From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 25 aug 2007 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1190, March 21st 2007) Here is the third game of the Kio match between Moriuchi and Sato: [Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [White "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Kio"] [Event "32nd Kio-sen, Game 3"] [Date "March 10th 2007"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:00:00 3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00 4.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:04:00 5.G6i-7h 00:00:00 00:04:00 6.P8d-8e 00:00:00 00:04:00 7.B8h-7g 00:00:00 00:04:00 8.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:05:00 9.S7i-8h 00:00:00 00:05:00 10.P5c-5d?! 00:00:00 00:05:00 Sato was aiming for a Kakugawari opening, but Moriuchi wants nothing of it. This is not a new move, but has been played only very rarely. The idea is to take the center, after which the shape of B7g-S8h is not good. However, with the pawn already on 8e, Moriuchi admitted that the balance of the white position is not good. Considering the high winning percentage of black among professionals, he had already resigned himself to a tough defense and chose a position from which it was easy to strike if a chance would present itself. 11.P2f-2e 00:15:00 00:05:00 12.P5d-5e 00:15:00 00:06:00 13.P2e-2d 00:15:00 00:06:00 14.P2cx2d 00:15:00 00:06:00 15.R2hx2d 00:15:00 00:06:00 16.R8b-5b 00:15:00 00:06:00 17.K5i-6i 00:15:00 00:06:00 18.P7c-7d 00:15:00 00:09:00 19.R2d-2h 00:18:00 00:09:00 20.P*2c 00:18:00 00:09:00 21.G4i-5h 00:29:00 00:09:00 22.S7a-7b 00:29:00 00:16:00 23.S3i-4h 00:49:00 00:16:00 24.K5a-4a 00:49:00 00:37:00 25.P6g-6f 00:59:00 00:37:00 26.P6c-6d 00:59:00 00:40:00 27.G5h-6g 00:59:00 00:40:00 28.S7b-6c 00:59:00 00:40:00 29.B7g-6h 00:59:00 00:40:00 30.S3a-4b 00:59:00 01:24:00 Sato had expected the quick fight with S5d followed by P6e, but Moriuchi chooses a slower plan. Actually, Sato felt that S5d-P6e was the only way to play this position and that the slower plan would only help him to get the upper hand. 31.K6i-7i 01:01:00 01:24:00 32.S4b-5c 01:01:00 01:31:00 33.P4g-4f 01:19:00 01:31:00 34.S5c-5d 01:19:00 01:34:00 35.S4h-4g 01:19:00 01:34:00 36.N8a-7c 01:19:00 01:38:00 37.S8h-7g 01:51:00 01:38:00 Sato also considered N7g, but didn't like the combination of S4g and N7g. The combination of S7g and S4g is much more natural, especially in the eyes of the top Yagura specialist Sato was before he turned into an opening magician. 38.P1c-1d 01:51:00 02:07:00 39.P3g-3f 02:12:00 02:07:00 40.P6d-6e 02:12:00 02:17:00 41.P6fx6e 02:14:00 02:17:00 42.N7cx6e 02:14:00 02:19:00 43.S7g-6f 02:14:00 02:19:00 44.S6c-6d 02:14:00 02:19:00 Moriuchi wasn't at all happy with how his opening experiment had turned out. The combination of N6e and the two silvers on 6d and 6d is very difficult to put into motion. Furthermore, the white king is poorly defended, especially compared to the black king. White really would like to move the rook back to 8b, but there is never time to do that. 45.N2i-3g 02:16:00 02:19:00 46.G6a-6b 02:16:00 02:23:00 47.P3f-3e 02:32:00 02:23:00 An interesting difference of opinion between the players here. Sato thought that this was an overplay. He suggested 47.P4e as better. For example 48.G6c S4f R8b P9f P9d K8h K5b P3e Px3e P2d Px2d Rx2d P*2c R3d and black is better. On the other hand, Moriuchi praised 47.P3e as the attack that really made him realize he was in trouble. 