| Quest of the lost systems |
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| Chapter Four: Aigakari |
| Section 2: Tsukata Special |
The game took place on 12, February, 1991, with Tsukata playing Black.
The only difference from the Yonenaga-Tanigawa game just described, is that
both players pushed Ps along the 9th file, which means, for Black, to widen
his front by N-7g, in response to White's P-3d. If his P remained at 9g,
his B would be killed at White's P*8g.
Moves afterwards: (from White)
Rx8h+; Rx6a+, Sx6a; Sx8h,
At this point, Tsukata has exchanged his R for Tanigawa's G, seemingly
an advantageous deal for him compared with the former R-S exchange, but
shogi can't be explained solely in terms of material transaction. The next
move from Tanigawa was ...R*8b!
This move, an R drop in his own camp, turned out to be the trump card against
the Tsukata Special. That was what the S-7b was all about. If White had
been prepared with the S-6b formation, he would have been countered with
Black's S*7a at his R*8b.
Here we can see that all Black's intended attacks are likely to be suppressed,
with slim chances to keep the front.
Moves afterwards: (from Black)
G*7a, S-5b; R*7b, R-8c; P*8d, Rx8d; P*8e, R-8c;
Gx8a, Rx8a; Rx7c+, G*6b;
Tsukata chose to stay on the offensive starting with G*7a, only to meet
Tanigawa's calm parrying moves, which killed all the threats from Tsukata.
The game ended in an impressive victory on Tanigawa's part, which marked
the real end of the Tsukata Special.
Later, after I became a professional myself, I had a chance to ask Tsukata-sensei
about how his system was born.
"At the kenkyu-kai (practice-game meeting), Nakamura-san (Osamu Nakamura,
now 8-dan) first played it. After that, he played it against Mr. Miyata
(Toshio Miyata, now 7-dan) in an official meet, and that was it. You see,
Nakamura-san never plays the same thing twice. But I thought there must
be more to it, and investigated it further myself. The first game I played
in this style was in the NHK TV tournament against Mr.Tosa (Koji Tosa, now
6-dan). Oddly enough, it was Nakamura-san who acted as a commentator for
the viewers then. I didn't think it would last this long myself. It would
be crushed soon enough, I thought, but turned out tougher than I expected.
The system got me many wins, like twenty-two consecutive wins, and took
me from the B-2 to the A-class. The most exciting part was to see it actually
got better as I hung on. When I look back, the games that come to mind are
those with Nakahara, Yoshida (who is the very first to conceive this idea),
and Tanigawa. Against Mr.Tanigawa, those pushing Ps on the 9th file were
what I had in mind before the game, where I was planning to put N on 7g
for his P-3d. But Mr.Tanigawa's R*8b totally surprised me. I have to say,
that did it. Yes, that was the end of it. I sure would like to revive the
system, but the problem is: Whether my opponent is willing to take me on.
People just pull their R back to 8b, even at P*2d in the hineri-bisha opening,
when I'm sitting opposite them. They just evade it, you know, leaving me
in the cold. But, I haven't quite given up!"
