From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 23 aug 2007 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1188, March 7th 2007) In this report the second game of the Kio match between Moriuchi and Sato. It is only the second time that these two have met in a title match, but if the first two games are any indication, it would be great if they play many more. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Kio"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "32nd Kio-sen, Game 2"] [Date "February 24th 2007"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00 4.P9c-9d 00:00:00 00:01:00 5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:01:00 6.P9d-9e 00:01:00 00:02:00 7.G6i-7h 00:07:00 00:02:00 8.R8b-4b 00:07:00 00:04:00 9.P2e-2d 00:22:00 00:04:00 10.P2cx2d 00:22:00 00:25:00 11.R2hx2d 00:22:00 00:25:00 12.B2bx8h+ 00:22:00 00:35:00 13.S7ix8h 00:23:00 00:35:00 14.R4b-2b 00:23:00 00:35:00 15.R2dx2b+ 00:54:00 00:35:00 16.S3ax2b 00:54:00 00:35:00 This has already turned into a strange opening, even for Sato's standards. It is only the 16th move, but both players have already exchanged the major pieces. After the game, both players admitted to be surprised by the turn of events here. Until the 14th move, both players followed a game between Sato and Habu played in 2006. There Habu played 14.K6b. Moriuchi said that he never expected 14.R2b to be played here. Sato was also surprised: "I thought 15.Rx2b+ was not possible and only thought about 15.P*2c R4b". An interesting difference of opinion, leading to this unusual opening. Things will get a lot weirder, though... 17.R*2h 00:54:00 00:35:00 18.G4a-3b 00:54:00 00:38:00 19.B*6e 01:06:00 00:38:00 20.R*8b?! 01:06:00 01:29:00 Only a few moves later, three of the four major pieces are back on the board. Not only that, both rooks have been dropped on their original square. Sato thought he had the advantage here, because the black bishop has been dropped and seems to be heading for trouble. However, he had underestimated the power of the bishop here and after the game he regretted not playing 20.P*2c Bx8c+ B*7d +Bx7d Px7d here which keeps the rook in hand. 21.B6e-5f! 01:13:00 01:29:00 Simply going for the pawn on 3d, but very effective. White can't defend this pawn without dropping the bishop (22.G3c Bx8c+ Rx8c Rx2b+) and that is not an option in this position. From 3d, the bishop has many places to go. Black has the upper hand, but the story of this opening has not been completely told yet. Sato has another surprise for us... 22.P*2c 01:13:00 01:36:00 23.B5fx3d 01:15:00 01:36:00 24.R8b-4b!?! 01:15:00 01:37:00 This makes the game a once in a lifetime experience. White play Shikenbisha for the second time (R4b-R2b followed R*8b-R4b), which has of course never been done before and probably never be done again (especially since black is better in this position). After the game, Sato was asked which name he would like to give to this opening. Among several alternatives the only name he liked was "Shikenbisha returns", so that is what it will be. 25.S3i-3h 01:46:00 01:37:00 26.S7a-7b 01:46:00 01:39:00 27.S3h-2g 01:49:00 01:39:00 28.K5a-6b 01:49:00 01:53:00 29.S2g-3f 01:49:00 01:53:00 30.K6b-7a 01:49:00 01:56:00 31.K5i-6h 01:52:00 01:56:00 32.K7a-8b 01:52:00 02:16:00 33.K6h-7i 01:57:00 02:16:00 34.P6c-6d 01:57:00 02:29:00 35.S8h-7g 02:01:00 02:29:00 36.P7c-7d 02:01:00 02:31:00 37.B3d-5f 02:26:00 02:31:00 38.S7b-6c 02:26:00 02:56:00 39.S3f-3e 02:27:00 02:56:00 40.P5c-5d 02:27:00 03:07:00 41.G4i-5h 02:47:00 03:07:00 42.G6a-7b 02:47:00 