48th Oza Match Game 3
Black: Fujii Takeshi, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Oza
48th Oza-sen, Replay Game 3, September 21st 2000
1.P7g-7f 155/155 0/0
2.P3c-3d 0/155 175/175
For the first time in the history of the Oza tournament, a game was played
overseas as Habu and Fujii played their game in GuangZhou, near Hongkong.
China actually got two games for the price of one, as the first game ended
in sennichite. In that game, Habu played the K9h anaguma against the
Fujii system and sacrificed a bishop for a gold to go straight for Fujii's
king. His attack was not strong enough to win, but Fujii could not
avoid a repetition of moves without seriously exposing his king. The game
ended at 2:53 and after a 30 minute break, the game was replayed with
reverse colours. Both players had to play the game with the time remaining
on the clock after the first game, which gave Fujii a 20 minute advantage.
3.P1g-1f 0/155 0/175
4.P8c-8d 0/155 2/177
5.P6g-6f 0/155 0/177
6.S7a-6b 0/155 1/178
7.S7i-7h 3/158 0/178
8.K5a-4b 0/158 1/179
9.R2h-6h 2/160 0/179
10.K4b-3b 0/160 1/180
11.S7h-6g 1/161 0/180
12.P5c-5d 0/161 1/181
13.S3i-3h 0/161 0/181
14.G6a-5b 0/161 2/183
15.P1f-1e 2/163 0/183
16.S6b-5c 0/163 3/186
17.G6i-5h 1/164 0/186
18.B2b-3c 0/164 1/187
19.P4g-4f 9/173 0/187
20.P4c-4d 0/173 3/190
21.P3g-3f 1/174 0/190
22.G5b-4c 0/174 2/192
23.N2i-3g 0/174 0/192
24.P8d-8e 0/174 1/193
25.B8h-7g 0/174 0/193
26.K3b-2b 0/174 2/195
27.P6f-6e 0/174 0/195
28.G4a-3b 0/174 1/196
29.S3h-4g 7/181 0/196
30.P7c-7d 0/181 6/202
31.N3g-2e 2/183 0/202
32.B3c-5a 0/183 2/204
33.P4f-4e 0/183 0/204
34.B5a-7c 0/183 2/206
35.P4ex4d 0/183 0/206
36.S5cx4d 0/183 1/207
37.P*4e 0/183 0/207
38.S4d-3c 0/183 0/207
39.N2ex3c+ 0/183 0/207
40.N2ax3c 0/183 1/208
41.P4e-4d 2/185 0/208
42.G4c-4b?! 0/185 2/210
The commentators had a hard time with this move. So far the game is identical
to the B1 Junisen class game that was played between Fujii and Nakahara a
week earlier. Nakahara played 42.G5c here and got the advantage after
43.P3e Px3e S4f which he converted into a win. There seemed to be no reason
to play something different here. Either Habu found an improvement for
Fujii or he had some other variation he was aiming for, because he picked
42.G4c-4b instead. This gives Fujii a free promotion of the rook, so this
does not seem to be an improvement over Nakahara's 42.G5c.
43.P3f-3e 15/200 0/210
44.P3dx3e 0/200 3/213
45.P6e-6d 0/200 0/213
46.B7cx6d 0/200 9/222
47.S6g-5f 5/205 0/222
48.B6dx1i+ 0/205 15/237
49.R6hx6c+ 4/209 0/237
50.+B1i-3g 0/209 1/238
51.G4i-4h 12/221 0/238
52.+B3g-7c 0/221 0/238
53.+R6cx5d 15/236 0/238
54.P*5c 0/236 10/248
55.+R5d-6e 15/251 0/248
56.L*6c 0/251 8/256
57.+R6ex3e 5/256 0/256
58.P*3d 0/256 0/256
59.+R3ex3d 0/256 0/256
60.P8e-8f 0/256 0/256
61.P8gx8f 0/256 0/256
62.P7d-7e! 0/256 1/257
Up until this point, most people favoured black's position. However, this move
shows that things are not so easy. At first glance, the attack at the head
of the bishop looks slow, but white's attack actually picks up a lot of pace
after this.
63.P*6d 3/259 0/257
64.L6cx6d 0/259 4/261
65.S*4c 12/271 0/261
66.P7ex7f 0/271 14/275
67.B7g-5e 0/271 0/275
68.R8bx8f 0/271 1/276
69.P*8h 1/272 0/276
70.L6d-6i+ 0/272 1/277
71.K5i-4i 1/273 0/277
72.+B7cx5e 0/273 0/277
73.S5fx5e 0/273 0/277
74.B*2e 0/273 1/278
Attack and defence.
75.+R3d-3h 5/278 0/278
Black would like to play the more active 75.+R3e, but after 76.P*3d +R4f P*4e
+R6f Rx8h+ white is better.
76.P*3g 0/278 7/285
77.G4hx3g 9/287 0/285
78.P7f-7g+ 0/287 3/288
79.P*3d 1/288 0/288
80.+P7g-6h? 0/288 3/291
Habu has skillfully turned the tables, but this is a mistake. For three
minutes Habu tried to figure which was best: 80.+P6h or 80.N4e. In the
end he picked the wrong one. If he would have had a little more time,
he probably would have found that the variation 80.N4e B*6a Nx3g+ +Rx3g
N*4e +R3e +P6g was good for him.
81.P3dx3c+ 0/288 0/291
82.G4bx3c 0/288 0/291
83.P*3d 1/289 0/291
84.+P6hx5h 0/289 1/292
85.S4gx5h 0/289 0/292
86.P*4h? 0/289 0/292
The losing move. After 86.+L6h Px3c+ Gx3c P*3f N*4e the position is still
very complicated.
87.K4ix4h 4/293 0/292
88.P*3f 0/293 2/294
White now longer has the option of playing 88.+L6h, as after 89.S4g the
move 90.Rx8h+ is no longer a mating threat (which it was with the king on
4i). It is these tiny details that make the difference in this game.
89.P3dx3c+ 3/296 0/294
90.G3bx3c 0/296 0/294
91.G3gx3f 2/298 0/294
92.B2ex3f 0/298 0/294
No choice. 92.Rx3f +Rx3f Bx3f N*3d leads to mate.
93.N*3d! 0/298 0/294
Fujii does not give Habu another chance and goes straight for the win.
94.K2b-1b 0/298 3/297
95.P*3b 0/298 0/297
Cool play. This is a mating threat (B*2a etc.) which can not be properly
defended. Fujii has also seen that white has no mate.
96.P*4g 0/298 2/299
97.S5hx4g 0/298 0/299
98.B3fx4g+ 0/298 0/299
99.K4hx4g 1/299 0/299
Resigns 0/299 0/299
Time: 04:59:00 04:59:00
White has not enough pieces for mate and there is no defence for the white
king. Habu made a couple of mistakes in the endgame to lose this game, but
Fujii showed again how cool he is under pressure after the game looked
to be slipping away from him after an initial advantage. Fujii now only
needs one more win from the remaining two games to add the Oza crown to
his Ryu-O title. Considering Habu hard schedule and Fujii's play in the
match so far, I think Fujii has a very good chance. But then again,
Habu has escaped from this situation before...