48th Oi Match Game 4
[Black "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Oi"]
[Event "48th Oi-sen, Game 4"]
[Date "August 8th and 9th 2007"]
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
An important game for Fukaura because there is a huge difference between
3-1 and 2-2. He has two things going for him in this game. First, he has
the black pieces. Second, this game was played in the city of Fukuoka, on
the island of Kyushu. Fukaura is also from this island, albeit from Sasebo,
near Nagasaki. Kyushu is the third biggest island of Japan, but there are
only a few top professionals coming from here (the best known is probably
Morishita). A professional from Kyushu has never won a major title and when
Fukaura decided to go to Tokyo to try and become a pro, he pledged to bring
back a title. Winning this game in front of a home crowd would be a big step
in the right direction.
2.P8c-8d 00:01:00 00:02:00
3.P2g-2f 00:08:00 00:02:00
4.G4a-3b 00:08:00 00:08:00
5.G6i-7h 00:08:00 00:08:00
6.P8d-8e 00:08:00 00:21:00
7.B8h-7g 00:08:00 00:21:00
8.P3c-3d 00:08:00 00:22:00
9.S7i-8h 00:08:00 00:22:00
10.B2bx7g+ 00:08:00 00:26:00
11.S8hx7g 00:08:00 00:26:00
12.S3a-4b 00:08:00 00:26:00
13.S3i-3h 00:09:00 00:26:00
14.S7a-7b 00:09:00 00:32:00
15.P9g-9f 00:14:00 00:32:00
16.P9c-9d 00:14:00 00:38:00
17.P4g-4f 00:14:00 00:38:00
18.P6c-6d 00:14:00 00:43:00
19.S3h-4g 00:14:00 00:43:00
20.S7b-6c 00:14:00 01:06:00
21.P1g-1f 00:14:00 01:06:00
22.P1c-1d 00:14:00 01:07:00
23.K5i-6h 00:14:00 01:07:00
24.S6c-5d 00:14:00 01:26:00
25.S4g-5f 00:19:00 01:26:00
26.P4c-4d 00:19:00 01:27:00
27.G4i-5h 00:26:00 01:27:00
28.G6a-5b 00:26:00 01:29:00
29.P6g-6f 00:27:00 01:29:00
30.K5a-4a 00:27:00 01:32:00
31.P3g-3f 00:28:00 01:32:00
32.P7c-7d 00:28:00 01:46:00
33.K6h-7i 00:28:00 01:46:00
34.K4a-3a 00:28:00 01:48:00
35.N2i-3g 00:28:00 01:48:00
36.N8a-7c 00:28:00 01:50:00
37.P2f-2e 00:57:00 01:50:00
38.S4b-3c 00:57:00 01:53:00
39.P4f-4e 00:57:00 01:53:00
40.P4dx4e 00:57:00 01:54:00
41.P2e-2d 00:59:00 01:54:00
42.P2cx2d 00:59:00 01:56:00
43.P1f-1e 00:59:00 01:56:00
44.P1dx1e 00:59:00 01:59:00
45.P7f-7e 00:59:00 01:59:00
46.P7dx7e 00:59:00 02:03:00
47.P3f-3e 00:59:00 02:03:00
48.S3c-4d 00:59:00 03:01:00
49.R2hx2d 01:10:00 03:01:00
50.P*2c 01:10:00 03:08:00
51.R2d-2f 01:13:00 03:08:00
52.G5b-6c 01:13:00 03:11:00
53.P*7d 01:39:00 03:11:00
54.G6cx7d 01:39:00 03:25:00
55.P3ex3d 01:39:00 03:25:00
56.P8e-8f 01:39:00 04:08:00
57.S7gx8f 02:33:00 04:08:00
Another long theoretical battle, this time in the Kakugawari Reclining
Silver opening. This is the end of the first day, but we are still in known
territory. This way of playing was first introduced in January and since
then 9 games have been played with this position. Habu shows that he doesn't
care about statistics, because the score is 8-1 in favor of the black player.
The most recent game was the first game of the Kisei match between Sato and
Watanabe, which played on June 9th. There Watanabe played 58.P*3f P*1b Lx1b
P*1c Lx1c N2e P3g+ Nx1c= Nx1c L*3c B*3e Rx2c+ and black won. After the game
Watanabe wrote on his blog that it was a position he wanted to play, but he
also admitted that he should have studied it more. Sugimoto (7-dan), who was
commenting the game and who is a Furibisha specialist himself, said that in
this position white has a serious problem because of the difference of having
a pawn on 3d or 7e. Therefore, white has to act quickly and there seems to be
no other move than P*3f or P*8h.
58.P*8h 02:33:00 05:05:00
Habu agrees with Sugimoto. The time difference after the first day is considerable,
with Habu using up more than 5 hours (out of 8 hours) and Fukaura only 2 hours and
33 minutes. It hardly seems like Habu has prepared something special...
