38th Kio Match Game 3
[Black "Goda Masataka, Kio"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[Event "38th Kio-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "March 10th 2013"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
Actually, a surprise. Goda likes to play the Aigakari opening with
black, which starts with 1.P2f. The last time he opened a game with 1.P7f
was more than 10 months earlier. The game now becomes a Yagura opening
with both players playing their moves without much hesitation.
2.P8c-8d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.S7i-6h 00:00:00 00:01:00
4.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:02:00
5.P6g-6f 00:00:00 00:02:00
6.S7a-6b 00:00:00 00:02:00
7.P5g-5f 00:00:00 00:02:00
8.P5c-5d 00:00:00 00:02:00
9.S3i-4h 00:00:00 00:02:00
10.S3a-4b 00:00:00 00:03:00
11.G4i-5h 00:00:00 00:03:00
12.G4a-3b 00:00:00 00:03:00
13.G6i-7h 00:00:00 00:03:00
14.K5a-4a 00:00:00 00:04:00
15.K5i-6i 00:00:00 00:04:00
16.G6a-5b 00:00:00 00:07:00
17.S6h-7g 00:00:00 00:07:00
18.S4b-3c 00:00:00 00:07:00
19.B8h-7i 00:00:00 00:07:00
20.B2b-3a 00:00:00 00:07:00
21.P3g-3f 00:00:00 00:07:00
22.P4c-4d 00:00:00 00:08:00
23.G5h-6g 00:01:00 00:08:00
24.P7c-7d 00:01:00 00:08:00
25.S4h-3g 00:04:00 00:08:00
26.B3a-6d 00:04:00 00:08:00
27.B7i-6h 00:04:00 00:08:00
28.G5b-4c 00:04:00 00:08:00
29.K6i-7i 00:04:00 00:08:00
30.K4a-3a 00:04:00 00:08:00
31.K7i-8h 00:04:00 00:08:00
32.K3a-2b 00:04:00 00:08:00
33.P1g-1f 00:12:00 00:08:00
34.P8d-8e 00:12:00 00:11:00
35.P2g-2f 00:12:00 00:11:00
36.P9c-9d 00:12:00 00:18:00
37.P1f-1e 00:15:00 00:18:00
38.S6b-5c 00:15:00 00:18:00
39.R2h-3h 00:20:00 00:18:00
40.P9d-9e 00:20:00 00:19:00
41.N2i-1g 00:24:00 00:19:00
42.S3c-2d 00:24:00 00:20:00
43.N1g-2e 00:24:00 00:20:00
44.N8a-7c 00:24:00 00:21:00
45.L1i-1g 00:26:00 00:21:00
46.N2a-3c 00:26:00 00:45:00
It looks like white is weakening his castle by offering this knight for
exchange, but white aims at using the knight on 8f, which is a famous
attack to break down the Yagura castle. In the press room, Yagura specialist
Aono (8-dan) sighed that he really hated this move when it was played
against him. Goda actually has played this position with black once before
and with the lance on 1h instead of 1g more than ten times, so he will
have known what to expect.
47.N2ex3c+ 01:30:00 00:45:00
48.G4cx3c!? 01:30:00 00:50:00
This is a rather unusual move. Most of the time white takes with the other
gold on 3b, to avoid the hanging silver on 5c. However, Watanabe said after
the game that he didn't like the weakness on the side of the king.
49.S3g-4f 01:47:00 00:50:00
It seems like 49.N*2e is an alternative to continue the attack, but white can
just take this knight with Sx2e. In this type of position a knight is very
useful for the white attack.
50.S5c-4b 01:47:00 00:54:00
White cannot immediately try to break down the Yagura castle because after
50.N*8f Px8f Sx8f Bx8f Bx8f Rx8f P*8g it is not easy to find a good square
for the rook to retreat. For example, R8b fails to the fork B*7a. However,
with the silver out of this fork now, white threatens N*8f, so black can no
longer play the waiting game.
51.P3f-3e 02:32:00 00:54:00
52.P3dx3e 02:32:00 01:10:00
53.P6f-6e? 02:34:00 01:10:00
This was a change of plan and after the game Goda regretted this, saying it just
invited the attack. He originally wanted to play 53.N*2e here and after Watanabe
responded in the post-mortem analysis with 54.G3d, Goda became even more
disappointed: "If that would have been the response, I would definitely have
dropped the knight." Goda was worried about 54.S4c instead. Then 55.Nx3c+ Sx3c
and white has a very solid Silver Yagura, which is known to be harder to break
down than the normal Yagura. Watanabe admitted that he had never even
considered 54.S4c. Considering the developments after 53.P6e, Goda's best chance
was to play 53.N*2e here.
