This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1286, February 4th 2009)
Reijer Grimbergen
Habu and Fukaura. Quite an unusual start to a title match as this second
game was also a complete victory for the player with the white pieces.
Here is the game with comments:
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"]
[White "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[Event "58th Osho-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "January 28th and 29th 2009"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P2g-2f 00:04:00 00:00:00
4.B2b-3c 00:04:00 00:01:00
The B3c-system is quite popular these days, so it wasn't a big surprise
that Fukaura picked it for his first game with white. The opening
develops into a Furibisha, which is not Fukaura's specialty, but in
title matches with long thinking times it is fashionable to pick an
opening that has not been investigated in depth so that both players are
basically on their own from the start. The theoretical battle in the
Kakugawari of the first game is the exception rather than the rule nowadays.
5.B8hx3c+ 00:24:00 00:01:00
6.N2ax3c 00:24:00 00:01:00
7.G6i-7h 00:25:00 00:01:00
8.R8b-4b 00:25:00 00:11:00
9.S3i-4h 00:34:00 00:11:00
10.K5a-6b 00:34:00 00:11:00
11.K5i-6h 00:37:00 00:11:00
12.K6b-7b 00:37:00 00:12:00
13.P2f-2e 00:38:00 00:12:00
14.R4b-2b 00:38:00 00:27:00
15.K6h-7g 00:42:00 00:27:00
16.S3a-4b 00:42:00 00:30:00
17.K7g-8h 00:44:00 00:30:00
18.R2b-2a 00:44:00 00:31:00
19.P1g-1f?! 01:32:00 00:31:00
This is Habu's new idea, but Fukaura quickly shows that it is
questionable. The point of the rather innocent looking 19.P1f is to play
N1g next. This defends the pawn on 2e, which is very important in this
type of position because the white threat is to take this pawn with Nx2e
and then put pressure on the head of the rook after Rx2e P2d R2h P2e
because black has no pawns in hand. Ideally, black would like to play
19.P3f here to play N3g next, which is the more natural square for the
knight, but the diagonal to the king is still open, so 19.P3f fails to
the fork B*5e. If 19.P1f is wrong here, then the best move is probably
to move into the anaguma quickly by playing 19.L9h. If then 20.Nx2e Rx2e
P2d R8e P2e B*5f S8b Bx3d and the position is unclear because black can
answer P2f with P*2c and then P2g+ R2e is good for black.
20.K7b-8b 01:32:00 00:52:00
21.L9i-9h 01:33:00 00:52:00
22.S7a-7b 01:33:00 02:00:00
23.K8h-9i 01:34:00 02:00:00
24.N3cx2e 01:34:00 02:01:00
25.R2hx2e 02:31:00 02:01:00
26.P2c-2d 02:31:00 02:01:00
27.R2e-2h 02:31:00 02:01:00
28.P2d-2e 02:31:00 02:01:00
29.N*3h 02:31:00 02:01:00
This is not necessarily a bad move and often seen in similar positions.
If black can stop the attack on the second file, he will be a knight up
despite the somewhat awkward position of this knight on 3h. However,
Fukaura has seen that this position is different and that white has a
strong counter.
30.P2e-2f! 02:31:00 02:41:00
The first move of Fukaura's one-two punch. Black has to take this move,
but taking it with the rook is bad because there is still a fork with
the bishop on 4d. This is also the reason why white can only play 30.P2f
here, because if he waits one move, for example 30.S3c, then black
closes the hatch on the anaguma with 31.S8h and after 32.P2f, black can
just take this pawn with the rook.
31.N3hx2f 02:32:00 02:41:00
32.S4b-3c! 02:32:00 02:41:00
This is the more difficult move that Fukaura must have seen when Habu
played 19.P1f. Now the knight on 2f cannot move anymore and despite
being a full knight up, black is in big trouble because his pieces are
in each other's way.
33.S7i-8h 02:47:00 02:41:00
34.G4a-3b 02:47:00 02:53:00
35.N2i-1g 04:49:00 02:53:00
Habu spent more than two hours on the sealed move here, a clear sign
that he was not happy with the position. The general opinion in the
press room was that Fukaura had won the opening battle. However, there
is still something to play for on the second day.
