From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 10 jan 2007 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1176, December 6th 2006) In this first report of 2007 the fourth game of the Ryu-O match between Watanabe and Sato. I would have liked to start the year with a brilliant fighting game, but unfortunately this was a one-sided win by Watanabe. Sato had prepared a daring opening strategy which backfired and Watanabe brought home his advantage with some fine play. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "19th Ryu-O sen, Game 4"] [Date "November 29th and 30th 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:01:00 3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:01:00 4.P5c-5d 00:02:00 00:01:00 5.P2f-2e 00:07:00 00:01:00 6.R8b-5b 00:07:00 00:01:00 The Gokigen Nakabisha is not a surprise, but Sato's new strategy is. 7.G4i-5h 00:20:00 00:01:00 8.P9c-9d 00:20:00 00:19:00 9.S3i-4h 00:49:00 00:19:00 10.P9d-9e 00:49:00 00:22:00 11.K5i-6h 00:49:00 00:22:00 12.B2bx8h+ 00:49:00 00:36:00 13.S7ix8h 00:49:00 00:36:00 This "Sato special" is almost unthinkable. Pushing the edge pawn followed by the bishop exchange with white gives black no less than 4 extra moves! Especially having all the generals still on their initial squares while black has already developed three of them, makes this very hard to play for a Furibisha specialist. Still, Sato's strategy is not so strange. It is very unusual to start the fight early in a two-day match and especially Watanabe likes to play quietly on the first day. However, if he plays quietly in this position, the extra moves will have little influence. On the contrary, the early push of the edge pawn will give white important pressure on the black king. To avoid this, Watanabe is almost forced to attack early to make the most of his extra moves. This all sounds good in theory, but unfortunately for him, Sato has been a little over-optimistic. There is a way for Watanabe to get a material advantage without opening the position. 14.S3a-2b 00:49:00 00:36:00 15.K6h-7h 01:13:00 00:36:00 16.S2b-3c 01:13:00 00:40:00 17.P3g-3f! 01:13:00 00:40:00 The problem. There is no good defense against the threat P3e Px3e B*5f. Watanabe can promote the bishop and build a very strong position after that. 18.K5a-6b 01:13:00 00:59:00 19.P3f-3e 01:21:00 00:59:00 20.P3dx3e 01:21:00 01:08:00 21.B*5f 01:22:00 01:08:00 22.G4a-3b 01:22:00 01:56:00 23.B5fx8c+ 01:22:00 01:56:00 24.S7a-7b 01:22:00 01:56:00 25.+B8c-6e 01:30:00 01:56:00 26.K6b-7a 01:30:00 01:58:00 27.P4g-4f 01:33:00 01:58:00 28.K7a-8b 01:33:00 02:00:00 29.S8h-7g 01:38:00 02:00:00 30.S7b-8c 01:38:00 02:22:00 31.K7h-8h 01:39:00 02:22:00 32.G6a-7b 01:39:00 02:22:00 33.G6i-7h 01:39:00 02:22:00 34.P4c-4d 01:39:00 02:34:00 35.S4h-3g 02:20:00 02:34:00 36.G3b-4c 02:20:00 02:47:00 37.P*3f 02:22:00 02:47:00 38.P3ex3f 02:22:00 03:00:00 39.S3gx3f 02:22:00 03:00:00 40.R5b-2b 02:22:00 03:03:00 41.P6g-6f 02:30:00 03:03:00 42.P7c-7d 02:30:00 03:06:00 43.+B6e-4g 02:36:00 03:06:00 44.P6c-6d 02:36:00 03:19:00 45.G5h-6g 02:43:00 03:19:00 46.G4c-5c 02:43:00 03:21:00 47.L9i-9h 03:00:00 03:21:00 48.G5c-6c 03:00:00 03:27:00 49.K8h-9i 03:00:00 03:27:00 50.N8a-7c 03:00:00 03:31:00 51.S7g-8h 03:01:00 03:31:00 52.P5d-5e 03:01:00 03:48:00 Black is clearly better, but it is hard to find a good way to continue. For example, 53.P5f is not good after 54.Px5f +Bx5f P*5h! and Rx5h B*6i R3h P*3g wins for white. Watanabe sealed the next move, which is a nasty one. 53.R2h-3h! 03:43:00 03:48:00 54.R2b-3b 03:43:00 03:53:00 55.R3h-2h 03:49:00 03:53:00 This looks like a waste of time, because white can just move back with 56.R2b after which we have the same position as before the sealed move. In normal one day games this would certainly happen because black has the advantage so there is no reason for