From: Reijer Grimbergen yz yamagata-u ac jp> Date: 01 mar 2006 Subject: This week in Shukan Shogi (no. 1135, March 1st 2006) Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Is your computer freezing up or slowing down? Repair corrupt files and harmful errors - protect your PC Take a 2-minute PC health check-up at no charge! http://click.topica.com/= caaerela2i6YsbnuqMaa/PC Powerscan ------------------------------------------------------------------- In this report the 5th game of the Osho match between Habu and Sato.=20 Sato won an interesting game to get back in the match (he is now only=20 3-2 behind). Here is the game with comments: [Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"] [White "Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger"] [Event "55th Osho-sen, Game 5"] [Date "February 22nd and 23rd 2006"] 1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00 2.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:11:00 First surprise. Sato has never played this before (he was on the=20 receiving end a number of times, though). 3.P5g-5f 00:14:00 00:11:00 4.P3c-3d 00:14:00 00:37:00 5.P5f-5e 00:15:00 00:37:00 6.S7a-6b 00:15:00 01:23:00 7.R2h-5h 00:22:00 01:23:00 8.S3a-4b 00:22:00 01:23:00 9.K5i-4h 00:25:00 01:23:00 10.P5c-5d!? 00:25:00 01:27:00 This shows how much uncovered territory there still is in the opening,=20 even at this early stage. Pushing the pawn on the 5th file while the=20 king is still on its original square requires a lot of courage. It is=20 hard to say if this is good or bad, but it made Habu think a bit. 11.P5ex5d 02:24:00 01:27:00 Played after almost two hours of thought. Habu is unwilling to let Sato=20 dictate the pace in this game and chooses the sharpest variation. It=20 seems like his judgment is correct, as black gets a small, but=20 significant advantage. 12.B2bx8h+ 02:24:00 01:28:00 13.S7ix8h 02:24:00 01:28:00 14.B*4e 02:24:00 01:28:00 15.G6i-7h 02:24:00 01:28:00 16.B4ex2g+ 02:24:00 01:28:00 17.B*5c 02:24:00 01:28:00 18.G6a-5b 02:24:00 01:48:00 19.B5c-8f+ 02:28:00 01:48:00 20.P*5c 02:28:00 01:52:00 21.P5dx5c+ 02:29:00 01:52:00 22.S6bx5c 02:29:00 01:52:00 23.S8h-7g 02:33:00 01:52:00 24.P6c-6d 02:33:00 02:02:00 25.P7f-7e 02:56:00 02:02:00 26.K5a-4a 02:56:00 02:50:00 27.S7g-6f 03:04:00 02:50:00 28.N2a-3c 03:04:00 04:07:00 Both players have made a promoted bishop, but even though the white one=20 is closer to the enemy king, the black one is the more active of the two. 29.+B8f-7f 04:12:00 04:07:00 Black has to be careful here. 29.P7d looks good, but is unclear after=20 30.G6c Px7c+ Gx7c. Also unclear is 29.S5e K3a P*5d S4d. 30.K4a-3a 04:12:00 04:11:00 31.S6f-5e 04:32:00 04:11:00 32.G5b-6c 04:32:00 04:17:00 33.P*2h 04:58:00 04:17:00 34.+B2g-2f 04:58:00 04:31:00 35.+B7f-8e 05:02:00 04:31:00 36.P7c-7d 05:02:00 04:35:00 37.P7ex7d 05:03:00 04:35:00 38.R8b-7b 05:03:00 04:52:00 39.R5h-5f 05:06:00 04:52:00 40.+B2f-3e 05:06:00 04:52:00 41.R5f-7f 05:06:00 04:52:00 42.+B3e-4e 05:06:00 04:53:00 43.S5e-6f 05:17:00 04:53:00 44.P1c-1d 05:17:00 05:19:00 45.K4h-3h 05:22:00 05:19:00 46.S5c-4d 05:22:00 05:39:00 47.P2h-2g 05:55:00 05:39:00 48.+B4e-5d 05:55:00 05:42:00 49.R7f-7e 05:56:00 05:42:00 50.K3a-2b 05:56:00 05:46:00 51.K3h-2h 05:58:00 05:46:00 52.P*7c! 05:58:00 06:16:00 Black seemed to have gotten better out of the opening, but the=20 difference is small and Sato is very resourceful in developing his=20 pieces. Why 52.P*7c is a good move will become clear soon. 53.P7dx7c+ 06:03:00 06:16:00 54.N8ax7c 06:03:00 06:16:00 55.+B8e-7f 06:14:00 06:16:00 56.+B5d-5c 06:14:00 06:20:00 57.P*7d 06:15:00 06:20:00 58.N7c-6e 06:15:00 06:20:00 White has developed the inactive knight on 8a at almost no cost=20 (compared to the position at the 51st move, only the bishops have=20 moved). Sato still wasn't confident in his own position, but white has=20 set up a nice little attack and seems to control the pace of the game=20 from now on. 59.+B7f-8e 06:15:00 06:20:00 60.N3c-4e 06:15:00 06:33:00 61.G7h-6h 06:19:00 06:33:00 62.P*5f 06:19:00 06:34:00 63.P*5h 06:19:00 06:34:00 64.N6e-5g+ 06:19:00 06:35:00 65.P5hx5g 06:19:00 06:35:00 66.P6d-6e 06:19:00 06:35:00 67.R7ex6e 06:25:00 06:35:00 68.G6c-6d 06:25:00 06:35:00 69.N8i-7g 06:25:00 06:35:00 70.G6dx6e?! 06:25:00 06:56:00 Maybe a little too hasty. Commentator Nakata (8-dan) pointed out that=20 70.Px5g+ Gx5g Nx5g+ Sx5g and only then Gx6e was better. For example,=20 Nx6e +B6c and now if P7c+ white can start the mutual attack with +Bx8e=20 or if S3h, then +Bx7d +Bx7d Rx7d and the white rook enters the attack as= =20 well. By the way, it seemed that +B6c was suggested by one of the=20 amateur players in the audience at the playing venue. 