55th Meijin Match Game 2
Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Meijin
White: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
55th Meijin-sen, Game 2, April 26th & 27th 1997
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/0 2/2
3.G6i-7h 2/2 0/2
4.P8d-8e 0/2 13/15
5.B8h-7g 18/20 0/15
6.P3c-3d 0/20 1/16
7.S7i-6h 3/23 0/16
8.G4a-3b 0/23 7/23
9.S3i-3h 40/63 0/23
10.S7a-7b 0/63 22/45
11.P2g-2f 3/66 0/45
12.B2bx7g+ 0/66 15/60
13.S6hx7g 0/66 0/60
14.S3a-4b 0/66 0/60
15.P1g-1f 1/67 0/60
16.P1c-1d 0/67 20/80
17.P9g-9f 8/75 0/80
18.S4b-3c 0/75 30/110
19.P4g-4f 17/92 0/110
20.K5a-4b 0/92 4/114
21.S3h-4g 0/92 0/114
22.P9c-9d 0/92 15/129
23.G4i-5h 17/109 0/129
24.P6c-6d 0/109 43/172
25.K5i-6h 22/131 0/172
26.S7b-6c 0/131 11/183
27.P6g-6f 117/248 0/183
28.S6c-5d 0/248 3/186
29.S4g-5f 1/249 0/186
30.S3c-4d?! 0/249 40/226
This is almost exactly the same position as in the second game of the Zen
Nihon Pro Tournament match between Tanigawa (then black) and Morishita. The
difference is that in that game the silver was only played to 4d after black
played his king to 7i and white played the gold to 5b. This turns out to be
a big difference...
31.P2f-2e 24/273 0/226
32.S4d-5e 0/273 6/232
33.S5fx5e 8/281 0/232
34.S5dx5e 0/281 0/232
35.B*4e! 1/282 0/232
Great Habu move and already more or less decisive. With the gold on 5b this
bishop would not be good, since promotion on 6c is not possible.
36.S5ex4f 0/282 126/358
Tanigawa, as is his style, decides to allow the bishop promotion and attack.
He did not like the natural G5b S*7a R8d B7b+ B*5d +B8b. After that, white is
almost forced to play L9c and can only wait what black is going to do.
37.P2e-2d! 53/335 0/358
Great timing and a move to remember. The point of this will become clear soon.
38.P2cx2d 0/335 0/358
39.B4e-6c+ 0/335 0/358
40.N2a-3c 0/335 44/402
No choice. Without the pawn exchange on 2d, white could have tried the violent
S*4g G5h-6g B*3i R1h B4h+. However, with the white pawn on 2d, black can
answer B*3i by Rx2d and has a clear advantage.
41.+B6cx6d 56/391 0/402
42.P8e-8f 0/391 12/414
43.P8gx8f 3/394 0/414
44.S*5e 0/394 0/414
45.+B6d-6e 29/423 0/414
46.N3c-4e 0/423 1/415
47.S*4h! 17/440 0/415
A good defensive drop. White's attack does not get off the ground and silvers
and knight are in an awkward position.
48.B*9b? 0/440 40/455
The losing move. Tanigawa's last fighting chance is R6b. If black then chooses
P*4g? Nx5g+ Sx5g Sx5g+ Gx5g Rx6e Px6e B*3i he will be in trouble. However,
after both 49.+B3h and 49.Rx2d he keeps his advantage, even though his attack
is not as strong as in the actual game.
49.+B6ex9b 17/457 0/455
50.L9ax9b 0/457 0/455
51.R2hx2d 3/460 0/455
52.P*2c 0/460 0/455
53.R2d-2e 0/460 0/455
54.S4f-3e 0/460 7/462
55.P3g-3f 21/481 0/462
56.S3e-4d 0/481 27/489
57.S4h-4g 8/489 0/489
58.P*8e 0/489 2/491
59.P*4f 2/491 0/491
60.P8ex8f 0/491 0/491
61.P*8h 0/491 0/491
62.B*3g! 0/491 0/491
A surprising sacrifice in a desperate attempt to confuse the issue.
63.P4fx4e 18/509 0/491
Most commentators expected that Habu would take the bishop here, which might
to win as well. It seems that Habu has read the next variation pretty much
until the end.
64.B3gx1i+ 0/509 0/491
65.P4ex4d 0/509 0/491
66.L*2d 0/509 0/491
67.P4dx4c+ 0/509 0/491
68.G3bx4c 0/509 0/491
69.P*4d! 0/509 0/491
The decider. If black takes the silver immediately, the horse on 5e becomes
a great defender.
70.G4cx4d 0/509 3/494
71.R2ex5e 0/509 0/494
72.+B1ix5e 0/509 0/494
73.B*2b 0/509 0/494
74.G4d-5d 0/509 13/507
75.B2bx5e+ 2/511 0/507
76.G5dx5e 0/511 0/507
77.S*4d 0/511 0/507
78.P*4f 0/511 3/510
79.S*4c 5/516 0/510
Resigns 08:36:00 08:30:00
A little more quickly than expected, but Tanigawa's P*4f was clearly a
"katachizukuri", i.e. making the position look like there was not too big
a difference. After 80.K5a Sx5c+ or 80.K3a S3c+ there is no defense.