55th Meijin Match Game 3
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Ryu-O
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Meijin
55th Meijin-sen, Game 3, May 7th & 8th 1997
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/0 2/2
3.G6i-7h 6/6 0/2
4.G4a-3b 0/6 10/12
5.S7i-6h 23/29 0/12
6.P3c-3d 0/29 3/15
7.B8h-7g 1/30 0/15
8.P8d-8e 0/30 30/45
9.S3i-3h 10/40 0/45
10.S7a-7b 0/40 8/53
11.P2g-2f 18/58 0/53
12.B2bx7g+ 0/58 28/81
13.S6hx7g 0/58 0/81
14.S3a-4b 0/58 0/81
15.P1g-1f 5/63 0/81
16.P1c-1d 0/63 7/88
17.P9g-9f 9/72 0/88
18.S4b-3c 0/72 50/138
19.P4g-4f 10/82 0/138
20.S7b-8c 0/82 13/151
21.S3h-4g 33/115 0/151
22.S8c-8d 0/115 1/152
23.P6g-6f 2/117 0/152
24.P9c-9d 0/117 4/156
25.G4i-5h 35/152 0/156
Instead of this move, 25.R6h is also possible, but Tanigawa wants to keep
the options about his future king position open. The king can now still move
to either 4h or 6h.
26.K5a-4b 0/152 128/284
The sealed move. Like the other games, this game is developing at a
very slow pace. Habu was contemplating 26.P9e Px9e Sx9e Lx9e Lx9e P*9g P*9h
S8h S4d to use also the left silver in attack. However, he did not like his
position after P3f S5e B*7g! with the double threat of taking the lance on
9e and attacking the silver with P6e.
27.P3g-3f 18/170 0/284
28.G6a-5b 0/170 4/288
29.N2i-3g 36/206 0/288
30.P7c-7d 0/206 6/294
31.P2f-2e 31/237 0/294
32.P7d-7e 0/237 14/308
33.K5i-6h 18/255 0/308
34.P6c-6d 0/255 10/318
35.S4g-5f 49/304 0/318
36.K4b-3a? 0/304 24/342
Natural but questionable move. Habu's idea is to counter the natural attack
37.P3e with P4d P4e P3e Px4d Px3f. He did not like 37.P4d because of P4e and
37.B*5d because of S6g. In both cases it is difficult for white to attack.
However, Habu overlooks that Tanigawa can play the attack differently.
37.N3g-4e! 19/323 0/342
Strange looking, but very difficult to defend against.
38.S3c-4d 0/323 31/373
One would like to play 38.S4b to attack the knight with P4d next, but after
38.S4b black can play P2d Px2d B*5e B*4d Rx2d P*2c Rx3d and white is in
trouble.
39.P2e-2d 0/323 0/373
40.P2cx2d 0/323 0/373
41.R2hx2d 0/323 0/373
42.P*2c 0/323 0/373
43.R2d-2i 0/323 0/373
44.B*3h?! 0/323 7/380
This move backfires, but there does not seem to be anything else.
45.R2i-2e! 16/339 0/380
Not to the more natural square 2f. This rook now also works on
the left side of the board and makes P3e possible. The immediate threat is
P3e Px3e P1e Px1e P*1c Lx1c P*2d Px2d Rx2d P*2c R3d and black's attack is
quicker.
46.P7ex7f 0/339 11/391
47.S7gx7f 1/340 0/391
48.B3h-4i+ 0/340 0/391
This still does not look so bad, does it?
49.S5f-4g! 7/347 0/391
But now it does! Black threatens to win the horse by R2i and there is only
one defence.
50.+B4i-3i 0/347 5/396
Very painful. This horse is forced away from the enemy king. This basically
decides the game.
51.P1f-1e 23/370 0/396
52.P1dx1e 0/370 3/399
53.P3f-3e 7/377 0/399
54.P8e-8f 0/377 36/435
55.P3ex3d! 24/401 0/435
Another great Tanigawa move. He does not lose time with defending against
moves that are not threatening. He rightly judges that his own attack is
stronger.
56.P*3f! 0/401 31/466
Subtle counter. If 56.S7e at once, then Sx7e Px8g+ P*8c +Px7h Kx7h R7b P*7c
Rx7c P*7d R8c P*8d R8b S*3c and black wins. The difference with the game is
that the silver on 4g is still defending the gold on 5h, so that +B4i is
not threatening to take the gold.
57.S4gx3f 4/405 0/466
58.S8d-7e 0/405 33/499
Desperate move.
59.P3d-3c+! 41/446 0/499
I assume that Tanigawa has read the game until the end from here.
60.N2ax3c 0/446 3/502
61.N4ex3c+ 0/446 0/502
62.S7ex7f 0/446 0/502
63.+N3cx3b 6/452 0/502
64.K3ax3b 0/452 0/502
65.P*3c 0/452 0/502
66.S4dx3c 0/452 6/508
Habu has already given up the game. He could have extended his suffering by
playing 66.Kx3c. After that black wins by playing 67.N*7d R7b (if Px8g+ then
simple Nx8b+) P*3d K3b S3e Rx7d Rx2c+ K4a B*6c.
67.R2ex2c+ 13/465 0/508
68.K3bx2c 0/465 1/509
69.B*4a 0/465 0/509
Resigns 0/465 1/510
Time: 07:45:00 08:30:00
For us mere mortals it would have been nice if a couple of more moves had been
added. Tanigawa does not have a mate, but calculated that he has a hisshi while
Habu has no mate. Habu took a minute to check that and resigned. After the
next (forced) variation that would have been more clear: 70.P*3b N*3e K3d G*4e
K2d P*2e K1c Bx3b+ S*6g G7hx6g Sx6g+ Kx6g N*7e K5f and white has no mate.