52nd Oi Match Game 6
[Black "Hirose Akihito, Oi"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Challenger"]
[Event "52nd Oi-sen, Game 6"]
[Date "August 29th and 30th 2011"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.R2h-6h 00:04:00 00:01:00
4.P3d-3e 00:04:00 00:12:00
5.B8hx2b+ 00:15:00 00:12:00
6.S3ax2b 00:15:00 00:13:00
7.S7i-8h 00:16:00 00:13:00
8.R8b-3b 00:16:00 00:32:00
Habu has to win this game to keep his hopes of taking the Oi title from Hirose alive.
Instead of meeting his opponent head on by allowing the Furibisha Anaguma, Habu
chooses the Aifuribisha opening.
9.B*6e 00:55:00 00:32:00
10.B*5d 00:55:00 00:35:00
11.B6ex5d 00:56:00 00:35:00
12.P5cx5d 00:56:00 00:35:00
It looks like black has not achieved much with the bishop drop, but by forcing
the pawn from 5c to 5d, there is now an important hole on 5c for a bishop drop
and white needs to be very careful when developing his pieces.
13.S8h-7g 00:57:00 00:35:00
14.G6a-7b 00:57:00 01:20:00
15.G4i-4h 01:10:00 01:20:00
16.S7a-6b 01:10:00 01:47:00
17.K5i-4i 01:17:00 01:47:00
18.B*6d?! 01:17:00 02:20:00
This only aims at an attack on the 3rd file and is probably too simple a plan.
Black has multiple ways to counter it and the way Hirose plays it is especially
effective.
19.P6g-6f 02:06:00 02:20:00
20.P7c-7d 02:06:00 03:03:00
21.P6f-6e 02:10:00 03:03:00
22.B6d-8b 02:10:00 03:05:00
23.G6i-5h 02:24:00 03:05:00
24.P3e-3f 02:24:00 03:36:00
25.S3i-2h 02:26:00 03:36:00
A surprise. More natural seems 25.P4f Bx4f G5h-4g, a textbook example of the proverb
"Defend against major pieces by drawing them closer". However, Hirose is aiming for
something higher.
26.P3fx3g+ 02:26:00 04:13:00
27.G4hx3g 02:28:00 04:13:00
Looks like bad shape, but white has no immediate way to take advantage because of the
bishop fork B*1e if white takes on 3g.
28.S2b-3c 02:28:00 04:24:00
29.P7f-7e 02:51:00 04:24:00
30.P7dx7e 02:51:00 04:50:00
31.S7g-6f 02:58:00 04:50:00
32.S3c-3d 02:58:00 04:51:00
33.R6h-7h 03:19:00 04:51:00
34.K5a-6a 03:19:00 05:07:00
35.R7hx7e 03:29:00 05:07:00
36.S3d-4e 03:29:00 05:13:00
37.P6e-6d! 04:08:00 05:13:00
This has become a fight of the bishop on the board versus the bishop in hand. The
advantage of having the bishop in hand is bigger than it looks. White can not give
black the time to repair the bad shape, he needs to be careful to avoid a bishop
drop and also needs to find something to do for the bishop which is not very
effective on this diagonal. This is only getting worse now that the diagonal is
being closed by Hirose, attacking the silver on 3e at the same time.
38.N2a-3c?! 04:08:00 05:39:00
Turns a bad position in a dire one. Better was 38.S3f S6e Sx3g+ Sx3g G5c to try
and get rid of the pawn on 6d and give the bishop more space to operate in.
39.S6f-6e 04:37:00 05:39:00
40.P*3f 04:37:00 05:43:00
41.G3g-3h 04:40:00 05:43:00
42.P6cx6d 04:40:00 06:20:00
43.S6e-7d 05:11:00 06:20:00
44.P*7c 05:11:00 06:30:00
45.S7d-8e 05:11:00 06:30:00
The white bishop is crying in his little box. The position looks so bad for white
that some of the reporters in the press room were already starting preparations
for the end of the game, getting ready to interview Hirose after his first title
defense.
46.P5d-5e 05:11:00 06:30:00
47.P4g-4f 05:24:00 06:30:00
48.S4e-5d 05:24:00 06:32:00
49.B*7h? 05:31:00 06:32:00
This looks good, as white cannot prevent the promotion of the bishop (50.R2b can
be answered by P*3d). Correct was 49.P2f followed by P*3d which wins the knight on
3c while keeping the bishop in hand.
50.P9c-9d! 05:31:00 06:33:00
51.B7hx2c+ 05:33:00 06:33:00
52.B8b-9c 05:33:00 06:33:00
Suddenly the white bishop has been given new life. On the other hand, the promoted
bishop on 2c is much less effective than expected. Habu is slowly turning the tables
from here.
