From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 26 feb 2007 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1182, January 24th 2007) In this report the second game of the Osho match between Habu and Sato. Habu won a one-sided game to even the match at 1-1. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "56th Osho-sen, Game 2"] [Date "January 18th and 19th 2007"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00 Sato's choice of opening has become very unpredictable these days. After a lot of Furibisha games, this times he goes back to the Yagura, his all-time favorite opening. 3.S7i-6h 00:05:00 00:01:00 4.P3c-3d 00:05:00 00:01:00 5.P6g-6f 00:07:00 00:01:00 6.S7a-6b 00:07:00 00:01:00 7.P5g-5f 00:08:00 00:01:00 8.P5c-5d 00:08:00 00:01:00 9.S3i-4h 00:10:00 00:01:00 10.S3a-4b 00:10:00 00:01:00 11.G4i-5h 00:13:00 00:01:00 12.G4a-3b 00:13:00 00:01:00 13.G6i-7h 00:21:00 00:01:00 14.K5a-4a 00:21:00 00:01:00 15.K5i-6i 00:23:00 00:01:00 16.G6a-5b 00:23:00 00:01:00 17.S6h-7g 00:29:00 00:01:00 18.S4b-3c 00:29:00 00:01:00 19.B8h-7i 00:40:00 00:01:00 20.B2b-3a 00:40:00 00:01:00 21.P3g-3f 00:44:00 00:01:00 22.P4c-4d 00:44:00 00:01:00 23.G5h-6g 00:50:00 00:01:00 24.P7c-7d 00:50:00 00:02:00 25.S4h-3g 01:08:00 00:02:00 26.B3a-6d 01:08:00 00:05:00 27.B7i-6h 01:08:00 00:05:00 28.G5b-4c 01:08:00 00:08:00 29.K6i-7i 01:11:00 00:08:00 30.K4a-3a 01:11:00 00:09:00 31.K7i-8h 01:11:00 00:09:00 32.K3a-2b 01:11:00 00:13:00 33.P1g-1f 01:18:00 00:13:00 34.P8d-8e 01:18:00 01:27:00 35.P2g-2f 01:20:00 01:27:00 36.P7d-7e 01:20:00 02:01:00 37.P7fx7e 01:57:00 02:01:00 38.B6dx7e 01:57:00 02:01:00 39.S3g-4f 01:57:00 02:01:00 40.P4d-4e 01:57:00 02:09:00 41.S4f-3g 01:57:00 02:09:00 42.B7e-6d 01:57:00 02:10:00 The current fashion is to allow black the S4f-N3g formation, but Sato is playing a strategy that was popular about 10 years ago. 43.P2f-2e 02:02:00 02:10:00 44.S6b-5c 02:02:00 03:19:00 45.P4g-4f 02:19:00 03:19:00 46.P4ex4f 02:19:00 03:31:00 47.B6hx4f 02:19:00 03:31:00 48.P*4d 02:19:00 03:36:00 49.R2h-4h 03:24:00 03:36:00 50.P9c-9d 03:24:00 04:24:00 A typical development for a two day title match game. With this move the first day ended and we are still in known territory. 51.P1f-1e 03:39:00 04:24:00 52.P9d-9e 03:39:00 04:24:00 53.L1i-1g!? 03:40:00 04:24:00 Habu has experience with this position, because he also played it with black in the first game of the Kio title match against Tanigawa in February 1993. In that game he played 53.P*7f and after 54.Bx4f Sx4f P6d P2d Px2d N3g the game ended in sennichite in the endgame. 53.L1g is a new move, but also a risky one as it leaves the black castle exposed to an attack on 7f. The point is that if white plays 54.Bx4f Sx4f P4e S3g S5c-4d to built a perfect four-general Yagura formation, black can answer with P*7d, threatening P7c+ Nx7c P*7d. Because black has not dropped the pawn on 7f, this counter attack is possible. Sato, in character, doesn't hesitate to try and take advantage of the weakness in the black castle: "There is a weakness that made me want to attack". 54.P5d-5e 03:40:00 05:10:00 55.B4fx5e 04:00:00 05:10:00 56.P*7f 04:00:00 05:23:00 57.G6gx7f 04:28:00 05:23:00 58.B6dx5e 04:28:00 05:32:00 59.P5fx5e 04:28:00 05:32:00 60.S5c-6d 04:28:00 05:32:00 61.B*7d 04:30:00 05:32:00 62.S6dx5e 04:30:00 06:37:00 63.B7dx6c+ 04:33:00 06:37:00 64.B*5b 04:33:00 06:40:00 65.