Personal encounters:Sato leads Maruyama 11-6.
They met 6 times last season (4-2 Sato). Besides the encounters quoted above, Sato won in the Kisei (24 January) and in group 1 of the Ryu-O (21 February). All these 6 games featured the Yokofudori (Side Pawn)
opening and in the 5 in which Sato was Black he faced the dreaded R8e
Yokofudori (beating it 4-1) in which Maruyama is the leading protagonist. Amazingly, the R8e Yokofudori is scoring about 54% for White these days
which must do the Japanese brain in as illogical!
I think all pros are regarded as equal strength for such statistics which of course is an unreasonable assumption. Seeing Habu & Tanigawa have had quite a few games with this line, the White side can
boast some pretty tasty players!
Maruyama is also an acknowledged expert in the Bishop Exchange opening
against which Sato has had trouble in the past against Habu and Tanigawa.
Well, who wouldn't?
Last season Maruyama scored a staggering 27-2 with Black including 7-0
with Bishop Exchange. In all Side Pawns he was 9-2 with Black and 16-11
with White, and of these he scored 6-2 with Black against the R8e variation
and 13-11 playing it as White.
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