53.R7e-7i 05:34:00 06:33:00
54.B9c-6f 05:34:00 06:34:00
55.N8i-7g 05:44:00 06:34:00
56.P5e-5f 05:44:00 06:34:00
57.P5gx5f 05:53:00 06:34:00
58.N3c-2e 05:53:00 06:39:00
59.P*3d 06:01:00 06:39:00
60.K6a-7a 06:01:00 06:52:00
61.G3h-4h 06:04:00 06:52:00
62.R3b-3a 06:04:00 06:57:00
63.P3d-3c+ 06:21:00 06:57:00
64.B6fx3c 06:21:00 07:01:00
65.K4i-3h 06:28:00 07:01:00
66.P*2b 06:28:00 07:06:00
67.P*3b 06:28:00 07:06:00
68.P2bx2c 06:28:00 07:09:00
69.P3bx3a+ 06:28:00 07:09:00
70.G4a-5a 06:28:00 07:15:00
71.P*7h 06:30:00 07:15:00
72.B3c-2d 06:30:00 07:15:00
73.+P3a-4a 06:37:00 07:15:00
74.G5a-6a 06:37:00 07:19:00
75.P*3e 06:41:00 07:19:00
76.B2dx3e 06:41:00 07:20:00
77.G4h-4g 06:41:00 07:20:00
78.S5d-4e 06:41:00 07:24:00
79.R7i-4i 06:41:00 07:24:00
80.B*3g? 06:41:00 07:33:00
Habu has done some brilliant maneuvering, combining attack with moving the king to a
safe place. The biggest difference is how he has used the bishop that looked to be
doomed. It did a lot of work, moving from 8b to 3e, stopping at 9c, 6f, 3c and 2d
along the way. Still, 80.B*3g is overly optimistic. The simple 80.P3g+ was best,
and after 81.Nx3g Nx3g+ Sx3g P*3f Sx3f Sx3f Gx3f B2d white seems to take a step back.
However, because the black pieces are all over the place and white has enough
pieces in hand, it is not easy for black to find good moves. For example, R*3a is
answered by N*6f which is an unexpectedly severe attack.
81.P4fx4e 06:58:00 07:33:00
82.P*5g 06:58:00 07:33:00
83.G5h-4h 07:02:00 07:33:00
84.B3gx2h+ 07:02:00 07:34:00
85.K3hx2h 07:02:00 07:34:00
86.S*3g 07:02:00 07:34:00
Habu is going all in and manages to weaken the black king position, but is left with
too few pieces to place the final blow. After the game Hirose said that he felt like
he could win the game from here.
87.N2ix3g 07:15:00 07:34:00
88.P3fx3g+ 07:15:00 07:34:00
89.G4gx3g 07:15:00 07:34:00
90.N2ex3g+ 07:15:00 07:37:00
91.K2hx3g 07:15:00 07:37:00
92.G*4f 07:15:00 07:39:00
93.K3g-3h 07:15:00 07:39:00
94.P5g-5h+ 07:15:00 07:39:00
95.G4hx5h 07:15:00 07:39:00
96.P*3g 07:15:00 07:39:00
97.K3h-2i 07:21:00 07:39:00
98.G4f-5g 07:21:00 07:39:00
99.G5h-5i 07:34:00 07:39:00
100.N*4f 07:34:00 07:39:00
101.P*3i 07:35:00 07:39:00
102.N4f-5h+ 07:35:00 07:39:00
103.+P4a-5a 07:35:00 07:39:00
104.S6bx5a 07:35:00 07:43:00
105.B*4f 07:36:00 07:43:00
106.B3ex4f 07:36:00 07:44:00
107.R4ix4f 07:36:00 07:44:00
108.+N5hx5i 07:36:00 07:44:00
109.N*5c 07:45:00 07:44:00
110.G6a-5b 07:45:00 07:47:00
111.B*2f? 07:50:00 07:47:00
If Hirose fails to defend his Oi title, this is going to be the move that will haunt
him. For the second time he drops a bishop at a distance and for the second time it
is the wrong move. If he would have played 111.B*7e here, he probably would have won
the game and the match. For example, 112.Gx5f Rx5f B*4g K1h Bx5f+ and it looks like
the black king is difficult to defend. However, then R*6a K8b S*9c leads to mate and
black wins. Also, 112.N5h+ R*6a K8b Sx9d! is a mating threat which cannot be defended
by Lx9d because of S*9c and mate again.
112.G5gx5f 07:50:00 07:52:00
Devastating. 113.Rx4f fails to B*4g and now black has no mating threat to counter.
113.R4f-4h 07:51:00 07:52:00
114.B*5g 07:51:00 07:52:00
The white attack gains decisive power and black has no fast attack.
115.N5c-6a+ 07:56:00 07:52:00
116.K7ax6a 07:56:00 07:52:00
117.P*5c 07:56:00 07:52:00
118.B5gx4h+ 07:56:00 07:54:00
119.P5cx5b+ 07:56:00 07:54:00
120.S5ax5b 07:56:00 07:54:00
121.R*3a 07:56:00 07:54:00
122.N*4a 07:56:00 07:54:00
Resigns 07:58:00 07:54:00
The white king cannot be mated and if black turns to defense with 123.Rx3g+ then +Bx3g
Bx3g G4g wins. Also, 123.Bx3g +Bx3g Rx3g+ B*5e is too strong. Undoubtedly with a lot of
regrets, Hirose resigned here. Habu wins an up and down game to take this Oi match a
decisive seventh game. One would give the psychological edge to Habu here, as well as
the vast difference in title match experience. Still, he lost the seventh game of the
Meijin match recently, so Hirose should not abandon all hope.