33rd Kio Match Game 2
[Black "Sato Yasumitsu, Kio"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "33rd Kio-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "February 23rd 2008"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00
3.P2g-2f 00:00:00 00:02:00
4.P5c-5d 00:00:00 00:03:00
5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:03:00
6.R8b-5b 00:02:00 00:04:00
In this game Habu plays the Gokigen Nakabisha. Habu is not a natural Furibisha player,
but he tries any opening strategy, so this was not a complete surprise.
7.B8hx2b+ 00:02:00 00:04:00
8.S3ax2b 00:02:00 00:04:00
9.P9g-9f 00:02:00 00:04:00
The combination of the bishop exchange with the pawn push on the edge is a Sato
special.
10.P9c-9d 00:02:00 00:05:00
11.S7i-7h 00:02:00 00:05:00
12.K5a-6b 00:02:00 00:05:00
13.S3i-4h 00:02:00 00:05:00
14.K6b-7b 00:02:00 00:05:00
15.P4g-4f 00:02:00 00:05:00
16.S2b-3c 00:02:00 00:05:00
17.K5i-6h 00:02:00 00:05:00
18.K7b-8b 00:02:00 00:06:00
19.K6h-7i 00:03:00 00:06:00
20.R5b-2b 00:03:00 00:07:00
21.N8i-7g 00:09:00 00:07:00
22.S3c-4d 00:09:00 00:12:00
23.P8g-8f 00:09:00 00:12:00
24.N2a-3c 00:09:00 00:16:00
25.P8f-8e 00:11:00 00:16:00
This is even more of a Sato special. The idea is to make sure that white cannot
build a Silver Crown castle. Still, there are not many professionals who like to
follow Sato down this path. The pawn on 8e is vulnerable, as we will see next.
26.G6a-7b 00:11:00 00:19:00
27.K7i-8h 00:20:00 00:19:00
28.S7a-6b 00:20:00 00:33:00
29.S7h-8g 00:27:00 00:33:00
30.P7c-7d 00:27:00 00:37:00
31.G6i-7h 00:27:00 00:37:00
32.P6c-6d 00:27:00 00:38:00
33.S4h-4g 00:43:00 00:38:00
34.S6b-6c 00:43:00 00:48:00
35.G4i-5h 00:46:00 00:48:00
36.R2b-2a 00:46:00 00:50:00
37.P3g-3f 00:51:00 00:50:00
38.G4a-4b 00:51:00 00:51:00
39.P6g-6f 00:55:00 00:51:00
40.N8a-7c 00:55:00 00:56:00
41.S8g-8f 00:59:00 00:56:00
It is clear that the silver belongs on 8g and not on 8f, but black has no choice.
White threatened Nx8e Nx8e P8d followed by a strong attack on the head of the king.
42.S4d-5e?! 00:59:00 01:39:00
Positive thinking, but most likely an overplay as Habu admitted after the game.
43.G5h-6g 01:02:00 01:39:00
44.B*4d 01:02:00 01:40:00
45.R2h-6h 01:48:00 01:40:00
46.P6d-6e 01:48:00 01:43:00
This looks like a very strong attack by white, but black has a good counter.
47.P6fx6e 02:18:00 01:43:00
48.N7cx6e 02:18:00 01:45:00
49.P5g-5f! 02:28:00 01:45:00
This is why the white attack fails.
50.S5e-6d 02:28:00 02:48:00
Habu took 63 minutes (out of a total of four hours) to admit strategic defeat here.
This silver is not supposed to be pulled back after it went on the attack with 42.S5e.
However, white has no choice. After 50.S6f Gx6f N5g+ R6i +Nx4g P5e the bishop diagonal
is blocked and black has the advantage of a stronger position at the head of the king
and because the bishop on 4d and promoted knight on 4g are not working well.
51.P*6f 02:46:00 02:48:00
52.N6ex7g+ 02:46:00 02:48:00
53.G6gx7g 02:46:00 02:48:00
54.B4d-2f 02:46:00 02:54:00
55.R6h-5h 02:47:00 02:54:00
56.N3cx2e 02:47:00 02:56:00
57.R5h-2h 02:53:00 02:56:00
58.B2f-5i+ 02:53:00 02:59:00
59.R2hx2e 02:53:00 02:59:00
60.+B5i-4h 02:53:00 03:00:00
61.R2e-2g? 03:36:00 03:00:00
Habu has sacrificed a knight to activate the bishop on 4d in a desperate effort to get
counter play. Sato has responded calmly, but this is a mistake. Sato said after the
game that he completely underestimated white's next move. Probably better was 61.P6e
S7c N*6f which is good for black after +Bx4g P7e, but if white plays P2d after N*6f,
then the position after R2g P*6d is not so clear. Still, considering what follows next,
Sato probably should have played it this way.
62.N*1e! 03:36:00 03:30:00
Habu shows his great flexibility. Everything about this move cries "Bad!". Dropping a
knight so far from the king just to exchange a promoted bishop for a rook is enough to
make a professional player cringe. Habu doesn't care about such things. He knows that
the only way to get a good attack in this position is to get a rook in hand and he goes
to get one whatever the cost. As usual, he is right.
63.R2g-3g 03:37:00 03:30:00
64.+B4hx3g 03:37:00 03:30:00
65.N2ix3g 03:37:00 03:30:00
66.R*4h 03:37:00 03:30:00
67.P6f-6e 03:41:00 03:30:00
68.S6dx6e! 03:41:00 03:31:00
Another strong move by Habu. This silver dies, but as a hero, causing mayhem in the black
castle position.
