Two wrongs make a right
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Black: Tanigawa Koji, Kisei
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger
71st Kisei-sen, Game 2, 24 June 2000
Notes by Reijer Grimbergen
1.P7g-7f
2.P8c-8d
3.P2g-2f
4.G4a-3b
5.G6i-7h
6.P8d-8e
7.B8h-7g
8.P3c-3d
9.S7i-8h
10.B2bx7g+
11.S8hx7g
Habu and Tanigawa are not only fighting for the Kisei title, they will also meet in the Oi match very soon. Therefore, it is very likely that we will see the Kakugawari opening a number of times in the coming month or two. It is Tanigawa's speciality and Habu has to find a way to beat it.
12.S3a-4b
13.S3i-3h
14.S7a-7b
15.P9g-9f
16.P9c-9d
17.P4g-4f
18.P6c-6d
19.S3h-4g
20.S7b-6c
21.K5i-6h
22.P1c-1d
23.P1g-1f
24.K5a-4a
25.K6h-7i
26.K4a-3a
27.S4g-5f
28.S6c-5d
29.P6g-6f
30.P4c-4d
31.G4i-5h
32.G6a-5b
33.P3g-3f
34.P7c-7d
35.N2i-3g
36.N8a-7c
37.P2f-2e
38.P6d-6e
Unusual, but 38.S3c is known to lead to a black advantage after 39.P4e. This plan was first played by Sato Yasumitsu against Tanigawa in the 5th game of the Oi match in 1990.
39.P6fx6e
40.P7d-7e
41.P2e-2d
42.P2cx2d
43.P*2e
44.P2dx2e
45.P7fx7e
46.P8e-8f
47.P8gx8f
48.N7cx6e
49.P*2b!
This is a new move by Tanigawa and it is very strong. He previously played 49.P*2d against Nakamura in the Osho league two years ago.
50.N2a-3c
Difficult decision. It is quite worrying to leave the pawn on 2b, as black will have a mate in one move with a rook in hand. However, Habu judged that 50.Gx2b Sx6e Sx6e Rx2e B*3b P*2c Gx2c P*2d G2b N*2c was worse.
51.S5fx6e
52.S5dx6e
53.B*7c
54.R8b-8a
55.N*6d
56.G5b-5a
It seems that Habu actually planned to play 56.G5b-4c here, but realised that the king would be too weak after being forced to 4a and that it would be very difficult to escape up the board with the gold blocking square 4c. Tanigawa has a huge advantage here.
57.N6d-7b+
58.R8a-8c
59.B7cx9a+
60.P*7f
61.S7g-8h
62.S*3i
63.R2h-1h
64.P2e-2f
65.+B9a-6d
66.B*2i
67.L*2d
68.P*6c!
Habu desperately tries to stay in the game. 68.P2g+ wins the rook, but this is not much use to white, as black has the rock solid defence P*6i against any rook drop. Black, on the other hand, has an unstoppable attack with +N7c followed by +B6c.
69.P2b-2a+
70.K3a-4a
71.+B6d-7c
72.R8cx7c
73.+N7bx7c
74.P2f-2g+
75.+P2a-2b
76.G3bx2b
77.L2dx2b+
78.K4a-5b
79.+L2b-3b
80.+P2gx1h
81.R*2b
82.K5b-4c
83.+N7cx6c?
A blunder that turns around the game. Tanigawa could have crowned a perfect performance here with 83.Rx2i+ +Px2i B*2a. "And what if I defend with B*5d after that?" [Habu]. "Then how about moving the promoted knight sideways" [Takahashi, who commented the game for the audience]. "Aah" [Tanigawa and Habu together]. Yes, a double oversight in this position by the two best players in the world. Both had missed that after 83.Rx2i+ +Px2i B*2a B*5d
the strong +Nx6c! wins the game for black. A very lucky break for Habu.
84.R*2h
85.+L3bx4b
86.G5ax4b
87.S*5b
88.K4c-5d
89.R2bx2h+?!
A better chance would have been 89.Rx4b+ K5e G*4g but even then white seems to win after Bx4g+ Gx4g Rx7h+ Kx7h G*6g because Kx6g L*6f leads to mate and K8g fails to B*6i followed by Bx4g+ and the white king can not be mated.
90.S3ix2h=
91.G*6d
92.K5d-5e
93.R*4i
94.S6e-6f
Now black can no longer prevent the white king from entering.
95.G7h-6g
96.S6fx6g=
97.G5hx6g
98.B*4g
Resigns
Time: 04:58:00 04:36:00
Tanigawa takes five minutes to resign. He could have tried 99.S*5f, but after 100.Kx4f Sx4g Bx4g+ white's king has an easy entry route on the third file and black can only wait to be mated.
So after two games played in the Kisei match, we have had two games that were won by the wrong player. Two wrongs make a right, so neither Tanigawa nor Habu can complain. Game three in this short Kisei match will be very important.
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