10th Ryu-O Match Game 3
Black: Sanada, Challenger
White: Tanigawa, Ryu-O
10th Ryu-O sen, Game 3, November 6th and 7th 1997
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/1 4/4
3.P2g-2f 1/2 0/4
4.P4c-4d 0/2 0/4
5.S3i-4h 19/21 0/4
This was a small surprise. Of course S4h is a perfectly natural move. However,
when playing against Ibisha specialists (like Tanigawa), P2e is often played
here to force the opponent into a Furibisha strategy (after P2e, white must
play B3c and with the bishop on 3c, playing Ibisha is not very appealing).
Tanigawa had planned to play Furibisha for this game, but Sanada gives him the
option to play Yagura. Perhaps Sanada did not want to play another Furibisha
game after his loss in game 1.
6.S3a-4b 0/21 14/18
7.P5g-5f 6/27 0/18
8.P5c-5d 0/27 9/27
9.P3g-3f 9/36 0/27
10.G4a-3b 0/36 20/47
After considerable thought, Tanigawa decides to play the Yagura opening
instead of Furibisha. The move P2f limits black's options a little and that
might have been the reason Tanigawa decided to choose another strategy than
he had first intended.
11.G4i-5h 11/47 0/47
12.S7a-6b 0/47 2/49
13.S7i-6h 8/55 0/49
14.G6a-5b 0/55 2/51
15.P6g-6f 47/102 0/51
16.K5a-4a 0/102 7/58
17.S6h-7g 1/103 0/58
18.S4b-3c 0/103 9/67
19.B8h-7i 2/105 0/67
20.B2b-3a 0/105 0/67
21.K5i-6h 34/139 0/67
Black plays the Yagura Quick castle. This wins him a move, if he can keep
the bishop on 7i, since this bishop does not have to go anywhere to let
the king enter the castle. The opening strategy of both players is now a
debate between white not having pushed the rook pawn while black has moved
this pawn (one move loss for black perhaps) and the quick black castle against
the normal white castle (one move win for black).
22.P7c-7d 0/139 27/94
23.K6h-7h 7/146 0/94
24.P7d-7e 0/146 30/124
Difficult to judge. White plays this to get a pawn in hand, and also gets the
black bishop to move, winning back the move that black gets when building the
quick yagura castle. Disadvantage: white has to move the rook to the edge.
25.B7i-4f 7/153 0/124
Best response against the pawn exchange on 7e.
26.R8b-9b 0/153 6/130
Of course 26.S7c? loses after P*7d S6d P6e.
27.P7fx7e 6/159 0/130
28.B3ax7e 0/159 0/130
29.G5h-6g 1/160 0/130
30.K4a-3a 0/160 25/155
31.P2f-2e 16/176 0/155
32.K3a-2b 0/176 6/161
33.S4h-5g 23/199 0/161
34.G5b-4c 0/199 17/178
35.K7h-8h 7/206 0/178
36.P9c-9d 0/206 11/189
37.P1g-1f?! 37/243 0/189
A very interesting moment in the game. The game is close to the end of the
first day, but not close enough for Sanada to seal the move. Sanada intends
to play the surprising S8f followed by R7h, but he does not want to show this
to Tanigawa just before the close of play. If he would play it right away, he
would give Tanigawa the opportunity to contemplate a counterstrategy all night.
Sanada decides to play a waiting move, but this gives Tanigawa the opportunity
to improve his position.
38.P9d-9e 0/243 28/217
This move (which was also the sealed move) will make an important difference
later.
39.S7g-8f 15/258 0/217
40.B7e-5c 0/258 52/269
41.R2h-7h 12/270 0/269
42.P4d-4e 0/270 7/276
43.B4f-2h 7/277 0/276
44.P3d-3e 0/277 13/289
45.P5f-5e 49/326 0/289
46.P5dx5e 0/326 7/296
47.P3fx3e 8/334 0/296
48.P8c-8d 0/334 20/316
49.B2hx5e 19/353 0/316
50.P8d-8e 0/353 12/328
51.S8fx8e 9/362 0/328
52.B5c-6d 0/362 13/341
53.B5ex6d 5/367 0/341
54.P6cx6d 0/367 0/341
55.P2e-2d 11/378 0/341
56.S3cx2d 0/378 7/348
57.S8e-7d 23/401 0/348
58.B*9d! 0/401 30/378
A painful drop, made possible by the exchange of 37.P1f P9e.