69.N*5g 03:45:00 03:31:00
70.S6ex7f 03:45:00 03:31:00
71.G7gx7f 03:47:00 03:31:00
72.R4hx4g+ 03:47:00 03:31:00
73.B*6f 03:49:00 03:31:00
74.+R4g-3h 03:49:00 03:32:00
75.G7f-7g 03:50:00 03:32:00
76.S*6i 03:50:00 03:32:00
77.S*6g 03:50:00 03:32:00
In the press room this position was still judged as difficult, but Habu has seen more.
78.P*6e! 03:50:00 03:35:00
Again a move that the average professional would have a hard time finding, let alone have
the courage to play. Black is without pawns at the moment, and 78.P*6e just hands over a
pawn. Also, it invites the black knight to the good square 6e, where it can attack the white
castle formation. Habu's flexible mind is again on display.
79.N5gx6e 03:51:00 03:35:00
80.P*6d 03:51:00 03:35:00
81.P*7c 03:51:00 03:35:00
82.G7b-6b 03:51:00 03:36:00
83.B*2f 03:59:00 03:36:00
84.G4b-5b 03:59:00 03:42:00
Habu is riding the black attack to bring the inactive gold back into the defence. However,
this requires careful calculation here. It seems like black can attack strongly with 85.Bx6b+
Gx6b G*5c, but after Px6e Gx6b K7c G*5c white has the strong defence S*5b, which stops the
black attack in its tracks. Black has to take this silver with either gold, but the after
Px6f there is no way to continue the attack.
85.P8e-8d 03:59:00 03:42:00
86.P6dx6e 03:59:00 03:50:00
87.P8dx8c+ 03:59:00 03:50:00
88.K8bx8c 03:59:00 03:50:00
89.P*8d 03:59:00 03:50:00
90.K8c-8b 03:59:00 03:50:00
91.B6f-3c+ 03:59:00 03:50:00
92.G6bx7c 03:59:00 03:50:00
93.N*8e 03:59:00 03:50:00
94.G7cx8d 03:59:00 03:50:00
95.B2fx1e 03:59:00 03:50:00
96.N*7e 03:59:00 03:52:00
97.S6g-7f 03:59:00 03:52:00
98.P*8g 03:59:00 03:55:00
Hashimoto (7-dan) criticized this move for being to complicated. He suggested the simpler
98.Gx8e S8fx8e Sx7h+ Gx7h N*8f, which seems more clear.
99.K8h-9g 03:59:00 03:55:00
100.S6ix7h+ 03:59:00 03:57:00
101.G7gx7h 03:59:00 03:57:00
102.+R3hx7h 03:59:00 03:59:00
103.S*7c 03:59:00 03:59:00
104.K8b-8c 03:59:00 03:59:00
105.+B3c-7g 03:59:00 03:59:00
106.+R7h-7i 03:59:00 03:59:00
107.S7cx8d+ 03:59:00 03:59:00
108.K8cx8d 03:59:00 03:59:00
109.B1e-3c+ 03:59:00 03:59:00
110.S6c-6d 03:59:00 03:59:00
111.G*7h 03:59:00 03:59:00
112.S*8h 03:59:00 03:59:00
113.+B7gx8h 03:59:00 03:59:00
114.P8gx8h+ 03:59:00 03:59:00
115.+B3cx8h 03:59:00 03:59:00
116.+R7ix1i 03:59:00 03:59:00
117.S7fx6e 03:59:00 03:59:00
118.S6dx6e 03:59:00 03:59:00
119.S*7c 03:59:00 03:59:00
120.K8d-8c 03:59:00 03:59:00
121.P*8d 03:59:00 03:59:00
122.K8c-9b 03:59:00 03:59:00
123.P9f-9e 03:59:00 03:59:00
This move admits defeat. If white doesn't give black a piece in hand, this is not even
a mating threat, so white has nothing to fear here. At this point, the journalists in
the press room started to prepare their post-mortem questions, while the professionals
stopped analysing the game.
124.S*8g?? 03:59:00 03:59:00
With one move, Habu throws away all his hard work in this game. After being behind
in the early middle game, he fought his way back in this game, keeping Sato on his
heels all the time. Habu thought that white couldn't take this silver because of mate,
but he is overlooking a nasty reply. If he would have seen it, he would have played
124.B*7f or 124.G*7f which are both winning.
125.G7hx8g 03:59:00 03:59:00
126.+R1ix9i 03:59:00 03:59:00
And black wins after 127.+Bx9i Nx8g+ and mate, Habu must have thought.
127.N*9h! 03:59:00 03:59:00
This move must have come as a shock to Habu. There is no longer a mate now for white,
and because white has handed over a silver with 124.S*8g, there is now a mating threat
against the white king that cannot be defended.
128.+R9ix8h 03:59:00 03:59:00
129.G8gx8h 03:59:00 03:59:00
130.G*8g 03:59:00 03:59:00
131.K9g-9f 03:59:00 03:59:00
132.G8gx8f 03:59:00 03:59:00
133.N9hx8f 03:59:00 03:59:00
Resigns 03:59:00 03:59:00
After 134.Px9e Kx9e P*9d Kx9d K8a R*9c there is no way to continue for white, especially
since after Lx9c Nx9c= the white king is mated. Tough loss for Habu, although after
the game he seemed over it rather quickly, looking forward to the next game. He probably
realises that he has been at the other side of an endgame blunder much more often. Sato
will be happy with the win, although it must be worrying for him that he was outplayed
in most of the game. Anyway, two dramatic games to start the Kio match, which now has
become a best-of-three match.