10th Ryu-O Match Game 1
Black: Sanada, Challenger
White: Tanigawa, Ryu-O
10th Ryu-O sen, Game 1, October 16th and 17th 1997
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
The furigoma (pawn toss) gave Sanada the black pieces and he choses P7f to
start the first game of this year's Ryu-O match. The game was played in
Australia and is the first one played south of the equator. Since the time
difference between Japan and the Gold Coast is only one hour, this year's
overseas game is much less tiring for the players.
Tanigawa had already said in a pre-match interview that he would probably
choose some special strategy with white. He also likes to play as many
different opening strategies as possible in a match.
2.P8c-8d 0/1 3/3
3.S7i-6h 3/4 0/3
4.P3c-3d 0/4 0/3
5.P6g-6f 5/9 0/3
6.S7a-6b 0/9 8/11
7.P5g-5f 1/10 0/11
8.P5c-5d 0/10 16/27
9.S3i-4h 2/12 0/27
10.S3a-4b 0/12 3/30
11.G4i-5h 1/13 0/30
12.P6c-6d 0/13 33/63
13.G6i-7h 5/18 0/63
14.S6b-6c 0/18 3/66
15.K5i-6i 6/24 0/66
16.K5a-6b 0/24 21/87
This gives white the two options of playing right side king and Yodo-furisbisha
which is the strategy played in this game.
17.P2g-2f 21/45 0/87
18.K6b-7a 0/45 7/94
19.P2f-2e 4/49 0/94
20.B2b-3c 0/49 1/95
21.G5h-6g 7/56 0/95
22.S4b-5c 0/56 16/111
23.S6h-7g 4/60 0/111
24.P7c-7d 0/60 11/122
25.B8h-7i 20/80 0/122
26.R8b-3b 0/80 24/146
Finally the game strategy is settled. White played the Yodofuribisha strategy,
pretending to play Ibisha, but then switching his rook in the end. White loses
two moves with the silver to play this strategy (S7a-6b-6c-7b instead of
S7a-7b), but he has forced black into the unfavourable Yagura castle.
Tournament practice has shown that this is a satisfactory strategy for white.
27.P3g-3f 6/86 0/146
27.P2d looks dangerous, but after 28.Px2d Bx2d R2b Bx3c+ Rx2h+ the black king
is too vulnerable to the two rooks.
28.G4a-5b 0/86 10/156
29.S4h-3g 64/150 0/156
30.S6c-7b 0/150 19/175
31.B7i-6h 5/155 0/175
32.K7a-8b 0/155 11/186
33.K6i-7i 6/161 0/186
34.G5b-6c 0/161 12/198
35.S3g-4f 5/166 0/198
36.B3c-5a 0/166 17/215
37.P9g-9f 6/172 0/215
38.P9c-9d 0/172 0/215
39.P8g-8f 2/174 0/215
40.P4c-4d 0/174 26/241
41.K7i-8h 41/215 0/241
The end of the first day and Sanada takes his first opportunity to seal the
move. It is Sanada's first appearance in a title match and also his first
appearance in a game that lasts more than a day. Last year in the Meijin
match Moriuchi avoided sealing the move, but Sanada does not mind.
42.N8a-7c 0/215 22/263
43.P3f-3e!? 25/240 0/263
Criticized in the press room as an "unreasonable attack". However, Sanada has
used the time for his sealed move well and has found a hidden treasure in this
position.
44.P4d-4e 0/240 7/270
45.S4fx4e 0/240 0/270
46.P3dx3e 0/240 0/270
47.P2e-2d 0/240 0/270
48.P2cx2d 0/240 1/271
49.P5f-5e 0/240 0/271
50.P5dx5e 0/240 1/272
51.P*5d 14/254 0/272
52.G6cx5d 0/254 6/278
53.S4ex5d 0/254 0/278
54.S5cx5d 0/254 0/278
55.G*4a!! 2/256 0/278
At first glance the worst move on the board. This gold seems to be dropped
only to attack the bishop and will be lost soon. Sanada was the only one
who had seen this move. All professionals in the press room and Tanigawa
were completely taken by surprise. Sensaki's comments on the NHK: "He
probably did not sleep all night, just thought about this move".
56.B5a-3c 0/256 62/340
57.B6hx3e 2/258 0/340
58.P5e-5f! 0/258 0/340
Good fighting move. The reason for G*4a being a good move lies in the variation
after 58.S*5b. Black then plays 59.P*3d B2b Rx2d Sx4a B5c+ S5d-6c +B4c (not
P*2c B3c! Px3c+ Rx3c and white wins) G*4b +Bx3b Gx3b P3c+ and even though black
is a silver behind, his position is clearly better.
