41st Oi Match Game 7
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Oi
41st Oi-sen, Game 7, September 25th and 26th 2000
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/0 4/4
3.P2g-2f 4/4 0/4
4.P8c-8d 0/4 2/6
5.P2f-2e 3/7 0/6
In this match, the emphasis has been on the Shikenbisha opening, so the
Yokofudori that is being played here might be called a small surprise.
Another theme of this Oi match is the domination by black, as all
previous six games have been won by the player with the black pieces.
Tanigawa will not have been unhappy about the result of the furigoma.
6.P8d-8e 0/7 3/9
7.G6i-7h 4/11 0/9
8.G4a-3b 0/11 8/17
9.P2e-2d 5/16 0/17
10.P2cx2d 0/16 2/19
11.R2hx2d 0/16 0/19
12.P8e-8f 0/16 3/22
13.P8gx8f 0/16 0/22
14.R8bx8f 0/16 0/22
15.R2dx3d 1/17 0/22
16.B2b-3c 0/17 10/32
17.R3d-3f 22/39 0/32
18.S3a-2b 0/39 13/45
19.G4i-3h 36/75 0/45
20.K5a-4a 0/75 21/66
21.K5i-5h 8/83 0/66
22.S7a-6b 0/83 21/87
23.B8hx3c+ 34/117 0/87
24.N2ax3c 0/117 1/88
25.S7i-8h 0/117 0/88
26.R8f-8b 0/117 33/121
27.S3i-4h 26/143 0/121
28.G6a-5a 0/143 32/153
29.B*6f! 39/182 0/153
This bishop works both at the left and the right side. The immediate threat
is 31.P*2c Sx2c Bx3c+ Gx3c Rx3c+ and black has a big advantage. However,
this threat is only of secondary importance. Tanigawa is looking to the
left more than to the right...
30.P4c-4d 0/182 60/213
The best defence. G5a-4b would destroy white king formation. Furthermore,
if black takes the pawn on 4d, white gets extra possibilities for attack
by dropping a pawn on the 4th file later.
31.R3f-3e! 39/221 0/213
Tanigawa switches the rook to the left to put pressure on the white rook.
This rook is a vulnerable, as both white's silver and gold have moved to
the king.
32.P6c-6d! 0/221 27/240
Subtle play. This pawn can be used for attacking the bishop on 6f and it
always makes an escape route for the bishop that Habu wants to drop in
defence later. Hiura (7-dan), who commented the game, said he had expected
32.S7a P*8c Rx8c P*8d R8b R8e S7b S7g G4c, but Habu thought this was too
passive.
33.P*8c 26/247 0/240
34.R8bx8c 0/247 1/241
35.P*8d 0/247 0/241
36.R8c-8b 0/247 0/241
37.R3e-8e 0/247 0/241
38.B*7d 0/247 13/254
39.R8e-8g 22/269 0/254
40.P*8e 0/269 18/272
41.P3g-3f? 13/282 0/272
All commentators were convinced that Tanigawa had a great position, including
top players like Sato Yasumitsu. This move went past almost unnoticed as it
is one of the most natural moves to play in this position. Furthermore, it
seems that white can only wait for the axe to fall on the 7th and 8th file.
However, Habu has already found a hidden counter attack that was overlooked
by everyone, including Tanigawa. 41.P3f just gives Habu the extra move to
make this counter succeed. If Tanigawa would have noticed, he would have
played his attack immediately: 41.N7g G3b-4c Nx8e K3b P9f and black seems
to have a strong attack.
42.G3b-4c 0/282 24/296
43.S8h-7g 24/306 0/296
44.K4a-3b 0/306 16/312
45.R8g-8h 16/322 0/312
46.B7d-6c 0/322 24/336
47.P5g-5f 6/328 0/336
48.P5c-5d 0/328 4/340
49.S7g-6h 5/333 0/340
50.S6b-5c 0/333 2/342
51.N8i-7g 3/336 0/342
52.G5a-4b 0/336 2/344
53.N7gx8e 7/343 0/344
54.B6c-7d 0/343 2/346
55.P7f-7e 17/360 0/346
56.B7dx5f 0/360 8/354
57.P7e-7d 0/360 0/354
58.B5fx7d 0/360 13/367
59.P*7b 2/362 0/367
Black has taken his time, and it looks like white has just strengthened his
king position to put up a last stand after the black breakthrough.
