From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 15 jan 2007 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1179, December 27th 2006 and January 3rd 2007) In this report the final game of the Ryu-O match between Watanabe and Sato. A classic match that unfortunately didn't end with another great fight. Sato made only a slightly bad strategic mistake in the middle game, but it was enough for Watanabe to win the game and keep his Ryu-O title. Here is the game with comments: [Black "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "19th Ryu-O sen, Game 7, December 20th and 21st 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00 The furigoma for this final game gave Ryu-O Watanabe the black pieces. After the game he admitted that he was quite happy with that, as he wanted to control the pace of the game. 2.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:03:00 Even though Sato played the same move in the sixth game, Watanabe was completely surprised. He never expected Sato to play this again as he considered it a curveball to break Watanabe's rhythm in game 6. 3.G6i-7h 00:12:00 00:03:00 No Furibisha this time. When asked after the game how he had handled the loss of the sixth game, Watanabe answered that it had no impact at all, as he was losing a game with an opening he was unfamiliar with. Before the final game, he had decided that he would aim for Yagura and that is how this game is going to develop. 4.K5a-4a 00:12:00 00:03:00 5.P2g-2f 00:20:00 00:03:00 6.P8c-8d 00:20:00 00:05:00 Sato shows the second point of 2.G3b. Even if black ignores the invitation to play Furibisha and goes for a Yagura opening, having played G7h and P2f early means that many of the opening strategies that are considered good for black are no longer possible. Black can no longer play a strategy where the pawn is on 2g, and if black keeps this option open and doesn't play 5.P2f, white will not play 6.P8d, which is also better for white than a position with the pawns on 2g and 8d. It is all rather subtle, but because of 2.G3b, black has been forced to constrain his opening patterns. 7.S7i-6h 00:24:00 00:05:00 8.P3c-3d 00:24:00 00:05:00 9.P6g-6f 00:24:00 00:05:00 10.S3a-4b 00:24:00 00:25:00 11.P5g-5f 00:24:00 00:25:00 12.P5c-5d 00:24:00 00:25:00 13.S3i-4h 00:25:00 00:25:00 14.S7a-6b 00:25:00 00:25:00 15.G4i-5h 00:25:00 00:25:00 16.G6a-5b 00:25:00 00:25:00 17.K5i-6i 00:25:00 00:25:00 18.S4b-3c 00:25:00 00:25:00 19.S6h-7g 00:26:00 00:25:00 20.B2b-3a 00:26:00 00:25:00 21.B8h-7i 00:26:00 00:25:00 22.P4c-4d 00:26:00 00:25:00 23.P3g-3f 00:28:00 00:25:00 24.P7c-7d 00:28:00 00:38:00 25.G5h-6g 00:29:00 00:38:00 26.G5b-4c 00:29:00 00:39:00 27.S4h-3g 00:40:00 00:39:00 28.P8d-8e 00:40:00 01:09:00 29.P1g-1f 00:52:00 01:09:00 30.P9c-9d 00:52:00 01:35:00 31.P1f-1e 01:42:00 01:35:00 32.P7d-7e 01:42:00 01:45:00 33.P7fx7e 01:45:00 01:45:00 34.B3ax7e 01:45:00 01:45:00 35.P3f-3e 01:46:00 01:45:00 36.P3dx3e 01:46:00 02:57:00 37.B7ix3e 01:46:00 02:57:00 38.S6b-7c 01:46:00 02:57:00 39.K6i-7i 01:49:00 02:57:00 40.K4a-3a 01:49:00 02:57:00 