57th Osho Match Game 2
[Black "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"]
[White "Kubo Toshiaki, Challenger"]
[Event "57th Osho-sen, Game 2"]
[Date "January 24th and 25th 2008"]
1.P7g-7f 00:01:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:01:00 00:03:00
3.P2g-2f 00:03:00 00:03:00
4.P5c-5d 00:03:00 00:03:00
5.P2f-2e 00:10:00 00:03:00
6.R8b-5b 00:10:00 00:05:00
7.G4i-5h 00:23:00 00:05:00
8.P5d-5e 00:23:00 00:21:00
9.P2e-2d 00:31:00 00:21:00
10.P2cx2d 00:31:00 00:23:00
11.R2hx2d 00:31:00 00:23:00
12.P5e-5f 00:31:00 00:42:00
13.P5gx5f 00:49:00 00:42:00
14.B2bx8h+ 00:49:00 00:46:00
15.S7ix8h 00:49:00 00:46:00
16.B*3c 00:49:00 00:49:00
17.R2dx2a+ 00:50:00 00:49:00
18.B3cx8h+ 00:50:00 00:50:00
19.N*5e 01:04:00 00:50:00
20.K5a-6b 01:04:00 00:55:00
21.+R2ax1a 01:17:00 00:55:00
22.P*5d?! 01:17:00 01:19:00
This move was first played by Sato Yasumitsu in the fourth game of the Kisei
match against Watanabe. It looks really terrible, inviting the black attack
and blocking the white rook. However, after 23.Nx6c+ Kx6c L*6f K7b B*7e R5a
P*2c S*6b Sato won the game and the move was called "a brilliant blunder"
by Yonenaga. Actually, after that game another game was played with 22.P*5d,
the C2 Junisen game between Itodani and Toyama. There it followed 23.Nx6c+
Kx6c L*6f K7b B*7e R5a +R1b S3b and again white won. Habu prepared that a
move that might make this "brilliant blunder" just a blunder...
23.N5ex6c+ 02:04:00 01:19:00
24.K6bx6c 02:04:00 01:20:00
25.B*9f! 02:04:00 01:20:00
Great new move by Habu. Again he has been able to think outside the box.
For a professional it is almost impossible to think of another move than
25.L*6f here. Combined with Nx6c+ it is a one-two punch. Not only that,
but white has no pawns in hand to defend against the check and perhaps most
important, it is defending the promoted rook on 1a with tempo. According to
Habu, this all is not enough to make it the best move in this position.
26.P7c-7d 02:04:00 03:08:00
Kubo stopped dead in his tracks and spent 108 minutes on this move. 26.K7b
is not possible because of 27.+Rx3a Gx3a S*6c and the white position crumbles.
26.K5c is perhaps not immediately losing, but the king looks very dangerous
here and when this move was suggested to Kubo in the post-mortem analysis, he
just smiled wearily.
27.L*6f 02:17:00 03:08:00
28.+B8hx6f 02:17:00 03:46:00
No choice. 28.K7b Bx7d and Lx6c+ next is too much.
29.P6gx6f 02:17:00 03:46:00
30.S*9e? 02:17:00 03:48:00
When everything looks bad, it is hard to try and find the best move. Here 30.N*8d
would have been better. Then 31.B8e N7c N7g Nx8e Nx8e B*7g K4i B9e+ is still bad
for white, but much better than what was played in the game. Kubo discarded 30.N*8d
because of the devilish move 31.B*7e!, aiming at Bx3a+ next, but even this is not as
bad as what happened in the game, so he should have tried this here.
31.+R1ax1c 03:55:00 03:48:00
The sealed move. Actually, Habu was far from confident that his position was good
because he was about to lose the bishop on 9f.
32.S3a-4b 03:55:00 04:00:00
33.+R1c-1e 03:59:00 04:00:00
34.N*3e 03:59:00 04:14:00
35.B*2c 04:50:00 04:14:00
36.G4a-5a 04:50:00 04:43:00
37.B2cx3d+ 04:56:00 04:43:00
38.S9ex9f 04:56:00 04:43:00
39.+B3dx3e! 05:01:00 04:43:00
Great whole board vision by Habu. It is almost a reflex to take back the silver,
but after 39.Px9f N2g= S2h Nx1i+ Sx1i B*8h "the bishop on 3d is in a bad spot and
the silver on 1i is also out of play" (Habu). He takes the knight instead, moving
the promoted bishop to the perfect square for attack.
