55th Meijin Match Game 5
Black: Tanigawa Koji, Ryu-O
White: Habu Yoshiharu, Meijin
55th Meijin-sen, Game 5, May 29th and 30th 1997
1.P7g-7f 0/0 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/0 33/33
It is highly unusual to think that long about a move this early, but not
without precedent. When Habu was asked about this, he did not want to say
much about it: "I was thinking about several things". I could not help
thinking about the usual scene at the beginning of Habu games where he closes
his eyes and almost seemed to have fallen asleep. Might it be that this type
of concentration had become more difficult lately and that he decided to use
more time getting that old feeling back?
3.G6i-7h 15/15 0/33
4.P8d-8e 0/15 21/54
5.B8h-7g 2/17 0/54
In the NBA they give the ball to the player who is scoring until he
stops doing so (or to Michael Jordan until he says to stop doing so :-) ).
Tanigawa has been very successful with this type of Bishop Exchange opening
(he also won the deciding game 5 of the Zen Nihon Pro Tournament with this
opening), so he gives it another try.
6.P3c-3d 0/17 2/56
7.S7i-6h 3/20 0/56
8.G4a-3b 0/20 3/59
9.S3i-3h 4/24 0/59
10.S7a-7b 0/24 3/62
11.P2g-2f 16/40 0/62
12.B2bx7g+ 0/40 19/81
13.S6hx7g 0/40 0/81
14.S3a-4b 0/40 0/81
15.P1g-1f 11/51 0/81
16.P1c-1d 0/51 21/102
17.P9g-9f 9/60 0/102
18.P9c-9d 0/60 11/113
19.P4g-4f 7/67 0/113
20.P6c-6d 0/67 26/139
21.S3h-4g 6/73 0/139
22.S7b-6c 0/73 3/142
23.K5i-6h 8/81 0/142
24.S6c-5d 0/81 2/144
25.S4g-5f 18/99 0/144
26.S4b-3c 0/99 16/160
27.G4i-5h 12/111 0/160
28.P6d-6e 0/111 12/172
29.K6h-7i 36/147 0/172
30.K5a-4b 0/147 5/177
31.P2f-2e 68/215 0/177
32.G6a-5b 0/215 36/213
Habu's sealed move.
33.P3g-3f 24/239 0/213
34.K4b-3a 0/239 65/278
35.N2i-3g 4/243 0/278
36.P4c-4d 0/243 2/280
37.R2h-4h 37/280 0/280
38.G5b-4c 0/280 89/369
39.K7i-8h 10/290 0/369
40.K3a-2b 0/290 0/369
We are already well into the second day of play, but instead of expecting an
opening attack, both players seem to have run out of moves.
41.G5h-6h 2/292 0/369
42.G4c-4b 0/292 3/372
43.L1i-1h 24/316 0/372
44.G4b-4c 0/316 13/385
45.G6h-5h 24/340 0/385
46.G4c-4b 0/340 2/387
Here a sennichite was expected by the professionals watching the game. Habu
can do nothing but wait, because the only other development move is P7d and
that would be extremely dangerous since it opens the diagonal to the rook,
giving black all kinds of possibilities for a bishopfork on rook and king when
attacking by the natural P4e. On the other hand, without P7d the attack with
P4e is an overplay (for professionals at least).
47.G5h-4g?! 44/384 0/387
A brave decision to avoid the sennichite. Tanigawa himself said of it:
"Sennichite with black is a little embarrassing". The only other way of
attacking is 47.B2f, but after 48.G3b-4c P4e Px4e Sx4e P*4d black can not
give his attack any power.
48.G4b-4c 0/384 12/399
49.R4h-2h 0/384 0/399
50.G4c-4b 0/384 5/404
51.P4f-4e 7/391 0/404
Half past four on the second day. The slowest build-up to the opening of the
fight in this meijin match.
52.P4dx4e 0/391 1/405
53.N3gx4e 0/391 0/405
54.S5dx4e 0/391 37/442
It is a bit unusual to take the knight in an attack like this, but in this case
it can not be helped. If white plays 54.S4d, then he has no moves after 55.P*4f
and black can take the time to exchange pawns on the second file and after that
start a solid attack on the third file by P3e.
