A game that changes lives
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Black: Maruyama Tadahisa, Challenger
White: Sato Yasumitsu, Meijin
58th Meijin-sen, Game 7, 26-27 June 2000
Notes by Reijer Grimbergen
1.P2g-2f
Aono, who comments the game for Shukan Shogi, says that he did not think that it would make much difference who would be black in this all-deciding 7th game. I still think that Maruyama was happy that he could start the most important game of his shogi career with the black pieces. "Not only a game that will decide the Meijin title, but also a game that will change the lives of both players" (Aono).
2.P8c-8d
3.P7g-7f
4.G4a-3b
5.G6i-7h
6.P8d-8e
7.B8h-7g
8.P3c-3d
9.S7i-8h
10.S3a-4b
11.B7gx2b+
12.G3bx2b
A Kakugawari game for the fourth time in this match. Maruyama sticks to his game plan and he has every reason to. He has won two of the three previous Kakugawari games and Sato still has a horrible score against this opening, despite winning game four in this match.
13.S3i-3h
14.S7a-7b
15.P4g-4f
16.P6c-6d
17.S8h-7g
18.S7b-6c
19.S3h-4g
20.K5a-4a
21.K5i-6h
22.K4a-3a
23.P9g-9f
24.P9c-9d
25.P1g-1f
26.P1c-1d
27.K6h-7i
28.S6c-5d
29.S4g-5f
30.P6d-6e
31.K7i-8h
32.G2b-3b
33.S5f-4e
This game develops in the same way as the second game. The only
difference is that white's gold is still on 6a. Aono's comment on 33.S4e is that this move should not be seen as just a new attack in this type of position, but even as a new way of thinking about the game. I am not really sure what he means by this, but 33.S4e is definitely a Maruyama special and he has good results with it.
34.S5dx4e
35.P4fx4e
36.S4b-3c
37.R2h-4h
38.P3d-3e
If Sato would have played 38.G5b, the position would have been identical to game 2. It is likely that 38.P3e is the move that Sato prepared for this game.
39.S*4f
40.G6a-5b
41.S4fx3e
42.R8b-8d
43.N2i-1g
44.G5b-4b
45.S3e-4f!?
A surprise. Maruyama did not like the natural follow-up 39.N2e after 40.S2d (40.S3d Sx3d Rx3d P4d Px4d P3f Rx3f B*1h is good for black) Sx2d Px2d B*5e which does not look so bad for black. The combination of the aggressive 43.N1g with this defensive retreat of the silver does not look very good, but Maruyama has judged correctly that leaving the initiative to his opponent is not bad for him.
46.S3c-3d
47.P3g-3f
48.P2c-2d
49.P2f-2e
50.B*2g
51.P2ex2d
52.B2gx3f+
53.B*5f!
White seems to be doing well, using the pressure on the head of the knight to make a promoted bishop. 53.B*5f might have been a cold shower for Sato. It keeps the white horse under control, defends against a silver drop on 4g and this bishop also has its eye on the weak point 2c.
54.G4b-3c
55.G4i-5h!
Aono was very impressed by this move. Again Maruyama leaves the
initiative to his opponent, but the strong threat of G4g to hassle the promoted bishop followed by the strong attack P*3e is very hard to defend against. It seems that Sato completely overlooked this quiet development of the gold.
56.+B3f-2f
57.P*3e
58.S3dx3e
59.S4fx3e
60.+B2fx3e
61.S*2c
62.G3cx2d
63.S2cx3b+
64.K3ax3b
65.P4e-4d
66.P4cx4d
67.P*2e
68.G2d-2c
69.G*2d
70.G2cx2d
71.P2ex2d
72.S*4e
73.P2d-2c+
74.K3bx2c
Black has the advantage, but it is only very small. Putting the king on the same diagonal as the bishop is quite frightening, but Sato has seen that it is the only way to stay in the game.
75.G*4f
76.+B3ex4f
77.R4hx4f
78.S*3d
79.B5fx6e
In the press room only 79.Bx4e Px4e R5f G*4c B*7e was analysed, which seems good for black. However, Maruyama saw that after B*7e, white has the strong R5d! Rx5d Px5d and the bishop on 7e has become an idle piece.
80.S4ex4f
81.B6ex2a+
82.R*7a!
It is not often that Sato drops back a rook in his own camp, but here it is strong.
83.+B2a-6e
84.G*5d
85.+B6e-2i
86.R8d-8b?
So far Sato has played very well to stay in the game, but this might have been the move that lost him his Meijin title. No alternative is given in Shukan Shogi, but this move leads to disaster.
87.N*8c
This takes two potentially attacking pieces on the black king side. After this, black does not have to fear a white counter attack anymore and can take his time to go for the white king.
88.R7a-2a
89.N8cx9a+
90.P*3f
91.P*2e
92.K2c-3c
93.L*5f
94.S3d-3e
95.L5fx5d
96.P5cx5d
97.+N9ax8a
98.R8bx8a
99.+B2i-5f?
This prolongs the game. 99.G4g would have been correct after which black wins quickly. It might be that Maruyama feared the counter attack 99.N*8f and wanted to make absolutely sure of victory. Or maybe he just became a little nervous at the prospect of becoming Meijin...
100.S*4e
101.+B5f-9b
102.R8a-3a
103.N*2g
104.S3e-2f
105.B*2d
106.K3c-3d
107.B2d-4b+
108.S2fx2g+
109.G*3b
110.R3ax3b
111.+B4bx3b
112.G*2b
113.+B3bx2a
114.G2bx2a
115.R*2d
116.K3d-3e
117.R2dx2a+
118.P3f-3g+
119.P2e-2d
120.K3e-3f
121.P2d-2c+
122.L*7d
123.+P2c-3c
124.N*1c
125.R*2b
126.G*2f
127.+P3c-4c!
Coolly played. Maruyama does not panic at the prospect of his opponent getting an entering king. He just counts the pieces, knows that he has enough points to win anyway and uses this promoted pawn to grab some extra security points. Tempting was 127.G*2e, but after 128.Gx1f things are far from easy.
128.S4f-4g=
129.G5h-6h
130.+P3g-3h
131.+P4cx4d
132.K3f-3g
133.+P4dx4e
134.K3g-2h
This was probably a deliberate choice by Sato. Rather than play on for a long time in which almost all of his pieces will be taken before both players get an entering king, he decides to let himself be mated.
135.R2bx2f+
136.+S2gx2f
137.+R2ax2f
138.K2hx1i
139.G*1h
140.K1ix1h
141.S*2g
142.K1h-1i
143.G*1h
Resigns
Time: 08:49:00 08:59:00
144.K2i Sx3h leads to a simple mate. For the third time in a row the Meijin match is decided in the final game, but this time Sato is on the wrong end of the score. Maruyama becomes the 11th Meijin since the introduction of the tournament Meijin in 1937, winning the most important title of them all as his first ever major title. Not bad for a player who flunked the Shoreikai entrance exam in his first try and had to spent a year in the Kenshukai (a kind of shogi study group for young players who want to prepare for the Shoreikai) before finally being allowed on the road to professional shogi. It was a long but steady climb and now Maruyama stands at the top of the mountain!
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