60.S5c-6b 0/362 3/370
Of course 60.Rx7b fails to P8c+ Bx8c Nx9c+ Nx9c Rx8c+.
61.G7h-7g 34/396 0/370
62.P*8c 0/396 25/395
63.P8dx8c+ 8/404 0/395
64.B7dx8c 0/404 0/395
65.P*8d 0/404 0/395
66.B8cx7b 0/404 0/395
67.G7g-7f 0/404 0/395
68.P5d-5e 0/404 34/429
69.G7f-7e 1/405 0/429
70.B7bx3f 0/405 0/429
71.S4h-3g 1/406 0/429
72.B3f-4e 0/406 0/429
73.P*7d 19/425 0/429
74.P7cx7d 0/425 2/431
75.G7ex7d 0/425 0/431
76.R8b-7b! 0/425 0/431
Suddenly the commentators figured out what was going on. Habu is planning
to switch the rook to the 2nd file (R7a-R2a-S3a) and break through there
as black has no pawns in hand after 77.P*7c next which is forced. It is
ironic that the knight on 8e and the pawn on 8d, who seemed to put so much
pressure on white position, are now blocking the rook so there is no quick
breakthrough for black.
77.P*7c 10/435 0/431
78.R7b-7a 0/435 0/431
79.G7dx6d 0/435 0/431
Black desperately needs a pawn to defend the 2nd file, but this only helps
white as the exchange of silver for gold after white's next move stops black's
attack and gives white's attack more power. Habu has build a winning
position out of nowhere.
80.S6b-6c 0/435 8/439
81.G6dx6c 13/448 0/439
82.B4ex6c 0/448 0/439
83.S*7b 0/448 0/439
84.P*8g 0/448 10/449
85.R8h-7h 0/448 0/449
86.P*6e 0/448 1/450
87.S7bx6c+ 1/449 0/450
88.P6ex6f 0/449 0/450
89.P7c-7b+ 0/449 0/450
90.R7a-2a 0/449 3/453
91.+P7b-6b 2/451 0/453
92.S2b-3a 0/451 0/453
93.P*2f 0/451 0/453
94.P6fx6g+ 0/451 3/456
95.S6hx6g 0/451 0/456
96.N3c-4e 0/451 0/456
97.+P6b-5b 6/457 0/456
98.B*8i 0/457 1/457
There are too many weaknesses in the black position. Tanigawa tries to make
the most of it, but he has no chance.
99.+P5bx4b 3/460 0/457
100.S3ax4b 0/460 0/457
101.P*3c 8/468 0/457
102.K3bx3c 0/468 1/458
103.B*4f 0/468 0/458
104.P*6f 0/468 3/461
105.K5h-4i 0/468 0/461
106.P6fx6g+ 0/468 0/461
107.G*2d 0/468 0/461
108.R2ax2d 0/468 2/463
109.B4fx2d 0/468 0/463
110.K3cx2d 0/468 0/463
111.R7h-7a+ 0/468 0/463
112.+P6g-5h 0/468 0/463
113.K4i-3i 0/468 0/463
114.B*5g 0/468 0/463
Resigns 0/468 0/463
Time: 07:48:00 07:43:00
And white wins after 115.K2h Nx3g+ Nx3g S*3i and now K2g S*3f Kx3f P*3e
K2g G*3f etc. or Gx3i Bx3i+ Kx3i S*4h etc.
With this victory Habu gets his 8th consecutive Oi title, although he
still has a long way to go to break Oyama's record of 12 consecutive
titles. In this game he again showed his magical powers of finding
hidden resources in desperate looking positions. A long summer of
games between Habu and Tanigawa has come to an end...