48.P3dx3e 02:32:00 02:44:00 49.P*3d 02:33:00 02:44:00 This looks very strong. Moriuchi had only looked at 49.N*3d followed by P*2b, but this is much stronger. Because black can take the knight on 6e at any time, the threat is to play N2e or N4e, followed by Sx6e and N*3c, which is a very strong attack. Moriuchi realizes he is with his back against the wall and attacks. 50.P3e-3f! 02:33:00 03:16:00 This move took Sato completely by surprise. Suddenly, he was not so sure about his position anymore. 51.S4gx3f 02:33:00 03:16:00 52.P5e-5f 02:33:00 03:16:00 53.P5gx5f 02:36:00 03:16:00 54.B2bx6f 02:36:00 03:17:00 55.G6gx6f 02:36:00 03:17:00 56.S*5g 02:36:00 03:17:00 57.B6h-9e! 03:37:00 03:17:00 Now it is Moriuchi's turn to be surprised. After the game he said that Sato is probably the only player in the world who would have thought of this move. Sato commented that he had planned this in advance. He thought this move was the reason white could not exchange bishops on 6f here, but here he wasn't so sure anymore. He intended to answer 58.Sx6f+ with 59.B*8d, but here he realized that white can answer with 60.P9d Bx6b+ Px9e +Bx5b Kx5b and even though the king looks pretty disposed (especially against a rook drop), the two silvers in the center make it quite difficult to build a strong attack against the king. Fortunately for Sato, there is an alternative. 58.S5gx6f+ 03:37:00 03:28:00 59.P*2b 03:37:00 03:28:00 This is also pretty strong and invites Moriuchi's mistake. 60.G*6g? 03:37:00 03:47:00 Played after some considerable thought (19 minutes) and in the post-mortem analysis immediately condemned as the losing move by both players. It seems like Moriuchi thought that his chance had finally come after 59.P*2b and in his eagerness to make full use of it, he picked the wrong move. The reasons for this move being bad are quite simple: the white attack becomes very heavy and the black attack becomes really dangerous with a gold in hand. The right move was 60.N5g+ and after 61.Px2a+ to put the next piece in motion with 62.S6g+. Then 63.P*6h +Sx7h Kx7h P*6g Px6g P*6f Px6f P9d and because a bishop in hand will create mating threats against the black king, white has a big advantage. Or 63.P*6c Sx6c P3c+ Gx3c N4e G3d, which is unclear (Rx2c+ Gx4e is a mating threat so bad for black). By the way, when asked what would happen after 60.Gx2b, Moriuchi was very surprised. For him such a move was unthinkable and he had to give it some thought why it was bad. With the gold on 2b the king has no space to run and a simple move like B*8b should be good enough for black. He hadn't thought about 60.Gx2b for one second. 61.P2bx2a+ 03:42:00 03:47:00 62.P9c-9d 03:42:00 03:52:00 63.B9e-8d 03:44:00 03:52:00 64.G6gx7h 03:44:00 03:52:00 65.K7ix7h 03:45:00 03:52:00 66.G*6g 03:45:00 03:52:00 67.K7h-7i 03:53:00 03:52:00 68.P*6h 03:53:00 03:54:00 69.N*3c 03:56:00 03:54:00 70.K4a-4b 03:56:00 03:58:00 71.N3g-4e 03:57:00 03:58:00 72.P4c-4d 03:57:00 03:58:00 73.+P2a-3a 03:59:00 03:58:00 74.P4dx4e 03:59:00 03:59:00 75.B*3e 03:59:00 03:59:00 Sato admitted after the game that only here he felt sure of winning. The black attack seems straightforward, but until this point Sato had not been able to read it out through the end. However, because there is no mate against the black king even if white gets a bishop in hand, the game is now over. 76.K4bx3a 03:59:00 03:59:00 77.B8dx6b+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 78.R5bx6b 03:59:00 03:59:00 79.B3ex6b+ 03:59:00 03:59:00 Resigns 03:59:00 03:59:00 No attack with the bishop and knight in hand and the simple mating threat R*2a K4b R4a+ can't be defended. Sato holds serve by winning with the black pieces and Moriuchi now has to do the same to avoid losing his Kio title. -- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------