41st Oi Match Game 2

Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi
41st Oi-sen, Game 2, July 26th and 27th 2000
1.P7g-7f     0/0       0/0
2.P3c-3d     0/0       2/2
3.P2g-2f     4/4       0/2
4.P4c-4d     0/4       2/4
5.P2f-2e     6/10      0/4
6.B2b-3c     0/10      2/6
7.S3i-4h     1/11      0/6
8.P9c-9d     0/11      3/9
9.P9g-9f     14/25     0/9
10.R8b-4b    0/25      7/16

Habu and Tanigawa are playing a double title match (Kisei and Oi), so they
are seeing a lot of each other. It must be hard to come up with a new opening
idea every time if you have almost no time to prepare between two games against
the same opponent. This time Habu plays Shikenbisha. This game will now have
a similar development to game 1 of the Kisei match, but there Tanigawa played
with the white pieces. 

11.K5i-6h    5/30      0/16
12.S7a-7b    0/30      5/21
13.K6h-7h    2/32      0/21
14.S3a-3b    0/32      7/28
15.P5g-5f    2/34      0/28
16.S3b-4c    0/34      5/33
17.G4i-5h    19/53     0/33
18.P6c-6d    0/53      6/39
19.S4h-5g    10/63     0/39
20.K5a-6b    0/63      32/71
21.P3g-3f    22/85     0/71
22.K6b-7a    0/85      9/80
23.P8g-8f    12/97     0/80
24.G4a-5b    0/97      33/113
25.K7h-8g    4/101     0/113
26.P7c-7d    0/101     3/116
27.S7i-7h    0/101     0/116
28.P8c-8d    0/101     8/124
29.R2h-3h    37/138    0/124
30.R4b-3b    0/138     6/130
31.P6g-6f    2/140     0/130
32.K7a-8b    0/140     26/156
33.G5h-6g    3/143     0/156
34.G5b-6c    0/143     4/160
35.S5g-6h    33/176    0/160
36.B3c-5a    0/176     62/222
37.P4g-4f    35/211    0/222
38.L1a-1b    0/211     3/225
39.K8g-9h    21/232    0/225
40.S4c-5d    0/232     26/251
41.S7h-8g    35/267    0/251
42.P4d-4e?!  0/267     23/274

Diagram 1

Habu prepared this attack, timing it just when the black gold on 6i is
undefended. However, the general opinion in the press room was that this
attack was an overplay and after the game Habu agreed.

43.P5f-5e!   16/283    0/274

Not 43.Px4e R4b R4h Rx4e and white gets the advantage.

44.S5dx5e    0/283     27/301
45.P4fx4e    0/283     0/301
46.P*4f      0/283     0/301
47.G6i-5h    39/322    0/301

Black's position looks to be in ruins, but the threat of killing the silver
with P*5f is big. White has to fight with everything he has to avoid a
simple loss of material.

48.P9d-9e    0/322     34/335
49.P9fx9e    2/324     0/335
50.R3b-4b    0/324     0/335
51.N2i-3g    3/327     0/335
52.P3d-3e?   0/327     6/341

Diagram 2

Perhaps already the decisive mistake. This pawn sacrifice looks like a normal
tesuji, attacking the head of the knight. However, as the game develops, this
attack turns out to have no significance. 52.P3e only gives black an extra
pawn which will be very important later on. White should have played 52.P8e
immediately. Then, after 53.Px8e Bx9e P*9f Bx6h+ G6gx6h S5f R4h P4g+ Gx4g
S*5i R5h Sx6h+ Rx5f P*8f Sx8f G*7h white has a reasonable looking attack
for the sacrificed material.

53.P3fx3e    25/352    0/341
54.P8d-8e    0/352     6/347

An alternative is 54.Lx9e, but after 55.P*9f P*3f P*5f Px3g+ Rx3g Rx4e Px5e
B1e R5g Rx3e but even though white has managed to develop his major pieces,
the material loss is more significant.