41.P*7f 01:50:00 02:57:00 42.B7e-6d 01:50:00 02:57:00 43.B3e-4f 01:50:00 02:57:00 44.K3a-2b 01:50:00 02:57:00 45.K7i-8h 01:51:00 02:57:00 46.P*3d 01:51:00 02:59:00 47.P2f-2e 01:52:00 02:59:00 48.S7c-8d 01:52:00 03:02:00 49.B4fx6d 02:47:00 03:02:00 50.P6cx6d 02:47:00 03:02:00 51.S3g-4f 02:54:00 03:02:00 52.S8d-7c? 02:54:00 04:06:00 Tough for Sato, but this innocent looking move, aiming for the perfect shape of S7d next, might be the move that gives Watanabe the game and the Ryu-O title. Correct was 52.P8f Sx8f N7c and white can bring the knight on 8a into play. For example, B*7d (B*4a fails to P6e S5g P5e Px5e P*5b and the bishop dies) P6e S5g Px6f Sx6f P*6e S5g S8e seems to be good for white. 53.S4f-5g! 03:29:00 04:06:00 Sato probably overlooked this silver pullback. 54.P9d-9e 03:29:00 04:17:00 55.P4g-4f 03:35:00 04:17:00 56.S7c-6b 03:35:00 04:26:00 57.P4f-4e 03:49:00 04:26:00 58.P4dx4e 03:49:00 04:42:00 59.N2i-3g 03:57:00 04:42:00 60.B*3f 03:57:00 04:53:00 61.R2h-2f 04:31:00 04:53:00 62.B3f-4g+ 04:31:00 05:07:00 63.N3gx4e 04:31:00 05:07:00 The difference between the knight on 8a and the knight on 4e is huge. Even though white has promoted the bishop, the difference in attacking strength is already decisive. 64.S3c-4d 04:31:00 05:23:00 65.S5g-4f 04:39:00 05:23:00 66.+B4g-4h 04:39:00 05:35:00 67.R2f-1f 04:46:00 05:35:00 68.+B4h-4i 04:46:00 05:47:00 69.R1f-1g 04:51:00 05:47:00 70.+B4i-3i 04:51:00 05:48:00 71.P2e-2d 05:07:00 05:48:00 72.P2cx2d 05:07:00 05:52:00 73.R1g-2g 05:07:00 05:52:00 74.S6b-5a 05:07:00 05:57:00 75.P*3e 05:12:00 05:57:00 76.P8e-8f 05:12:00 06:05:00 77.S7gx8f 05:13:00 06:05:00 78.+B3i-3h 05:13:00 06:06:00 79.R2g-2f 05:16:00 06:06:00 80.+B3h-4h 05:16:00 06:13:00 81.R2f-2g 05:23:00 06:13:00 82.+B4h-5h 05:23:00 06:21:00 It looks like white could aim for sennichite here after +B4h-3h R2f +B4h R2g etc., but Sato knows that Watanabe will change the moves at some point because his position is better, so he plays it differently. 83.R2gx2d 05:24:00 06:21:00 84.P*2c 05:24:00 06:21:00 85.R2d-2f 05:24:00 06:21:00 86.+B5h-4h 05:24:00 06:46:00 87.R2f-1f 05:25:00 06:46:00 88.P6d-6e 05:25:00 06:46:00 89.P3ex3d 05:32:00 06:46:00 90.P6ex6f 05:32:00 06:46:00 91.G6g-6h 05:32:00 06:46:00 92.S5a-4b 05:32:00 06:47:00 The white position seems to be defended reasonably well, but there is still an important weak point. 93.P*2d 05:39:00 06:47:00 94.P2cx2d 05:39:00 06:47:00 95.P*2e 05:39:00 06:47:00 96.+B4h-4g 05:39:00 07:00:00 97.P2ex2d 05:46:00 07:00:00 98.+B4g-2e 05:46:00 07:00:00 White pulls back the promoted bishop to relieve the pressure on the head of the king, but is hit on the other side. 99.P*6d! 06:00:00 07:00:00 Outstanding whole board vision. White cannot play P*6b, so this move is very hard to defend against. Of course, white could sacrifice the pawn on 6f and then play P*6b, but that would give up the only way to start a counterattack. 100.+B2ex2d 06:00:00 07:05:00 101.P6d-6c+ 06:00:00 07:05:00 102.+B2dx3d 06:00:00 07:05:00 Again it seems that white can hold the position together... 103.P*3e! 06:13:00 07:05:00 Again a good move by Watanabe. 