook without worrying about being immediately mated. Suzuki still tries to fight, but the tables have been completely reversed. Sato shows how to win a won position, even when byoyomi. 125.P4gx4f 03:03:00 03:58:00 126.B5ex4f 03:03:00 03:58:00 127.+N3bx4a 03:03:00 03:58:00 128.B4fx1i+ 03:03:00 03:58:00 129.K3i-4i 03:03:00 03:58:00 130.L*3e 03:03:00 03:58:00 131.+N4a-4b 03:07:00 03:58:00 132.G5bx4b 03:07:00 03:58:00 133.P3d-3c+ 03:07:00 03:58:00 134.P3f-3g+ 03:07:00 03:58:00 135.+P3cx4b 03:07:00 03:58:00 136.+P3gx3h 03:07:00 03:58:00 137.G4hx3h 03:07:00 03:58:00 138.L3ex3h+ 03:07:00 03:58:00 139.K4i-5h 03:07:00 03:58:00 140.+B1i-6d 03:07:00 03:59:00 141.R*4a 03:07:00 03:59:00 142.K7a-8b 03:07:00 03:59:00 143.N7g-6e 03:08:00 03:59:00 144.N*5e 03:08:00 03:59:00 145.B6g-5f 03:08:00 03:59:00 146.+B6dx8f 03:08:00 03:59:00 147.P8gx8f 03:08:00 03:59:00 148.G*6g 03:08:00 03:59:00 149.B5fx6g 03:08:00 03:59:00 150.N5ex6g+ 03:08:00 03:59:00 151.K5hx6g 03:08:00 03:59:00 152.N*7e 03:08:00 03:59:00 153.K6g-7g 03:08:00 03:59:00 154.R*7h 03:08:00 03:59:00 155.K7gx7h 03:08:00 03:59:00 156.B*8g 03:08:00 03:59:00 Resigns 03:08:00 03:59:00 Suzuki plays on until the mate is very simple, showing his regrets about what could have been in the second and third game. An early end to Kisei match, giving Sato its fifth consecutive Kisei title. This means he also has earned the title Lifetime Kisei . There are only four other Lifetime Kisei: Oyama, Nakahara, Yonenaga and Habu. Very good company indeed and Sato was obviously very pleased with this achievement, pledging not to embarrass the name of Lifetime Kisei in the rest of his career. He will get a first chance to show what a Lifetime Kisei can do in the upcoming Oi and Oza matches against Habu. -- 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=TEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------