15th Ryu-O Match Game 7
[Black "Abe Takashi, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Ryu-O"]
[Event "15th Ryu-O sen, Game 7"]
[Date "January 7th and 8th 2003"]
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
The furigoma gave Abe the black pieces. In general this can be
considered a slight advantage, but in this match four of the six
previous games were won by white. I am sure that Abe would have
liked to have another go with white, playing his favourite Chuza
Yokofudori.
2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:04:00
3.G6i-7h 00:08:00 00:04:00
4.G4a-3b 00:08:00 00:06:00
5.S7i-6h 00:12:00 00:06:00
6.P3c-3d 00:12:00 00:08:00
7.P6g-6f 00:12:00 00:08:00
8.S7a-6b 00:12:00 00:17:00
9.S3i-4h 00:14:00 00:17:00
10.S3a-4b 00:14:00 00:23:00
11.P5g-5f 00:15:00 00:23:00
12.P5c-5d 00:15:00 00:29:00
13.G4i-5h 00:17:00 00:29:00
14.K5a-4a 00:17:00 00:32:00
15.K5i-6i 00:19:00 00:32:00
16.G6a-5b 00:19:00 00:36:00
17.S6h-7g 00:26:00 00:36:00
18.S4b-3c 00:26:00 00:39:00
19.B8h-7i 00:27:00 00:39:00
20.B2b-3a 00:27:00 00:43:00
21.P3g-3f 00:28:00 00:43:00
22.P4c-4d 00:28:00 00:47:00
23.G5h-6g 01:26:00 00:47:00
24.P7c-7d 01:26:00 01:10:00
25.P2g-2f 01:40:00 01:10:00
26.G5b-4c 01:40:00 01:20:00
27.S4h-3g 01:59:00 01:20:00
28.B3a-6d 01:59:00 01:37:00
29.B7i-4f 02:10:00 01:37:00
The Waki system. An interesting choice by Abe, as this is not
considered to be a very promising system for black. However, it
seems that Abe had decided to go all out in this game in an attempt
to wrestle the Ryu-O title from Habu.
30.S6b-7c 02:10:00 02:38:00
31.K6i-7i 02:16:00 02:38:00
32.K4a-3a 02:16:00 02:44:00
33.K7i-8h 02:19:00 02:44:00
34.K3a-2b 02:19:00 02:59:00
35.P2f-2e 02:22:00 02:59:00
36.P8d-8e 02:22:00 03:03:00
37.P1g-1f 02:29:00 03:03:00
38.P9c-9d 02:29:00 03:15:00
39.P9g-9f 03:13:00 03:15:00
40.P1c-1d 03:13:00 03:51:00
41.B4fx6d 03:17:00 03:51:00
42.S7cx6d 03:17:00 03:52:00
43.S3g-2f 03:18:00 03:52:00
44.B*6i 03:18:00 04:25:00
The sealed move and still in known territory. Quite a number of
professional games have been played up until this position.
45.R2h-4h?! 04:48:00 04:25:00
A strange move. After the game he admitted that this was a change
of plan. He intended to attack with 45.P1e Px1e followed by Sx1e or
Lx1e, but he suddenly got cold feet and chose the passive 45.R4h
instead. Strategically, 45.R4h is a bad move, as the balance between
S2f (attacking) and R4h (defence) is bad. It is interesting that this
questionable move actually brings Abe within an inch of the Ryu-O title.
46.P7d-7e 04:48:00 05:11:00
47.G7h-7i 04:59:00 05:11:00
48.P7ex7f 04:59:00 05:13:00
49.S7gx7f 05:04:00 05:13:00
50.P*7e 05:04:00 05:13:00
51.S7fx8e 05:08:00 05:13:00
52.B6ix8g+ 05:08:00 06:00:00
53.K8hx8g 05:08:00 06:00:00
54.R8bx8e 05:08:00 06:00:00
55.P*8f 05:08:00 06:00:00
56.R8e-8b 05:08:00 06:00:00
57.P*7g 05:08:00 06:00:00
58.N8a-7c 05:08:00 06:02:00
59.R4h-2h 05:44:00 06:02:00
60.P5d-5e 05:44:00 06:20:00
61.P5fx5e 05:49:00 06:20:00
62.S6dx5e 05:49:00 06:24:00
63.P*5f 05:49:00 06:24:00
64.S5e-6d 05:49:00 06:30:00
Habu has exchanged the pawns in the centre and now strongly threatens
the joining pawn tesuji P*8e Px8e P*8f. However, in his eagerness to
make the best of the attacking opportunity given by Abe, he has
underestimated black's next move. Instead of 60.P5e, he should have
played 60.P*8e Px8e Nx8e P*8f Nx7g+, which gives white a good attack.
65.B*6a! 06:01:00 06:30:00
Very good. This not only defends against the joining pawn attack, but
this bishop also helps an attack after P3e or P1e.