59.G6g-7f 7/408 0/378
Shobute. Black has no choice, since all other alternatives are bad. 59.G6i-6h
loses the silver after 60.P*7c. 59.B*8e amounts to giving up a move after
60.Bx8e Sx8e and black can not allow that.
60.R9b-8b 0/408 22/400
61.G7f-8e 9/417 0/400
62.B9dx8e 0/417 15/415
63.S7dx8e 0/417 0/415
64.G*6g 0/417 0/415
65.R7h-7e 21/438 0/415
66.G6gx5g? 0/438 1/416
White has clearly the better position, but this is a big mistake that gives
Sanada the opportunity to turn around the game. After 66.P*7d Sx7d P*7c S8e and
only then Gx5g, white has no chance to promote the rook and get counterplay
for losing two generals to the bishop.
67.B*6a! 0/438 0/416
Strong counter.
68.P*5d 0/438 35/451
Looks weak, but is actually white's best chance. Tanigawa thought long and hard
about attacking possibilities like 68.P*8f Px8f Rx8e Px8e S*8f, but after
B*7f! white loses because of the double threat on 4c. To kill this and a
possible bishopdrop on 5e, Tanigawa defends.
69.B6ax4c+ 6/444 0/451
70.G3bx4c 0/444 0/451
71.B*6a 0/444 0/451
72.S*3b 0/444 4/455
73.B6ax4c+? 9/453 0/455
Sanada for a moment switches roles with "Lightning Speed Endgame" Tanigawa, but
fails. 73.G*8c kills the rook and is the way to go in this position. Black will
win after this, but still has to play a long and careful game. Sanada thinks
he has found a forced win, but he has overlooked a move.
74.S3bx4c 0/453 0/455
75.G*4b 0/453 0/455
76.K2b-3c 0/453 1/456
77.G4bx4c 0/453 0/456
78.K3cx4c 0/453 0/456
79.S*3d 1/454 0/456
80.K4c-5b 0/454 1/457
81.P*5c 5/459 0/457
82.K5bx5c 0/459 0/457
83.G*4c 1/460 0/457
84.K5c-6c 0/460 0/457
85.S8e-7d 0/460 0/457
86.K6c-7b 0/460 0/457
87.G4c-5b 16/476 0/457
So far a forced sequence. Sanada intended to play 87.P*7c, which seems
winning after 88.Nx7c G5b and 88.Sx7c Sx7c+ Nx7c P*7d. However, Sanada here
realised that in the last variation after P*7d, white has the brilliant rook
sacrifice Rx8g+. Then, after Kx8g P*8f Kx8f P*8e Rx8e G*7f Kx7f B*6g K8g Bx8e+
black loses the rook, his mating threat and the game. After 87.G5b black's
attack is not strong enough.
88.B*8d 0/476 3/460
89.G5bx6b 0/476 0/460
90.K7bx6b 0/476 0/460
91.S*7c 3/479 0/460
92.B8dx7c 0/479 2/462
93.S7dx7c+ 0/479 0/462
94.N8ax7c 0/479 0/462
95.B*5a 0/479 0/462
96.K6bx5a 0/479 1/463
97.R7ex7c+ 0/479 0/463
98.G*7b 0/479 2/465
99.+R7cx8b 0/479 0/465
100.G7bx8b 0/479 0/465
101.R*7a 0/479 0/465
102.K5a-6b 0/479 1/466
103.R7ax9a+ 0/479 0/466
104.G*8a 0/479 0/466
105.+R9a-9d 0/479 0/466
106.B*6g 0/479 0/466
With some good defending, Tanigawa has killed black's attacking chances and
now goes for the black king himself. There is no defense...
107.+R9dx6d 0/479 0/466
108.P*6c 0/479 0/466
109.N*7d 0/479 0/466
110.K6b-7b 0/479 0/466
111.N7dx8b+ 0/479 0/466
112.G8ax8b 0/479 0/466
113.L*7i 0/479 0/466
114.P*7c 0/479 0/466
Resigns 0/479 0/466
Time: 07:59:00 07:46:00
