44th Oi Match Game 3

[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[White "Tanigawa Koji, Oi"]
[Event "44th Oi-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "August 6th and 7th 2003"]
1.P7g-7f     00:00:00  00:00:00
2.P3c-3d     00:00:00  00:03:00
3.P2g-2f     00:01:00  00:03:00
4.P5c-5d     00:01:00  00:05:00
5.S3i-4h     00:12:00  00:05:00
6.P5d-5e     00:12:00  00:40:00
7.K5i-6h     00:19:00  00:40:00
8.S7a-6b?!   00:19:00  01:02:00

An interesting choice. This move has a bad reputation since all of the 
four games that were played with this move in the past were won by black 
and quite comfortably (Namekata - Tamura 2003, 93 moves; Katsumata - Waki 
2002, 81 moves; Kanezawa - Tamaru 2000, 63 moves; Ikeda - Kimura 1985, 
61 moves). It is unclear whether Tanigawa was aware of this, as after 
the game he said he actually intended to play the Gokigen-bisha, but 
changed after Habu played the S4h-K6h sequence.

9.G4i-5h     00:43:00  01:02:00
10.S6b-5c    00:43:00  01:07:00
11.S7i-7h    00:54:00  01:07:00

We are already in new territory. Habu postpones the pawn push P2e, 
leaves the center to Tanigawa and is satisfied with building a strong 
castle.

12.P8c-8d    00:54:00  01:19:00
13.P2f-2e    01:21:00  01:19:00
14.P8d-8e    01:21:00  01:30:00
15.P2e-2d    01:33:00  01:30:00
16.P2cx2d    01:33:00  01:31:00
17.R2hx2d    01:33:00  01:31:00
18.G4a-3b    01:33:00  01:31:00
19.B8h-7g    01:33:00  01:31:00
20.K5a-4a    01:33:00  02:34:00
21.K6h-7i    01:52:00  02:34:00
22.S5c-5d    01:52:00  02:53:00
23.P6g-6f    02:16:00  02:53:00
24.P*2c      02:16:00  03:07:00
25.R2d-2h    02:23:00  03:07:00
26.P6c-6d    02:23:00  03:07:00
27.G5h-6g    02:27:00  03:07:00
28.P7c-7d    02:27:00  03:09:00
29.P3g-3f    02:52:00  03:09:00
30.G6a-5b    02:52:00  03:18:00
31.S4h-3g    03:04:00  03:18:00
32.N8a-7c    03:04:00  03:47:00
33.S3g-4f    03:16:00  03:47:00

Time for Tanigawa to seal his move. Black has won the opening. He has 
exchanged the pawn in front of his rook and has a strong mino castle. 
He is also ready to start a strong attack with P3e next. All 
commentators expected Tanigawa to seal 44.P4d.

34.P6d-6e!   03:16:00  04:26:00

A big surprise. So much so that Naito, who was main referee for this 
game, opened the envelope with the sealed move and started to announce 
P4d as the sealed move before he realized that the actual move was a 
different one. Still, Tanigawa didn't have much choice here. After a 
closer look, it was found that 34.P4d would fail to 35.Sx5e! Sx5e P5f 
Sx5f Gx5f and the white position is very hard to defend.

35.P6fx6e    03:44:00  04:26:00
36.S3a-4b    03:44:00  04:34:00
37.P3f-3e    03:55:00  04:34:00
38.P8e-8f    03:55:00  04:55:00
39.P8gx8f    04:36:00  04:55:00
40.P7d-7e    04:36:00  04:57:00
41.P7fx7e    04:37:00  04:57:00
42.N7cx6e    04:37:00  04:57:00
43.B7g-8h    04:37:00  04:57:00
44.P5e-5f    04:37:00  06:12:00
45.B8hx2b+   05:18:00  06:12:00
46.G3bx2b    05:18:00  06:12:00
47.P5gx5f    05:18:00  06:12:00
48.B*3i      05:18:00  06:13:00
49.R2h-3h    05:23:00  06:13:00
50.B3ix7e+   05:23:00  06:14:00
51.P*6f      05:23:00  06:14:00
52.P*7g      05:23:00  06:32:00
53.S7h-8g    05:24:00  06:32:00
54.P*8e      05:24:00  07:01:00
55.S8g-7f    05:26:00  07:01:00
56.+B7ex7f   05:26:00  07:03:00
57.G6gx7f    05:26:00  07:03:00
58.P8ex8f    05:26:00  07:03:00
59.B*6d      05:48:00  07:03:00
60.R8b-8a    05:48:00  07:05:00
61.G7fx8f    06:42:00  07:05:00
62.S5d-6c    06:42:00  07:08:00
63.P*8b      06:43:00  07:08:00
64.R8a-7a    06:43:00  07:08:00
65.B6d-7e    06:43:00  07:08:00
66.S*7h      06:43:00  07:16:00
67.G6ix7h    07:00:00  07:16:00
68.P7gx7h+   07:00:00  07:28:00
69.R3hx7h    07:00:00  07:28:00
70.S6c-6d!   07:00:00  07:28:00

Shogi is a difficult game. Even Habu had no idea after the game where 
he made a mistake. However, with this nice silver move, white suddenly 
has the clearly better position. Black can not take this silver with 
71.Bx6d because of 72.P*7g!. If the rook moves there is a simple mate 
in three with G*7h. Also, 73.Nx7g Nx7g+ leaves black without defense.

