46th Oza Match Game 5
Black: Tanigawa, Challenger
White: Habu, Oza
46th Oza-sen, Game 5, October 23rd 1998
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/1 2/2
3.R2h-6h 3/4 0/2
A big surprise. Just like in the seventh game of the Meijin match, Tanigawa
decides not to play his favourite Kakugawari opening. Has the loss against
Fujii earlier in the week in the first game of the Ryu-O match convinced
him of the power of the Fujii system? Another very interesting choice of
opening by Tanigawa in a big game.
4.P3c-3d 0/4 2/4
5.P6g-6f 0/4 0/4
6.S7a-6b 0/4 1/5
7.S3i-3h 1/5 0/5
8.K5a-4b 0/5 2/7
9.P1g-1f 1/6 0/7
10.K4b-3b 0/6 4/11
11.S7i-7h 4/10 0/11
12.P5c-5d 0/10 4/15
13.G6i-5h 6/16 0/15
14.G6a-5b 0/16 9/24
15.P1f-1e 16/32 0/24
16.S6b-5c 0/32 20/44
17.B8h-7g 40/72 0/44
18.P8d-8e 0/72 18/62
19.S7h-6g 5/77 0/62
20.B2b-3c 0/77 33/95
21.P4g-4f 17/94 0/95
22.K3b-2b 0/94 6/101
23.P3g-3f 3/97 0/101
24.P4c-4d 0/97 12/113
25.N2i-3g 4/101 0/113
26.G5b-4c 0/101 13/126
27.P6f-6e 80/181 0/126
28.G4a-3b 0/181 16/142
29.S6g-5f 8/189 0/142
30.P4d-4e!? 0/189 37/179
This is an idea played earlier by Takahashi against Fujii. Opening the
bishop diagonal looks like a risky move, but with the king still on its
original square black can easily get in all sorts of trouble. Here both
players have used about two thirds of their total allowed thinking time
in a position that both already know...
31.N3gx4e 11/200 0/179
32.B3cx7g+ 0/200 2/181
33.N8ix7g 0/200 0/181
34.S5c-4d 0/200 0/181
35.R6h-8h?! 1/201 0/181
Fujii played 35.P6d and lost without much of a chance after 36.P8f. The sitting
king indeed turned out to be a sitting duck in that game. Tanigawa tries it
differently, but this passive move is not in the real nature of the Fujii
system and definitely not in the nature of Tanigawa. After 35.R8h black does
not have good chances to attack anymore.
36.P7c-7d 0/201 23/204
37.G5h-6g 4/205 0/204
38.B*7c! 0/205 49/253
This bishop drop is very hard to defend against.
39.S3h-3g 29/234 0/253
Very painful. This silver is forced to a bad position. Tanigawa has calculated
correctly that sacrificing a gold for a knight is his only chance to survive.
40.S4dx4e 0/234 0/253
41.S5fx4e 0/234 0/253
42.N*5e 0/234 0/253
43.G4i-5h 0/234 0/253
44.N5ex6g+ 0/234 3/256
45.G5hx6g 0/234 0/256
46.G*5e 0/234 1/257
47.N*4i! 6/240 0/257
It looks like white can choose where to hit the black position and the
professionals in the press room were all looking for white wins. Surprisingly,
the position is not easy and white's advantage seems to be rather small.
48.N2a-3c 0/240 1/258
49.S4e-5f 0/240 0/258
50.G5ex4f 0/240 0/258
51.S3gx4f 2/242 0/258
52.B7cx4f 0/242 0/258
53.S*3g 0/242 0/258
54.B4f-7c 0/242 1/259
55.P*4f 0/242 0/259
56.N3c-2e 0/242 6/265
57.S3g-2f 20/262 0/265
58.B7cx4f? 0/262 5/270
This is a mistake that helps black in his attack. The correct move would have
been 58.P2d.
59.P1e-1d 4/266 0/270
60.B4fx1i+ 0/266 0/270
61.P1dx1c+ 0/266 0/270
62.K2bx1c 0/266 0/270
A hard move to play, exposing the king, but 62.Lx1c P*1d is far worse.
63.S2fx2e 1/267 0/270
64.K1c-2b 0/267 0/270
65.B*7a 8/275 0/270
66.R8b-4b 0/275 7/277
67.S5f-4e? 9/284 0/277
Tanigawa-style losing move. The positive use of this silver for the attack is
in character, but wrong. It leaves too many holes in the black position. The
right move was 67.N*2f. Then 63.R7b P*4d Rx7a Px4c+ Gx4c Sx3d gives a very
difficult position where it is uncertain if black can keep his attack going or
if white can defensively survive. Tanigawa felt that his attack was a bit thin
without the bishop, but the white rook is not working in defense any more and
that is a big plus for black.
68.L*4d 0/284 11/288
69.S4ex4d 2/286 0/288
70.G4cx4d 0/286 0/288
71.P*4e 0/286 0/288
72.G4d-4c 0/286 0/288
73.L*4d 1/287 0/288
74.P*4h 0/287 0/288
75.L4dx4c+ 0/287 0/288
76.P4hx4i+ 0/287 0/288
77.K5i-6i 0/287 0/288
78.R4bx4c 0/287 1/289
79.S2ex3d 2/289 0/289
80.N*5e! 0/289 0/289
Habu ignores the threat and goes for his own attack. 80.N*5e is not a mating
threat, but if he is given pieces in hand, mates like +P5i K7i Nx6g= K8i S*7h
become possible.
81.G6g-6h 0/289 0/289
Tanigawa sees no way to safely attack and plays a defensive move. White is
now clearly one move earlier with his attack.
82.L*6f 0/289 0/289
83.S3dx4c+ 1/290 0/289
84.G3bx4c 0/290 0/289
85.N*2e 3/293 0/289
86.S*2d 0/293 1/290
87.R*8b 2/295 0/290
88.P*4b 0/295 0/290
89.R8bx8a+ 0/295 0/290
90.S2dx2e 0/295 3/293
91.B7a-3e+ 2/297 0/293
92.S*5i 0/297 1/294
Resigns 0/297 0/294
Time: 04:57:00 04:54:00
Black has no mate and there is not defense against the white attack.
With this win Habu ends a very tough match with his seventh Oza title.
Tanigawa will probably need some time to get over this, since he was in
complete control of the match and seemed to have sealed it in the fourth
game. It seemed that Tanigawa had used up his ration of lucky breaks
with his miraculous victory in the challenger final against Goda.