55th Meijin Match Game 6
Black: Habu Yoshiharu, Meijin
White: Tanigawa Koji, Challenger
55th Meijin-sen, Game 6, June 10th and 11th 1997
1.P7g-7f 9/9 0/0
2.P8c-8d 0/9 4/4
3.S7i-6h 11/20 0/4
4.P3c-3d 0/20 0/4
5.P6g-6f 1/21 0/4
6.P8d-8e 0/21 51/55
7.S6h-7g 30/51 0/55
8.S7a-7b 0/51 2/57
9.P5g-5f 33/84 0/57
10.S7b-8c 0/84 9/66
11.B8h-7i 23/107 0/66
12.S8c-8d 0/107 11/77
Tanigawa has taken some time to decide that he will try his luck in a quick
climbing silver attack. It is the first time he has played this strategy
against Habu.
13.G6i-7h 26/133 0/77
The normal defence. 13.R8h is another possibility.
14.G4a-3b 0/133 47/124
15.P2g-2f 21/154 0/124
16.S3a-4b 0/154 26/150
17.S3i-4h 34/188 0/150
18.K5a-4a 0/188 29/179
19.G4i-5h 5/193 0/179
20.P6c-6d 0/193 42/221
21.G5h-6g 34/227 0/221
The sealed move. The importance of the game and indeed the whole match is
being reflected in the cautious way both players set up the game, thinking
about each opening move for a long time.
22.S8d-9e?! 0/227 50/271
Positively ahead as is Tanigawa's style. However, this may be an overplay.
23.B7i-6h 16/243 0/271
24.P6d-6e 0/243 1/272
25.S4h-5g 7/250 0/272
26.P8e-8f 0/250 21/293
27.P8gx8f 1/251 0/293
28.S9ex8f 0/251 0/293
Looks like white is just giving up a silver, but in fact he is only giving
up a pawn. This loss is also significant though...
29.S7gx8f 1/252 0/293
30.P*8h 0/252 0/293
31.N8i-7g 48/300 0/293
Not good is 31.Gx8h Px6f Sx6f P*6e S6f-7g Rx8f and black is in big trouble
after both Sx8f Bx8h+ and B5g R8b.
32.R8bx8f 0/300 38/331
33.P*8g 2/302 0/331
34.R8f-8d 0/302 1/332
35.G7hx8h 1/303 0/332
White has sacrificed a pawn to mess black's position up a little. Still,
since white can not continue attacking, it was generally thought that Habu
had the advantage. Habu himself also seemed confident in the position.
36.P6ex6f 0/303 11/343
37.S5gx6f 6/309 0/343
38.P1c-1d 0/309 0/343
39.K5i-6i 40/349 0/343
40.K4a-3a 0/349 2/345
41.K6i-7h 4/353 0/345
42.P3d-3e?! 0/353 17/362
It seems that first 42.B1c is better. After 43.P4f P3e followed by R3d and
N3c the position is difficult.
43.S*4f! 25/378 0/362
A strong silver drop that gives Habu the advantage.
44.P7c-7d 0/378 41/403
45.P2f-2e 50/428 0/403
46.N8a-7c 0/428 2/405
47.B6h-5g 10/438 0/405
48.P7d-7e 0/438 38/443
49.S6fx7e 5/443 0/443
50.R8d-4d 0/443 0/443
51.P*6d 4/447 0/443
52.G6a-6b 0/447 5/448
53.B5g-6f 10/457 0/448
54.R4d-3d 0/457 3/451
55.P6d-6c+ 13/470 0/451
56.G6bx6c 0/470 3/454
57.B6fx2b+ 0/470 0/454
58.K3ax2b 0/470 0/454
59.B*4e! 0/470 0/454
A painful drop that seems to decide the game. Tanigawa: "I realised that I was
losing and was already thinking about the seventh game". However, things are
not that easy...
