37th Kio Match Game 4

[Black "Kubo Toshiaki, Kio"]
[White "Goda Masataka, Challenger"]
[Event "37th Kio-sen, Game 4"]
[Date "March 17th 2012"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00
2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:00:00
3.P7f-7e     00:00:00  00:00:00
4.P8c-8d     00:00:00  00:01:00
5.R2h-7h     00:00:00  00:01:00

Again Kubo's favorite opening, the Quick Ishida. There has been a lot of study put 
into this opening and this often results in wild variations, but in this game the 
game develops at a slower pace.

6.P8d-8e     00:00:00  00:01:00
7.R7h-7f     00:04:00  00:01:00
8.B2bx8h+    00:04:00  00:02:00
9.S7ix8h     00:04:00  00:02:00
10.S3a-3b    00:04:00  00:02:00
11.K5i-4h    00:08:00  00:02:00
12.S3b-3c    00:08:00  00:07:00
13.K4h-3h    00:08:00  00:07:00
14.S7a-6b    00:08:00  00:07:00
15.K3h-2h    00:08:00  00:07:00
16.K5a-4b    00:08:00  00:07:00
17.S3i-3h    00:08:00  00:07:00
18.K4b-3b    00:08:00  00:07:00
19.G6i-7h    00:08:00  00:07:00
20.R8b-8d    00:08:00  00:07:00
21.S8h-7g    00:08:00  00:07:00
22.P9c-9d    00:08:00  00:07:00
23.P9g-9f    00:15:00  00:07:00
24.P1c-1d    00:15:00  00:19:00
25.P1g-1f    00:16:00  00:19:00
26.P6c-6d    00:16:00  00:20:00
27.P8g-8f    00:18:00  00:20:00

Diagram 1

Kubo starts the hostilities with an attack on the 8th file.

28.G6a-7a    00:18:00  00:39:00

We are still in known territory. Here white cannot take on 8f, because after 
28.Px8f Rx8f P*8e R8h black can play S7f next to attack the pawn on 8e and white 
is in trouble.

29.P8fx8e    00:26:00  00:39:00
30.R8dx8e    00:26:00  00:39:00
31.S7g-8f    00:27:00  00:39:00
32.R8e-8b    00:27:00  00:39:00
33.N8i-7g    00:29:00  00:39:00

Diagram 2

Black has taken control of the 8th file and threatens to extend his influence by 
pushing the edge pawn P9e next. Or so it seems...

34.P9d-9e!   00:29:00  00:53:00

There has been two games played with this position and here 34.G4b and 34.G6a were 
tried. Black and white each won a game, but a conclusion about which move was better 
had not been reached. In any case, black needs to do something about the silver on 8f,
 because it may become a burden to the rook. Forcing black into action is an obvious 
strategy, but Goda is playing the position much more positively.

35.R7f-4f    01:12:00  00:53:00

The problem black has is that 35.Px9e fails to 36.P*9h Lx9h B*5d, so Kubo moves his 
rook away from the bishop line.

36.B*5d      01:12:00  01:08:00

Even without attacking the rook Goda drops the bishop, keeping the pressure on the 
9th file. After the game Goda admitted that he had no idea if this was a good plan 
or not, but that he felt that he could only have a chance of winning if he could 
activate the rook, so there was no alternative.

37.G7h-8h    01:46:00  01:08:00
38.P9ex9f    01:46:00  01:37:00
39.P*8d      01:57:00  01:37:00
40.G4a-4b    01:57:00  01:53:00
41.R4f-6f    02:07:00  01:53:00
42.S3c-4d    02:07:00  02:09:00
43.P5g-5f    02:25:00  02:09:00
44.S6b-6c    02:25:00  02:24:00
45.P4g-4f    02:32:00  02:24:00
46.S6c-5b    02:32:00  02:59:00
47.P4f-4e    02:38:00  02:59:00
48.B5dx4e    02:38:00  02:59:00
49.S8f-8e    02:49:00  02:59:00
50.N8a-9c    02:49:00  03:20:00
51.R6fx9f    03:07:00  03:20:00
52.R8b-8a    03:07:00  03:20:00
53.P*9b?     03:19:00  03:20:00

Diagram 3

Kubo has managed to return the attack on the edge, and it seems that black has the 
easier position. However, 53.P*9b is an important mistake. Here 53.S7f would have 
been correct. For example, 54.Nx8e P*9b Nx7g+ Gx7g Rx8d N*8e leads to a long fight 
where black has good attacking chances.

