51st Oza Match Game 4 (Replay)

[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"]
[White "Watanabe Akira, Challenger"]
[Event "51st Oza-sen, Replay Game 4"]
[Date "October 7th 2003"]
1.P7g-7f     03:56:00  00:00:00

The replay starts after only a 30 minute recess. Not much you can do 
in that time, and Watanabe actually already set down at the board 15 
minutes before the game would start.

2.P3c-3d     03:56:00  04:00:00
3.P2g-2f     03:56:00  04:00:00
4.P8c-8d     03:56:00  04:00:00
5.P2f-2e     03:56:00  04:00:00
6.P8d-8e     03:56:00  04:00:00
7.G6i-7h     03:56:00  04:00:00
8.G4a-3b     03:56:00  04:00:00
9.P2e-2d     03:56:00  04:00:00
10.P2cx2d    03:56:00  04:00:00
11.R2hx2d    03:56:00  04:00:00
12.P8e-8f    03:56:00  04:00:00
13.P8gx8f    03:56:00  04:00:00
14.R8bx8f    03:56:00  04:00:00
15.R2dx3d    03:56:00  04:00:00
16.B2b-3c    03:56:00  04:00:00
17.R3d-3f    03:56:00  04:00:00
18.S3a-2b    03:56:00  04:00:00
19.P*8g      03:56:00  04:00:00
20.R8f-8e    03:56:00  04:00:00

So the 4th game becomes a Yokofudori after all. Who will have studied 
this the deepest?

21.R3f-2f    03:56:00  04:00:00
22.K5a-4a    03:56:00  04:00:00
23.K5i-6h    03:56:00  04:00:00
24.S7a-6b    03:56:00  04:00:00
25.S3i-3h    03:56:00  04:00:00
26.P7c-7d    03:56:00  04:00:00
27.P3g-3f    03:56:00  04:00:00
28.N8a-7c    03:56:00  04:00:00
29.N2i-3g    03:56:00  04:00:00
30.G6a-5a    03:56:00  04:00:00
31.P4g-4f    03:56:00  04:00:00
32.R8e-5e    03:56:00  04:00:00
33.P4f-4e    03:57:00  04:00:00
34.R5e-5d    03:57:00  04:00:00
35.B8hx3c+   03:57:00  04:00:00
36.N2ax3c    03:57:00  04:00:00
37.P6g-6f    03:57:00  04:00:00
38.P*2d      03:57:00  04:00:00
39.B*8b      03:58:00  04:00:00
40.B*6d      03:58:00  04:00:00
41.G4i-4h    03:58:00  04:00:00
42.N3cx4e    03:58:00  04:00:00
43.N3gx4e    03:58:00  04:00:00
44.B6dx1i+   03:58:00  04:00:00
45.B8bx9a+   03:58:00  04:00:00
46.L*4d      03:58:00  04:00:00
47.N*3g      03:58:00  04:00:00
48.L4dx4e    03:58:00  04:00:00
49.P*4f      03:58:00  04:00:00
50.L4ex4f    03:58:00  04:00:00
51.P*4g      03:58:00  04:00:00
52.N*6d      03:58:00  04:00:00
53.G7h-6g    03:59:00  04:00:00
54.+B1i-1h   03:59:00  04:00:00
55.P4gx4f    03:59:00  04:00:00
56.+B1hx1g   03:59:00  04:00:00
57.R2f-2i    03:59:00  04:00:00
58.+B1g-1h   03:59:00  04:00:00
59.R2i-4i    03:59:00  04:00:00
60.P2d-2e    03:59:00  04:01:00
61.+B9a-9b   03:59:00  04:01:00

Diagram 1

Habu is the first one to change the moves. Up until now the position 
was still known and both players hardly took any time to play their 
moves. Habu used only 3 minutes, while Watanabe used only 1 minute.

62.P2e-2f    03:59:00  04:38:00

But here Watanabe takes his time. Thinking for 37 minutes about a move 
when you have only one hour for the whole game could be considered a 
serious think.

63.L*2i      03:59:00  04:38:00
64.+B1hx3f   03:59:00  04:38:00
65.+B9bx9c   04:02:00  04:38:00
66.P*9b      04:02:00  04:43:00
67.+B9c-8d   04:10:00  04:43:00
68.P*8c      04:10:00  04:43:00
69.+B8dx8c   04:10:00  04:43:00
70.R5d-3d    04:10:00  04:43:00

Diagram 2

A difficult position. Habu is a lance up, but his promoted bishop is 
boxed in. Freeing it here is of course impossible, as 71.+Bx7d fails 
to Nx7f. Watanabe seems to have a nasty threat here. After P2g+, Lx2g 
fails to P*2f and Sx2g to +Bx3g. As this looks hard to defend against, 
most professionals in the press room thought Habu was in trouble.

