From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 24 aug 2007 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1189, March 14th 2007) This report is again a double header, but this time because the 6th game of the Osho match between Habu and Sato ended in sennichite, after which Sato won the replay to make it 3-3. Here are the games with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "56th Osho-sen, Game 6"] [Date "March 6th and 7th 2007"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P1g-1f 00:04:00 00:00:00 4.P8c-8d 00:04:00 00:32:00 5.P6g-6f 00:16:00 00:32:00 6.S7a-6b 00:16:00 00:33:00 7.S7i-6h 00:22:00 00:33:00 8.P5c-5d 00:22:00 00:34:00 9.S6h-6g 00:25:00 00:34:00 10.G6a-5b 00:25:00 00:35:00 11.R2h-6h 00:38:00 00:35:00 It seems like Habu was determined to surprise Sato for once, as he doesn't often play the Shikenbisha with black. 12.K5a-4b 00:38:00 00:35:00 13.S3i-3h 00:39:00 00:35:00 14.K4b-3b 00:39:00 00:35:00 15.G6i-5h 00:49:00 00:35:00 16.S6b-5c 00:49:00 01:42:00 17.P4g-4f 01:04:00 01:42:00 18.P8d-8e 01:04:00 01:48:00 19.B8h-7g 01:04:00 01:48:00 20.P7c-7d 01:04:00 01:52:00 21.K5i-4h 01:37:00 01:52:00 22.B2b-5e 01:37:00 01:54:00 Aggressive, as always. 23.G5h-4g 01:59:00 01:54:00 24.P7d-7e 01:59:00 01:55:00 25.P7fx7e 02:00:00 01:55:00 26.S5c-6d 02:00:00 01:55:00 27.P7e-7d 02:00:00 01:55:00 This is a move that has been played only a couple of times before. 28.S6d-7e 02:00:00 02:20:00 This is a move that has never been played before. It looks like the game will now turn into an early fight, but both players are keeping a balance between attack and defense on the side of the rooks. 29.R6h-8h 02:07:00 02:20:00 30.R8b-7b 02:07:00 02:36:00 31.G4g-5f 02:26:00 02:36:00 32.B5e-3c 02:26:00 02:37:00 33.R8h-7h 02:29:00 02:37:00 34.R7bx7d 02:29:00 03:11:00 35.B7g-5i 02:39:00 03:11:00 36.N8a-7c 02:39:00 03:48:00 37.P*7f 02:52:00 03:48:00 38.S7e-6d 02:52:00 03:51:00 39.G5f-4e 02:54:00 03:51:00 This is a strong attack. Normally the Furibisha side attacks from the side, but here Habu shows that an attack at the head of the king is also possible. 40.K3b-2b 02:54:00 04:05:00 41.K4h-3i 03:04:00 04:05:00 42.G4a-3b 03:04:00 04:07:00 43.K3i-2h 03:12:00 04:07:00 44.L1a-1b 03:12:00 04:26:00 To move away from the pressure, Sato changes his castle into an Anaguma. 45.B5i-7g 03:36:00 04:26:00 46.K2b-1a 03:36:00 04:28:00 47.G4ex3d 03:38:00 04:28:00 48.B3c-2b 03:38:00 04:28:00 49.P2g-2f 03:38:00 04:28:00 50.P5d-5e 03:38:00 05:03:00 51.P2f-2e 03:45:00 05:03:00 52.S6d-6e 03:45:00 05:03:00 53.G3d-3e 03:51:00 05:03:00 54.S6ex7f 03:51:00 05:03:00 55.S6gx7f 04:38:00 05:03:00 56.R7dx7f 04:38:00 05:03:00 57.S*3d! 04:40:00 05:03:00 Important move. If 57.P2d Px2d and only then S*3d, white can answer S*2c and after Sx2c+ Gx2c S*3d S*3b the white attack can be stopped. 58.S*4d 04:40:00 05:16:00 59.P2e-2d 05:11:00 05:16:00 60.S4dx3e 05:11:00 05:24:00 61.P2dx2c+ 05:11:00 05:24:00 62.P*3c 05:11:00 05:27:00 63.