71.N7gx6e 06:25:00 06:56:00 72.+B5c-6d 06:25:00 06:56:00 73.P7d-7c+ 06:26:00 06:56:00 74.R7b-7a 06:26:00 06:56:00 75.P5gx5f 06:41:00 06:56:00 76.R*8i 06:41:00 06:56:00 77.G4i-3h 06:41:00 06:56:00 78.R8ix9i+ 06:41:00 06:57:00 79.P*7b 06:41:00 06:57:00 80.R7a-5a 06:41:00 07:00:00 81.+P7c-6c 06:45:00 07:00:00 82.+B6dx3g 06:45:00 07:06:00 Going in strong, but the way to victory is not straightforward. 83.N2ix3g 06:47:00 07:06:00 84.N4ex3g+ 06:47:00 07:07:00 85.G3hx3g 06:47:00 07:07:00 86.R5ax5f 06:47:00 07:07:00 87.G*6i 06:52:00 07:07:00 88.L*3e 06:52:00 07:10:00 89.P*3h 06:54:00 07:10:00 90.L3ex3g+ 06:54:00 07:40:00 91.P3hx3g 06:56:00 07:40:00 92.G*7h? 06:56:00 07:40:00 Habu was afraid of 92.G*4i. If then P*5g, white has a decisive attack=20 after N*3f. 93.+B8e-8f 07:09:00 07:40:00 94.G7hx6i 07:09:00 07:40:00 95.G6h-5g 07:09:00 07:40:00 96.G6i-6h 07:09:00 07:40:00 97.G5gx5f 07:32:00 07:40:00 98.N*3f 07:32:00 07:41:00 99.P3gx3f 07:33:00 07:41:00 100.G*3g 07:33:00 07:41:00 101.K2hx3g 07:33:00 07:41:00 102.+R9ix3i 07:33:00 07:41:00 The key point of the game... 103.L*3h? 07:34:00 07:41:00 Both players thought that white was winning here and Habu=20 uncharacteristically misses an opportunity for some endgame magic.=20 Correct was 103.N*3h!. Both players thought that white would then win=20 after 104.G5h, but 105.B*2f saves the black king then. For example=20 106.G4h K4f +Rx3h (or S*3g Bx3g +Rx3h G5g!) Bx4d Px4d K5e and the king=20 escapes up the board. In the post-mortem analysis the attention then=20 turned to 104.S*4h, but then 105.K4f +Rx3h (looking strong because of=20 the double mating threat +R3g and N*5d) G5e! +Rx3f Kx3f Sx5e B*2f and=20 white cannot catch the black king. This seemed to settle it and both=20 players started to analyze the game from the beginning. However, when=20 they finally returned to the position after 103.N*3h, Sato had one final= =20 other suggestion: 104.S*2h K4f +Rx3h G5e +Rx3f Kx3f Sx5e and because=20 B*2f is now no longer attacking the silver as in the previous variation,= =20 white can win then with N*3c. For a moment it looked like there was a=20 win for white after all, but then Habu suggested (after Sx5e) B*3a!!.=20 This is a very unlikely mate: Gx3a G*3c Sx3c +Bx3a Kx3a R*5a (G*4a is=20 also good) N*4a P*3b Kx3b R*6b etc. Habu looked seriously disappointed=20 that he had missed this opportunity. 104.S*4h 07:34:00 07:45:00 105.K3g-4f 07:36:00 07:45:00 106.+R3ix3h 07:36:00 07:45:00 107.B*2f 07:37:00 07:45:00 108.S4h-3g=3D 07:37:00 07:45:00 Resigns 07:37:00 07:45:00 Mate after 109.Bx3g L*4e Gx4e Sx4e Kx4e +Rx4g K5e G*5d Kx5d +R4d. It is=20 ironic that the tokin on 6c, which was chasing the white bishop, forcing= =20 the sacrifice on 3g, is now blocking the final escape of the black king.= =20 A very interesting game, and Sato is still alive, getting two=20 consecutive wins after being 3-0 down. More importantly, he has won this= =20 game with the white pieces, and now has an opportunity to level the=20 match with the black pieces, which would really put a lot of pressure on= =20 Habu for the final game. Moreover, Habu now has lost five games in a row= =20 and must feel a little uncomfortable. What seemed like a blow-out is=20 suddenly a very interesting match again. --=20 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/ Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shopping for a new car?=20 Pay 2-3% below invoice on a new car of your choice.=20 Save thousands with our free car discount finder service! http://click.topica.com/= caaerMma2i6YsbnuqMaf/Dealix ------------------------------------------------------------------- --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: = shogi-l shogi net EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a2i6Ys.= bnuqMa.= c2hvZ2kt Or send an email to: shogi-unsubscribe topica com For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=3DTEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------