71.P6f-6e!   04:32:00  04:43:00

Habu just ignores the threat and goes for the knight. Very well judged 
indeed.

72.N7cx6e    04:32:00  04:45:00
73.P*6f      04:32:00  04:45:00
74.P*8h      04:32:00  04:46:00
75.S7ix8h    04:34:00  04:46:00
76.N6ex5g+   04:34:00  04:54:00
77.K6hx5g    04:42:00  04:54:00
78.P2f-2g+   04:42:00  04:54:00
79.S3hx2g    04:44:00  04:54:00
80.+B3fx3g   04:44:00  04:54:00
81.P*3e      04:44:00  04:54:00
82.R3d-5d    04:44:00  04:55:00
83.P*5f      04:44:00  04:55:00
84.P*3f?     04:44:00  04:56:00

Diagram 3

This is an important mistake. Better was 84.+B1i, threatening P*2h next.

85.L*3d!     04:45:00  04:56:00

The point. Because white has dropped a pawn on 3f, this lance can not 
be blocked by a pawn.

86.P*2h      04:45:00  04:59:00
87.L3dx3b+   04:50:00  04:59:00
88.K4ax3b    04:50:00  04:59:00
89.G4hx3g    04:50:00  04:59:00
90.P3fx3g+   04:50:00  04:59:00
91.N*3d      04:51:00  04:59:00
92.S2b-3a    04:51:00  04:59:00
93.B*1e!     04:53:00  04:59:00

Diagram 4

"That was painful" (Watanabe). Now black, who had been on the defense 
for most of the time, suddenly launches a very powerful attack.

94.P*3c      04:53:00  04:59:00
95.P*2c      04:53:00  04:59:00
96.L*2a      04:53:00  04:59:00
97.G*2b      04:54:00  04:59:00
98.L2ax2b    04:54:00  04:59:00
99.P2cx2b+   04:54:00  04:59:00
100.S3ax2b   04:54:00  04:59:00
101.N3dx2b+  04:54:00  04:59:00
102.K3bx2b   04:54:00  04:59:00
103.L*2e     04:54:00  04:59:00
104.N*2c     04:54:00  04:59:00

Again white is hampered by his own pawns. Without the pawn on 2h, white 
could have easily defended here with P*2c.

105.B1ex3g   04:54:00  04:59:00

Diagram 5

Picks up an important pawn. The threat is P*2d and white does not have a 
good defense. The rest of the game is a display of Habu's extraordinary 
attacking skills.

106.G*1d     04:54:00  04:59:00
107.L2ex2c+  04:55:00  04:59:00
108.K2bx2c   04:55:00  04:59:00
109.L2ix2h   04:55:00  04:59:00
110.P*2d     04:55:00  04:59:00
111.S*4e     04:55:00  04:59:00
112.N*4d     04:55:00  04:59:00
113.P3e-3d   04:56:00  04:59:00
114.P3cx3d   04:56:00  04:59:00
115.P*3c     04:57:00  04:59:00
116.N4dx5f   04:57:00  04:59:00
117.S4ex5d   04:57:00  04:59:00
118.P5cx5d   04:57:00  04:59:00
119.R*3a     04:57:00  04:59:00
120.G*4a     04:57:00  04:59:00
121.R3a-2a+  04:57:00  04:59:00
122.S*2b     04:57:00  04:59:00
123.+B8c-6a  04:57:00  04:59:00
124.G4a-3a   04:57:00  04:59:00
125.+B6ax6b  04:57:00  04:59:00
126.G3ax2a   04:57:00  04:59:00
127.+B6bx5a  04:57:00  04:59:00
128.L*5e     04:57:00  04:59:00
129.+B5a-4a  04:57:00  04:59:00
130.K2c-1b   04:57:00  04:59:00
131.P3c-3b+  04:57:00  04:59:00
132.R*7h     04:57:00  04:59:00
133.+P3bx2b  04:57:00  04:59:00
Resigns      04:57:00  04:59:00

Final Diagram

Mate after 134.Gx2b G*2c Gx2c S*2a Kx2a S*3b K1b Sx2c+ K2a +B3b. Habu 
just barely survives this fourth game and gets a chance to defend his 
Oza title in the decisive 5th game. Watanabe will feel sorry about his 
decision to settle for sennichite, but still can become the third 
teenager to win a major title (after Habu and Yashiki) by winning game 5.