54.N7cx6e 02:34:00 01:14:00
55.S7g-6f 02:34:00 01:14:00
56.P8e-8f 02:34:00 01:31:00
57.P8gx8f 02:34:00 01:31:00
58.B6dx8f 02:34:00 01:31:00
59.B6hx8f 02:34:00 01:31:00
60.R8bx8f 02:34:00 01:31:00
61.P*8g 02:34:00 01:31:00
62.R8f-8e 02:34:00 01:31:00
63.P2f-2e 02:43:00 01:31:00
64.S2dx2e 02:43:00 01:31:00
65.B*5b 02:43:00 01:31:00
66.N*9d! 02:43:00 01:33:00
Like so often, Watanabe's special positional judgment is shining brightly
here. He just gives up the silver on 2e to set up a knight attack against
the black Yagura. No one in the press room believed that this attack would
be strong enough, but Watanabe said after the game that even though he thought
the position was difficult, the difference in move options for the black
and the white pieces made the white position a little easier to play. It needs
to be said that even though the professionals in the press room preferred
Goda's position, Goda himself didn't like his position at all, agreeing with
Watanabe that white had more than enough compensation for the lost material.
Another interesting point here is that Watanabe thought he didn't have much
choice because after 66.S3d Bx6c+ followed by +Bx7d his attack would grind
to a halt. However, in the press room B*2i (after +Bx6c) was analyzed and
the conclusion was that this position was far from clear.
67.B5bx2e+ 03:13:00 01:33:00
68.P*8f 03:13:00 01:33:00
69.S*9h 03:13:00 01:33:00
70.S4b-4c 03:13:00 01:48:00
71.P7f-7e 03:37:00 01:48:00
72.P6c-6d 03:37:00 01:51:00
73.+B2ex3e 03:37:00 01:51:00
74.P*3d 03:37:00 01:54:00
75.+B3e-2f 03:38:00 01:54:00
76.P7dx7e 03:38:00 02:05:00
77.+B2f-5i 03:38:00 02:05:00
78.P2c-2d 03:38:00 02:18:00
79.P*3e 03:39:00 02:18:00
80.P3dx3e 03:39:00 02:19:00
81.N*2g 03:39:00 02:19:00
82.P3e-3f 03:39:00 02:23:00
83.R3hx3f 03:39:00 02:23:00
84.P*3d 03:39:00 02:27:00
85.R3f-3h 03:39:00 02:27:00
86.P4d-4e 03:39:00 02:38:00
87.S4fx4e 03:40:00 02:38:00
88.P*4d 03:40:00 02:38:00
89.S4e-3f 03:40:00 02:38:00
Here it is clear that white has enough compensation for the lost material.
All the white pieces are placed perfectly for attack, while the black
attacking pieces on the right are not moving well at all. Watanabe decides
that it is time to go for the kill.
90.P5d-5e 03:40:00 02:38:00
91.P8gx8f 03:43:00 02:38:00
Or 91.Sx5e Px8g+ Sx8g P*8f S9h B*8g and white wins.
92.N9dx8f 03:43:00 02:38:00
93.S9h-8g 03:44:00 02:38:00
94.N8fx7h+ 03:44:00 02:38:00
95.K8hx7h 03:44:00 02:38:00
96.G*7i! 03:44:00 02:46:00
The decisive blow. If 97.K8h then Gx8i and white wins easily.
97.K7hx7i 03:45:00 02:46:00
98.R8ex8g+ 03:45:00 02:46:00
99.G*7g 03:51:00 02:46:00
Not much choice. After 99.G*7h the reply 100.B*8h is devastating because
101.Gx8h is answered by +Rx6g and 101.K6h simply by +R8a.
100.N6ex7g+ 03:51:00 02:52:00
101.G6gx7g 03:51:00 02:52:00
102.+R8g-8b 03:51:00 02:52:00
Watanabe has his material back and the black king position is in shambles,
so he no longer needs to rush his attack.
103.P*8f 03:51:00 02:52:00
104.P7e-7f 03:51:00 02:53:00
105.G7g-7h 03:52:00 02:53:00
106.P6d-6e 03:52:00 02:57:00
107.S6fx5e 03:52:00 02:57:00
108.B*5g 03:52:00 02:58:00
109.K7i-6i 03:56:00 02:58:00
110.B5g-7e+ 03:56:00 03:06:00
Resigns 03:57:00 03:06:00
Here Goda had enough. The white threat is P*5h +Bx5h P*5g followed by
dropping a general on 5h. Also, 111.P*6f can simply be answered by P*5g
followed by S*5h. On the other hand the black attack is non-existent. Watanabe
takes a 2-1 lead and now only needs one more win to become only the 8th
player in shogi history to hold three major titles at the same time. Goda
has to find a way to bounce back, but that will not be easy with the white
pieces.