+P2cx3b 05:27:00 05:27:00 64.S3ax3b 05:27:00 05:27:00 65.G*2c 05:27:00 05:27:00 66.G*3a 05:27:00 05:28:00 67.G2cx3b 05:27:00 05:28:00 68.G3ax3b 05:27:00 05:28:00 69.S*2c 05:27:00 05:28:00 70.G*3a 05:27:00 05:30:00 71.S2cx3b+ 05:27:00 05:30:00 72.G3ax3b 05:27:00 05:30:00 73.G*2c 05:27:00 05:30:00 It looks like Habu is attacking strongly, but with the strong counter threat of P*2g, his attack is not strong enough to succeed. Sennichite is the only possible conclusion. 74.S*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 75.G2cx3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 76.S3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 77.G*2c 05:27:00 05:31:00 78.G*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 79.G2cx3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 80.G3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 81.S*2c 05:27:00 05:31:00 82.G*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 83.S2cx3b+ 05:27:00 05:31:00 84.G3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 85.G*2c 05:27:00 05:31:00 86.S*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 87.G2cx3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 88.S3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 89.G*2c 05:27:00 05:31:00 90.G*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 91.G2cx3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 92.G3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 93.S*2c 05:27:00 05:31:00 94.G*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 95.S2cx3b+ 05:27:00 05:31:00 96.G3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 97.G*2c 05:27:00 05:31:00 98.S*3a 05:27:00 05:31:00 99.G2cx3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 100.S3ax3b 05:27:00 05:31:00 Sennichite 05:27:00 05:31:00 The sixth game ends in sennichite at 13:45 on the second day. After a recess of one hour, the game is replayed with reversed colors. [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"] [Event "56th Osho-sen, Replay game 6"] [Date "March 7th 2007"] 1.P7g-7f 05:31:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 05:31:00 05:28:00 Both players have about two and half hours for the replay of this 6th game. The first game also ended in sennichite. Having sennichite twice in an Osho match hasn't happened in 50 years. The last time was when Masuda played Oyama. Interestingly, in that match the sennichite games were also the first game and the sixth game. 3.P2g-2f 05:31:00 05:28:00 4.P4c-4d 05:31:00 05:29:00 5.P2f-2e 05:31:00 05:29:00 This invites Habu to play Furibisha again. Habu takes Sato up on his offer, but this time he plays a Mukaibisha opening. 6.B2b-3c 05:31:00 05:29:00 7.S3i-4h 05:31:00 05:29:00 8.P9c-9d 05:31:00 05:29:00 9.G4i-5h 05:32:00 05:29:00 10.S3a-3b 05:32:00 05:33:00 11.P5g-5f 05:37:00 05:33:00 12.S3b-4c 05:37:00 05:35:00 13.K5i-6h 05:37:00 05:35:00 14.R8b-2b 05:37:00 05:35:00 15.K6h-7h 05:37:00 05:35:00 16.S7a-7b 05:37:00 05:36:00 17.B8h-7g 05:38:00 05:36:00 18.P7c-7d 05:38:00 05:43:00 19.S4h-5g 05:44:00 05:43:00 20.N8a-7c 05:44:00 05:57:00 21.B7g-5i 05:53:00 05:57:00 22.K5a-6b 05:53:00 06:01:00 23.P6g-6f 06:00:00 06:01:00 24.G4a-5b 06:00:00 06:02:00 25.K7h-8h 06:04:00 06:02:00 26.P6c-6d 06:04:00 06:03:00 27.L9i-9h 06:07:00 06:03:00 The Anaguma is always a good option in games with a short time limit. 