white to shy away from move repetition, but in this special case it is hard for white to play 56.R2b because Watanabe had all night to think of a better way to attack the white position. Quite a cunning plan for a 22-year old... 56.R3b-3a 03:49:00 03:57:00 Sato doesn't want to know what Watanabe found out the previous night and decides to get out of the move repetition. Now black can develop his only inactive piece (the silver on 3f) and further improve his position. This being said, black is still far from winning this one. 57.S3f-3e 04:01:00 03:57:00 58.S3c-3d 04:01:00 04:06:00 59.S3ex3d 04:02:00 04:06:00 60.R3ax3d 04:02:00 04:06:00 61.P*3f 04:02:00 04:06:00 62.B*4i 04:02:00 05:10:00 63.P7f-7e 04:48:00 05:10:00 64.P7dx7e 04:48:00 05:22:00 65.P2e-2d 04:48:00 05:22:00 66.P4d-4e 04:48:00 05:32:00 67.P2dx2c+ 04:56:00 05:32:00 68.P6d-6e 04:56:00 05:54:00 69.+P2c-3c 05:04:00 05:54:00 70.N2ax3c 05:04:00 05:55:00 71.R2h-2b+ 05:04:00 05:55:00 72.S*5h 05:04:00 05:56:00 73.+B4gx5h 05:06:00 05:56:00 74.B4ix5h+ 05:06:00 05:56:00 75.S*6a 05:09:00 05:56:00 76.P*8f 05:09:00 06:16:00 77.G6g-7g 05:38:00 06:16:00 78.P6ex6f 05:38:00 07:21:00 79.P*6h! 05:48:00 07:21:00 The initial comment for this move was "uncharacteristically weak spirited". Being over-defensive is not Watanabe's game and this looked like being over-defensive. In the press room the variation 79.Sx7b+ Sx7b S*5b G6b P*6c was analyzed, which seemed winning for black. However, after Gx5b +Rx5b S*6a things are not so easy. Watanabe had looked at 79.Sx7b+ Sx7b S*5b G6b S4c=, but didn't like P6g+ +Rx6b +Px7h Gx7h S*7a (or G*7a). Actually, this was the variation that Sato had also looked at and hoped Watanabe would choose when he thought for an hour about 78.Px6f. Instead of a risky slugfest where one mistake can lead to disaster, Watanabe decided to use some timely defense, knowing that the white attack is bound to run out of steam. "Uncharacteristically weak spirited" had better be replaced by "cool headed defense". 80.N7c-6e? 05:48:00 07:40:00 An important mistake. White still has some fighting chances after 80.Px8g+ G7gx8g B*6e even though black still seems to be winning after +Rx1a P*2a +R1b. 81.G7gx8f 06:03:00 07:40:00 82.N6ex5g+ 06:03:00 07:45:00 83.S6ax7b+ 06:10:00 07:45:00 84.S8cx7b 06:10:00 07:45:00 85.G8fx7e 06:10:00 07:45:00 86.B*5f 06:10:00 07:52:00 87.S*8d 06:17:00 07:52:00 88.S*8c 06:17:00 07:58:00 Sato has been trying everything to keep his position together and seems to have succeeded. The bishop on 5f, the promoted bishop on 5h and the rook on 3d all work in defense and it seems hard for black to find a way through... 89.P*7d! 06:21:00 07:58:00 Great finish. This shuts out two major pieces from the defense. 90.Bx7d fails to 91.G*6b (possible because the rook on 3d no longer attack the silver on 8d), while 89.Rx7d is answered by the same variation as in the game: 90.G*8a Kx8a Sx8c+ (Sx8c Gx7d). 90.G6cx7d 06:21:00 07:59:00 91.G*8a 06:23:00 07:59:00 92.K8bx8a 06:23:00 07:59:00 93.S8dx8c+ 06:23:00 07:59:00 94.G*8b 06:23:00 07:59:00 95.+S8cx7b 06:23:00 07:59:00 96.G8bx7b 06:23:00 07:59:00 97.S*6c 06:23:00 07:59:00 Resigns 06:23:00 07:59:00 And black wins after 98.Gx6c Gx7d or 98.S*8c Sx7b+ Sx7b S*8c or 98.G7d-7c Sx7b+ Gx7b P*7c. Watanabe needed a comeback from behind in the third game to get back in this match, but in this game he showed why he is the Ryu-O titleholder. A perfect win in which he outclassed Sato. This match is now back to a best-of-three. Winning the next game is going to be very important, but the momentum seems to have swung Watanabe's way. Can Sato take it back? --------------------------------------------------- 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.aBsjvI.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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------