59.K7ix8h 02:50:00 05:05:00
60.P*3f 02:50:00 05:07:00
61.P3d-3c+ 03:38:00 05:07:00
62.N2ax3c 03:38:00 05:22:00
63.R2fx3f 03:38:00 05:22:00
64.P*8e?! 03:38:00 05:22:00
Strange move. Eight moves ago, white sacrificed the pawn on 8e, only to drop it
back again. Furthermore, the gold and knight now cannot easily move forward and
the rook is blocked again. Habu also didn't seem to convinced about the power of
this move, but looking at it in another way, it is exactly the type of move that
makes Habu such a special player. He is capable of thinking outside the "normal"
patterns. In this game it is not effective, but it is probably the source of his
so-called "magic".
65.S8f-9g 04:18:00 05:22:00
66.P9d-9e 04:18:00 05:23:00
67.P9fx9e 04:28:00 05:23:00
68.B*1d 04:28:00 05:28:00
69.P*2e 05:03:00 05:28:00
70.N3cx2e 05:03:00 05:28:00
71.P*3c 05:03:00 05:28:00
72.S4dx3c 05:03:00 05:31:00
73.P*4g 06:06:00 05:31:00
74.N2ex3g+ 06:06:00 05:34:00
75.R3fx3g 06:06:00 05:34:00
76.N*7f 06:06:00 05:34:00
77.K8h-7g 06:09:00 05:34:00
The king is relatively safe at the head of the knight, which is a well-known fact
about shogi endgames. Fukaura now clearly has the edge and even though the difference
is marginal, it is enough for him to win this game. It seems that even Habu cannot
find a way for white to play this position, and another important variation of this
deeply analyzed opening seems to end with the conclusion that it is good for black.
78.B1d-2e 06:09:00 05:50:00
79.P*3d 06:28:00 05:50:00
80.S3c-4d 06:28:00 05:52:00
81.B*3c 06:30:00 05:52:00
82.S4dx3c 06:30:00 06:24:00
83.P3dx3c+ 06:30:00 06:24:00
84.B*4d 06:30:00 06:24:00
Of course, Habu doesn't just lie down and die. This is a strong fighting move,
because both bishops work extremely well in defense and it seems hard for black to
find a way to mate the king. Fukaura takes his time, but he finds the correct answer.
85.+P3cx3b 06:56:00 06:24:00
86.R8bx3b 06:56:00 06:24:00
87.R3gx3b+ 06:56:00 06:24:00
88.K3ax3b 06:56:00 06:24:00
89.S*2a! 06:56:00 06:24:00
This is the first of two important moves black has to play. 90.Kx2a fails to R*4a
and black takes the all-important bishop on 4d, so...
90.K3b-4c 06:56:00 06:24:00
91.R*4a 06:56:00 06:24:00
92.K4c-3d 06:56:00 06:24:00
93.P*3e 07:02:00 06:24:00
94.B4dx3e 07:02:00 06:30:00
95.N*2g! 07:04:00 06:30:00
According to Tamaru, Habu froze for an instant when he saw this move. It seems like
he counted on 96.N3g, which seems good for black because it attacks the bishop on
2e and at the same time threatens Sx4e Sx4e Rx4e+. In the post-mortem analysis there
was no mention about what Habu might have played against this, but it seemed that
95.N2g was much stronger.
96.B3e-2f 07:04:00 07:20:00
Habu spent 50 minutes on this move, which must have felt very long as he could find
no way to avoid losing this game. 96.B2f is just moving away the bishop from the
attack and has no other target, which is more or less admitting defeat. However,
after 96.B4d Sx4e Sx4e P*3e Bx3e Nx3e R*6i, black wins with B*5b Kx3e Bx2e+ Kx2e
Rx4e+. Also, 96.R*2h Nx3e Rx5h+ B*5b is also mate.
97.R4a-3a+ 07:13:00 07:20:00
98.P*3c 07:13:00 07:20:00
99.S2a-3b+ 07:13:00 07:20:00
100.N7c-6e 07:13:00 07:21:00
101.S5fx6e 07:31:00 07:21:00
102.S5dx6e 07:31:00 07:21:00
103.+S3bx3c 07:31:00 07:21:00
104.K3d-4d 07:31:00 07:21:00
105.P6fx6e 07:31:00 07:21:00
106.R*6i 07:31:00 07:24:00
107.N*6g 07:39:00 07:24:00
108.G7dx6e 07:39:00 07:36:00
109.G*5f 07:43:00 07:36:00
110.B2f-3g+ 07:43:00 07:42:00
111.+R3a-4b 07:44:00 07:42:00
112.S*4c 07:44:00 07:46:00
113.S*4f 07:49:00 07:46:00
114.+B3gx2g 07:49:00 07:52:00
115.+S3cx4c 07:52:00 07:52:00
116.B2ex4c 07:52:00 07:52:00
117.S*3e 07:52:00 07:52:00
118.K4d-5d 07:52:00 07:52:00
119.S4f-5e 07:53:00 07:52:00
120.K5d-6c 07:53:00 07:53:00
121.G5fx6e 07:53:00 07:53:00
122.B4cx6e 07:53:00 07:53:00
123.S5ex6d 07:53:00 07:53:00
124.K6cx6d 07:53:00 07:53:00
125.+R4b-6b 07:53:00 07:53:00
Resigns 07:53:00 07:53:00
Mate after 126.K7d G*6d K8c Nx7e or 126.Any*6c G*5e K7d Gx6e etc. Fukaura wins his
home game with the black pieces and is now only one win away from making good on
his promise to win a title for Kyushu.