17th Ryu-O Match Game 7
[Black "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Ryu-O"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[Event "17th Ryu-O sen, Game 7"]
[Date "December 27th and 28th 2004"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
In this decisive game, the pawn toss gives Moriuchi black. This is usually
an advantage, but Watanabe was more than happy with the result.
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.P2g-2f 00:01:00 00:01:00
4.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00
5.P2f-2e 00:01:00 00:02:00
6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:02:00
7.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:02:00
8.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:02:00
9.P2e-2d 00:01:00 00:02:00
10.P2cx2d 00:01:00 00:03:00
11.R2hx2d 00:01:00 00:03:00
12.P8e-8f 00:01:00 00:03:00
13.P8gx8f 00:01:00 00:03:00
14.R8bx8f 00:01:00 00:03:00
15.R2dx3d 00:01:00 00:03:00
16.B2b-3c 00:01:00 00:03:00
17.R3d-3f 00:01:00 00:03:00
18.S3a-2b 00:01:00 00:03:00
19.P*8g 00:01:00 00:03:00
20.R8f-8e 00:01:00 00:03:00
Of course. Watanabe played all four of his white games using the R8e
Yokofudori. There was a time that more than half of the games with this
opening was won by white, but recently the balance seems to have shifted
to black again. Watanabe does not care about statistics: he loves the R8e
Yokofudori. "It was a relaxing feeling knowing I could play this strategy
with white".
21.R3f-2f 00:01:00 00:03:00
22.K5a-4a 00:01:00 00:03:00
23.K5i-6h 00:02:00 00:03:00
24.S7a-6b 00:02:00 00:09:00
25.P3g-3f 00:04:00 00:09:00
26.P7c-7d 00:04:00 00:11:00
27.S3i-3h 00:11:00 00:11:00
28.N8a-7c 00:11:00 00:12:00
29.N2i-3g 00:19:00 00:12:00
30.G6a-5a 00:19:00 00:14:00
31.P4g-4f 00:19:00 00:14:00
32.P7d-7e 00:19:00 01:14:00
33.B8hx3c+ 00:29:00 01:14:00
34.N2ax3c 00:29:00 01:14:00
35.P3f-3e 00:29:00 01:14:00
36.P*2e 00:29:00 01:14:00
37.R2f-1f 00:30:00 01:14:00
38.R8e-8d 00:30:00 01:15:00
39.P3e-3d 01:12:00 01:15:00
40.R8dx3d 01:12:00 01:15:00
41.B*5f 01:12:00 01:15:00
42.R3d-5d 01:12:00 01:18:00
43.P*3d 01:13:00 01:18:00
44.B*2h 01:13:00 01:20:00
45.L1i-1h 01:53:00 01:20:00
46.B2h-1i+ 01:53:00 01:23:00
47.P3dx3c+ 01:54:00 01:23:00
48.S2bx3c 01:54:00 01:23:00
49.B5f-4e 01:55:00 01:23:00
50.R5d-8d 01:55:00 02:15:00
51.R1f-3f 01:55:00 02:15:00
52.S3c-4d 01:55:00 02:16:00
53.R3f-3d 01:56:00 02:16:00
54.N7c-6e 01:56:00 02:36:00
55.P6g-6f 02:26:00 02:36:00
56.P*8h 02:26:00 03:01:00
So far the game has followed a known path, but this is a new move. Both of
the previous games with this position continued 56.P*3f P*3c Gx3c Rx3c+ Sx3c
B2c+ K5b +Bx3c Px3g+ N*5e N*3a which leads to a violent mutual attack. Whether
56.P*8h is a good move or not is very difficult to judge. After 57.Sx8h, if
black plays the same line as above, the silver on 8h becomes a wall silver,
which makes it more difficult for the black king to escape. On the other hand,
after N*3a, black has a pawn in hand and (unlike the variation above) can
attack strongly with P*3b.
57.S7ix8h 04:25:00 03:01:00
58.P*3f 04:25:00 03:04:00
59.B4ex3f 04:26:00 03:04:00
Moriuchi decides that he trusts Watanabe's opening preparation and plays a
different line. 59.Bx3f is a typical Moriuchi move. Black is already a knight
up and waits for a chance to take a second one at 6e.
