50th Osho Match Game 1
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Osho
50th Osho-sen, Game 1, January 9th and 10th 2001
1.P7g-7f 1/1 0/0
It seems almost a matter of course that the first title match of the
21st century is between Habu and Tanigawa. They meet in a title match
for the third time this season and it is already their 19th encounter
at the big stage. Tanigawa lost in the Kisei and the Oi matches, but
every match start with 0-0 and losing the Ryu-O match against Fujii
might have affected Habu's confidence a little.
2.P3c-3d 0/1 5/5
3.P2g-2f 2/3 0/5
4.P8c-8d 0/3 2/7
5.P2f-2e 2/5 0/7
6.P8d-8e 0/5 2/9
7.G6i-7h 1/6 0/9
8.G4a-3b 0/6 3/12
9.P2e-2d 7/13 0/12
10.P2cx2d 0/13 3/15
11.R2hx2d 0/13 0/15
12.P8e-8f 0/13 3/18
13.P8gx8f 0/13 0/18
14.R8bx8f 0/13 1/19
15.R2dx3d 6/19 0/19
16.B2b-3c 0/19 9/28
17.R3d-3f 7/26 0/28
18.S3a-2b 0/26 21/49
19.P*8g 49/75 0/49
20.R8f-8e 0/75 22/71
After two Habu-Fujii matches (Oza and Ryu-O) with only Furibisha against
Ibisha games, the R8e Yokofudori looks almost fresh. Despite
the great results of the Furibisha players recently, the R8e Yokofudori
continues to be the main opening system among professionals.
21.R3f-2f 4/79 0/71
22.K5a-4a 0/79 8/79
23.K5i-6h 21/100 0/79
24.S7a-6b 0/100 37/116
25.P3g-3f 36/136 0/116
26.G6a-5a 0/136 18/134
27.S3i-3h 19/155 0/134
28.P7c-7d 0/155 20/154
29.N2i-3g 26/181 0/154
30.N8a-7c 0/181 46/200
31.P4g-4f 17/198 0/200
32.R8e-5e 0/198 64/264
33.P4f-4e 27/225 0/264
34.R5e-5d 0/225 4/268
35.B8hx3c+ 5/230 0/268
36.N2ax3c 0/230 1/269
37.P6g-6f 0/230 0/269
38.P*2e 0/230 9/278
39.R2f-2i 7/237 0/278
40.P6c-6d 0/237 2/280
So far this game is identical to the game between Sato and Tanigawa
in the Osho league. It is interesting that despite the fact that
Tanigawa won this game very quickly, he has no problems playing the
game with reversed colours here. It seems that both players have found
some improvements in this position.
41.G4i-4h 71/308 0/280
Tanigawa is the first to deviate from his game against Sato. Sato played
41.B*7b here, but white just attacked strongly with 42.P6e. It turned
out that exchanging the bishop for the rook did not help white in any
way and that 41.B*7b was just a wasted move. 41.G4h is better, as it
strengthens the centre before attacking.
42.P6d-6e 0/308 28/308
The natural move. After 43.Px6e moves like B*6f and Nx6e make black's
position quite dangerous.
43.B*8b 12/320 0/308
44.R5d-6d 0/320 37/345
If 44.Px6f then 45.P*6c is good for black.
45.P6fx6e 39/359 0/345
46.R6dx6e 0/359 1/346
47.P*6g 0/359 0/346
It looks like black has a strong position here. The head of the king
is relatively safe and the lance on 9a will be lost.
48.P*3e 0/359 28/374
Habu must attack. Losing material without compensation is too much.
49.B8bx9a+ 8/367 0/374
50.P3ex3f 0/367 1/375
51.N3gx2e 0/367 0/375
52.N3cx2e 0/367 3/378
53.R2ix2e 0/367 0/378
54.P*2d 0/367 0/378
55.R2e-2i 6/373 0/378
56.R6ex4e 0/373 0/378
57.L*4g 4/377 0/378
58.R4e-3e 0/377 3/381
59.+B9a-9b?! 17/394 0/381
So far Tanigawa's opening preparation has worked nicely, but this move
is questionable. Better was 59.P*3g 60.Px3g+ 61.Sx3g to get rid of the
attacking base on 3f. Habu had planned 62.N*5e, but then 63.S4f Nx4g+
Sx3e is good for black.