36.P1c-1d 04:49:00 03:16:00
37.G4i-5i 04:51:00 03:16:00
38.P9c-9d 04:51:00 03:45:00
39.P5g-5f 05:11:00 03:45:00
40.P1d-1e 05:11:00 04:17:00
41.P1fx1e 05:14:00 04:17:00
42.P*1f 05:14:00 04:17:00
43.P1e-1d 05:14:00 04:17:00
44.L1ax1d 05:14:00 04:34:00
45.P*1h 05:14:00 04:34:00
46.P1fx1g+ 05:14:00 04:49:00
47.P1hx1g 05:14:00 04:49:00
48.G3b-4b 05:14:00 04:49:00
49.B*4f 06:22:00 04:49:00
50.P*2g 06:22:00 05:35:00
51.R2hx2g 06:22:00 05:35:00
52.B*5d 06:22:00 05:37:00
53.R2g-2i 06:46:00 05:37:00
54.L1dx1g= 06:46:00 05:38:00
55.P*2b 06:47:00 05:38:00
56.R2a-1a 06:47:00 05:39:00
57.N2f-1d? 07:04:00 05:39:00
Better was 57.Nx3d and after Lx1g+ (Sx3d is answered by P2a+) R2c+ Sx3d
+Rx3d R1h+ +R3a G4b-5b P2a+ black has the slow looking but devastating
threat +P2b followed by +P3b, so white has to hurry. But it is not easy
to find a fast attack against the black anaguma. For example, L*4d B2d
Lx4g+ P*4i +Lx4h Gx4h N*6d B3c+ is far from easy.
58.P*2d! 07:04:00 05:44:00
Habu admitted that this was a very painful pawn drop, blocking both
major pieces at the same time.
59.L1ix1g 07:19:00 05:44:00
60.B5d-1h+ 07:19:00 05:44:00
61.P*1b? 07:19:00 05:44:00
Habu uncharacteristically seems to have lost the will to fight, because
here he misses his final opportunity to keep things interesting. Correct
was 61.P2a+ Rx2a N2b+ Rx2b L1c+ and after R2a black has R2f, threatening
the tokin attack P*2c next. White may have no other option but to settle
for sennichite after +B1g R2i +B1h R2f etc.
62.R1ax1b 07:19:00 05:53:00
63.R2ix2d 07:21:00 05:53:00
64.S3cx2d 07:21:00 05:53:00
65.B4fx2d 07:21:00 05:53:00
66.G4b-5b 07:21:00 05:53:00
67.L*1c 07:21:00 05:53:00
68.R*2c 07:21:00 06:06:00
69.B2d-4f 07:28:00 06:06:00
70.R2cx1c 07:28:00 06:12:00
71.P2b-2a+ 07:28:00 06:12:00
72.L*6d 07:28:00 06:15:00
73.+P2a-2b 07:32:00 06:15:00
74.+B1hx1g 07:32:00 06:18:00
75.P*1e 07:32:00 06:18:00
76.R1cx1d 07:32:00 06:20:00
77.P1ex1d 07:32:00 06:20:00
78.R1bx2b 07:32:00 06:20:00
79.P*2d 07:32:00 06:20:00
80.L*6e 07:32:00 06:22:00
These two lances are a very strong attack on one of the vital points of
the anaguma.
81.P1d-1c+ 07:32:00 06:22:00
Habu elects to try at least something. 81.G5i-6h defends the pawn on 6g,
but it is only defence and white can just keep on building up the pressure.
82.L6ex6g+ 07:32:00 06:32:00
83.G7hx6g 07:32:00 06:32:00
84.L6dx6g+ 07:32:00 06:32:00
85.+P1cx2b 07:32:00 06:32:00
86.+B1g-4d! 07:32:00 06:32:00
With this promoted bishop joining the attack, the black position becomes
hopeless.
87.L*7i 07:33:00 06:32:00
88.N*6d 07:33:00 06:46:00
89.G5i-6i 07:35:00 06:46:00
90.N6dx5f 07:35:00 06:57:00
91.S4h-5i 07:43:00 06:57:00
92.G*4e! 07:43:00 07:01:00
Fukaura doesn't let up. Dropping this gold far away from the opponent
king looks odd, but by taking off the black bishop, white takes the last
hope for a black attack away. Also, this bishop will work very well in
the white attack next.
93.B4f-6h 07:43:00 07:01:00
94.N5fx6h+ 07:43:00 07:02:00
95.S5ix6h 07:43:00 07:02:00
96.+L6gx6h 07:43:00 07:05:00
97.G6ix6h 07:43:00 07:05:00
98.B*3e 07:43:00 07:05:00
99.L*6i 07:44:00 07:05:00
100.N*5f 07:44:00 07:10:00
101.G6h-7h 07:46:00 07:10:00
102.S*5h 07:46:00 07:10:00
103.R*6e 07:46:00 07:10:00
104.S5hx6i= 07:46:00 07:13:00
105.R6ex6i 07:46:00 07:13:00
106.L*6d 07:46:00 07:13:00
Resigns 07:55:00 07:13:00
Habu took 9 minutes to resign here. Black has no pawns in hand, so there
seems to be nothing else than 107.R1i here, but then 108.N6h+ wins
easily. The Fukuara Mino castle is without a scratch here, which is a
testament to his complete victory in this game. Two games, two failed
opening experiments with black, two wins for the player with the white
pieces. It seems like we are in for another long match between these two
players.
--
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/