12th Ryu-O Match Game 4
Black: Fujii Takeshi, Ryu-O
White: Suzuki Daisuke, Challenger
12th Ryu-O sen, Game 4, November 17th and 18th 1999
1.P7g-7f 2/2 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/2 0/0
3.P2g-2f 10/12 0/0
4.P4c-4d 0/12 0/0
5.S3i-4h 5/17 0/0
6.R8b-4b 0/17 0/0
7.K5i-6h 5/22 0/0
8.K5a-6b 0/22 0/0
9.K6h-7h 3/25 0/0
10.S7a-7b 0/25 0/0
11.P5g-5f 6/31 0/0
12.K6b-7a 0/31 0/0
13.G4i-5h 5/36 0/0
14.G4a-5b 0/36 0/0
15.S4h-5g 17/53 0/0
16.P9c-9d 0/53 0/0
17.B8h-7g 16/69 0/0
18.S3a-3b 0/69 8/8
19.K7h-8h 7/76 0/8
20.B2b-3c 0/76 2/10
21.P6g-6f 1/77 0/10
22.K7a-8b 0/77 19/29
23.G5h-6g 32/109 0/29
24.P6c-6d 0/109 1/30
25.L9i-9h 2/111 0/30
26.P9d-9e 0/111 0/30
27.K8h-9i 1/112 0/30
28.P7c-7d 0/112 5/35
29.S7i-8h 1/113 0/35
30.G5b-6c 0/113 0/35
31.P3g-3f 7/120 0/35
32.N8a-7c 0/120 0/35
33.G6i-7i 48/168 0/35
34.S3b-4c 0/168 0/35
35.B7g-5i 4/172 0/35
36.P8c-8d 0/172 20/55
37.P2f-2e 11/183 0/55
38.P5c-5d 0/183 30/85
39.B5i-3g 37/220 0/85
40.S7b-8c 0/220 13/98
41.P1g-1f 0/220 0/98
42.P1c-1d 0/220 0/98
43.S5g-6h 0/220 0/98
44.G6a-7b 0/220 9/107
45.B3g-4h 0/220 0/107
46.R4b-2b 0/220 32/139
47.B4h-5g 2/222 0/139
48.B3c-5a 0/222 0/139
49.N2i-3g 23/245 0/139
50.S4c-5b 0/245 66/205
The sealed move. The first day ends without any surprises. Suzuki played
a game with a similar built-up against Matsuo, 4-dan a week earlier. Even
though he lost that game, he did not seem to be too unhappy with his
opening. Fujii shows that he probably needs to search for something better.
51.G7i-7h 29/274 0/205
52.S5b-5c 0/274 45/250
53.S6h-7i 7/281 0/250
54.S5c-6b 0/281 2/252
55.R2h-2f 40/321 0/252
56.S6b-7a 0/321 0/252
57.B5g-6h 4/325 0/252
58.R2b-5b 0/325 21/273
59.P1f-1e! 62/387 0/273
The preliminaries are over, the fight begins. Fujii has again managed to
get the better middle game position. Black has a strong castle and a strong
attack. It is not easy for white to defend.
60.P1dx1e 0/387 1/274
61.P2e-2d 0/387 0/274
62.P2cx2d 0/387 0/274
63.P6f-6e! 0/387 0/274
64.P6dx6e 0/387 79/353
The previous move must have been underestimated by Suzuki. He takes more
than an hour to reply and in the end has to settle for just taking the
pawn. Black is now clearly better.
65.B6hx2d 5/392 0/353
66.N2a-3c 0/392 0/353
67.B2d-4f 8/400 0/353
68.P4d-4e 0/400 5/358
69.N3gx4e 3/403 0/358
70.N3cx4e 0/403 3/361
71.R2f-2a+ 1/404 0/361
72.P9e-9f 0/404 2/363
73.P9gx9f 0/404 0/363
74.P*9g 0/404 0/363
75.L9hx9g 0/404 0/363
76.N*8e 0/404 0/363
77.+R2a-4a 4/408 0/363
78.R5b-5c 0/408 1/364
79.P*6d? 7/415 0/364
A mistake. This blocks the black bishop, which is vital. After the simple
79.P8f Nx9g+ Sx9g B3c G6g-7g black keeps his advantage.
