25th Kio Match Game 3
Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Kio
White: Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger
25th Kio-sen, Game 3, March 11th 2000
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/1 0/0
3.S7i-6h 1/2 0/0
4.P3c-3d 0/2 0/0
5.P6g-6f 1/3 0/0
6.S7a-6b 0/3 0/0
7.P5g-5f 1/4 0/0
8.P5c-5d 0/4 0/0
9.S3i-4h 2/6 0/0
10.S3a-4b 0/6 0/0
11.G4i-5h 0/6 0/0
12.G4a-3b 0/6 0/0
13.G6i-7h 3/9 0/0
14.K5a-4a 0/9 0/0
15.K5i-6i 0/9 0/0
16.P7c-7d 0/9 0/0
17.G5h-6g 6/15 0/0
18.G6a-5b 0/15 1/1
19.S6h-7g 2/17 0/1
20.S4b-3c 0/17 0/1
21.B8h-7i 1/18 0/1
22.B2b-3a 0/18 0/1
After Kakugawari and Yokofudori, the third game starts with a Yagura opening.
The Yagura is not so often seen in title matches these days. It is believed
that black can get a small both significant advantage in almost all variations.
Players with the white pieces therefore prefer the R8e Yokofudori, which
promises them a 54% winning chance.
23.P3g-3f 0/18 0/1
24.P4c-4d 0/18 0/1
25.S4h-3g 6/24 0/1
26.B3a-6d 0/24 1/2
27.B7i-6h 0/24 0/2
28.G5b-4c 0/24 0/2
29.K6i-7i 1/25 0/2
30.K4a-3a 0/25 0/2
31.K7i-8h 2/27 0/2
32.P9c-9d 0/27 0/2
33.P1g-1f 1/28 0/2
34.K3a-2b 0/28 22/24
35.P1f-1e 6/34 0/24
The first point of the game. Black spends two moves to extend the pressure
on the edge, giving white time for the first attack. Even though attacking
is easier than defending, it seems that black can afford to be a little
passive in this position. Both players have experience with this position,
because so far it has been following their game in the A class Junisen two
years ago, which ended in sennichite.
36.P8d-8e 0/34 7/31
37.P2g-2f 9/43 0/31
38.S6b-7c 0/43 1/32
39.S3g-4f 3/46 0/32
40.P4d-4e 0/46 0/32
41.S4f-3g 9/55 0/32
42.S7c-8d 0/55 2/34
43.P2f-2e 24/79 0/34
44.S8d-9e 0/79 1/35
Moriuchi had already announced that he would go for an all-out attack to
put pressure on Habu in this pivotal third game. The bogin is the most
aggressive way to play this position.
45.P4g-4f 4/83 0/35
46.P4ex4f 0/83 4/39
47.B6hx4f 0/83 0/39
48.P8e-8f 0/83 1/40
49.P8gx8f 2/85 0/40
50.P*8e 0/85 8/48
51.P8fx8e 23/108 0/48
52.N8a-7c 0/108 0/48
53.K8h-7i! 5/113 0/48
"An early escape is worth eight moves". Habu shows great defensive judgement
here. 53.P8d looks like the natural reply, but after 54.N8e S6h Rx8d P*8g
P*8f Px8f Sx8f P*8g Sx8g+ Gx8g P*8f Gx8f Bx8f P*8g B6d black is in trouble
because of the exchange of the defending gold.
54.P7d-7e 0/113 16/64
White has no pawns, so it is hard to continue the attack. This is a desperate
attempt to give the attack more power.
55.P9g-9f! 20/133 0/64
This is the problem. The white silver, supposed to be attacking, becomes the
victim of attack.
56.P7ex7f? 0/133 79/143
This saves the silver, but correct would have been 56.Sx9f. After 57.Lx9f
Bx4f Sx4f P9e P2d Sx2d P*4d G4c-4b S*4c Px9f B*6a L*4a is a strong defence
and good for white. There are a lot of different variations possible here,
so this is not a definite conclusion, but it seems that Sx9f was Moriuchi's
best chance.
57.S7gx7f 20/153 0/143
58.S9e-8f 0/153 8/151
59.P*7d 17/170 0/151
60.B6dx4f 0/170 9/160
61.S3gx4f 1/171 0/160
62.N7cx8e 0/171 0/160
63.P*8g 5/176 0/160
64.N8e-7g+! 0/176 20/180
Good try. Natural is 64.P*7g G8h N9g+ Nx9g Sx8g+ Sx8g Rx8g+ Gx8g S*7h K6h
B*7i Kx7g Sx6g+ Kx6g Bx4f+, but after S*3g the route of the black king to
the other side of the board is wide open. White has not enough pieces to
stop the entering king.
65.G6gx7g 14/190 0/180
Not 65.Nx7g P7e Px8f Px7f N8e S*7g and black is in trouble.
66.S8fx7g+ 0/190 0/180
67.G7hx7g 0/190 0/180
68.P*4e 0/190 7/187
Better than 68.G*4g and black can choose between 69.B*7c or 69.K8h Gx4f B*7c.
69.S4f-3g! 4/194 0/187
Looks like the wrong direction of play, but this gives white no target for
attack. If 69.S5g then 70.P5e is quite dangerous.
70.B*3i 0/194 12/199
71.R2h-5h 3/197 0/199
71.R2g B5g+ followed by P*4f is dangerous.
72.G*4g 0/197 1/200
73.R5h-7h 5/202 0/200
74.B3i-5g+ 0/202 6/206
75.K7i-8h 0/202 0/206
76.P*7e 0/202 0/206
77.S7fx7e 4/206 0/206
78.G4gx3g 0/206 5/211
79.N2ix3g 2/208 0/211
80.S*6h 0/208 6/217
81.S*7f! 5/213 0/217
The deciding move. 81.G7f? S7i= Rx7i +Bx7i Kx7i Rx8g+ is dangerous for black.
82.S6hx7g+ 0/213 3/220
83.R7hx7g 0/213 0/220
84.+B5g-6h 0/213 0/220
85.P7d-7c+ 0/213 0/220
86.R8b-8a 0/213 0/220
87.B*7b 2/215 0/220
88.+B6hx7g 0/215 3/223
89.K8hx7g 1/216 0/223
90.R*4g 0/216 1/224
91.N*6g 4/220 0/224
92.R8a-7a 0/220 3/227
93.B7bx6c+ 0/220 0/227
94.R4gx3g+ 0/220 0/227
95.S*6b 4/224 0/227
96.R7a-3a 0/224 0/227
97.G*4a 0/224 0/227
98.R3ax4a 0/224 1/228
99.+B6cx4a 0/224 0/228
100.G4c-4b 0/224 0/228
101.+B4a-7d 0/224 0/228
102.+R3g-3i 0/224 0/228
103.R*8a 0/224 0/228
104.+R3ix8i 0/224 0/228
105.K7g-8f 0/224 0/228
106.+R8ix9i 0/224 0/228
107.R8ax9a+ 0/224 0/228
Resigns 0/224 3/231
Time: 03:44:00 03:51:00
Moriuchi took 3 minutes to see that there was nothing left to play for.
Even though white still has a complete castle, he has nothing but to resign.
If he does not attack then S8d next will give black a completely safe entering
king. However, white's only attack is 108.G*9e Px9e +Rx9e K7g, but then
there is no more material to attack the king with.
Habu takes a big step towards his tenth consecutive Kio title. Moriuchi needs
to win both of the remaining games to get his first title.