52nd Oza Match Game 4
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Oza"]
[White "Moriuchi Toshiyuki, Challenger"]
[Event "52nd Oza-sen, Game 4"]
[Date "October 13th 2004"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:00:00
3.P2g-2f 00:02:00 00:00:00
4.P8c-8d 00:02:00 00:01:00
5.P2f-2e 00:02:00 00:01:00
6.P8d-8e 00:02:00 00:01:00
7.G6i-7h 00:04:00 00:01:00
8.G4a-3b 00:04:00 00:01:00
9.P2e-2d 00:06:00 00:01:00
10.P2cx2d 00:06:00 00:01:00
11.R2hx2d 00:06:00 00:01:00
12.P8e-8f 00:06:00 00:01:00
13.P8gx8f 00:08:00 00:01:00
14.R8bx8f 00:08:00 00:01:00
15.R2dx3d 00:09:00 00:01:00
16.B2b-3c 00:09:00 00:01:00
17.R3d-3f 00:13:00 00:01:00
18.S3a-2b 00:13:00 00:01:00
19.P*8g 00:13:00 00:01:00
20.R8f-8e 00:13:00 00:01:00
Both players play a lot of different openings, and the R8e Yokofudori
is very popular, but this was still a small surprise. Moriuchi does not
play this opening much with white. This game becomes a long theoretical
battle.
21.R3f-2f 00:14:00 00:01:00
22.K5a-4a 00:14:00 00:01:00
23.K5i-5h 00:21:00 00:01:00
24.S7a-6b 00:21:00 00:01:00
25.G4i-3h 00:22:00 00:01:00
26.G6a-5a 00:22:00 00:02:00
27.S3i-4h 00:23:00 00:02:00
28.P7c-7d 00:23:00 00:03:00
29.P3g-3f 00:23:00 00:03:00
30.P*2e 00:23:00 00:54:00
31.R2f-2h 00:37:00 00:54:00
32.P*8f 00:37:00 00:56:00
33.P8gx8f 00:38:00 00:56:00
34.R8ex8f 00:38:00 00:56:00
35.P4g-4f 00:40:00 00:56:00
36.R8fx7f 00:40:00 00:56:00
37.B8hx3c+ 00:41:00 00:56:00
38.N2ax3c 00:41:00 00:56:00
39.S4h-4g 00:41:00 00:56:00
40.P2e-2f 00:41:00 01:15:00
41.P*8h 01:22:00 01:15:00
42.R7f-7e 01:22:00 01:46:00
43.R2hx2f 01:44:00 01:46:00
44.B*4d 01:44:00 01:47:00
45.P3f-3e 02:11:00 01:47:00
46.B4dx8h+ 02:11:00 01:56:00
47.P*7f 02:12:00 01:56:00
48.R7ex7f 02:12:00 01:56:00
49.P*7g 02:12:00 01:56:00
50.+B8hx7h 02:12:00 02:00:00
51.S7ix7h 02:13:00 02:00:00
52.R7f-8f 02:13:00 02:00:00
53.P*8g 02:14:00 02:00:00
54.R8f-8e 02:14:00 02:00:00
55.S4g-3f 02:14:00 02:00:00
56.P*8h 02:14:00 02:15:00
57.P3e-3d 03:06:00 02:15:00
58.P*2c 03:06:00 02:18:00
We are still in known territory. This position was also played in
the 4th game of 72nd Kisei match between Goda and Habu. Black has a
number of options here, for example 59.B*7f R7e Px3c+ Sx3c N*3e or
59.Px3c+ Sx3c N*4e or even 59.N3g to attack with an extra knight after
Px8i+, but none of these options seem to be bad for white.
59.N2i-3g 03:34:00 02:18:00
60.P8hx8i+ 03:34:00 02:34:00
61.S7hx8i 03:34:00 02:34:00
62.R8ex8g+ 03:34:00 03:23:00
63.R2f-2i 03:34:00 03:23:00
Still the same as what happened in the Kisei game between Goda and Habu.