40.S9fx8g= 05:01:00 04:59:00
41.+B3e-4f 05:02:00 04:59:00
42.P*6d 05:02:00 05:05:00
43.+R1e-8e 05:26:00 05:05:00
Every move is a direct hit. 41.+B4f attacks the head of the king so white has to
defend with 42.P*6d and 43.+R8e threatens the silver and the pawn on 8c, so again
white's reply is forced.
44.L*8d 05:26:00 05:06:00
45.+R8e-2e 05:26:00 05:06:00
This is not only moving away the rook, but also threatening P*8e next, so again
white's reply is forced.
46.N8a-7c 05:26:00 05:07:00
47.P6f-6e 05:39:00 05:07:00
Again a forcing move. 48.Nx6e fails to P*6f and 48.Px6e P*6d is also deadly. Again,
Kubo has no choice.
48.S4b-5c 05:39:00 05:28:00
49.P6ex6d 05:40:00 05:28:00
50.S5cx6d 05:40:00 05:29:00
51.P*6e 05:40:00 05:29:00
52.S6d-5c 05:40:00 05:31:00
53.P*8e 05:40:00 05:31:00
54.L8dx8e 05:40:00 05:50:00
55.N8i-7g! 05:40:00 05:50:00
With this move Habu seals it. Bringing the extra knight into the attack is too much
for the white position. Here Habu felt confident that his attack had deciding strength.
The rest of the game is a clinic in converting a won position into a win. Kubo is only
a helpless victim in the Habu endgame show.
56.B*8f 05:40:00 06:14:00
57.G6i-6h 05:54:00 06:14:00
58.S8gx7f= 05:54:00 06:14:00
59.N7gx8e 05:55:00 06:14:00
60.N7cx8e 05:55:00 06:14:00
61.L*6d 06:04:00 06:14:00
62.S5cx6d 06:04:00 06:20:00
63.P6ex6d 06:05:00 06:20:00
64.B8fx6d 06:05:00 06:20:00
65.+B4fx6d 06:23:00 06:20:00
66.K6cx6d 06:23:00 06:20:00
67.N*8h 06:24:00 06:20:00
68.B*8g 06:24:00 06:29:00
69.N8hx7f 06:37:00 06:29:00
70.B8gx7f+ 06:37:00 06:29:00
71.G5h-6g 06:37:00 06:29:00
72.+B7f-8f 06:37:00 06:31:00
73.P*8g 06:41:00 06:31:00
74.+B8f-9e 06:41:00 06:31:00
75.B*8f 06:46:00 06:31:00
76.+B9ex8f 06:46:00 06:31:00
77.P8gx8f 06:46:00 06:31:00
78.N*7e 06:46:00 06:31:00
79.S*6e 06:50:00 06:31:00
80.K6d-7c 06:50:00 06:31:00
81.B*6d 06:58:00 06:31:00
82.K7c-7b 06:58:00 06:31:00
83.S6ex7d 06:58:00 06:31:00
84.N7ex6g= 06:58:00 06:31:00
85.G6hx6g 06:58:00 06:31:00
86.N*6f 06:58:00 06:32:00
87.S7dx8c+ 06:58:00 06:32:00
88.K7bx8c 06:58:00 06:33:00
89.+R2ex8e 06:58:00 06:33:00
90.S*8d 06:58:00 06:33:00
91.+R8ex8d 06:59:00 06:33:00
92.K8cx8d 06:59:00 06:33:00
93.S*8e 06:59:00 06:33:00
Resigns 06:59:00 06:33:00
Mate after 93.K8c N*7e K7b S*8c K8a (K6b N*7d) N*7c. A complete victory by Habu who
made the most of his opening preparation. Kubo said before the match that it was
important to take an early lead in this match, but after two games where he didn't
even get a chance to attack, he already finds himself in a deep hole. Winning the
next game is already of the utmost importance.