25th Ryu-O Match Game 1
[Black "Maruyama Tadahisa, Challenger"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Ryu-O"]
[Event "25th Ryu-O sen, Game 1"]
[Date "October 15th and 16th 2012"]
1.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:00:00
The furigoma resulted in three tokins, giving challenger Maruyama the black
pieces. This is an important game for Maruyama because last year he lost the
Ryu-O match without much of a fight. He needs a good start to this match to
erase those bad memories.
2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:01:00
4.G4a-3b 00:01:00 00:02:00
5.G6i-7h 00:01:00 00:02:00
6.P8d-8e 00:01:00 00:03:00
7.B8h-7g 00:01:00 00:03:00
8.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:04:00
9.S7i-8h 00:01:00 00:04:00
10.B2bx7g+ 00:01:00 00:04:00
11.S8hx7g 00:01:00 00:04:00
12.S3a-4b 00:01:00 00:04:00
13.P9g-9f 00:01:00 00:04:00
14.P9c-9d 00:01:00 00:04:00
15.S3i-3h 00:01:00 00:04:00
16.S7a-7b 00:01:00 00:05:00
17.P4g-4f 00:02:00 00:05:00
18.P6c-6d 00:02:00 00:05:00
19.K5i-6h 00:05:00 00:05:00
20.S7b-6c 00:05:00 00:05:00
21.S3h-4g 00:11:00 00:05:00
22.S6c-5d 00:11:00 00:08:00
23.P1g-1f 00:13:00 00:08:00
24.P1c-1d 00:13:00 00:08:00
25.S4g-5f 00:14:00 00:08:00
26.P4c-4d 00:14:00 00:09:00
27.K6h-7i 00:20:00 00:09:00
28.G6a-5b 00:20:00 00:10:00
29.G4i-5h 00:51:00 00:10:00
30.K5a-4a 00:51:00 00:11:00
31.P3g-3f 01:24:00 00:11:00
32.K4a-3a 01:24:00 00:12:00
33.P6g-6f 01:24:00 00:12:00
34.P7c-7d 01:24:00 00:17:00
A classic Kakugawari game. Maruyama is considered a specialist in this opening,
so this is no surprise.
35.K7i-8h 01:25:00 00:17:00
36.S4b-3c 01:25:00 00:20:00
37.R2h-4h 01:32:00 00:20:00
38.K3a-2b 01:32:00 00:28:00
39.N2i-3g 01:45:00 00:28:00
40.G5b-4b 01:45:00 00:30:00
41.N3g-2e 01:47:00 00:30:00
42.S3c-2d 01:47:00 00:30:00
43.B*2h 01:47:00 00:30:00
This is an important bishop drop. Black wants to play P4e, but at the moment this
fails to B*3g. The move 43.B*2h defends against this bishop drop on 3g, so now
black can start the attack with P4e. Also, the bishop on 2h indirectly attacks
the rook on 8b and the undefended pawn on 6d, which is something that white has
to be careful about.
44.P7d-7e 01:47:00 00:30:00
45.P4f-4e 01:47:00 00:30:00
Not 45.Px7e, because after 46.R8d the rook is moved out of the bishop line while
at the same time defending the pawn on 6d. This would make the bishop drop on 2h
a defense only move and white still has the bishop in hand.
46.P7ex7f 01:47:00 00:30:00
47.S7gx7f 01:47:00 00:30:00
48.P4dx4e 01:47:00 00:31:00
49.B2hx6d 01:47:00 00:31:00
50.P*7c 01:47:00 00:31:00
51.P*7d 01:47:00 00:31:00
52.R8b-6b 01:47:00 00:32:00
53.B6d-3g 01:47:00 00:32:00
54.R6bx6f 01:47:00 00:32:00
55.G5h-6g 01:47:00 00:32:00
56.B*4d 01:47:00 00:32:00
57.N8i-7g 01:47:00 00:32:00
58.R6fx6g+ 01:47:00 00:33:00
59.S5fx6g 01:47:00 00:33:00
60.P*6f 01:47:00 00:33:00
61.S6g-5h 01:47:00 00:33:00
62.G*4f 01:47:00 00:34:00
The game is moving at an extremely high pace for a two day match game. We are still
well short of the lunch break on the first day and already 62 moves have been
played. Of course, we are still in known territory and Watanabe has the habit of
playing the opening quickly if he knows the position well. Maruyama normally likes
to take his time to settle, but allowing a huge time difference can become a
problem later in the game so he is more or less forced to play faster than he
would like. The move 62.G*4f was first played in the third game of the 82nd Kisei
match between Fukaura and Habu. Habu's move is the normal way to play here, and
has been tried in professional games 9 times before with the results dead even
(4-4 and one sennichite). Other moves that have been tried are N9c, G*2g and P7d
but white only scored a victory with N9c and that was not because of this move.
Watanabe knows this position well. For example, in the first game of lat year's
Oza match he won from here with the black pieces. On the other hand, while
Maruyama is considered a Kakugawari specialist, this is the first time he has
played this position in an official game.