+B6cx5b 04:37:00 06:40:00 66.R8bx5b 04:37:00 06:40:00 67.B*6c 04:37:00 06:40:00 68.R5b-5a 04:37:00 06:41:00 69.B6c-7b+ 05:10:00 06:41:00 70.P*7e? 05:10:00 07:10:00 Sato is counting on 70.P*7e 71.G6e 72.P7f and now 73.Sx7f S5f +B6b Sx6e +Bx5a Sx7f gives white two generals for the rook and 73.S6h looks pretty ugly, because of the hole on 7g. Inoue (8-dan), who was commenting the game explained to the audience that S6h was not playable... Correct was 70.S6d, which Sato had rejected because of 71.S6h, but this can be answered by 72.B*5i!. For example, 73.Sx5i Rx5i+ R2h P8f Px8f N7c +B8c S*7e or 73.P*5b Bx4h+ Px5a+ +B5h G7f-7g R*6i S6g +Bx6g G7gx6g P8f (Px8f P*8g is winning for white). Both variations are much better than the game, in which Sato never gets a chance to recover. 71.G7f-6e 05:14:00 07:10:00 72.P7e-7f 05:14:00 07:12:00 73.S7g-6h! 05:18:00 07:12:00 But Habu has a better feel for this position than anybody else. Surprisingly, white has no proper moves to take advantage of what seem to be obvious weaknesses of the black position. White is pushed back in the next couple of moves and Sato is left to desperately trying to built something out of nothing. 74.S5e-5f 05:18:00 07:24:00 75.+B7b-6b 05:18:00 07:24:00 76.R5a-3a 05:18:00 07:34:00 77.G6e-5e 05:38:00 07:34:00 78.S5f-4e 05:38:00 07:37:00 79.P*5c 06:05:00 07:37:00 80.B*3i 06:05:00 07:38:00 81.P*4i! 06:12:00 07:38:00 Great move. Even after Bx4h+ Sx4h the black position is very compact and white has no good place to use the rook. Tempting was to rush the attack with 81.P5b+, but then the white silver returns to action with 82.Sx3f (Sx3f Bx4h+ is good for white), and white suddenly can fight again. 82.B3ix4h+ 06:12:00 07:42:00 83.S3gx4h 06:12:00 07:42:00 84.R*2g 06:12:00 07:42:00 85.B*8c! 06:20:00 07:42:00 Again a good move by Habu. This defends the knight on 2i and again gives white very few options to use the rook. 86.P8e-8f 06:20:00 07:44:00 87.P8gx8f 06:26:00 07:44:00 88.R2gx2e+ 06:26:00 07:44:00 89.P5c-5b+ 06:28:00 07:44:00 90.S4e-5d 06:28:00 07:44:00 91.G5ex5d 06:36:00 07:44:00 92.G4cx5d 06:36:00 07:44:00 93.B8c-7d+ 06:36:00 07:44:00 94.P*8g 06:36:00 07:52:00 95.G7hx8g 06:44:00 07:52:00 96.+R2e-5e 06:44:00 07:54:00 97.S4h-5g! 06:51:00 07:54:00 Habu is showing a lot of patience in this game. Again, the obvious move is 97.+P4a, but then after 98.+Rx6f, the tables are turned. 98.G5d-6d 06:51:00 07:54:00 99.+B7d-5f! 06:52:00 07:54:00 The deciding move. 99.+B4g seems to be more compact, but after 100.G*6c, the position is not so clear anymore. 100.+R5ex5f 06:52:00 07:54:00 101.S5gx5f 06:52:00 07:54:00 102.B*3h 06:52:00 07:54:00 103.P*5g 06:56:00 07:54:00 104.B3hx2i+ 06:56:00 07:54:00 105.+B6b-5c 06:57:00 07:54:00 106.+B2i-2h 06:57:00 07:55:00 107.S*4b 06:58:00 07:55:00 Resigns 06:58:00 07:57:00 The only reasonable move seems to be 108.N*7e, but after 109.Sx3a+ Gx3a +Bx3a Kx3a R*4a white is mated. White has no proper defense against this, so here Sato resigned. A perfect game by Habu and a good lesson in how to win a good position despite having weaknesses in one's own camp. This match has just started, but Sato will not be happy about this one-sided game. -- 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.aB5TiY.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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------