39th Oi Match Game 6
Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi
White: Sato Yasumitsu, Challenger
39th Oi-sen, Game 6, September 3rd and 4th 1998
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/1 5/5
3.S7i-6h 2/3 0/5
4.P3c-3d 0/3 0/5
5.P6g-6f 1/4 0/5
6.S7a-6b 0/4 1/6
7.P5g-5f 3/7 0/6
8.P5c-5d 0/7 7/13
9.S3i-4h 4/11 0/13
10.S3a-4b 0/11 0/13
11.G4i-5h 10/21 0/13
12.G4a-3b 0/21 9/22
13.G6i-7h 3/24 0/22
14.K5a-4a 0/24 0/22
15.K5i-6i 1/25 0/22
As in game 7 of the Meijin match, this game is going to be a Yagura. There are
not many top players who are very confident in this opening with white, but
Sato has been the leading Yagura expert since his professional debut.
16.G6a-5b 0/25 8/30
17.S6h-7g 5/30 0/30
18.S4b-3c 0/30 1/31
19.B8h-7i 1/31 0/31
20.B2b-3a 0/31 0/31
21.P3g-3f 30/61 0/31
22.P4c-4d 0/61 4/35
23.G5h-6g 3/64 0/35
24.P7c-7d 0/64 1/36
25.S4h-3g 2/66 0/36
26.B3a-6d 0/66 41/77
27.B7i-6h 5/71 0/77
28.G5b-4c 0/71 1/78
29.K6i-7i 3/74 0/78
30.K4a-3a 0/74 0/78
31.K7i-8h 0/74 0/78
32.P9c-9d 0/74 9/87
33.S3g-4f 38/112 0/87
34.S6b-5c 0/112 50/137
35.N2i-3g 2/114 0/137
36.B6d-7c 0/114 30/167
37.P1g-1f 13/127 0/167
38.P1c-1d 0/127 1/168
39.P2g-2f 1/128 0/168
40.S3c-2d 0/128 1/169
41.L1i-1h 50/178 0/169
42.P9d-9e 0/178 32/201
43.R2h-3h 3/181 0/201
44.S5c-4b 0/181 22/223
This is a new move. In the Meijin match Sato played the normal K2b and went on
to win game 7 and the title. 44.S4b might be an improvement, since black wants
to attack on the third file.
45.N3g-2e 37/218 0/223
46.N8a-9c 0/218 14/237
47.P5f-5e 33/251 0/237
48.N9c-8e 0/251 56/293
49.S7g-8f 5/256 0/293
50.P5dx5e 0/256 2/295
51.P1f-1e 8/264 0/295
52.P1dx1e 0/264 3/298
53.P3f-3e 0/264 0/298
54.P3dx3e 0/264 6/304
55.S4fx3e 6/270 0/304
56.S2dx3e 0/270 5/309
57.B6hx3e 0/270 0/309
58.P*3d 0/270 4/313
59.B3e-6h?! 10/280 0/313
Habu regretted this move and said 59.B7i would have been better. The difference
will become clear soon.
60.P5e-5f 0/280 10/323
61.P*1c 49/329 0/323
62.N2a-3c! 0/329 18/341
Normally this would be a very risky move, losing time to exchange a defensive
knight for an attacking knight which usually favours the attacking side. Sato
has calculated accurately that he can use the knight for a very strong counter
attack.
63.L1hx1e 49/378 0/341
64.N3cx2e 0/378 12/353
65.P2fx2e 1/379 0/353
66.N*5e 0/379 3/356
67.P1c-1b+ 5/384 0/356
68.N5ex6g+ 0/384 35/391
69.G7hx6g 0/384 0/391
70.S*5g 0/384 0/391
This is why Habu regretted playing the bishop to 6h. With the bishop on 7i
this attack would have been harmless. Now white seems to have the advantage.
71.G6gx5g 26/410 0/391
72.P5fx5g+ 0/410 0/391
73.B6hx5g 0/410 0/391
74.P*5f 0/410 15/406
75.B5g-1c+ 16/426 0/406
76.K3a-4a 0/426 0/406
77.S*7a? 23/449 0/406
The wrong move order. 77.N*6e was the correct move. Again, this will become
clear later.
