23rd Kio Match Game 4
Black: Habu, Kio
White: Goda, Challenger
23rd Kio-sen, Game 4, March 20th 1998
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/0 1/1
3.S7i-6h 0/0 0/1
4.P3c-3d 0/0 0/1
5.P6g-6f 1/1 0/1
6.S7a-6b 0/1 2/3
7.P5g-5f 2/3 0/3
8.P5c-5d 0/3 3/6
9.S3i-4h 2/5 0/6
10.S3a-4b 0/5 0/6
11.G4i-5h 2/7 0/6
12.G4a-3b 0/7 0/6
13.G6i-7h 2/9 0/6
14.K5a-4a 0/9 0/6
15.K5i-6i 0/9 0/6
16.G6a-5b 0/9 1/7
17.S6h-7g 6/15 0/7
18.P4c-4d 0/15 0/7
19.B8h-7i 1/16 0/7
20.G5b-4c 0/16 0/7
21.G5h-6g 8/24 0/7
22.S4b-3c 0/24 0/7
23.P3g-3f 2/26 0/7
24.B2b-3a 0/26 0/7
25.S4h-3g 2/28 0/7
26.S6b-5c 0/28 8/15
27.B7i-6h 10/38 0/15
28.B3a-4b 0/38 1/16
29.K6i-7i 1/39 0/16
30.K4a-3a 0/39 0/16
31.K7i-8h 1/40 0/16
32.S5c-6d 0/40 1/17
33.P3f-3e 34/74 0/17
Habu chooses the P3e-variation in the Yagura. This looks aggresive, but as
a quick attack it is too early to be effective. The aim is therefore just to
get a pawn in hand and develop pieces from there. The game usually does not
open up until much later, like in this game.
34.P3dx3e 0/74 9/26
35.B6hx3e 0/74 0/26
36.P5d-5e 0/74 1/27
37.P6f-6e 3/77 0/27
38.S6dx6e 0/77 0/27
39.P5fx5e 0/77 0/27
40.P8d-8e 0/77 26/53
A little unusual. 40.P9d followed by N9c has been played before in this
position. Goda aims at the pawn push to 8f to attack and that is an interesting
new idea.
41.B3e-4f 6/83 0/53
42.P8e-8f 0/83 71/124
43.S7gx8f 5/88 0/124
44.P4d-4e 0/88 1/125
45.B4f-6h 9/97 0/125
46.B4b-6d 0/97 0/125
47.P*6f 3/100 0/125
48.B6dx5e 0/100 21/146
49.P*5f 1/101 0/146
50.B5e-4d 0/101 0/146
51.S8f-7g 1/102 0/146
52.S6e-5d 0/102 0/146
All white's pieces are looking good and white also has no less than three
pawns in hand. It is easy to think that white has the advantage here, but
actually the position is unclear.
53.S3g-3f! 19/121 0/146
Natural and very strong here. Habu starts to explore white's weak points. The
first one is the pawn on 4e, which can not be defended if white allows N3g.
54.B4d-7a 0/121 5/151
No choice.
55.R2h-3h 34/155 0/151
56.S3c-4d 0/155 13/164
Now white's pawn on 4e is defended well, but S4d leaves another weak point
to aim at...
57.P1g-1f 9/164 0/164
The edge!
58.P9c-9d 0/164 2/166
59.P1f-1e 3/167 0/166
60.P9d-9e 0/167 7/173
61.N2i-1g 8/175 0/173
62.P*5h 0/175 0/173
63.N1g-2e! 7/182 0/173
Goda tried to counter by threatening to win the silver by P5i+ Bx5i P*3e, but
Habu ignores the threat and goes straight for the white king.
64.P5h-5i+ 0/182 14/187
65.B6hx5i 0/182 0/187
66.P*3e 0/182 20/207
67.P1e-1d 0/182 0/207
68.P1cx1d 0/182 0/207
69.P*1b 0/182 0/207
70.L1ax1b 0/182 0/207
71.P*1c 0/182 0/207
72.L1bx1c 0/182 0/207
73.N2ex1c+ 0/182 0/207
74.P3ex3f? 0/182 1/208
Bad move that loses the game. Taking the knight was the only way. After 74.Nx1c
75.Lx1d white even has two options:
1) 76.Px3f Lx1c+ P9f Px9f P*9g Lx9g P*9e Px9e P*9f Lx9f N*8d and it is now
white who is attacking strongly on the edge (L*9i is not good enough after
S*8e).
2) 76.P*1b Lx1c+ Px1c S2e N3c and it looks like white is better. He still has
to be careful though after B*1e. Then Nx2e? is bad because of B5a+ and L*8c
next. However, after B*1e K4a the position is very hard for black to win.
75.+N1c-1b 0/182 0/208
76.S4d-3c 0/182 3/211
77.R3h-1h 15/197 0/211
The rook now eventually comes in at the edge, deciding the game.
78.S3c-2d 0/197 1/212
79.R1hx1d! 8/205 0/212
Patient move. 79.L*2f looks good, but after S1e things are suddenly not so
clear anymore.
80.P*1c 0/205 0/212
81.R1d-1h 0/205 0/212
82.P4e-4f 0/205 6/218
83.P4gx4f 5/210 0/218
84.P*5h 0/210 0/218
85.B5i-2f! 0/210 0/218
The final blow.
86.B7ax2f 0/210 4/222
This loses quickly, but the alternatives are also far from appealing. For
example, 86.S*3e is bad after 87.P*5e Sx5e P*5c Sx2f (Bx5c L*5g) Px2f and
P2e next is very severe.
87.P2gx2f 0/210 0/222
88.P5h-5i+ 0/210 0/222
89.P2f-2e 2/212 0/222
90.S2d-3c 0/212 1/223
91.+N1bx2a 5/217 0/223
92.K3ax2a 0/217 0/223
93.R1hx1c+ 0/217 0/223
94.S*2b 0/217 1/224
95.+R1c-1b 2/219 0/224
96.K2a-3a 0/219 2/226
97.P*3d 0/219 0/226
98.S3cx3d 0/219 0/226
99.P*3c 1/220 0/226
100.P*1a 0/220 1/227
101.P3cx3b+ 1/221 0/227
102.K3ax3b 0/221 0/227
103.B*2a 1/222 0/227
104.K3b-3c 0/222 0/227
105.+R1b-1d 0/222 0/227
Resigns 0/222 3/230
Time: 03:42:00 03:50:00
White has no moves to attack the king and can only wait how he will be mated.
Goda thrusts Habu's ability to do so and resigned after three minutes thought.
Because of this, Habu now took his eight Kio title in a row, breaking another
record. He is now the first player who took eight titles in a row in one-day
title matches, breaking Oyama's record of seven consecutive Kisei victories.