03:08:00 43.P6g-6f 02:47:00 03:08:00 44.P5d-5e 02:47:00 03:11:00 45.B5f-4e 02:52:00 03:11:00 46.R4b-5b 02:52:00 03:12:00 47.S3e-4f 02:56:00 03:12:00 48.R5b-5a 02:56:00 03:13:00 49.P3g-3f 02:58:00 03:13:00 50.P4c-4d 02:58:00 03:14:00 51.B4e-3d 03:03:00 03:14:00 52.N8a-7c 03:03:00 03:14:00 53.G5h-6g 03:10:00 03:14:00 54.P8c-8d?! 03:10:00 03:20:00 In the press room this was labeled a mistake, because now the black bishop gets total freedom. The suggestion was 54.P1d because after 55.B1f (which Moriuchi had planned) P4e S3e P1e white seems to have good chances. However, after the game it was discovered that black can simply play 55.K8h and answer 56.P1e with G6g-6h, after which the bishop can retreat to 6g. So, objectively 54.P8d is not a mistake, but Moriuchi admitted that he would never have thought of the maneuver K8h followed by G6g-6h. 55.K7i-8h 03:12:00 03:20:00 56.S2b-3c 03:12:00 03:20:00 57.B3d-1f 03:13:00 03:20:00 Finally Moriuchi started to feel happy about his position here. The bishop is working fine on 1f, but will even work better on 2g, because it is pointing straight to the white castle. 58.P1c-1d 03:13:00 03:22:00 59.P3f-3e 03:14:00 03:22:00 60.P4d-4e 03:14:00 03:37:00 61.S4fx4e 03:14:00 03:37:00 62.P1d-1e 03:14:00 03:37:00 63.B1f-2g 03:15:00 03:37:00 64.S3c-2d 03:15:00 03:37:00 65.S4e-3d 03:24:00 03:37:00 66.N7c-8e 03:24:00 03:41:00 67.S7g-8f 03:25:00 03:41:00 68.S2dx3e 03:25:00 03:41:00 69.S3dx2c= 03:29:00 03:41:00 70.P5e-5f 03:29:00 03:45:00 71.P5gx5f 03:34:00 03:45:00 72.G3b-3c 03:34:00 03:45:00 73.S2c-3d+ 03:42:00 03:45:00 74.G3cx3d 03:42:00 03:45:00 75.B2gx6c+ 03:42:00 03:45:00 76.G7bx6c 03:42:00 03:45:00 77.R2h-2b+ 03:42:00 03:45:00 Moriuchi has given up a full bishop for this rook promotion, but his attack is too strong to be stopped. Still, he was not 100% sure that his position was winning. 78.P*5b 03:42:00 03:48:00 79.+R2b-4b 03:44:00 03:48:00 80.R5a-6a 03:44:00 03:50:00 A better defense seems to 80.S*6b P7e B*4i Px7d R7a, but after +Rx5b Rx7d P*7e R7b S*7d the white position is still bad. 81.+R4bx5b 03:46:00 03:50:00 82.S*7b 03:46:00 03:57:00 83.S8fx8e 03:50:00 03:57:00 84.P8dx8e 03:50:00 03:57:00 85.N*8d 03:50:00 03:57:00 86.S*8c 03:50:00 03:57:00 87.N8dx7b+ 03:50:00 03:57:00 88.S8cx7b 03:50:00 03:57:00 89.S*8d 03:51:00 03:57:00 90.N*7a 03:51:00 03:57:00 91.S*9c 03:57:00 03:57:00 92.L9ax9c 03:57:00 03:57:00 93.S8dx9c= 03:57:00 03:57:00 94.K8b-7c 03:57:00 03:58:00 95.N8i-7g 03:57:00 03:58:00 Only here Moriuchi felt like he was winning. There is no way white can keep his position together. 96.S*9d 03:57:00 03:59:00 97.P9g-9f 03:57:00 03:59:00 98.R6a-6b 03:57:00 03:59:00 99.+R5b-4c 03:57:00 03:59:00 100.R6b-2b 03:57:00 03:59:00 101.P*2c 03:57:00 03:59:00 102.G3d-4d 03:57:00 03:59:00 103.+R4cx4d 03:57:00 03:59:00 104.S3ex4d 03:57:00 03:59:00 105.P2cx2b+ 03:57:00 03:59:00 106.P9ex9f 03:57:00 03:59:00 107.R*4b 03:58:00 03:59:00 108.G6c-5d 03:58:00 03:59:00 109.R4b-5b+ 03:58:00 03:59:00 Resigns 03:58:00 03:59:00 Here Sato had enough: a simple mating threat and the hanging gold on 5d is too much. This game may have been a little one-sided, but the very unusual opening will make sure that it will be remembered for a long time. With both players winning a game, this match has now become a best-of-three. Most of the pressure is on Sato to win the third game with the black pieces, "holding serve" as they say. -- 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.aCGIy8.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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------