28.P4d-4e 06:07:00 06:21:00 29.G5h-6g 06:08:00 06:21:00 30.P2c-2d!? 06:08:00 06:43:00 A surprising start of the attack. Of course white wants to attack before the Anaguma is completed, but the most natural attack seems to be 30.P6e K9i Px6f Sx6f P*6f S7g N8e S7g-8h P9e. In this case white also doesn't need to worry about the head of the knight on 7c, as Miyata (7-dan) pointed out. Still, Habu's P2d can be called a success, so is probably better than 30.P6e, which looks natural but is not really clear. 31.P2ex2d 06:08:00 06:43:00 32.R2bx2d 06:08:00 06:43:00 33.P*2e 06:27:00 06:43:00 34.R2d-2b 06:27:00 06:43:00 35.K8h-9i 06:27:00 06:43:00 36.B3c-4d 06:27:00 06:44:00 37.P3g-3f 06:28:00 06:44:00 38.N2a-3c 06:28:00 06:47:00 39.N2i-3g 06:35:00 06:47:00 40.S4c-5d? 06:35:00 06:51:00 After the game, Habu said that he regretted this move very much. He should have played 40.P*2f immediately here. If then 41.P4f N6e Px4e Nx5g= Gx5g Nx4e Nx4e Rx2e, white has not only won material, but also activated the rook. Furthermore, if black tries the same plan as in the game, then after 41.P7e Px7e S8h Nx2e Nx4e N3g+ R7h P2g+ P*7d +P3h B8f R2i+ white is much better, as both players agreed in the post-mortem. 41.S7i-8h 06:36:00 06:51:00 This is a very important difference. Because of 40.S5d, black can close the hatch on the Anaguma, which makes both of the variations above impossible. 42.P*2f 06:36:00 06:53:00 43.P7f-7e! 06:55:00 06:53:00 Sato was not sure if this pawn push was too soon, but the attack at the vulnerable head of the knight is the right way to play. 44.P7dx7e 06:55:00 07:00:00 45.P4g-4f 06:55:00 07:00:00 46.P4ex4f 06:55:00 07:01:00 47.S5gx4f 06:55:00 07:01:00 48.P*4e 06:55:00 07:01:00 49.S4f-5e 06:55:00 07:01:00 50.S5dx5e 06:55:00 07:02:00 51.P5fx5e 06:55:00 07:02:00 52.S7b-6c 06:55:00 07:02:00 53.R2h-4h! 07:13:00 07:02:00 Black wants to move this rook to the 7th file to attack the weak point on 7d, but before that, Sato makes sure that white drops his material to avoid a breakthrough on the 4th file. 54.S*4f 07:13:00 07:21:00 55.N3gx4e 07:13:00 07:21:00 56.P*4g 07:13:00 07:21:00 57.R4h-7h 07:13:00 07:21:00 Black has sacrificed a rook, but without a pawn in hand, white can't properly defend against this rook. 58.N3cx4e 07:13:00 07:21:00 59.R7hx7e 07:13:00 07:21:00 60.S4f-5g+! 07:13:00 07:23:00 A typical "unnatural" Habu move. The normal move is of course 60.N5g+, but after 61.Gx5g Sx5g+ P*7d Sx7d Rx7d G*6c R7g black is better. 61.G6gx5g 07:28:00 07:23:00 No choice. If 61.P*7d Sx7d Rx7d G6c R7g N8e white has a strong attack. 62.N4ex5g= 07:28:00 07:23:00 The point. Because of this non-promotion, the knight ends up on 6i, where it is quite close to the Anaguma. 