54.N9cx8e    03:19:00  03:29:00
55.N7gx8e?   03:19:00  03:29:00

After the second mistake in a row, the game dramatically turns in Goda's favor. The 
only way to keep it interesting was 55.Px9a+ Rx8d R8f. Kubo was worried about Nx7g+ 
then, but after Rx8d +Nx8h Rx8h Bx5f Goda said that he was far from confident. In 
the post-mortem analysis Kubo added that he thought that the white king position was 
very solid and that he saw no good way to attack it, but that this variation 
definitely offered more chances than what happened in the game. Goda said that 
instead of Nx7g+, he probably would have played B6c which threatens P*8c and Nx7g+ 
next. If black has nothing to counter this plan, there will be an attacking race 
that white will probably win because of his safer castle.

56.R8ax8d    03:19:00  03:29:00
57.R9f-8f    03:19:00  03:29:00
58.L9ax9b    03:19:00  03:33:00
59.L9ix9b+   03:19:00  03:33:00
60.S*9e!     03:19:00  03:33:00

Diagram 4

This move basically ends the game and the match. Black loses the important knight 
on 8e and the white rook is coming alive. Black cannot hold on, because 61.R8g is 
answered by S9f.

61.B*9c      03:21:00  03:33:00
62.R8d-8c    03:21:00  03:33:00
63.R8f-7f    03:27:00  03:33:00
64.R8cx8e    03:27:00  03:33:00
65.R7f-7h    03:27:00  03:33:00
66.G7a-7b    03:27:00  03:38:00
67.P7e-7d    03:28:00  03:38:00
68.S9e-8d    03:28:00  03:38:00
69.P7dx7c+   03:28:00  03:38:00
70.G7bx7c    03:28:00  03:38:00
71.B9c-8b+   03:32:00  03:38:00
72.B4ex5f    03:32:00  03:38:00
73.L*4h      03:35:00  03:38:00
74.B5fx6g+   03:35:00  03:38:00
75.P*8g      03:37:00  03:38:00
76.P*7f      03:37:00  03:38:00

Diagram 5

The black rook is now completely boxed in, the white king position is very solid 
and black only has a knight in hand. Kubo said that here he had already more or 
less given up and that the moves that followed were kind of like going through the 
motions. It is not even unthinkable that he played on to avoid the embarrassment of 
losing three games in a row in less than 90 moves.

77.N*9f      03:43:00  03:38:00
78.N*6f      03:43:00  03:41:00
79.N9fx8d    03:44:00  03:41:00
80.G7cx8d    03:44:00  03:43:00
81.R7h-7i    03:45:00  03:43:00
82.N6f-5h+   03:45:00  03:43:00
83.G4ix5h    03:46:00  03:43:00
84.+B6gx5h   03:46:00  03:43:00
85.S*4i      03:46:00  03:43:00
86.+B5h-6h   03:46:00  03:45:00
87.R7i-7h    03:49:00  03:45:00
88.+B6hx7h   03:49:00  03:46:00
89.G8hx7h    03:49:00  03:46:00
90.N*5g      03:49:00  03:46:00
91.S4i-5h    03:52:00  03:46:00
92.R*5i      03:52:00  03:46:00
93.G7h-6h    03:52:00  03:46:00
94.P7f-7g+   03:52:00  03:46:00
95.G6hx5g    03:53:00  03:46:00
96.+P7g-6h   03:53:00  03:46:00
97.S5h-4i    03:53:00  03:46:00
98.R5ix5g+   03:53:00  03:46:00
99.L4hx4d    03:53:00  03:46:00
100.+P6h-5h  03:53:00  03:47:00
101.L4dx4c+  03:54:00  03:47:00
102.S5bx4c   03:54:00  03:47:00
103.P*4d     03:54:00  03:47:00
104.+P5hx4i  03:54:00  03:47:00
105.P4dx4c+  03:54:00  03:47:00
106.G4bx4c   03:54:00  03:47:00
107.S3hx4i   03:54:00  03:47:00
108.L*4d     03:54:00  03:47:00
109.S*5b     03:55:00  03:47:00
110.L4dx4i+  03:55:00  03:49:00
Resigns      03:55:00  03:49:00

Final Diagram

White threatens a standard mate with G*3h K1h S*1g Kx1g S*2h K1h G*1g Nx1g S2i= and 
there is no proper defense. There also is no mate against the white king, so Kubo 
resigned here. Goda wins his first Kio title, which is his first title in ten years. 
Kubo has had a miserable month with dropping out of the A class of the Junisen and 
losing both the Osho and the Kio titles. He is now without a title for the first 
time in four years.