55.P6f-6e    2/354     0/347
56.P5c-5d    0/354     8/355
57.P*5f      1/355     0/355

Diagram 3

58.P8ex8f?   0/355     57/412

Here Habu misses his last chance to keep the fight interesting. He had
planned 58.Bx9e, but did not like the position after 59.P*9f Px8f Px9e
Px8g+ Kx8g S*4i R4h Sx5h+ Rx5h P4g+ R1h P*8f Kx8f P*8e K7g +Px3g Px5e
Rx4e P*8c. White would like to take this pawn with the silver, but Sx8c
fails to B*3d. After Kx8c P*8d K7c Habu did not think he could win.
However, this line is superior to the game variation.

59.S8gx8f    0/355     0/412
60.B5ax9e    0/355     0/412
61.S8fx9e    5/360     0/412
62.L9ax9e    0/360     0/412
63.P*9f      0/360     0/412
64.L9ex9f    0/360     0/412
65.P*9g      0/360     0/412
66.P*8f      0/360     0/412

Diagram 4

67.P*8g!     31/391    0/412

There it is. The extra pawn that Habu gave Tanigawa on move 52 is now coming
back to haunt him. This drop where the opponent wants to drop completely
kills Habu's attack.

68.P8fx8g+?  0/391     23/435

Better would have been 68.P*3f Px5e S*7h Px8f P*8g B7g Px3g+ Rx3g Rx4e and
white at least has some play for the lost material.

69.K9hx8g    0/391     0/435
70.P*8f      0/391     0/435
71.K8gx8f    0/391     0/435
72.P*8e      0/391     0/435
73.K8f-7g    15/406    0/435
74.S*4i      0/406     0/435
75.R3h-4h    0/406     0/435
76.S4ix5h+   0/406     0/435
77.R4hx5h    0/406     0/435
78.P4f-4g+   0/406     0/435
79.R5h-1h    0/406     0/435
80.+P4gx3g   0/406     1/436
81.P9gx9f    1/407     0/436
82.G6c-7c    0/407     1/437
83.N8i-9g!   4/411     0/437

Diagram 5

Tanigawa does not waste any time. He uses this defensive knight for a strong
attack.

84.G7c-8d    0/411     6/443

No choice, but this has a nasty side effect.

85.P5fx5e    1/412     0/443
86.R4bx4e    0/412     4/447
87.P*4f      4/416     0/447
88.R4ex5e    0/416     0/447

Because of the gold on 8d, white can not play Rx4f as B*5g would be too
severe.

89.G6g-6f    13/429    0/447
90.R5ex3e    0/429     12/459
91.B*5c      0/429     0/459
92.R3e-3c    0/429     0/459
93.B5cx6d+   0/429     0/459
94.S7b-7c    0/429     0/459
95.+B6dx5d   4/433     0/459
96.+P3g-2h   0/433     0/459
97.N9gx8e    8/441     0/459
98.P*8f      0/441     5/464

Or 98.Gx8e S*9d and black wins quickly.

99.N8ex7c+   14/455    0/464
100.N8ax7c   0/455     0/464
101.S*9e     5/460     0/464
102.R3c-3g+  0/460     8/472
103.P*5g     1/461     0/472
104.+P2hx1h  0/461     0/472
105.S*9c!    4/465     0/472

Diagram 6

Tanigawa is showing off his fabulous endgame skills. Of course, 105.Sx8d
would have been more than enough to win.

106.K8bx9c   0/465     1/473

Habu chooses the long mate over the hopeless 106.K7a S9ex8d.

107.S9ex8d   0/465     0/473
108.K9cx8d   0/465     0/473
109.S*7e     0/465     0/473
Resigns      0/465     1/474
Time:        07:45:00  07:54:00

Final Diagram

Mate after 110.K9c L*9d K8b G*8a K8c Sx7d Kx7d G7e K8c P*8d. Great game by
Tanigawa, who made the brilliant Habu look like an average player. Habu's
early attack was ill-advised, but Tanigawa needed perfect play to show
this. This Oi title match might take a long time to finish...