15th Ryu-O Match Game 1
Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Ryu-O
White: Abe Takashi, Challenger
15th Ryu-O sen, Game 1, October 23rd and 24th 2002
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:02:00
3.P2g-2f 00:03:00 00:02:00
4.P5c-5d 00:03:00 00:03:00
A surprise. The Gokigen-Nakabisha is very popular at the moment,
but Abe is not known to use it very often. Abe likes to play quick
Yagura variations with white and in the Ryu-O challenger final against
Nakata he played the R8e-Yokofudori. He has only played the
Gokigen-Nakabisha twice: in January against Fukaura and in June against
Nakahara. Both games were in quick play tournaments, indicating
that Abe believed that the sharp variations of the Gokigen-Nakabisha
were more suited for quick games than for games with long thinking
time. It seems he changed his mind in the weeks up to his first title
match. By choosing this opening he makes clear that he is not willing
to wait for Habu to come to him. Everybody sees Habu as the favourite
in this match, but Abe will not go down without a fight.
5.P2f-2e 00:21:00 00:03:00
Habu was surprised, too. He took 18 minutes for this move.
6.R8b-5b 00:21:00 00:07:00
7.G6i-7h 00:25:00 00:07:00
8.K5a-6b 00:25:00 00:31:00
9.K5i-6i 00:33:00 00:31:00
10.K6b-7b 00:33:00 00:33:00
11.S3i-4h 00:34:00 00:33:00
12.P5d-5e 00:34:00 01:17:00
13.P2e-2d 00:53:00 01:17:00
14.P2cx2d 00:53:00 01:17:00
15.R2hx2d 00:53:00 01:17:00
16.G4a-3b 00:53:00 01:17:00
17.S7i-6h 01:11:00 01:17:00
18.K7b-8b 01:11:00 02:06:00
19.R2d-2h 01:33:00 02:06:00
20.P*2c 01:33:00 02:07:00
21.P4g-4f 01:35:00 02:07:00
22.P3d-3e 01:35:00 02:13:00
23.S4h-4g 01:57:00 02:13:00
24.S7a-7b 01:57:00 02:23:00
25.P6g-6f 02:46:00 02:23:00
26.R5b-5d 02:46:00 03:05:00
27.G7h-6g 03:15:00 03:05:00
28.S3a-4b 03:15:00 03:45:00
29.P5g-5f 03:56:00 03:45:00
The sealed move and a surprise. 29.K7h was the expected move. Habu
wants to play this position more positively.
30.P5ex5f 03:56:00 04:50:00
31.G6gx5f 03:56:00 04:50:00
32.R5d-5a 03:56:00 04:57:00
33.K6i-7h?! 04:25:00 04:57:00
Questionable. Habu regretted playing this move. After the game he
said that he should have played 33.G4e, putting pressure on white's
major pieces
34.P6c-6d 04:25:00 05:29:00
35.G4i-5h 05:42:00 05:29:00
36.S4b-5c 05:42:00 05:44:00
37.G5h-6g 05:47:00 05:44:00
38.S5c-5d 05:47:00 05:48:00
39.P9g-9f 05:48:00 05:48:00
40.S7b-6c 05:48:00 06:23:00
41.P3g-3f 05:54:00 06:23:00
42.G6a-7b 05:54:00 06:28:00
43.P3fx3e 05:55:00 06:28:00
44.P7c-7d 05:55:00 06:30:00
45.G5f-5g 06:26:00 06:30:00
46.P*5e 06:26:00 06:37:00
47.N8i-7g 06:30:00 06:37:00
Blocks the bishop, but black has no choice. Allowing the pawn exchange
P6e would be good for white.
48.N8a-7c 06:30:00 06:41:00
49.P3e-3d 06:35:00 06:41:00
50.P9c-9d 06:35:00 06:46:00
51.N2i-3g 06:44:00 06:46:00
52.P8c-8d 06:44:00 06:56:00
53.R2h-3h 06:51:00 06:56:00
54.G3b-4b 06:51:00 07:05:00
Defending against P3c+ Bx3c N2e. With the gold still on 3b, the bishop
can't move in this position.
55.R3h-2h 07:06:00 07:05:00
It seems that black can start the fight here with 55.N2e, but Habu had
seen that after 56.B4d P*2b Bx2b P2d Px2d N3c+ Nx3c P*3c white has the
strong P*3g!. If black takes this pawn with Rx3g then white can play
N2e and if black moves the rook with R2h, then B3a is good for white.
Habu decides to acknowledge his strategical mistake on the 33th move
and try his luck in a replay with reversed colours.
56.G4b-3b 07:06:00 07:05:00
57.R2h-3h 07:06:00 07:05:00
58.G3b-4b 07:06:00 07:05:00
59.R3h-2h 07:06:00 07:05:00
60.G4b-3b 07:06:00 07:05:00
61.R2h-3h 07:06:00 07:05:00
62.G3b-4b 07:06:00 07:05:00
63.R3h-2h 07:06:00 07:05:00
64.G4b-3b 07:06:00 07:05:00
Sennichite 07:06:00 07:05:00
A small psychological victory for challenger Abe. Habu has not been able
to put him under real pressure with black.