30th Kio Match Game 2

[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[White "Tanigawa Koji, Kio"]
[Event "30th Kio-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "February 19th 2005"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00
2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:01:00
3.P2g-2f     00:02:00  00:01:00
4.P5c-5d     00:02:00  00:02:00
5.K5i-6h     00:04:00  00:02:00

Diagram 1

Here 5.S4h is played more often, but then white can go for the 
Mukaibisha with 6.B3c. This looks bad for white after 7.Bx3c+ Nx3c 
B*5c and black can make a promoted bishop, but white can counter by 
B*5e and there is no way to defend the white bishop promotion. With 
the king on 6h, black can defend with N*7g after B*5e.

6.P4c-4d     00:04:00  00:10:00

After seeing 5.K6h, Tanigawa decides to give up his plans to play a 
Furibisha opening and plays Yagura instead.

7.P2f-2e     00:07:00  00:10:00
8.B2b-3c     00:07:00  00:10:00
9.S3i-4h     00:07:00  00:10:00

Without the king on 6h, black can exchange bishops on 2d before white 
can complete his Yagura. However, in this position black can not develop 
the bishop in time, so white can safely move into the Yagura castle.

10.G6a-5b    00:07:00  00:11:00
11.P5g-5f    00:09:00  00:11:00
12.G5b-4c    00:09:00  00:12:00
13.G4i-5h    00:10:00  00:12:00
14.G4a-3b    00:10:00  00:14:00
15.S7i-7h    00:13:00  00:14:00
16.S3a-2b    00:13:00  00:18:00
17.P6g-6f    00:17:00  00:18:00
18.K5a-4a    00:17:00  00:22:00
19.B8h-7i    00:17:00  00:22:00
20.B3c-4b    00:17:00  00:31:00
21.K6h-7g    00:18:00  00:31:00
22.S2b-3c    00:18:00  00:32:00
23.G5h-6g    00:18:00  00:32:00
24.P8c-8d    00:18:00  00:50:00
25.K7g-8h    00:39:00  00:50:00
26.P8d-8e    00:39:00  00:50:00
27.G6g-7g!?  00:39:00  00:50:00

Diagram 2

Highly unusual castle. The normal development is 27.S7g followed by G7h. 
The idea behind 27.G7g is that black can start the fight immediately 
because there are no loose pieces in his castle.

28.S7a-7b    00:39:00  00:59:00
29.S4h-5g    00:47:00  00:59:00
30.P7c-7d    00:47:00  01:22:00
31.S5g-4f    00:52:00  01:22:00
32.S7b-7c    00:52:00  01:22:00

After the game, 32.P6d, followed by S6c and N7c was analyzed. This seems 
to be the more natural attack against the black castle with the gold on 
7g. A later P6e Px6e Nx6e attacks this gold.

33.P3g-3f    00:53:00  01:22:00
34.S7c-6d    00:53:00  01:28:00
35.P3f-3e    01:21:00  01:28:00
36.P7d-7e    01:21:00  01:35:00
37.S7h-6g!?  01:23:00  01:35:00

Diagram 3

A small surprise. Habu has a made a position that is ready to fight and 
combined with 35.P3e a high pace game was expected. Instead, Habu switches 
to defense here. He has played Tanigawa so often, that he knows more than 
anyone else how strong Tanigawa is in mutual attacking games. This is 
probably the reason why he tries to vary the pace of the game a little 
in an attempt to throw Tanigawa off balance.

38.P7ex7f    01:23:00  01:52:00
39.S6gx7f    01:23:00  01:52:00
40.P8e-8f    01:23:00  01:52:00
41.P8gx8f    01:23:00  01:52:00
42.S6d-7e    01:23:00  01:52:00
43.S7fx7e    01:24:00  01:52:00
44.B4bx7e    01:24:00  01:52:00
45.G6i-7h    01:27:00  01:52:00
46.P3dx3e    01:27:00  02:13:00

It seems white has done well. Even beginning players are told that 
exchanging an attacking silver for a defending silver is good. However, 
Tanigawa admitted after the game that he had no idea how to continue from 
here, so the shape with P6d, S6c and N7c might have been better.

