49th Oi Match Game 7
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[White "Fukaura Koichi, Oi"]
[Event "49th Oi-sen, Game 7"]
[Date "September 25th and 26th 2008"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
For the second year in a row, Fukaura has taken a 3-1 lead in the Oi match, only
to see Habu come back to win the next to games and force an all-deciding seventh
game. Habu starts this game with a small victory: the furigoma gives him the black
pieces (last year he was white in the final game). Interesting detail: Shoreikai
2-dan Ito (who was the record keeper for this game) wanted to make sure he did the
pawn toss right so he shook the pawns in his hands for about 10 seconds before
throwing them. The result was two pieces pawn side up, two pieces tokin side up and
one pawn that was standing on its side, so the pawn toss had to be done again.
The second time three pawns were tokin side up, so Habu got the black pieces.
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:03:00
3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:03:00
4.G4a-3b 00:02:00 00:04:00
5.G6i-7h 00:06:00 00:04:00
6.P8c-8d 00:06:00 00:06:00
7.P2f-2e 00:16:00 00:06:00
8.B2bx8h+ 00:16:00 00:06:00
The Kakugawari with tempo loss has been one of the major themes in this match, so
this choice of opening by Fukaura was no surprise.
9.S7ix8h 00:17:00 00:06:00
10.S3a-2b 00:17:00 00:06:00
11.S3i-3h 00:23:00 00:06:00
12.S2b-3c 00:23:00 00:06:00
13.K5i-6h 00:25:00 00:06:00
14.S7a-6b 00:25:00 00:12:00
15.P3g-3f 00:28:00 00:12:00
16.P6c-6d 00:28:00 00:13:00
17.S3h-3g 00:32:00 00:13:00
18.S6b-6c 00:32:00 00:13:00
19.S3g-4f 00:35:00 00:13:00
20.S6c-5d 00:35:00 00:14:00
21.P3f-3e 00:50:00 00:14:00
22.P3dx3e 00:50:00 00:15:00
23.S4fx3e 00:50:00 00:15:00
24.P8d-8e 00:50:00 00:15:00
25.P2e-2d 00:53:00 00:15:00
26.P2cx2d 00:53:00 00:17:00
27.S3ex2d 00:54:00 00:17:00
28.B*5e 00:54:00 00:48:00
This is a move that has become part of the opening theory in this opening. It is not
such an easy move to find, because there might be better places to drop the bishop
and black still has the strong combination of S2d and R2h, which threatens to break
through on the second file. However, 28.B*5e has many merits. First, it forces black
to drop a pawn on 3g, which cannot be used anywhere else on the third file anymore.
Second, because this pawn on 3g is pinned, white has the option of P*3f later. Finally,
the bishop is also eyeing in the other direction, supporting an attack on the 8th file.
Anyway, taking the silver on 2d is not really an option, because it gives black all he
wants without putting up a fight.
29.P*3g 01:04:00 00:48:00
30.S3cx2d 01:04:00 00:48:00
31.R2hx2d 01:05:00 00:48:00
32.P*2c 01:05:00 00:48:00
33.R2d-2h 01:06:00 00:48:00
34.N2a-3c 01:06:00 00:56:00
35.S8h-7g!? 02:30:00 00:56:00
This is Habu's new idea. Moves like B*7g or S*4f are less double-edged, but Habu
doesn't want to waste a piece in hand to put pressure on the white bishop on 5e.
On the other hand, this silver becomes a target for attack, so 35.S7g is a risky
move. In any case, it forces Fukaura to act because if black is allowed P5f next,
white will be in trouble.
36.P*3f 02:30:00 01:37:00
37.P5g-5f 02:37:00 01:37:00
38.B5ex3g+ 02:37:00 01:47:00
Fukaura also had the option of 38.Bx7g+ Nx7g Px3g+ Nx3g P*3f, but after the game
he said that he had no confidence in his position after that.
39.N2ix3g 03:01:00 01:47:00
40.P3fx3g+ 03:01:00 01:48:00
White has sacrificed a bishop for a knight, but has also made a tokin. The position
is unclear, but it is definitely unexpected to see such a sharp middle game position
so early in a decisive title match game. It is still rather early in the afternoon
of the first day.
41.R2h-2f 03:04:00 01:48:00
42.+P3gx4g 03:04:00 02:20:00
43.K6h-7i? 03:14:00 02:20:00
Habu played this quick escape with the king without much thought, but regretted it
after the game. We will see a little later why it would have been better to play
43.P4e S4e P*2d immediately here.
44.N*6e 03:14:00 02:40:00
45.P5f-5e 04:59:00 02:40:00
The sealed move. Habu took 105 minutes to decide which move to put into the envelope.
46.S5d-4e 04:59:00 04:33:00
Not sure if the sealed move was a surprise for Fukaura, but he starts the second day
with thinking 113 minutes about his next move. White seems to have a good position
here, because his attack is much easier to realize than the black one. But then again,
we are talking about the man with magical endgame powers, so this game is far from
over yet.