71.P*7b      07:11:00  07:28:00
72.R7ax7b    07:11:00  07:32:00
73.P6fx6e    07:15:00  07:32:00
74.S6dx7e    07:15:00  07:32:00
75.N*6d      07:15:00  07:32:00
76.P*7g?     07:15:00  07:36:00

This complicates things. Tanigawa could have won here with 76.G*6g. 
Then 77.Nx7b+ is answered by 78.Sx8f and 77.Nx5b+ Rx5b Rx7e B*6h forks 
king and gold. In both cases, white wins easily. Now Habu suddenly 
gets a chance to go for entering king. A long and difficult endgame 
starts...

77.R7hx7g    07:15:00  07:36:00
78.P*7f      07:15:00  07:40:00
79.G8fx7f    07:22:00  07:40:00
80.S7ex6d    07:22:00  07:41:00
81.S*6a      07:22:00  07:41:00
82.N*8e      07:22:00  07:47:00
83.S6ax5b+   07:37:00  07:47:00
84.R7bx5b    07:37:00  07:47:00
85.G7fx8e    07:37:00  07:47:00
86.R5bx5f    07:37:00  07:47:00
87.R7g-7a+   07:37:00  07:47:00
88.P*5a      07:37:00  07:47:00
89.G*5g      07:37:00  07:47:00
90.B*4d      07:37:00  07:48:00
91.+R7a-7h   07:37:00  07:48:00
92.S6dx6e    07:37:00  07:51:00
93.G5gx5f    07:37:00  07:51:00
94.P*8g      07:37:00  07:51:00
95.G5fx6e    07:40:00  07:51:00
96.G*8h      07:40:00  07:53:00
97.K7i-6h    07:41:00  07:53:00
98.G8hx7h    07:41:00  07:53:00
99.K6hx7h    07:41:00  07:53:00
100.B4dx9i+  07:41:00  07:53:00
101.N*5d     07:48:00  07:53:00
102.G2b-3b   07:48:00  07:53:00
103.B*7d     07:52:00  07:53:00
104.L*5b     07:52:00  07:53:00
105.K7h-6g   07:55:00  07:53:00
106.+B9ix8i  07:55:00  07:53:00
107.K6g-7f   07:55:00  07:53:00
108.S*7c     07:55:00  07:54:00
109.B7d-6c+  07:57:00  07:54:00
110.N*8d     07:57:00  07:55:00
111.G8ex8d   07:57:00  07:55:00
112.S7cx8d   07:57:00  07:55:00
113.R*7a     07:57:00  07:55:00
114.G*8e     07:57:00  07:59:00
115.+B6cx8e  07:57:00  07:59:00
116.S8dx8e   07:57:00  07:59:00
117.K7fx8e   07:57:00  07:59:00
118.L5bx5d   07:57:00  07:59:00
119.P*5b     07:58:00  07:59:00
120.+B8i-6g  07:58:00  07:59:00
121.P*7f     07:58:00  07:59:00
122.B*6b     07:58:00  07:59:00
123.P5bx5a+  07:58:00  07:59:00
124.S4bx5a   07:58:00  07:59:00
125.S*5b     07:59:00  07:59:00
126.K4ax5b   07:59:00  07:59:00
127.S*6c     07:59:00  07:59:00
128.K5b-4b   07:59:00  07:59:00
129.S6cx6b=  07:59:00  07:59:00
130.S5ax6b   07:59:00  07:59:00
131.G*5b     07:59:00  07:59:00
132.K4bx5b   07:59:00  07:59:00
133.B*6a     07:59:00  07:59:00
134.K5b-4b   07:59:00  07:59:00
135.G*5b     07:59:00  07:59:00
136.K4b-3c   07:59:00  07:59:00
137.G5bx6b   07:59:00  07:59:00
138.S*9d     07:59:00  07:59:00
139.B6ax9d+  07:59:00  07:59:00
140.P9cx9d   07:59:00  07:59:00

141.K8e-7d?  07:59:00  07:59:00

After a long and close endgame, it is Habu who makes the decisive 
mistake. Here he could have made things very difficult if he had 
chosen 141.Px3d instead. For example, 142.K2b N*3c P*6a Nx2a+ Kx2a 
S*3c N*4a Sx3b+ Kx3b Rx9a+ and the outcome of the game is very much 
unclear.

142.+B6gx7f  07:59:00  07:59:00
143.R7ax2a+? 07:59:00  07:59:00

Again 143.Px3d would have been better.

144.+B7fx6e  07:59:00  07:59:00
145.K7dx6e   07:59:00  07:59:00
146.B*5f     07:59:00  07:59:00
147.K6ex5d   07:59:00  07:59:00
148.G*5c     07:59:00  07:59:00
149.K5dx5c   07:59:00  07:59:00
150.G3b-4b   07:59:00  07:59:00
Resigns      07:59:00  07:59:00

Mate after 151.K5d R*5c K6d G*7d or 151.K6c G*7c Kx7c R*7g K6d R7d+ 
K5e +R6e. A typical exciting Tanigawa game where defense is more or 
less ignored, even with the white pieces. This positive play gives 
him a 3-0 lead and almost certainly another Oi title. Habu can add 
to his legend by becoming the first player to come back from 3-0 down, 
but judging from the match so far, his magic will not be enough: 
he needs a miracle. By the way, Habu has only been down 3-0 in a 
match twice and both times this was against Tanigawa...