52nd Oi Match Game 4
[Black "Hirose Akihito, Oi"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "52nd Oi-sen, Game 4"]
[Date "August 9th and 10th 2011"]
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:01:00
3.P2g-2f 00:03:00 00:01:00
4.P8c-8d 00:03:00 00:03:00
5.P2f-2e 00:05:00 00:03:00
6.P8d-8e 00:05:00 00:04:00
7.G6i-7h 00:06:00 00:04:00
8.G4a-3b 00:06:00 00:05:00
9.P2e-2d 00:09:00 00:05:00
10.P2cx2d 00:09:00 00:07:00
11.R2hx2d 00:09:00 00:07:00
12.P8e-8f 00:09:00 00:09:00
13.P8gx8f 00:09:00 00:09:00
14.R8bx8f 00:09:00 00:10:00
15.R2dx3d 00:11:00 00:10:00
16.B2b-3c 00:11:00 00:12:00
17.K5i-5h 00:18:00 00:12:00
18.S3a-2b 00:18:00 00:29:00
19.R3d-3f 00:22:00 00:29:00
20.K5a-4a 00:22:00 00:32:00
21.P*8g 00:40:00 00:32:00
22.R8f-8e 00:40:00 00:35:00
Like in game 2, Hirose pushes the pawn in front of the rook on the third move,
indicating that he wants to play Ibisha. Habu selects the R8e-Yokofudori with the
creator of this opening Chuza watching in the press room. Chuza said that he thought
the R8e-Yokofudori was a possibility, because Habu had played it on July 30th against
Miura in the A Junisen as well (a game he won), but he was still surprised when his
creation actually appeared on the board.
23.R3f-2f 00:41:00 00:35:00
24.S7a-6b 00:41:00 00:38:00
25.G4i-3h 00:45:00 00:38:00
26.G6a-5a 00:45:00 00:43:00
27.P3g-3f 01:05:00 00:43:00
28.P*2e 01:05:00 01:04:00
It may have been that Hirose counted on Habu playing 28.P7d here. Then it follows
29.N3g N7c S4h P*2e R2i and black will switch the rook to the left on the bottom
file. This is what Habu played in the third game of last year's Ryu-O match against
Watanabe (a game he won). There have been twelve games played like this and the result
is split: 6-6. However, recently the black side has won 4 in a row, so maybe Hirose
hoped to lure Habu into this type of position. Instead, Habu changes his earlier play
with 28.P*2e instead. This is not a new move and we are not in unknown territory yet.
Not by long shot...
29.R2f-2h 01:09:00 01:04:00
30.P7c-7d 01:09:00 01:05:00
31.S3i-4h 01:27:00 01:05:00
32.P*8f 01:27:00 01:17:00
33.P8gx8f 01:30:00 01:17:00
34.R8ex8f 01:30:00 01:17:00
35.P4g-4f 01:39:00 01:17:00
36.R8fx7f 01:39:00 01:39:00
37.B8hx3c+ 01:46:00 01:39:00
38.N2ax3c 01:46:00 01:39:00
39.S4h-4g 01:50:00 01:39:00
40.P2e-2f 01:50:00 01:50:00
41.P*8h 02:29:00 01:50:00
42.R7f-7e 02:29:00 02:27:00
43.R2hx2f 02:46:00 02:27:00
44.B*4d 02:46:00 02:39:00
45.P3f-3e 02:47:00 02:39:00
46.B4dx8h+ 02:47:00 02:47:00
47.P*7f 02:48:00 02:47:00
48.R7ex7f 02:48:00 02:58:00
49.P*7g 02:50:00 02:58:00
50.+B8hx7h 02:50:00 02:59:00
51.S7ix7h 02:51:00 02:59:00
52.R7f-8f 02:51:00 02:59:00
53.P*8g 02:59:00 02:59:00
54.R8f-8e 02:59:00 03:00:00
Looks pretty wild, but this position still has been played before. Despite the loss
of material, the white pieces are working well, so the general opinion was that
white can put up a good fight here.
55.S4g-3f 03:31:00 03:00:00
56.P*8h 03:31:00 03:16:00
57.P3e-3d 03:48:00 03:16:00
58.P*2c 03:48:00 03:20:00
59.N2i-3g 04:10:00 03:20:00
The sealed move.
60.P8hx8i+ 04:10:00 03:46:00
61.S7hx8i 04:11:00 03:46:00
62.R8ex8g+ 04:11:00 03:47:00
63.R2f-2i 04:13:00 03:47:00
64.P*8h 04:13:00 04:06:00
65.B*9h 04:20:00 04:06:00
66.+R8g-8f 04:20:00 04:20:00
67.P3dx3c+ 04:46:00 04:20:00
68.S2bx3c 04:46:00 04:23:00
69.N3g-4e 04:48:00 04:23:00
70.N*5d 04:48:00 04:59:00
71.B9hx5d 05:03:00 04:59:00
72.P5cx5d 05:03:00 05:01:00
73.N4ex3c+ 05:03:00 05:01:00
74.G3bx3c 05:03:00 05:03:00
75.N*4e 05:05:00 05:03:00
76.G3c-3b 05:05:00 05:05:00
77.P*3c 05:07:00 05:05:00
78.G3b-4b 05:07:00 05:05:00
79.R2ix2c+ 05:12:00 05:05:00
80.P*3a 05:12:00 05:34:00
81.+R2c-2b 06:08:00 05:34:00
Hirose took 56 minutes for this move and in the end decides that he cannot stray
from the known path here. Despite the consensus that white has good chances, the
position is complex and needs thorough calculation. For example, 81.N*3d is a move
black wants to play and after 82.Px8i+ Nx4b+ Gx4b G*3b K5b Gx4b K6a G5b Kx5b S*5c
Sx5c Nx5c+ Kx5c S*4d white has to be careful because Px4d P3b+ white must drop
something on 4c and then black can pick up the rook with B*4b followed by Bx8f+.