63.G6i-7h 07:28:00 07:23:00 64.G*7d 07:28:00 07:31:00 65.R7e-7g 07:28:00 07:31:00 66.N5g-6i+ 07:28:00 07:31:00 67.P*7e 07:29:00 07:31:00 68.G7d-8d 07:29:00 07:35:00 69.R7gx4g 07:31:00 07:35:00 70.B4dx5e 07:31:00 07:36:00 71.B5i-8f 07:34:00 07:36:00 72.N*7f?! 07:34:00 07:42:00 Probably better was 72.Bx1i+, threatening L*7f next. The best way to play for black seems 73.P7d Gx7d R4a+ R4b +Rx4b Gx4b R*4i G6a-5b Rx1i R*2h P*7i, but Sato admitted that "giving up the stronghold on 7d would have been very difficult to play", so it would have been very unlikely that he would have played the strongest variation. 73.S8h-7g! 07:41:00 07:42:00 Strong defense, but Sato also needs a little bit of luck. 74.G8d-8e 07:41:00 07:45:00 75.S7gx7f! 07:54:00 07:45:00 Sato was also thinking long and hard about 75.S*6g, but he couldn't really decide which was better. After the game, Habu pointed out that 75.S*6g would have been a blunder, because of 76.Gx8f Px8f N6h+ Sx6h +Nx6h Gx6h S*8g G*7h B*6e! and white suddenly wins. Sato had overlooked this trap and was lucky to select the right move here. 76.G8ex7f 07:54:00 07:47:00 77.N*7d 07:54:00 07:47:00 78.K6b-5a 07:54:00 07:54:00 If 78.Sx7d then 79.Px7d P*4f Px7c+ Kx7c P5f Bx6f S*7g and with the bishop in hand the white king will be mated. 79.S*3a 07:54:00 07:54:00 80.R2b-3b 07:54:00 07:55:00 81.S*4b 07:54:00 07:55:00 82.R3bx4b 07:54:00 07:57:00 Again, 82.Gx4b is impossible because of 83.Sx4b+ Rx4b P*4c P*4f Px4b+ Kx4b P*4c Kx4c R*4a S*4b P*4d and black wins. 83.S3ax4b+ 07:54:00 07:57:00 84.G5bx4b 07:54:00 07:57:00 85.P*4c 07:54:00 07:57:00 86.G4b-5b 07:54:00 07:58:00 87.R*4e 07:54:00 07:58:00 88.P*4f 07:54:00 07:59:00 89.R4ex5e 07:55:00 07:59:00 90.P4fx4g+ 07:55:00 07:59:00 91.R5ex5c+ 07:55:00 07:59:00 92.K5a-4a 07:55:00 07:59:00 93.B*2c 07:57:00 07:59:00 94.S*3b 07:57:00 07:59:00 95.+R5cx6c 07:59:00 07:59:00 How strong these two players really are became clear once more after the game when they were asked if 95.Bx3b+ Kx3b P4b+ Gx4b S*2c K4a +R6c wouldn't have been faster. This variation had been analyzed in the press room and was considered an easy win as it seems white has nothing else than S*5b, which is answered by S*3b K5a P*4c. Both players immediately pointed out that instead of S*5b, white has the surprising S*7b!, after the white position remarkably seems to hang together. Habu had weaved a little magic in the position, but Sato didn't fall for it. Quite a deep trap at the end of a grueling two days with a replay and the match on the line, but both players read the endgame to perfection. 96.G5bx6c 07:59:00 07:59:00 97.S*3c 07:59:00 07:59:00 98.R*9b 07:59:00 07:59:00 99.S3cx3b+ 07:59:00 07:59:00 100.K4a-5b 07:59:00 07:59:00 101.P4c-4b+ 07:59:00 07:59:00 102.K5b-5c 07:59:00 07:59:00 103.B2cx3d+ 07:59:00 07:59:00 104.K5c-5d 07:59:00 07:59:00 105.P*5f 07:59:00 07:59:00 Resigns 07:59:00 07:59:00 Black is simply threatening S*5e K5c +B4c, but there is no good defense. For example, 106.Gx7d Px7d is again a mating threat and 106.G5c S*5e K6c +Bx6a also leaves white without defense. For the second year in a row, the Osho match between Habu and Sato takes the full seven games. -- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------