47.P*7f      01:40:00  02:13:00
48.B7e-4b    01:40:00  02:44:00
49.S4fx3e    01:42:00  02:44:00
50.P*8e      01:42:00  02:47:00
51.B7i-4f!   01:50:00  02:47:00

Diagram 4

Well-timed counter. 51.Px8e P*8f is bad for black, but 51.B4f forces 
white to drop the silver he just exchanged.

52.P5d-5e    01:50:00  02:52:00
53.B4fx5e    01:56:00  02:52:00
54.S*6d      01:56:00  02:52:00

White wants to play 54.P6d, but then 55.P2d Px2d P*2b is good for black. 
Gx2b is awful shape, Sx2b fails to Sx4d and Px8f is simply answered by 
Px2a+.

55.B5e-4f    02:13:00  02:52:00
56.P8ex8f    02:13:00  02:52:00
57.P*8c      02:14:00  02:52:00
58.R8bx8c    02:14:00  02:54:00
59.P*8g      02:14:00  02:54:00

The point. Black can fight at the head of the king and this gets the 
white rook in trouble. Still, Habu was far from confident in this 
position. The reason is that his silver on the right soon becomes an 
idle piece on 2f.

60.P8fx8g+   02:14:00  02:56:00
61.G7hx8g    02:14:00  02:56:00
62.P4d-4e    02:14:00  02:56:00
63.B4f-3g    02:37:00  02:56:00
64.P*3d      02:37:00  02:56:00
65.P2e-2d    02:37:00  02:56:00
66.P2cx2d    02:37:00  02:56:00
67.S3e-2f    02:37:00  02:56:00
68.P*5e      02:37:00  02:56:00
69.S*7d      02:39:00  02:56:00
70.R8c-8d    02:39:00  03:06:00
71.S7dx6c+   02:39:00  03:06:00
72.R8d-8c    02:39:00  03:06:00
73.+S6cx6d   02:47:00  03:06:00
74.B4bx6d    02:47:00  03:06:00
75.B3gx5e    02:47:00  03:06:00
76.B6dx5e    02:47:00  03:08:00
77.P5fx5e    02:47:00  03:08:00
78.P*5b      02:47:00  03:08:00
79.B*7b      02:58:00  03:08:00
80.R8c-8e    02:58:00  03:10:00
81.S*7e      03:01:00  03:10:00
82.P*7d      03:01:00  03:17:00
83.B7b-6c+   03:02:00  03:17:00
84.B*5f      03:02:00  03:17:00
85.P6f-6e!   03:29:00  03:17:00

Diagram 5

Great play by Habu. The silver on 2f may be in an awful spot, the 
white rook is in much more trouble. 86.Bx6e fails to Sx7d.

86.G4c-5c?   03:29:00  03:19:00

The losing move. This just helps black, who wanted to play +Bx7d anyway. 
The only fighting chance was 86.Bx4g+ and after 87.Sx7d R8d things are 
not so easy with white having a strong promoted bishop.

87.+B6cx7d   03:31:00  03:19:00
88.R8e-8b    03:31:00  03:19:00
89.P5e-5d    03:31:00  03:19:00
90.G5cx5d    03:31:00  03:20:00
91.P*8d      03:31:00  03:20:00
92.K4a-3a    03:31:00  03:34:00
93.P8d-8c+   03:31:00  03:34:00
94.R8b-6b    03:31:00  03:34:00
95.P*2c      03:31:00  03:34:00
96.G3bx2c    03:31:00  03:40:00
97.R2h-5h    03:34:00  03:40:00
Resigns      03:34:00  03:41:00

Final Diagram

White can not avoid the loss of major material without compensation: 
98.G5e is the only move, but then 99.+P7c is very severe. 100.Nx7c 
+Bx7c, 100.R6a +P7b and 100.R9b +B6d are all winning for black. Another 
convincing win for Habu, who is already very close to taking the Kio 
title from Tanigawa.