58th Osho Match Game 3
[Black "Fukaura Koichi, Challenger"]
[White "Habu Yoshiharu, Osho"]
[Event "58th Osho-sen, Game 3"]
[Date "February 10th and 11th 2009"]
1.P7g-7f 00:00:00 00:00:00
2.P3c-3d 00:00:00 00:01:00
3.P2g-2f 00:03:00 00:01:00
4.P5c-5d 00:03:00 00:04:00
5.P2f-2e 00:12:00 00:04:00
6.R8b-5b 00:12:00 00:05:00
This might become the first season where white wins the majority of games among
professionals. This match has also started with two wins by white. There are currently
many opening systems where white doesn't play a waiting game, but actively tries to
get the upper hand early. One of the most important ones is the Gokigen Nakabisha.
Habu doesn't play this too often, but he played it five days earlier in the first
game of the Oi league against Senzaki. Before that, he hadn't played this opening for
a year, but the game against Senzaki (which he won) seemed to have given him some
extra feeling for this opening as he said after the game that he had intended to play
the Gokigen Nakabisha all along.
7.G6i-7h 00:12:00 00:05:00
Fukaura selects this move over the more popular alternatives 7.Bx2b+ or 7.G4i-5h.
Actually, Fukuara also usually played Bx2b+ or G4i-5h here, but in the quarterfinals
of the Asahi Open he played 7.G7h for the first time in six years and he also came away
from this game with a good feeling about this move. It actually fits Fukaura's temper
well, because it leads to a less sharp type of position.
8.P5d-5e 00:12:00 00:14:00
9.P2e-2d 00:21:00 00:14:00
10.P2cx2d 00:21:00 00:17:00
11.R2hx2d 00:21:00 00:17:00
12.P5e-5f 00:21:00 00:21:00
13.P5gx5f 00:22:00 00:21:00
14.R5bx5f 00:22:00 00:22:00
15.K5i-6i 00:23:00 00:22:00
16.G4a-3b 00:23:00 00:23:00
17.S3i-4h 00:29:00 00:23:00
18.K5a-6b 00:29:00 00:25:00
19.P6g-6f 00:53:00 00:25:00
20.S3a-4b 00:53:00 00:34:00
21.S7i-6h 01:03:00 00:34:00
22.R5f-5a 01:03:00 00:45:00
23.S4h-5g 01:03:00 00:45:00
24.K6b-7b 01:03:00 01:08:00
25.S5g-4f 01:51:00 01:08:00
26.B2b-4d 01:51:00 02:10:00
27.K6i-7i 02:29:00 02:10:00
28.S4b-3c 02:29:00 02:37:00
We are already out of book for a couple of moves, but Habu keeps on pushing his pieces
forward, building quite an aggressive position.
29.R2d-2h 02:35:00 02:37:00
30.P*2f 02:35:00 02:41:00
31.B8h-7g 03:09:00 02:41:00
32.K7b-8b 03:09:00 02:54:00
33.K7i-8h 03:55:00 02:54:00
34.S7a-7b 03:55:00 02:59:00
35.P3g-3f 03:55:00 02:59:00
36.S3c-2d 03:55:00 03:13:00
37.N2i-3g 04:05:00 03:13:00
38.N2a-3c 04:05:00 03:34:00
39.N3g-4e 04:07:00 03:34:00
40.P*5f 04:07:00 03:58:00
41.P*5c 04:07:00 03:58:00
42.N3cx4e 04:07:00 04:50:00
43.S4fx4e 04:09:00 04:50:00
44.B4dx5c 04:09:00 04:50:00
45.P6f-6e 04:32:00 04:50:00
46.S2d-3c 04:32:00 04:58:00
47.P*5d 04:43:00 04:58:00
48.B5c-7a 04:43:00 05:11:00
49.N*5c 05:09:00 05:11:00
Habu's positive play has paid off. This knight drop is nothing less than an emergency
measure. White is threatening R2a followed by P2g+, so black needs something drastic
to stay in the game. The knight on 5c blocks the bishop diagonal and attacks the gold
on 6a, so black can take the pawn on 2f next, but this knight is also very vulnerable
and could easily get lost.
50.G6a-6b 05:09:00 05:15:00
51.R2hx2f? 05:13:00 05:15:00
After the game, Fukuara said he regretted this move and that 51.P3e Px3e first and only
then Rx2f would have been better.
52.P4c-4d 05:13:00 05:44:00
53.S4ex5f 05:13:00 05:44:00
54.P*5b 05:13:00 05:45:00
55.P*2d 05:14:00 05:45:00
This threatens Px2c+, but because the knight on 5c has no way to go, black is in trouble.
56.R5a-2a? 05:14:00 06:16:00
Too aggressive. Here 56.S2b would have given white a clear advantage. For example,
57.S5e Px5c Sx4d Px5d P3e G6a P*5c R4a and white has the strong threat N*8e B6f N*7d
next, after which the silver on 4d falls. Habu admitted after the game that he hadn't
seen the final move of this variation and that R4a was a very nice move.