The correct answer to S*4d is K5b and the black attack is not decisive. For example,
+R2b N*4b G*5c K6a G6b Kx6b B*5c K7c Bx8f+ and even though black has again captured
the white rook, too much material was given up and white can win with S*6i Kx6i B*4i
and there is no defense.
82.P8hx8i+ 06:08:00 06:01:00
83.+R2bx3a 06:18:00 06:01:00
84.K4a-5b 06:18:00 06:01:00
85.P3c-3b+ 06:28:00 06:01:00
86.+R8f-8h 06:28:00 06:02:00
87.N*6h 06:38:00 06:02:00
88.G*4a 06:38:00 06:22:00
89.+P3bx4b 06:47:00 06:22:00
90.G5ax4b 06:47:00 06:22:00
91.+R3ax1a 06:47:00 06:22:00
92.B*6i 06:47:00 06:49:00
93.K5hx6i 06:48:00 06:49:00
94.S*4i 06:48:00 06:49:00
95.L*5c 06:50:00 06:49:00
96.S6bx5c 06:50:00 06:50:00
Finally, a new move. The game between Hatakeyama Mamoru and Inoue. Played last August
in the B1 Junisen continued with 96.K6a and even though white won that game, the
conclusion of the post-mortem analysis was that 96.Sx5c was even better. Habu new
this (and Hirose said he knew this as well), but still thought the position was
quite complicated.
97.N4ex5c+ 07:06:00 06:50:00
98.K5bx5c 07:06:00 06:50:00
99.B*2f 07:08:00 06:50:00
100.L*4d 07:08:00 06:53:00
101.K6i-5i 07:08:00 06:53:00
102.S4ix3h+ 07:08:00 06:54:00
103.S3f-3e 07:11:00 06:54:00
104.G*4h 07:11:00 07:21:00
105.B2fx4h 07:11:00 07:21:00
106.+S3hx4h 07:11:00 07:21:00
107.K5ix4h 07:11:00 07:21:00
108.+R8hx6h 07:11:00 07:21:00
109.K4h-3g 07:26:00 07:21:00
110.B*5i 07:26:00 07:21:00
111.K3g-2g 07:26:00 07:21:00
112.N*2c 07:26:00 07:21:00
113.S*2d 07:51:00 07:21:00
114.N2cx3e 07:51:00 07:36:00
115.S2dx3e 07:51:00 07:36:00
116.+R6hx5g 07:51:00 07:38:00
117.K2g-3f 07:51:00 07:38:00
118.B5i-3g+ 07:51:00 07:39:00
Hard to question this move, because it is safely winning, but in the press room the
computer announced mate in this position. However, the top professionals Morishita,
Fukauara, Akutsu and Sato Shinichi (who were all present for this game played in
the southern city of Kita-Kyushu) couldn't find the mate. The problem is the position
after 118.+R3g K2e +R2g P*2f Bx2f+ Sx2f S*3f K3e P*3d Kx3d P*3c. Now K2c +Rx2f P*2d
G4b-3b K1b S*2c is easy, but no-one could figure out how to mate the king after K3e.
In the end, the help of the computer was again needed to show the mate that even
surprised both Hirose and Habu. The point is that after K3e N*2c K2d +Rx2f Kx1c,
black plays S*2d!. This move is very hard to find for a human player, because it
chases the king up the board, which is something that normally should be avoided.
After S*2d K1b +R1e K2a G3a Kx3a +Rx1a and if black drops something on 2a, the R*4a
is mate. It is unlikely that Habu put much thought in finding a mate in this position,
because he took only one minute to play 118.B3g+.
119.K3f-2e 07:51:00 07:39:00
120.S*2c 07:51:00 07:39:00
121.P*3c 07:58:00 07:39:00
122.P*2d 07:58:00 07:44:00
123.S3ex2d 07:58:00 07:44:00
124.+B3g-4g 07:58:00 07:45:00
125.N*3f 07:58:00 07:45:00
126.+R5gx4f 07:58:00 07:46:00
127.G*3e 07:58:00 07:46:00
128.S2c-1d 07:58:00 07:47:00
Resigns 07:58:00 07:47:00
Mate after 129.K3d +B5f or 129.K2f +R3g K1f +B3h. There is no mate after 129.K1f,
but then 130.+Bx3f is hisshi, so Hirose resigned here. It is a little bit of a
mystery what Hirose was thinking when he followed a line that was considered bad
for black for such a long time. He said after the game that he knew the theory,
but that he thought black had a chance. However, there wasn't any point in the
game where he played something to back up this opinion. Habu wins two in a row
and the fifth game now becomes very important, as this match is now down to a
best-of-three.