78.R8b-9b! 0/449 55/461
79.N*6e 9/458 0/461
80.L1ax1b! 0/458 3/464
Great play by Sato. Black has to take this lance and that cuts off the horse
from the defense. The point of the previous 78.R9b is that if white would have
played 78.R7b then 79.N*6e Lx1b would not have been possible because Nx7c+
takes the bishop and attacks the rook. In the game Nx7c+ is not attacking
anything, so white can take the bishop on 1c. Now it is also clear why Habu
should have played N*6e first. In that case, white could not play Lx1b, since
Nx7c+ would again attack the rook.
81.+B1cx1b 5/463 0/464
82.B7c-6d! 0/463 1/465
Three difficult choices in a row, but Sato plays it perfectly. 82.B5e is
tempting, since white can play Bx6f next, but on 6d the bishop works both
in attack and defense. It defends the vital square 5c and can help in attack
by a sacrifice against the silver on 8f. White now has a clear advantage.
83.S*8c 9/472 0/465
Painful move, since this silver might never work again. Habu realises that his
position is bad and tries everything to force a mistake by Sato.
84.R9b-5b? 0/472 10/475
Success at the first try. Sato could have won here by playing 84.G*6g, which
threatens Bx8f followed by S*7g and mate. If black plays 85.Sx8e Px8e Sx9b+
then P5g+ is a winning mating threat (S*7i Kx7i G*7h etc.). Best for black
would be 84.G*6g L*7i, but then R5b is much better than in the game, since
black has no attack without the lance. Now the endgame becomes very close.
85.P*5c 0/472 0/475
86.S4bx5c 0/472 0/475
87.N6ex5c+ 2/474 0/475
88.B6dx5c 0/474 1/476
89.L*5e 0/474 0/476
90.N*6d 0/474 1/477
91.S*6a 2/476 0/477
92.N6dx7f 0/476 0/477
93.K8h-9h 0/476 0/477
94.P5f-5g+? 0/476 2/479
Sato uses his last two minutes before byoyomi to calculate that black is not
threatening mate. By threatening mate himself (G*8h Rx8h Nx8h+ Kx8h G*7h etc.),
he thought he would be winning. Unfortunately there is a hole in his
calculation. If he would have realised that he might still have won after the
correct 94.R5a, although the variations are very complicated. Black has to
make mating threats, or P5g+ wins. For example, 95.Lx5c+ Rx5c is not good
enough, since black has no continuation. Also, 95.S6b= Bx6b Lx5a+ Kx5a does
not seem to be winning for black. For example R*5b (S6a-7b+ B5c and black has
no follow-up) Kx6a Rx3b+ G*8h Rx8h Nx8h+ Kx8h S*7i Kx7i L*7f leads to a long
mate (if black interposes at 7h then G*6h Kx6h S*5g K7i Lx7h+ Kx7h R*5h leads
to mate and if black interposes at 7g then R*5i S*6i S*6h K8h Lx7g+ leads to
mate). These are very complicated variations, and it would have been difficult
for Sato to find them in byoyomi. Still, after 94.P5g+, white loses quickly.
95.S6ax5b= 0/476 0/479
96.K4ax5b 0/476 0/479
97.S7a-6b+ 0/476 0/479
98.K5b-4b 0/476 0/479
No choice, 98.Kx6b does not lead to mate, but after 99.R*8b K5a Lx5c= Gx5c
B*7c K4a N*3c Gx3c R8a+ K4b B5a+ K4c +Bx3c Kx3c +R3a K4c +B2a K5b +Bx7f white
loses the vital knight at 7f.
99.R*5b 0/476 0/479
100.K4b-3c 0/476 0/479
101.+B1b-1a 0/476 0/479
102.S*2b 0/476 0/479
If white drops a gold on 2b, there is no mate for black, but also no mate for
white. Sato chooses to keep his mating threat, but unfortunately for him, he
is mated himself.
103.+B1ax2b 0/476 0/479
104.G3bx2b 0/476 0/479
105.R5bx2b+ 0/476 0/479
106.K3cx2b 0/476 0/479
107.N*1d 0/476 0/479
Resigns 0/476 0/479
Time: 07:56:00 07:59:00
A very close game that Habu was lucky to win. Habu successfully defends his
Oi title, winning it for the sixth time in a row. Sato will be disappointed to
lose a match against Habu for the third time in a row.