59.P*3d 59/317 0/340
60.B3c-5e 0/317 9/349
61.R2hx2d 0/317 0/349
62.P*2b 0/317 29/378
63.B3e-5c+ 16/333 0/378
64.S5d-6c 0/333 1/379
65.+B5c-4c? 20/353 0/379
How sad. This throws away the game. Sanada could have cashed in his great play
up until now by playing the easy 65.G4b. He was afraid of 66.Rx4b +Bx4b G*5g,
but as Sato Yasumitsu pointed out, then P*5h Gx6g (Gx5h Gx5f) Gx6g leaves
white without moves to continue the attack.
66.P*3a 0/353 3/382
67.P*5d 10/363 0/382
68.S*5b! 0/363 0/382
Now it is very difficult for black to find a good attack.
69.+B4cx3b 5/368 0/382
70.P3ax3b 0/368 1/383
71.G4a-4b 6/374 0/383
72.B*6i 0/374 32/415
73.G7h-6h 17/391 0/415
74.B6ix4g+ 0/391 0/415
75.G4bx5b 0/391 0/415
76.S6cx5b 0/391 0/415
77.P5d-5c+ 0/391 0/415
78.S5bx5c 0/391 1/416
79.R*4a 10/401 0/416
80.G*5g 0/401 14/430
81.R4ax4g+ 23/424 0/430
82.G5gx4g 0/424 0/430
83.G6gx5f 0/424 0/430
84.B5ex1i+ 0/424 7/437
85.R2dx2b+ 1/425 0/437
86.R*5i 0/425 0/437
87.P*5d 2/427 0/437
88.G4g-5h! 0/427 4/441
Another good move by Tanigawa. After 89.Gx5h Rx5h+ G*6h +Rx5f Px5c+ +Rx5c the
inactive gold on 4g has become a piece in hand.
89.G6h-7h 16/443 0/441
90.+B1ix2i 0/443 1/442
91.G5f-5e 0/443 0/442
92.N*8e? 0/443 12/454
Too eager. 92.Sx5d Gx5d +B5f wins easily. After N*8e Sanada still has some
chances to get back in the game.
93.P8fx8e 0/443 0/454
94.N7cx8e 0/443 0/454
95.P*8c 3/446 0/454
96.K8bx8c 0/446 1/455
97.N*7e 14/460 0/455
Painful for white. 98.Px7e +Rx2i Rx2i+ B*4g forks king and rook, so white can
not take this knight.
98.K8c-8b 0/460 4/459
The only move. After 98.K9c P9e; 98.K7c Px5c+ and 98.K9b, which leaves the king
on line where the bishopfork can be played, are all bad.
99.S7g-8f 13/473 0/459
If black only would have had one pawn to drop on 8c...
100.P7dx7e 0/473 2/461
101.B*2f? 2/475 0/461
Now the game is over. If Sanada would have played 101.Px5c+ or 101.+Rx2i Rx2i+
B*5f he would still have had a fighting chance. After 101.Px5c+ N*7d S7e L*8f
P*8g P*7g and 101.+Rx2i Rx2i+ B*5f +R6i Px5c+ R*5i it seems white is still
winning, but it would have been much more difficult than in the actual game.
102.R5i-6i+ 0/475 3/464
103.B2fx5c+ 0/475 0/464
104.+B2i-8c 0/475 0/464
With this bishop next to the king, white can not lose.
105.+R2bx2a 2/477 0/464
106.N*7d 0/477 2/466
107.+B5cx6d 1/478 0/466
108.L*7c 0/478 1/467
109.G7h-7i 1/479 0/467
110.+R6ix7i 0/479 1/468
111.K8hx7i 0/479 0/468
112.N7dx8f 0/479 0/468
113.S*7a 0/479 0/468
114.G6ax7a 0/479 1/469
115.+R2ax7a 0/479 0/469
116.K8bx7a 0/479 0/469
117.G*6b 0/479 0/469
118.K7a-8b 0/479 0/469
119.G6bx7b 0/479 0/469
120.K8b-9c 0/479 0/469
Resigns 0/479 0/469
Time: 07:59:00 07:49:00
No mate and no defense. The game ended just 30 seconds before the end of the
NHK broadcast, so it was very well timed by both players. One has to feel sorry
for Sanada, who played some brilliant shogi to get very close to upsetting
title holder Tanigawa, but in the end it was probably experience that decided
the game.
