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50th Osho-sen, Game 3
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19 February 2001
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Two fights in one
To play through the game in a Java viewer, click
here.
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Osho
50th Osho-sen, Game 3, January 29th and 30th 2001
1. P7g-7f 2. P3c-3d 3. P2g-2f 4. P4c-4d 5. P2f-2e 6. B2b-3c 7. S3i-4h 8. R8b-4b 9. K5i-6h 10. P9c-9d 11. K6h-7h 12. S3a-3b 13. P5g-5f 14. S7a-7b 15. G4i-5h 16. S3b-4c 17. S4h-5g 18. P9d-9e 19. B8h-7g 20. P7c-7d 21. P6g-6f 22. P6c-6d 23. G5h-6g 24. N8a-7c
If you can't beat them, join them. After some tough lessons by the inventor in the Ryu-O match, Habu gives the Fujii system a try himself.
25. P5f-5e!?
Positive play, as is Tanigawa's style. Rather then being forced to defend after 25.K8h, he is aiming for early complications. It is unclear which move is better.
26. R4b-5b!
Habu doesn't back down. Normal would have been the development 26.P4e followed by S4d, but he doesn't want to give black the nice formation P5e-S5f. With this move Habu makes clear that he is prepared to fight with the king on 5a. Castling with the rook on 5b is difficult, as the head of the knight is weak and white's rook is blocking the route of the gold on 4a to 6c.
27. S5g-5f
28. P5c-5d
Off we go after only 28 moves. This surely will be short game, or...
29. R2h-5h!
Good for white is 29.Px5d Sx5d P*5e Sx5e Sx5e Rx5e and now P6e R5c N6e.
30. P5dx5e
31. S5fx5e
32. S7b-6c
33. B7g-8f
34. B3c-4b
The sealed move.
35. P*5d
36. S4cx5d
37. S5ex5d
38. S6cx5d
39. K7h-8h
An important turning point in the game. Tanigawa of course looked at the direct 39.Rx5d Rx5d S*4c R5c Sx4b+ Gx4b Bx6d, but that just doesn't work after R*2h S6h S*5h Bx5c+ Sx6i= Kx6i S*5h K7i Gx5c R*3a K4b Rx6a+ and even though black is threatening mate, white has just enough material to mate himself after G*7h.
Turning to defence with 39.K8h means that white has won the opening. Tanigawa has not been able to break through and he is a pawn down. Still, things are far from easy for white, whose pieces are all over the place.
40. G4a-3b
41. P7f-7e
42. P7dx7e
43. B8fx7e
44. S*6c
45. B7e-8f
46. K5a-4a
47. R5h-7h
48. P*7d
49. R7h-2h
50. G6a-5a
51. S7i-7h
52. K4a-3a
53. B8f-6h
54. P6d-6e
55. P2e-2d
56. P2cx2d
57. B6hx2d
58. B4bx2d
59. R2hx2d
60. P6ex6f
61. G6gx6f
62. B*5g
63. R2d-2f
64. B5g-3e+
65. R2f-2h?!
Probably better is 65.R3f to aim at exchanging major pieces, followed by B*8f.
66. P*2g
67. R2hx2g
68. P*2f
69. R2g-2h
70. S5d-6e
71. P*5c
72. R5bx5c
73. P*5d
74. R5cx5d
75. S*5e
76. R5d-5b
77. P*5c
78. R5b-9b
79. G6fx6e
80. N7cx6e
81. P*2c
82. P*6g
83. P4g-4f
84. N6e-5g+
85. B*8a
86. R9b-6b
87. S*2b
88. G3bx2b
89. P2cx2b+
90. K3ax2b
91. G*7c
92. R6b-6a
93. B8ax6c+
94. R6ax6c
95. G7cx6c
96. P6g-6h+
97. R*7b
98. P*6b
99. G6cx6b
100. G*8a!!
This is one of those Habu moves that makes you wonder whether he is psychic, brilliant or just lucky. This is a terrible looking move, as this gold seems to be in a hopeless position. However, forcing the rook from the king rank is the right decision. The second exclamation mark is for the fact that this gold is going to save Habu's king at the very end.
101. R7b-7c+
102. +P6hx6i
103. S7hx6i
104. B*8b
105. +R7cx8b
106. G8ax8b
107. G6bx5a
108. R*5i
109. S*3b
110. K2bx3b
111. B*4a
112. K3b-4c
113. P5c-5b+?
Objectively this is not a bad move, as it does not change the result of the game. However, 113.G*2c would have given Tanigawa the most practical chances to win this game. During the post-mortem none of the professionals could find a win for white after that. It was only when the position was given to the computer program Todai Shogi 3 that a mate for white was found here. It is so long and complicated that Shukan Shogi only gives S*7i as (the obvious) first move. It is doubtful that Habu would have found this with only six minutes left.
114. S*3b?!
A similar mate as in the previous position is still possible here. Todai Shogi gives 114.S*7i Kx7i Rx6i+ Kx6i +B2e S*3f +Bx3f Px3f S*5h Rx5h +Nx5h Kx5h P*5g leading to mate even though it will take most of us a very long time to figure out all the variations. After 114.S*3b Habu has to sweat a little, but he can just survive the attack.
115. G*5d
116. K4c-3c
117. S5ex4d
118. +B3ex4d
119. G5dx4d
120. K3cx4d
121. B*7g
122. P*6f
This pawn gives the white attack the extra strength that is needed. The loss of the rook is not so important.
123. B7gx5i
124. S3bx4a
125. R*4e
126. K4d-5d
127. B5i-8f
128. S*7e
129. B8fx7e
130. P7dx7e
131. S*6e
132. K5d-6c
133. +P5b-6b
134. K6cx6b
135. R4ex4a+
136. P6f-6g+
137. G5a-5b
138. K6b-7c
There it is. The gold on 8b just gives enough cover for the white
king to escape.
139. +R4a-7a
140. G*7b
141. S*7d
142. K7c-8d
143. +R7ax9a
144. B*7i
Resigns. Time: 07:59:00 07:58:00
Mate after 145.Kx7i S*6h Rx6h +Nx6h Sx6h G*7h.
The best title match game I have seen in a very long time. Everything that makes shogi such a great game was in this one. We got two fights for the price of one, with Habu winning the early battle but just surviving the second one as Tanigawa tried everything he could to win. One would almost wish that a draw was possible in shogi, because Tanigawa made this game what it was, just as much as Habu. Let's hope this title match goes to seven games!
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