60.B*3i 0/470 1/455
61.R2h-3h?! 6/476 0/455
On "Igo-Shogi weekly", the saturday morning television program, 61.R6h was
looked at and thought of as an improvement. Shukan Shogi gives 61.R6h R5d
P5e P4d B1h R6d P*6e G7d! as a good figting chance for white.
62.B3ix7e+ 0/476 1/456
63.P7fx7e 5/481 0/456
64.R3d-6d 0/481 0/456
65.P*6e 6/487 0/456
66.G6c-5d 0/487 12/468
67.P6ex6d 7/494 0/468
68.G5dx4e 0/494 0/468
69.S4fx4e 9/503 0/468
70.B*2g 0/503 1/469
71.R3h-2h 5/508 0/469
72.B2gx4e+ 0/508 0/469
So what went wrong? Habu does not seem to have made any mistakes, but now
the position is very unclear with chances for both players. The general
opinion after the game was that Habu was still a little better but there are
many moves to chose from and it is easy to get lost in this position,
especially with time running out.
73.P2e-2d 0/508 0/469
74.P2cx2d 0/508 0/469
75.P6d-6c+ 1/509 0/469
76.P*6f 0/509 6/475
77.G6gx6f 1/510 0/475
78.P*6e 0/510 0/475
79.G6f-5e 1/511 0/475
80.S*6g! 0/511 4/479
No comments from Shukan Shogi or Shogi Weekly on the moves before this one,
but now it seems clear that Tanigawa has at least as good a chance to win
this game as Habu. This silver can not be taken: 80.Kx6g S*6f and white takes
the gold on 5e. Black's king is suddenly in danger and the position of the gold
on 8h is beginning to hurt.
81.K7h-8i 2/513 0/479
82.+B4e-2c 0/513 3/482
83.P*2e 2/515 0/482
84.P2dx2e 0/515 0/482
85.+P6cx5c 3/518 0/482
86.S4bx5c 0/518 1/483
87.B*5a? 1/519 0/483
Shukan Shogi suggests 87.R*7d P*5d P*2d +Bx2d Rx7c+ as better. It is hard to
believe that this is the decisive mistake.
88.S5c-4b 0/519 1/484
89.B5ax7c+ 0/519 0/484
90.P*7f 0/519 2/486
91.P*2d 1/520 0/486
92.+B2cx2d 0/520 0/486
93.G5e-4e 0/520 0/486
94.S*6f 0/520 2/488
95.G*3d 1/521 0/488
96.P7fx7g+ 0/521 17/505
97.G8hx7g 0/521 0/505
98.S6fx7g+ 0/521 3/508
99.+B7c-5e 0/521 0/508
100.S*3c 0/521 1/509
101.+B5ex7g 0/521 0/509
102.G*7h 0/521 0/509
103.R2hx7h 1/522 0/509
104.S6gx7h+ 0/522 0/509
105.K8ix7h 0/522 0/509
106.P*7f 0/522 3/512
107.G3dx2d 2/524 0/512
108.P7fx7g+ 0/524 0/512
109.K7hx7g 0/524 0/512
110.S3cx2d 0/524 1/513
111.S*3d?! 2/526 0/513
Handing over the meijin title. The best fighting chance would have been
111.B*5e B*3c R*8b Bx5e Px5e, but after P*7f K8f P*8e Kx8e B*6c P7d Bx4e
black can not save himself.
112.G*6f 0/526 9/522
113.K7g-8f 0/526 0/522
114.R*8a 0/526 1/523
115.N*8d 5/531 0/523
116.R8ax8d 0/531 0/523
117.K8f-9f 0/531 0/523
118.B*6c! 0/531 4/527
Black has no mate, but this move makes sure that black can not suddenly mate
the white king.
119.R*7d 0/531 0/527
120.R8dx7d 0/531 1/528
121.P7ex7d 0/531 0/528
122.B6cx4e 0/531 0/528
123.S3dx4e 0/531 0/528
124.R*7f 0/531 0/528
Resigns 1/532 0/528
Time: 08:52:00 08:48:00