80.G6c-6b 0/415 0/364
81.P8g-8f 0/415 0/364
82.N8ex9g+ 0/415 0/364
83.S8hx9g 0/415 0/364
84.P6e-6f 0/415 32/396
85.G6gx6f 23/438 0/396
Another problem of 79.P*6d is that black no longer can defend with P*6h after
85.G6g-7g L*6e.
86.B5a-3c 0/438 1/397
87.P5f-5e 0/438 0/397
88.P8d-8e 0/438 10/407
89.S7i-8h 3/441 0/407
90.L*8d 0/441 17/424
91.N8i-7g 17/458 0/424
92.P8ex8f 0/458 0/424
This pawn is a big thorn in black's side.
93.N*6e 0/458 0/424
94.N7cx6e 0/458 7/431
95.N7gx6e 0/458 0/431
96.R5c-5a 0/458 0/431
97.+R4a-4c? 1/459 0/431
Fujii calls this a blunder. He completely overlooked the next move. 97.+R3b
was necessary.
98.R5a-2a! 0/459 2/433
Suzuki shows his attacking skills. Promoting the rook with attack is worth
much more than the bishop. Here Suzuki thought he was suddenly winning.
99.P*2h 10/469 0/433
100.N*3g! 0/469 17/450
Another great move by Suzuki. Tempting was 100.B2d to exchange the bishops,
but after 101.N*3e! Px3e P6c+ G6bx6c Px5d black has the better prospects.
101.N*2g 2/471 0/450
Painful but necessary.
102.B3c-2d 0/471 0/450
103.P*8e 4/475 0/450
104.L8dx8e 0/475 0/450
105.B4fx2d 0/475 0/450
106.R2ax2d 0/475 0/450
107.B*7c 0/475 0/450
Fujii puts all his money on a fast attack.
108.G6bx7c 0/475 3/453
109.N6ex7c+ 0/475 0/453
110.G7bx7c 0/475 0/453
111.G*6c 4/479 0/453
Not good enough is 111.P6c+ Gx6c P*8d S8c-7b G*8c K8a Gx7b Sx7b P8c+ Sx8c
+Rx6c G*7b and it is hard for black to continue.
112.G7cx6c?!!? 0/479 7/460
Psychologically speaking a strong move (perhaps even the game winner),
since it completely surprised Fujii. However, objectively it is probably
wrong. After 112.G8d G7c K9b Gx8c Gx8c P*8d Gx8d S*9c K8a P*8b Sx8b Sx8b+
Kx8b S*7c K8c it seems that white can just survive and win in the counter
attack. The endgame in this game is very complicated and it will
probably take a while before a definite conclusion can be reached.
113.P6dx6c+ 0/479 0/460
114.S8c-8d 0/479 0/460
115.+P6c-6d? 0/479 0/460
Not a mating threat and therefore the losing move. Fujii could still have
won this game if he would have played 115.G*7c K9b +P7b here. Byoyomi was
too short for Fujii to calculate this.
116.P*9h 0/479 1/461
117.K9i-8i 0/479 0/461
118.P9h-9i+ 0/479 3/464
119.K8ix9i 0/479 0/464
120.B*6i 0/479 0/464
121.G*8c 0/479 0/464
122.K8b-8a 0/479 0/464
123.P*8b 0/479 0/464
124.S7ax8b 0/479 0/464
125.G8cx8b 0/479 0/464
126.K8ax8b 0/479 0/464
127.P*8c 0/479 0/464
128.K8b-9c 0/479 0/464
129.S*9h 0/479 0/464
130.B6ix7h+ 0/479 1/465
131.+P6dx7d 0/479 0/465
132.N*8g 0/479 0/465
133.S8hx8g 0/479 0/465
134.G*8h 0/479 0/465
135.S9gx8h 0/479 0/465
136.+B7hx8h 0/479 0/465
137.K9ix8h 0/479 0/465
138.P8fx8g+ 0/479 0/465
139.S9hx8g 0/479 0/465
140.L8ex8g+ 0/479 0/465
141.K8hx8g 0/479 0/465
142.S*8f 0/479 0/465
Resigns 0/479 0/465
Time: 07:59:00 07:45:00
And 143.Kx8f B*6h leads to a simple mate. A very important win for Suzuki,
who might now have taken a psychological barrier with his first title match
win. Fujii will feel bad about this loss, given the opportunities he had,
but he is still 3-1 ahead and is dominating the opening in this match. He
will probably get some more chances to defend his Ryu-O title.