66.P9d-9e 06:01:00 06:46:00
A desperate attempt to give the attack more power, but hardly effective.
67.P9fx9e 06:05:00 06:46:00
68.P*8e 06:05:00 06:51:00
69.P8fx8e 06:06:00 06:51:00
70.P*8f 06:06:00 06:52:00
71.K8g-7h 06:06:00 06:52:00
72.N7cx8e 06:06:00 06:52:00
73.P*8h 06:07:00 06:52:00
74.P*9g 06:07:00 06:52:00
75.P9e-9d 06:46:00 06:52:00
76.S*9h 06:46:00 06:54:00
77.P1f-1e! 06:56:00 06:54:00
Well timed attack. Black now clearly has the better position.
78.S9hx9i+ 06:56:00 07:15:00
79.P1ex1d 06:56:00 07:15:00
80.P9g-9h+ 06:56:00 07:15:00
81.P1d-1c+ 06:58:00 07:15:00
82.N2ax1c 06:58:00 07:18:00
83.P*1b 07:01:00 07:18:00
84.L1ax1b 07:01:00 07:19:00
85.P*1d 07:01:00 07:19:00
86.L*1a 07:01:00 07:19:00
87.P1dx1c+ 07:11:00 07:19:00
88.L1bx1c 07:11:00 07:19:00
89.L1ix1c+ 07:11:00 07:19:00
90.L1ax1c 07:11:00 07:19:00
91.N*2d 07:11:00 07:19:00
And wins, thought Abe...
92.+P9hx8i! 07:11:00 07:23:00
The type of gamble that is the seed of Habu's magical skills. Habu
has seen that he will lose and picks the moves most likely to confuse
his opponent.
93.N2dx3b+? 07:46:00 07:23:00
The magic succeeds. Abe thought that he could win here with 93.Nx3b+
94.Kx3b 95.B*2a. However, here he saw that this variation has an
important flaw after 96.Kx2a Bx4c+ L*3b P2d +Px7i Kx7i Px2d P*2c B*9h!.
After finding this he desperately tried to find another way to win
in this variation, using a vital 23 minutes of his remaining 49.
In the end he played Nx3b+ anyway. Under less pressure, he would
have found the correct 93.B*1a K3a (Kx1a Nx3b+ Rx3b Bx4c+) Nx3b+
Kx3b Bx4c+ Kx4c G*5d Kx5d Bx3c+ and K5c fails to L*5d K6b +B5a K7b
L5b+ and black wins.
94.K2bx3b 07:46:00 07:23:00
95.P2e-2d 07:57:00 07:23:00
96.+P8ix7i 07:57:00 07:28:00
97.K7hx7i 07:57:00 07:28:00
98.P2cx2d 07:57:00 07:28:00
99.G*2c 07:58:00 07:28:00
100.K3bx2c 07:58:00 07:29:00
101.B6ax4c+ 07:58:00 07:29:00
102.G*4b 07:58:00 07:36:00
103.+B4cx4b? 07:58:00 07:36:00
Abe has run out of time and he also has lost confidence in his
position here. It is here that the difference between Habu and Abe
becomes clear. Habu would not have given up here and certainly play
103.+B2a G*2b +B3a R8a +Bx4b Sx4b P*2e which still seems to be winning
for black (K3c is answered by B*5d). After the game, Habu admitted
that he had seen this, but that he had no choice but to hope for a
white mistake.
104.R8bx4b 07:58:00 07:36:00
105.P*2e 07:58:00 07:36:00
106.B*3i 07:58:00 07:45:00
107.P2ex2d 07:58:00 07:45:00
108.S3cx2d 07:58:00 07:45:00
109.P*2e 07:59:00 07:45:00
110.B3ix2h+ 07:59:00 07:45:00
111.P2ex2d 07:59:00 07:45:00
112.K2c-3c 07:59:00 07:45:00
113.S*5d 07:59:00 07:45:00
114.R*4i 07:59:00 07:50:00
115.G*6i 07:59:00 07:50:00
116.+S9i-8i 07:59:00 07:50:00
117.K7i-6h 07:59:00 07:50:00
118.N8ex7g+ 07:59:00 07:50:00
119.K6hx7g 07:59:00 07:50:00
120.G*7f 07:59:00 07:50:00
Resigns 07:59:00 07:50:00
Mate after 121.Gx7f Px7f and now either K6h G*6g Kx6g Rx6i+ or Kx8f
R8b. A terrible way for Abe to bow out of the Ryu-O match. He got as
close to the title as possible without actually winning it. One can
only hope that this devastating loss will not have a lasting effect
on Abe's career. On the other hand, one has to admire once again the
never-say-die effort that Habu showed in this match. In bad form and
exhausted from too many important games in a short time, he still
managed to pull out this match after going 3-2 behind. This match
could have gone down in history as Abe's breakthrough, but it will
now be remembered for Habu's amazing come-back.