63.B3g-2h 01:47:00 00:34:00
64.P7cx7d 01:47:00 00:35:00
65.R*7a 01:50:00 00:35:00
66.P7d-7e 01:50:00 00:37:00
67.R7ax7e+ 01:50:00 00:37:00
68.B4dx2f 01:50:00 00:37:00
69.R4h-4i 01:52:00 00:37:00
70.S2dx2e 01:52:00 00:37:00
71.P*2d 02:01:00 00:37:00
72.P2cx2d 02:01:00 00:37:00
73.+R7e-7a 02:01:00 00:37:00
74.P*7e 02:01:00 00:40:00
75.S7fx7e 02:01:00 00:40:00
Up until this move, the position was identical to the game between Toyoshima
and Watanabe in the Osho League played on September 28th. There Toyoshima
played 75.Sx8e and after 76.N9c Sx9d P*7f P*2c Kx2c +Rx2a G2b +R5a G4b-3b the
game ultimately ended in sennichite. Maruyama has prepared something different.
76.P*7f 02:01:00 00:50:00
The obvious reply.
77.P*2c 02:02:00 00:50:00
This is the move that Maruyama counted on.
78.G3bx2c! 02:02:00 01:34:00
After the game, Watanabe said that he had also thought about taking the pawn
with the gold in his game against Toyoshima. This a quite remarkable piece of
whole board vision, because 78.Gx2c looks very bad for several reasons. First,
the gold on 4b is hanging. Second, the square 3a is a gaping hole for a bishop
or silver drop. Third, if white plays G3b to restore his castle formation, a
knight drop on 4d is very painful. Watanabe has judged perfectly that neither
of these drawbacks is a problem in this position.
79.B2h-1g 03:01:00 01:34:00
Based on a miscalculation. Correct was 79.+Rx8a here.
80.B2fx1g+ 03:01:00 01:59:00
81.L1ix1g 03:01:00 01:59:00
82.G4b-3b 03:01:00 02:00:00
83.+R7ax8a 04:10:00 02:00:00
A change of plan. Maruyama originally thought that he could play 83.B*4d here,
but after 84.B*3c this is good for white. Exchanging the bishops just helps
white (Bx3c+ G2cx3c) so black has to play 85.Bx5c+, but this is met strongly
by 86.N*6e!. Then 87.Nx6e P6g+ is check and 87.+Bx5d is also answered by P6g+
and either Sx6g or Gx6g is followed by Px7g+ and the black king position collapses.
Of course, 83.+Rx8a threatens N*4d next, so white has to do something.
84.P7fx7g+ 04:10:00 02:04:00
85.G7hx7g 04:13:00 02:04:00
In the press room 85.Kx7g was also analyzed. For example, 86.P*7f Kx6f S6e Kx6e
B*5d forks the king and rook which is why Maruyama abandoned this variation.
However, after K7d Bx8a B*5e G2c-3c Bx9a+ B5d P*7c black has some chances to
make an entering king. Considering what happened in the game, this might have
been a viable alternative.
86.B*3c! 04:13:00 02:13:00
Defends against the knight drop and indirectly attacks the black king.
87.P*4d 04:17:00 02:13:00
88.N*6e 04:17:00 02:57:00
The sealed move and moving straight into the endgame. A first day ending with
88 moves played is very unusual. "Just like a one-day match" was a comment
heard in the press room.
89.G7gx6f 04:17:00 02:57:00
90.P*7d 04:17:00 02:59:00
91.S7ex7d 04:18:00 02:59:00
92.B3cx4d 04:18:00 02:59:00
93.P*6g 04:18:00 02:59:00
94.G4fx5g! 04:18:00 03:36:00
Another good move by Watanabe. In general, white doesn't want to give up the
gold here, but as Watanabe pointed out after the game, 94.Nx5g+ gives up the
pressure on 7g and +Nx5h followed by +Nx4i is slow, giving black time to play
+R4a to get the bishop away from the important king diagonal.
95.S5hx5g 05:10:00 03:36:00
If 95.+R4a, then 96.Gx5h +Rx4d S*7g and white wins. Watanabe: "The white king
is well defended, so if white can get a good attack victory is certain".
96.N6ex5g+ 05:10:00 03:36:00
97.K8h-9g 05:54:00 03:36:00
98.P*6e 05:54:00 03:53:00
99.N*5f 06:11:00 03:53:00
100.+N5gx5f 06:11:00 04:29:00
The decisive move. Again not an easy move to play, because the gold on 6f that
was attacked by 98.P*6e gets a free move to get out of harm's way. However, the
opening of the king diagonal is more important here.
101.G6fx5f 06:17:00 04:29:00
102.P9d-9e 06:17:00 04:30:00
103.P*5e 06:30:00 04:30:00
Desperately blocking the diagonal. Aiming for an entering king after 103.Sx8e
B7g+ G*8h Px9f Sx9f Lx9f Kx9f +Bx8h K8e doesn't work after S*7c P*7d G*8b.
104.P9ex9f 06:30:00 04:30:00
105.K9g-8h 06:30:00 04:30:00
106.N*6d 06:30:00 04:30:00
Resigns 06:32:00 04:30:00
After 107.Gx5g the bishop again takes control of the diagonal with 108.Bx5e and
then 109.P*7g N*7f K7h S*6h threatens mate or takes the gold on 5g next. Maruyama
gave it a little bit of thought, but there is no way to save the position so he
resigned here. A complete victory for Watanabe with the white pieces. Also,
Maruyama resigned this game at 1:58 pm on the second day, making this the fastest
end to a Ryu-O match game in history. The post-mortem analysis was finished after
only 20 minutes. Still, a bad loss also counts only for one, so Maruyama just
needs to forget about this and put all his efforts into the second game.