104.+B3dx1f 06:13:00 07:38:00 Sato decides to put all his eggs in one basket. The game would last longer after 104.+B2c, but even then white cannot take the knight on 4e, because Sx4e is met with P*2d. With the knight on 4e, a move like B*6d would be too devastating. Instead of being crushed in defense, Sato decides to play a desperate attack. 105.L1ix1f 06:13:00 07:38:00 106.R8bx8f 06:13:00 07:38:00 107.P8gx8f 06:13:00 07:38:00 108.P*8g 06:13:00 07:38:00 109.K8hx8g 06:15:00 07:38:00 110.R*4g 06:15:00 07:38:00 111.N8i-7g 06:27:00 07:38:00 112.R4gx4f+ 06:27:00 07:40:00 113.B*4a 06:29:00 07:40:00 114.+R4fx3e 06:29:00 07:40:00 115.+P6c-5c 06:34:00 07:40:00 116.S4dx5c 06:34:00 07:40:00 117.N4ex5c+ 06:34:00 07:40:00 118.G4cx5c 06:34:00 07:49:00 119.P*3f 06:40:00 07:49:00 120.+R3e-3c 06:40:00 07:56:00 121.R*8b 06:43:00 07:56:00 122.S*6g 06:43:00 07:56:00 123.P*2d 06:54:00 07:56:00 124.+R3cx2d 06:54:00 07:56:00 Again, white seems to have pulled his position together, as this promoted rook works well in defense. Even Sato thought that there might be a glimmer of hope here. 125.B*5g! 06:54:00 07:56:00 This move ends Sato's hopes, because this bishop is going to work in defense by removing the attacking base on 6f and also will play a deciding role in the attack. Watanabe's defense of his Ryu-O title will be remembered by two great bishop drops: B*7i in the third game that turned around the match and this B*5g which sealed it. 126.S6gx7h= 06:54:00 07:56:00 127.G6hx7h 06:54:00 07:56:00 128.+R2d-2i 06:54:00 07:56:00 129.B5gx6f 06:54:00 07:56:00 130.P*4d 06:54:00 07:56:00 131.P*2d 06:58:00 07:56:00 132.+R2ix2d 06:58:00 07:56:00 133.S*3e 06:58:00 07:56:00 134.+R2d-2i 06:58:00 07:56:00 135.B6fx4d 07:10:00 07:56:00 136.G5cx4d 07:10:00 07:56:00 137.B4ax3b+ 07:10:00 07:56:00 138.K2bx3b 07:10:00 07:56:00 139.S*4a 07:10:00 07:56:00 140.K3bx4a 07:10:00 07:57:00 141.G*5b 07:10:00 07:57:00 142.K4a-3b 07:10:00 07:57:00 143.G5bx4b 07:10:00 07:57:00 144.K3b-2c 07:10:00 07:57:00 145.S*3b 07:11:00 07:57:00 146.K2c-1b 07:11:00 07:57:00 147.S3bx2a= 07:11:00 07:57:00 148.+R2ix2a 07:11:00 07:57:00 149.G4b-3a 07:11:00 07:57:00 Resigns 07:11:00 07:59:00 Sato took his final two minutes to come to terms with another failed attempt to add a title to his Kisei crown. 149.+R2b N*2d K2c Rx2b+ Kx2b G3b is mate and even though 149.G*2b is not tsume, white has no attack or defense after 150.Gx2a. A great match has come to an end with the status quo intact again. The Ryu-O title is considered to be very difficult to defend, but Watanabe wins his third straight Ryu-O title, which has thus far only be done by Fujii. Because Watanabe is only 22 years old, it seems that he will only get stronger and has a good chance of hanging on to his title for a while. Beating Sato, against whom he had an awful record going into this match, will give him even more confidence. --------------------------------------------------- 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 --^----------------------------------------------------------------