In that game, Habu was happy with the retreat of the rook to 2i and went
on to win with white. However, the general opinion was that black had a
good position after 63.R2i. This is exactly the reason why Fujii expected
black to play differently. If your opponent voluntarily plays a position
that is known to be bad, it is clear that he must have something nasty up
his sleeve. This fear of running into a trap almost always makes the player
who supposedly has the better position try something else. Not in this game,
Habu shows great composure by waiting for Moriuchi to show what he has got.
64.N*2f? 03:34:00 03:51:00
Moriuchi is exposed as the emperor without clothes. After the game he admitted
he was bluffing, expecting Habu to change the moves. When this did not happen,
he started to feel more and more uncomfortable and this forced him into
changing the moves himself. Unfortunately for him, 64.N*2f is an important,
probably decisive, mistake. In the Kisei game, white played 64.N*5d, which
was considered good at the time, but Moriuchi said he had no confidence in
this move. However, white had an alternative here that was better than 64.N*2f,
namely 64.P*8h. This also was analyzed at the time and the conclusion was that
after 65.B*9h +Rx7g Px3c+ Sx3c B*5e black was better. Moriuchi of course looked
at this and also looked at 65.B*9h 66.+R8e 67.S7h and thought that white had no
good continuation. However, the vulgar (and therefore hidden to the professional
eye) 68.N*8f next is much more difficult to deal with than it looks. For example,
69.Px3c+ Sx3c N4e Nx9h+ Nx3c+ Gx3c N*4e G3b P*3d N*5d is just one of the variations
that ends up in a white advantage. There are many difficult variations here, but
the general feeling is that if white can take the bishop on 9h, he has good chances.
Moriuchi had to admit that this was the best way to play here, despite the ugly
pile-up on the 8th file.
65.G3h-4h 03:37:00 03:51:00
66.G*3h 03:37:00 03:52:00
67.B*6e! 03:59:00 03:52:00
The perfect place for the bishop: attacking the promoted rook, the gold on 3h
and the vital attacking point 4c.
68.G3hx4h 03:59:00 04:26:00
After 68.+R8f Gx3h Nx3h+ Bx3h the white attack has completely evaporated. Also,
68.Gx2i Bx8g R*3i Px3c+ Sx3c R*2a P*3a B*4i G*2h S4g stops the white attack. It
is important here to make white use the pawn on 3a by giving check with the rook.
Without this, white can keep attacking with P*3f after S4g.
69.K5hx4h 03:59:00 04:26:00
70.+R8g-8f 03:59:00 04:26:00
71.G*7f 04:09:00 04:26:00
More or less the end of the game and the match. White has no chance of breaking
through anymore.
72.N8a-7c 04:09:00 04:30:00
73.B6e-5f 04:13:00 04:30:00
74.G*2h 04:13:00 04:50:00
75.P3dx3c+ 04:27:00 04:50:00
76.S2bx3c 04:27:00 04:50:00
77.G7fx8f 04:27:00 04:50:00
78.G2hx2i 04:27:00 04:50:00
79.N3g-4e 04:27:00 04:50:00
80.R*3i 04:27:00 04:51:00
81.N4ex3c+ 04:36:00 04:51:00
82.G3bx3c 04:36:00 04:51:00
83.R*2a 04:36:00 04:51:00
84.P*3a 04:36:00 04:51:00
85.S*2b 04:38:00 04:51:00
Resigns 04:38:00 04:59:00
Moriuchi takes 8 minutes to admit defeat. 86.Rx3f+ Rx3a+ K5b Sx3c+ followed by
closing off the escape route with B*7b or threatening +Sx4c next is more than
the white position can take. Also 86.G3b P*3c easily wins for black. More than
anything a psychological victory for Habu, but after losing the Ryu-O, Osho and
Meijin titles to Moriuchi, he will be happy to finally win a match. This is his
13th consecutive Oza title, tying the record by Oyama (Meijin from 1959 to 1971).
Next year he will have a shot a becoming the only player in shogi history with
14 consecutive title victories.