An alternative would have been 54.P*4f, but after 55.Nx3c+ G3bx3c G4h N*4d
P3e black is better. For example N3f Px3d Nx2h+ Px3c+ and now Gx3c B*7a,
Nx3c P*3d or Kx3c S*3e and black has the upper hand.
55.S5fx4e 0/391 0/442
56.P8e-8f 0/391 1/443
57.P8gx8f 0/391 0/443
58.P6e-6f! 0/391 13/456
Great move. Everyone expected the joining pawn attack 58.P*8e, which is good
for white if black follows the main line 59.P3e Px8f Px3d N*8e. However, after
59.S*7a black gets the better position. For example 60.R8d (if 60.R7b? then
P3e is allright) Px8e Rx8e P*8f Rx8f P*8g (Sx8f? B*5e) R8e P3e P6f G5f Px6g+
Gx6g and no good moves for white.
59.P6gx6f 8/399 0/456
60.P*8e 0/399 0/456
61.P3f-3e 12/411 0/456
No choice, after Px8e Rx8e the silver on 4e is lost.
62.B*6i! 0/411 22/478
If 62.Px8f P*8c Rx8c B*5f the black bishop is ideally positioned for both
attack and defense.
63.B*5f 8/419 0/478
64.N*4d! 0/419 4/482
More Habu magic. None of the professionals watching the game expected this
move, which seems to put the knight in an awkward spot, since it can be taken
by the silver at any time. However, the point of not dropping the knight on
6d will soon become clear. Also, Habu finds a remarkable way of using this
knight later in attack.
65.B5f-6e 20/439 0/482
Good or bad? Professionals do not like to take a piece that can be exchanged
at any time too early, but having to move the bishop from the good square
5f is also not very appealing. Trapping the bishop after 65.Sx4d Sx4d S*5h
comes to mind, or 65.Sx4d Sx4d Px8e S4e! N*2f! (Bx4e! Rx8e).
66.P8ex8f 0/439 0/482
67.P*8c 0/439 0/482
68.R8b-6b 0/439 0/482
69.P3ex3d 1/440 0/482
70.R6bx6e 0/440 19/501
With the knight on 6d this exchange would not have been possible.
71.P6fx6e 0/440 0/501
72.B*6g! 0/440 2/503
Overlooked by Tanigawa and more or less the decisive move. Habu manages to
keep his attack going while his own king is still safe.
73.G7hx6g?! 22/462 0/503
Both players seemed to hardly given it any thought, but 73.Sx8f might have
been better here. For example 74.Bx4e+ Px3c+ G4bx3c S*5f and the position
still looks difficult.
74.P8f-8g+ 0/462 0/503
75.K8h-7i 0/462 0/503
76.B6ix4g+ 0/462 0/503
77.B*6i 1/463 0/503
78.+B4gx6i 0/463 7/510
79.K7ix6i 0/463 0/510
80.B*4g 0/463 0/510
81.S*5h? 2/465 0/510
The losing move. After 81.B*5h black still seems to have a fighting chance.
After 82.Bx5h+ Kx5h G*3g R2f +P7h P5f things are still complicated.
82.N4d-3f! 0/465 0/510
The decider. If the rook moves, white's attack is winning after N4h+. If black
takes the knight as in the game, the white position is suddenly completely
safe.
83.P3dx3c+ 3/468 0/510
84.G4bx3c 0/468 0/510
85.S4ex3f 17/485 0/510
86.B4gx3f+ 0/485 0/510
87.P*3d 0/485 0/510
88.G3cx3d 0/485 3/513
89.N*2f 0/485 0/513
90.G3d-3c 0/485 1/514
91.P*3d 0/485 0/514
92.G3c-4c 0/485 0/514
93.P2e-2d 13/498 0/514
94.G*7h! 0/498 9/523
Better than S*7h.
95.K6i-5i 0/498 0/523
96.+B3f-3g 0/498 0/523
97.R*4h 4/502 0/523
98.P*4g 0/502 1/524
99.B*6f 1/503 0/524
100.K2b-3a 0/503 4/528
101.S5hx4g 1/504 0/528
102.S*3i 0/504 0/528
Resigns 2/506 0/528
Time: 08:26:00 08:48:00
Tanigawa took two minutes to decide that there was nothing left to play for.
The mating threat 103.Sx4h+ Rx4h R*7i is impossible to defend against. The
desperate 103.G6h fails to P*6g.