47.P*2d 05:17:00 04:33:00
48.N6ex7g+! 05:17:00 04:37:00
Ignoring the pawn drop is the right decision. After 48.Px2d Rx2d +P5g R2a+ P*3a S*2c
the black attack is quite fast. Note that if Habu would not have played 43.K7i, but
immediately 43.P4e S4e P*2d, the knight would not have been on 6e and this move would
not have been possible, so white would have been forced to play Px2d.
49.N8ix7g 05:18:00 04:37:00
50.P8e-8f 05:18:00 04:37:00
51.P8gx8f 05:31:00 04:37:00
52.P*8g! 05:31:00 04:37:00
Another good move. If black takes this pawn with 53.Gx8g, then the tokin attack with
54.+P5g is much stronger than with the gold still on 7h.
53.P2dx2c+ 05:44:00 04:37:00
54.S*8h 05:44:00 05:15:00
55.K7i-6h 05:49:00 05:15:00
56.P*2e 05:49:00 05:19:00
57.R2f-2h 06:06:00 05:19:00
58.G3bx2c 06:06:00 05:37:00
59.G7hx8g 06:34:00 05:37:00
This looks like a strong move, because it forces the silver into a decision.
60.S8hx9i=! 06:34:00 05:46:00
Usually being forced to move a piece away from the king is bad, but this is an
exception. White picks up a lance here and because he threatens S*9h next, the
gold on 8g is going to be a target instead of an asset.
61.P5e-5d 06:35:00 05:46:00
62.S4ex5d 06:35:00 05:52:00
63.P*5b 06:36:00 05:52:00
64.K5a-4b! 06:36:00 06:31:00
Habu desperately tries to make something happen, but 64.K4b is a cool response.
The natural reply is 64.Gx5b, but after B*7a R7b B*8c R7a S*8b black is forcing
white to give him a rook and despite winning material this is quite a problem
after R6a Bx6a+ Kx6a R*7a K6b Rx8a+.
65.N*3e? 06:53:00 06:31:00
We have a small piece of Habu magic coming up, but it is just not enough to turn
the tables in this position. Better would have been 65.P*3b and only after 66.Kx3b
play the knight drop 67.N*3e. If white plays 66.G5b instead, 67.P3a+ is rather
unpleasant.
66.G2c-3d 06:53:00 06:50:00
67.N3e-2c= 07:23:00 06:50:00
68.G6ax5b 07:23:00 07:01:00
69.B*3a 07:38:00 07:01:00
70.K4b-3b 07:38:00 07:12:00
71.P*3e 07:38:00 07:12:00
72.G3dx3e 07:38:00 07:17:00
73.B*2b 07:39:00 07:17:00
74.L*2f 07:39:00 07:22:00
75.B2bx1a+ 07:50:00 07:22:00
76.L2fx2h+ 07:50:00 07:24:00
77.S*2a 07:50:00 07:24:00
78.K3b-4a 07:50:00 07:30:00
79.+B1ax3c 07:50:00 07:30:00
80.G5b-6c 07:50:00 07:31:00
81.N*7e 07:50:00 07:31:00
It looks like the black attack is very strong, because this knight drop is a mating
threat: B4b+ Rx4b +Bx4b Kx4b R*3b etc.
82.K4a-5b! 07:50:00 07:33:00
Again a good king move by Fukaura. After this the black attack is not strong enough.
83.N7g-8e 07:51:00 07:33:00
84.+P4g-5g 07:51:00 07:38:00
85.K6hx5g 07:51:00 07:38:00
86.R*7h 07:51:00 07:38:00
The decisive move. The black king can no longer be defended and there is no mate
against the white king, even Habu tries a few more checks hoping for a miracle.
87.B3a-4b+ 07:57:00 07:38:00
88.K5b-6a 07:57:00 07:42:00
89.+B4b-5a 07:58:00 07:42:00
90.K6a-7b 07:58:00 07:42:00
91.N7ex6c+ 07:59:00 07:42:00
92.K7bx6c 07:59:00 07:42:00
93.N8ex7c+ 07:59:00 07:42:00
94.N8ax7c 07:59:00 07:42:00
95.G*7d 07:59:00 07:42:00
96.K6cx7d 07:59:00 07:42:00
97.L*7e 07:59:00 07:42:00
98.K7d-8d 07:59:00 07:42:00
99.+B5ax7c 07:59:00 07:42:00
100.K8d-9d 07:59:00 07:42:00
Resigns 07:59:00 07:42:00
Even after 101.+B9e Kx9e there is clearly no mate and the black king cannot be
defended, so Habu resigned here. Fukaura showed incredible composure in this game,
winning with the white pieces in great style. Even when Habu turned on his magic
powers to create a strong looking attack Fukaura found the perfect answer every
time. No-one can deny that Fukaura worked hard for his first title defence and even
Habu will have to admit that there was no much more he could do to win this match.
Well played match by both players, but especially kudos to Fukaura who played his
best shogi when the pressure was really on. For some reason, Habu's magic doesn't
seem to work against him...