60.N*2e! 0/394 23/404
Hard to defend.
61.+B9bx7d 2/396 0/404
62.P*6c 0/396 1/405
63.N*2g 8/404 0/405
This is a waste of a good knight, but it can not be helped. Things are
complicated, but black still seems to have a slight edge.
64.R3e-5e 0/404 6/411
65.P5g-5f 2/406 0/411
66.R5e-5d 0/406 2/413
67.+B7d-7e 0/406 0/413
68.B*2f 0/406 2/415
69.R2i-3i 18/424 0/415
70.P*8h 0/424 25/440
71.G7hx8h 3/427 0/440
72.R5dx5f 0/427 0/440
73.N8i-7g 15/442 0/440
74.P*7d 0/442 5/445
75.+B7e-8d 0/442 0/445
76.R5fx7f 0/442 0/445
77.K6h-7h 4/446 0/445
78.N7c-6e 0/446 2/447
79.S7i-6h 1/447 0/447
80.P7d-7e 0/447 1/448
81.P*4i! 4/451 0/448
This looks like a powerless defence-only move, but it is actually quite
strong. The black horse is now relieved of the duty to defend the gold
on 4h and if black is given the chance to play +B7d followed by +Bx6e
the white attack is completely killed.
82.N2ex1g+! 0/451 21/469
Habu shows his fighting ability. He is going to invest a full bishop
in his attack as it is the only way to keep fighting. If 82.P3g+ then
Gx3g Nx3g+ Sx3g Bx3g+ Rx3g it are actually black's inactive pieces that
have been exchanged and the rook is freed.
83.L1ix1g 7/458 0/469
84.B2fx1g+ 0/458 0/469
85.R3i-1i 0/458 0/469
86.+B1gx2g 0/458 2/471
87.S3hx2g 0/458 0/471
88.P3f-3g+ 0/458 0/471
89.L4gx4c+? 3/461 0/471
The losing move. Still, in this position there was no win found for
black. 89.Gx3g N*5f N*6i L*5d was better than the game, but is still
unclear. In the press room 89.P*2c was analysed, but 90.Sx2c P*3c Gx3c
does not gain much.
90.G3bx4c 0/461 0/471
91.N*3e 0/461 0/471
92.G4c-4d 0/461 0/471
93.B*4c 3/464 0/471
It seems like Tanigawa counted on the strength of this move.
94.L*5d! 0/464 1/472
Nice counter. Defending the knight on 6e and attacking at the same
time. White has turned the tables.
95.B4c-2a+ 7/471 0/472
96.+P3gx4h 0/471 1/473
97.+B2ax2b 1/472 0/473
98.+P4h-5h 0/472 3/476
99.S*3b 1/473 0/476
100.K4a-5b 0/473 0/476
101.+B2bx4d 0/473 0/476
In his calculations at the 93th move, Tanigawa might have thought that
he was winning here. This bishop defends 7g so white has no mate and
threatens mate in one at the same time.
102.N*6f!! 0/473 0/476
A move that will go into the Habu highlight series. 102.Px6f leads to
mate after 103.+Px6h Kx6h Nx7g+ Gx7g Rx7g+ Kx7g G*7f or 103.+Px6h K8i
G*7h K9h Gx8h.
103.+B4dx6f 1/474 0/476
No choice. Now black has no mating threat anymore.
104.+P5hx6h 0/474 0/476
105.K7hx6h 1/475 0/476
106.R7fx6f 0/475 0/476
107.N3e-4c+ 2/477 0/476
108.K5b-6a 0/477 0/476
Resigns 0/477 0/476
Time: 07:57:00 07:56:00
Black has no mate and after 109.Px6f B*4f K7h G*7i K6g B5g+ it is mate.
Tanigawa had a good position after the opening, but Habu's brilliant
endgame skills again prevailed. It might have been luck that 102.N*6f
was possible, but Habu already showed his resilience earlier with the
bishop sacrifice to keep him in the game.