60.G3b-2c 04:26:00 03:51:00
61.R3dx4d 04:26:00 03:51:00
62.R8dx4d 04:26:00 05:38:00
63.S*4e? 04:38:00 05:38:00
A mistake, but that was not easy to easy. Morishita also liked this move, as
it seems to make the white attack very difficult, but it turns out that it
is based on a miscalculation. Correct was the simple 63.Px6e and after 64.Rx4f
B4e G2b N*5h Watanabe admitted that he did not have much confidence in the
white position.
64.R4d-8d 04:38:00 05:42:00
65.N*3e 04:39:00 05:42:00
66.G2c-2d 04:39:00 05:44:00
67.N3ex4c+ 04:43:00 05:44:00
68.P*4b 04:43:00 05:44:00
69.+N4c-3c 05:31:00 05:44:00
70.K4a-5b 05:31:00 05:44:00
It looks like black is better here. Black has a silver and a knight for the
rook and white is without pawns in hand. Furthermore, it is black to move.
However, black has no fast attack and in the end the theme of this game is
not material, but the efficient use of the pieces on the board. The black
pieces on the right are very heavy.
71.P6fx6e 05:32:00 05:44:00
72.G2d-3e 05:32:00 05:45:00
73.B3f-5h 05:40:00 05:45:00
74.+B1ix1h 05:40:00 05:56:00
75.S8h-7g 05:40:00 05:56:00
76.P2e-2f 05:40:00 05:57:00
77.S7g-8f 06:06:00 05:57:00
78.L*7a 06:06:00 06:28:00
Good enough to avoid a question mark, but as Moriuchi pointed out after the
game white has a quick win here after 78.P2g+ Sx7e R2d S3f +Px3h Sx3e R2h+
B2e +Rx2e Nx2e +Px4i. Watanabe agreed, but L*7a is also winning even though
it requires a little more accuracy. Still, L*7a is a move full of realism,
perfectly reflecting Watanabe's attitude towards the game. 78.P2g+ would
have been the more romantic way to take the Ryu-O title.
79.S8fx7e 06:17:00 06:28:00
80.L7ax7e 06:17:00 06:28:00
81.P7fx7e 06:17:00 06:28:00
82.P2f-2g+ 06:17:00 06:29:00
83.L*8f 06:39:00 06:29:00
84.R8d-2d 06:39:00 06:29:00
85.S4e-3f 06:43:00 06:29:00
86.G3ex3f 06:43:00 06:33:00
87.B5hx3f 06:46:00 06:33:00
Here there still seemed everything to play for. In the press room the variation
after 88.+Px3h Bx1h were analyzed deeply. This leads to a violent endgame, where
white has to be careful not to lose the sideways working of the rook or N*4d
will be devastating. Depending on the black pieces in hand, the white king
might suddenly be mated...
88.+B1hx1g! 06:46:00 06:33:00
Cool play. Looks like a move white can not afford in this position, but stopping
N*4d finishes all of black's attacking hopes.
89.B3f-2e 06:59:00 06:33:00
90.R2dx2e 06:59:00 06:42:00
91.N3gx2e 06:59:00 06:42:00
92.+P2gx3h 06:59:00 06:42:00
93.N*7d 07:07:00 06:42:00
94.P5c-5d! 07:07:00 06:48:00
Game over. Black has no way of making a mating threat in this position.
95.G*3b 07:33:00 06:48:00
26 minutes spent on preparing to say goodbye to the Ryu-O title.
96.+P3hx4i 07:33:00 06:54:00
Resigns 07:37:00 06:54:00
Watanabe wins the game and the match and at 20 years and 8 months becomes the
third youngest title holder in shogi history (after Yashiki and Habu). More
importantly, he is the first player to topple the Habu generation (Habu, Moriuchi,
Sato, Maruyama etc.), thus creating a whole new rivalry in the shogi world.
But, as Watanabe also said in a post-game interview: "I am happy I won a title,
but winning only one would be a waste". Still, for at least a year we have a
new shogi star.