57.N5c-4a+ 05:27:00 06:16:00
58.S3cx2d? 05:27:00 06:16:00
Actually, Habu gets a second chance to pull back the silver. Here the surprising 58.S2b!
is still good for white. It looks very strange to pull back the silver back and block the
rook, but the promoted knight on 4a cannot be saved. Killing the knight with a pawn drop,
then allowing it to promote to take it only then is quite a rare sequence and is therefore
easily overlooked, even by someone who is famous for finding unusual move sequences. After
58.S2b black doesn't seem to have anything better than 59.P3e, but then 60.Rx4a Px3d G6a
R3f is answered by R4c and white has the better position.
59.P*2b 05:27:00 06:16:00
60.R2ax2b 05:27:00 06:17:00
61.B7gx4d 05:28:00 06:17:00
62.N*3c? 05:28:00 06:25:00
Now the white position quickly disintegrates. The final chance to make a fight of it was
62.R2a +N4b (otherwise Rx4a attacks the bishop on 4d) Gx4b P*2b P*2e and white has at
least managed to get the knight.
63.R2f-2i 06:01:00 06:25:00
64.P*2e 06:01:00 06:53:00
65.B4dx6b+! 06:21:00 06:53:00
The decisive move. Simply 65.S7g fails to 66.G6a Bx7a+ Kx7a because now black has no
defence against R2a and the knight is captured after all.
66.B7ax6b 06:21:00 06:53:00
67.S6h-7g 06:21:00 06:53:00
68.P7c-7d 06:21:00 07:02:00
Now 68.R2a is answered by G*4b and black has a big advantage. After the game Habu
suggested 68.P*4b here, but after 69.S5e R2a P6d Px6d P*6c Sx6c G*6a Habu himself
smiled while admitting that this was not really shogi. Black still has the promoted
knight and the white pieces on the left flank are completely useless.
69.P6e-6d 06:21:00 07:02:00
70.P6cx6d 06:21:00 07:02:00
71.G4i-5h 06:21:00 07:02:00
72.G3b-4c 06:21:00 07:08:00
73.S5f-5e 06:22:00 07:08:00
74.B*2c 06:22:00 07:10:00
75.+N4a-3a 06:27:00 07:10:00
76.P3d-3e 06:27:00 07:18:00
77.R2i-6i 06:28:00 07:18:00
78.P3ex3f 06:28:00 07:18:00
79.P7f-7e 06:47:00 07:18:00
80.P3f-3g+ 06:47:00 07:21:00
81.P7ex7d 07:00:00 07:21:00
82.B6b-3e 07:00:00 07:24:00
83.P4g-4f 07:05:00 07:24:00
84.P5b-5c 07:05:00 07:25:00
85.P7d-7c+ 07:17:00 07:25:00
86.S7bx7c 07:17:00 07:31:00
87.P*7d 07:17:00 07:31:00
88.S7c-8d 07:17:00 07:32:00
89.P*3b 07:21:00 07:32:00
Making sure that the rook is never going to get into play again. The knight that was
supposed to be captured anchors this pawn drop.
90.P*7f 07:21:00 07:48:00
Or 90.Px5d Sx6d B4d G*7c K9b S7e! Sx7e R6c+ and black wins.
91.S7gx7f 07:22:00 07:48:00
92.G4cx5d 07:22:00 07:50:00
93.S5ex5d 07:24:00 07:50:00
94.P5cx5d 07:24:00 07:52:00
95.R6ix6d 07:24:00 07:52:00
96.P*6b 07:24:00 07:52:00
97.P*6c 07:29:00 07:52:00
98.P*7g 07:29:00 07:54:00
99.N8ix7g 07:37:00 07:54:00
100.B3ex4f 07:37:00 07:54:00
101.P6cx6b+ 07:38:00 07:54:00
102.B4fx6d 07:38:00 07:55:00
103.G*7b 07:40:00 07:55:00
104.K8b-9b 07:40:00 07:55:00
105.G*8b 07:40:00 07:55:00
106.B6dx8b 07:40:00 07:55:00
107.G7bx8b 07:40:00 07:55:00
108.K9bx8b 07:40:00 07:55:00
109.B*7a 07:40:00 07:55:00
110.K8b-9b 07:40:00 07:57:00
111.+P6b-7b 07:40:00 07:57:00
Resigns 07:40:00 07:57:00
A very basic hisshi position. There is no defence against B8b+ next and after 112.Bx7h+
Kx7h white has no good way to continue. Fukaura wins his second game in a row to take a
2-1 lead in this match. This also marks the 50th official game between Habu and Fukaura
with the score tied at 25 wins each. Not many players can boast such a record against Habu,
but it is not a coincidence. Both players were also tied after their 20th and 30th
encounter and they have been tied for no less than 10 times in their 50 games. Considering
this, the small advantage of 2-1 may be very significant. It seems clear that Habu cannot
afford to drop the next game, so there is quite some pressure to deliver with the black
pieces.